Bob Saget’s tragic death reminds us of the daily danger of falling. A significant trigger for death in the elderly is falls. Frequently these initiate a chain of negative health events that the aging body is unable to recover from. These physical falls could symbolize the perils of spiritual falls in spiritual life. The breaking of things - physical and spiritual - can sometimes be remediated by therapy, but not always. As with Jacob (Genesis 32:31), it may be that a physical limp reminds us of our dependence on God in the spiritual realm. The cane, crutches, or wheelchair become inescapable reminders that we can’t do it all by ourselves.
What causes falls? In the physical realm, our body systems - coordination, balance, etc. - begin to deteriorate as we age. A small slip or slight trip from which we could have easily recovered in youth brings us down. But we don’t realize this, and inadvertently don’t exercise great caution in our walk. We don’t notice the tiny patch of ice on the sidewalk, or the carpet wrinkle, or forget to use the handrail on the steps because our hands are full.
In the spiritual dimension of life, we carelessly forget the lessons God has taught us through the decades, to flee temptation and avoid even the appearance of sin.
- David was not a young man when he sinned with Bathsheba and murdered her husband. In fact, he had spent about fifteen years on the run from Saul, learning that God is faithful when we turn to and obey Him.
- Abraham was well advanced in years when he lied to Abimelech about Sarah (Genesis 20), and had previously been rebuked for the same sin with Pharaoh (Genesis 12).
- Moses had spent forty years in the desert herding sheep before leading Israel through the desert, learning his dependence on God, before he struck the rock twice (Numbers 20:11-12).
- How many senior and respected ministers have fallen into sexual sin in their old age? Too many to list… [although the #MeToo crowd no doubt has that list].
There seems to be a contest between maturing and decay in our body and soul. After decades of walking with the Lord and being disciplined by Him (Hebrews 12:4-11, Proverbs 3:11-12 & 13:24), we come to see His perspective. But, if there are any areas of holdout, He relentlessly scourges them. What is the conclusion?
- We must remind ourselves that it is more than an academic lesson. We have to choose to do what Jesus has taught us. (John 13:17)
- We cannot presume on His grace, even though He freely gave it in the past. We shall not put the Lord to the test. (Deuteronomy 6:16)
- When we fall, repentance is still the only remedy. We cannot make excuses based on age.
- We are totally dependent on Him for restoration. We cannot earn our way back.
The bottom line is to discover that much of our growth was in theology and rule-following, and He wants our heart to change to become like His. (1 Samuel 13:14) He uses our falls to reveal our true heart to us. If we truly want to become like Him, we must respond at a heart-change level. This is how Jesus helps us get up.
