There is this annoying phenomenon that takes place, daily, in airports across the nation (and probably around the world). It goes like this:
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A passenger wants to board a plane early so that they do not have to compete for overhead bin space.
The passenger either tells his grandmother to get in a wheelchair, or the passenger himself feins injury and requests a wheelchair.
The wheelchaired person get on the plane alongside priority boarding passengers with the assistance from airline personnel. If there are not enough wheelchairs for the number of people requesting them, then the person has to wait for one to "open up," in order to get their priority boarding. Everyone else on the plane has to wait for the process to finish.
During the flight, the wheelchaired entrants learn that they must wait to de-plane so that the airline personnel can retrieve wheelchairs and assist them.
Upon hearing this, they experience a miraculous "healing" while in flight. Upon landing, they leap out of their seats and walk off the plane as if they were never really injured in the first place!!
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This form of scam is known as "Jetway Jesus," where passengers are "miraculously" healed while in flight. (truth is, they were never injured in the first place)
There is a simple point illustrated by this current trend. The passengers who are scamming the airline and fellow passengers are feigning an injury (and presumpively a healing) for their own selfish convenience. A real healing - having real faith in the Son of God - is an invitation to a lifetime of inconveniences.
Is it no wonder that Jesus told his followers:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. (Mark 8:34-35)
Jesus will not be used for anyone's convenience in this life. In fact, he will call you away from a life of selfishness into a lifetime of selflessness. He will call you to see the needs of others as greater than your own needs, wants, and desires.
Therefore, the "Jetway Jesus" phenomenon should be renamed to something a bit more appropriate to the one who is referenced (Jesus). Try picking a person or figure that has more to do with self and deciet than sacrificial living. In other words, rename the phenomenon in honor of something that is the opposite of Jesus.
Jetway Judas?