What You Need To Know About Me

What if you were going to be remembered for all time because of one thing you did in your life? What if that one thing could be something good or bad by which historians for centuries to come would define you? For many biblical characters, that is exactly what happened. Their lives were recorded for all eternity in the pages of scripture on the basis of one event or one truth about their lives. No matter how long they lived, for good or for ill, all the world knows is one event in their lives.
Take the Samaritan woman at the well mentioned in John 4. In an encounter, Jesus simply asks for a drink from this Samaritan woman. In the ensuing conversation, we learn that this woman is less than pure, having had many husbands and a current relationship with a man that is not her husband. In Acts 8, we learn about the Ethiopian man in that Phillip meets during his travels. This Ethiopian is unable to understand Isaiah’s prophecy and – gasp – he is a eunuch. In Acts 5 we discover that Ananias and Sapphira in made poor real estate deals decisions. Even the two thieves that hung on the cross next to Jesus in Luke 23 are eternally remembered. No matter what else they did in life, they were remembered for all of history as thieves.
My favorite one-hit wonder in the bible is none other than Methuselah. Here is a man that lived longer than any other in recorded history, and that is what he is known for. In Genesis 5, we learn all that we will ever know about Methuselah. He was the son of Mehujael, great-grandson of Enoch, the father of Lamech at the young age of 187, and had a bunch of other sons and daughters until his death at the age of 969
Now one could reasonable assume that if you lived 969 years, you are going to have a few children, so that revelation in Genesis 5 is less than eye-opening. The knowledge that Methuselah is the father of Lamech tells us that Noah was a direct descendant of Methuselah, but not much more. What we are left with is that Methuselah lived long enough to have a cliché coined for him – “being old as Methuselah.”
But delving deeper into Methuselah’s claim to fame shows us more than a man that required the world’s largest supply of hearing aid batteries and tiger balm. Here was a man that could sit at the foot of Adam and hear stories about Eden while later giving carpentry and sailing tips to Noah. He spanned the history of mankind at the time. Imagine what that must have been like for this one man.
Have you ever heard an older gentleman or lady lavish you with tales of the good ol’ days, when almost everything was perfect and nothing was terrible, unlike now when everything is terrible and nothing is right. Perhaps they relished parts of their youth where they could engage in activities that are no longer accessible to them. And you have been blessed to hear these stories on more than one glorious occasion. Now consider Methuselah. As a young man, Methuselah probably heard Adam rattle on about the good ol’ days, which were in fact a lot better than the times in which they were living. Adam could have retold the story of the Garden of Eden, and the wonders and beauties that abounded therein. He could have told of the pleasures of walking each day with the Lord, and the peace that was in Him. By the 100th telling, young Methuselah might have been fed up and blurted out “then you probably shouldn’t have thrown it all away over a snake and a piece of fruit!”
Or consider that Methuselah had to go around with the knowledge that his great, great grandfather committed the first murder, and everyone knew it. For most of us this would probably be considered a black mark in the family and something of which to be ashamed. But considering that at the time most people were somehow related to Cain, it wasn’t exactly something someone could make fun of without inherently making fun of themselves.
A lot of people feel that over time, birthday celebrations, holidays and yearly rituals begin to run together. This was especially true for Methuselah. How many birthday parties can be held for you before they are all the same? Maybe Methuselah suggested skipping a couple of decades of birthdays because by the time they got all the candles lit on the birthday cake for one birthday, an entire year would pass! Perhaps Methuselah even got tired of New Years celebrations and decided to only celebrate each New Century.
There is also the matter of pets. Most people in their lives might have 5 or 6 dogs, tops. Methuselah must have felt like he was running through dogs like Pez. After a while, he probably just used the same name for each subsequent dog, as there weren’t enough names in the world to have a unique one for each new dog. It definitely saved on nametags.
But one of his joys must have been the opportunity to teach and spend time with Noah, his grandson. It is possible that everything that Noah learned about carpentry and shipbuilding he learned from Methuselah. Playing with Noah as a boy and young man might even be what Methuselah credited for “keeping him young”. Some might even go so far as to say that Noah’s ark didn’t have an Aloha, Lido or Fiesta Deck, but instead had a Methuselah, Lamech and Enoch deck. Rumor has it that the Methuselah deck went on forever.
In any case, we know that Methuselah died at the age of 969. Many scholars believe that he died in the same year as the Flood, and that the Lord brought Methuselah to Him before unleashing the Flood. This would mean that not only did Methuselah get to witness the construction of the ark, but that he also witnessed the devolution of man’s morality, and the wickedness that lied therein.
But Methuselah’s story does not end in his death. For what we know as a fact is that this very old man’s life was not confined to a simple matter of numbers. For Methuselah was in the direct lineage of the centrality of Scripture, the person of Jesus Christ. He is mentioned in very important lineages, both in the 1 Chronicles retelling of the lineage of Adam to Abraham, and then in Luke 3, the lineage of Jesus Christ. Yes, he was the oldest man to ever walk the earth, but he was also a vital member of the family of the Savior of the world.
This brings me back to the one-hit wonders from earlier. Those one hit simply known but eternally famous Samaritan woman at the well, Ethiopian Eunuch, Ananias and Sapphira and the two thieves on the cross. Yes, they were known by history for one event or fact. But this one event does not tell their whole story. For their story is not only of fleshly events. Their stories are of encounters. Their stories are of encounters with Jesus Christ.
Yes, the Samaritan woman at the well was loose and immoral. But she also saw Jesus, heard his voice and knew the truth. We do not know what happened to her the rest of her life, but we do know that she was changed. We know that her encounter with Jesus saved her, and that her testimony spread to others.
Yes, the Ethiopian eunuch could not make heads or tales of Isaiah’s prophecy. But his encounter with Jesus came through Phillips explanation. With understanding, the eunuch was compelled to be baptized and went on his way rejoicing for the truth he had learned. We do not know how his life ended, but we are assured that he went to Jesus.
Yes, Ananias and Sapphira made poor choices in real estate. But their encounter with Jesus came in their decision to be disobedient to the truth that they knew, and lie and cheat the Holy Spirit over money. We know what happened to them, as their lives ended that day. We know that they set the example for us to see when we are tempted to ignore God’s truth and try to sidestep His authority.
And yes, the two thieves on the cross are known as just that, and they too died that day on Calvary. But their encounter with Jesus was as personal as any had been during Jesus’ time on earth. As one thief hung there, he mocked Christ, imploring Him to save Himself if He was really God. The other looked upon Jesus and knew in his heart that this was truly the innocent Christ, being crucified unjustly. With this, he begged Jesus to remember him in Paradise. Their deaths, and their futures, are displayed in no uncertain terms.
And so it is for us. Most of us will never have even one story remain for the balance of human existence. But if it should be so, to be known forever as the oldest person, a righteous man, a simple man, a philanthropist, a liar or a thief, it matters little. What matters is what we do with our encounter with Christ. Our encounter with Christ may not keep our human story for the bookshelves of history; but our encounter with Christ will keep our eternal story for the bookshelves of the Kingdom.