Update from Serenity, Matt’s wife…

Oct 19, 2023

It's not what we were hoping for but it's been evident for quite a while that this is the direction we have been heading. We went in for treatment but Matt Scott is not well enough to continue treatment. The next step is hospice care. We gave the clinical trial a good shake but it's clear the cancer is advancing without any regard for our wishes and efforts. He's fought so hard and endured so much trying to beat the cancer but it's time to rest.

I know that seems like a defeat.
But maybe it's too small a thing to beat cancer.
Because Matt has a bigger problem. We have a bigger problem. The world has a bigger problem. We are all dying of sin. And Jesus already took care of that completely. We don't even have to fight that battle because it's already won.
I'm thinking about that time those guys took their friend and lowered him through a roof so he could see Jesus. Jesus healed him but first he told him his sins were forgiven. Then he said that he knew some of the people there were thinking that he didn't have authority to forgive sins so to prove that he DOES, he would also go ahead and heal this guy. The guy walked out of there, healed and whole.
So we know he CAN.
I'm thinking about that time that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been sitting in the grave for days. Lazarus was one of Jesus' close personal friends. But he didn't raise him just because he didn't want his friends to die - you'll notice that none of them are alive today, so clearly they all did die in their time. He said he did it so you may believe.
So that YOU may BELIEVE.
I know that if God chose to, he could completely heal Matt right now. It would be so easy for him - all he did to raise Lazarus was to call for him "Lazarus, come out" and he did - and that guy was really, really, all the way dead. In the same way, he could call Matt out this morning and he could wake up and bounce out of bed totally cancer free and restored and ready to go out to breakfast.
We know he can.
He proved he can.
But maybe that's too small a thing.
I'm thinking about that time that the government got so mad and threatened by Jesus mightiness that they killed him. And did you ever think about how when Jesus was dying on the cross Satan thought he won? He thought he orchestrated that whole mess to get rid of Jesus so he couldn't save us. That's the greatest irony - that the thing Satan thought would wreck God's plan WAS God's plan to save us. And the greatest love is that even though Jesus could have flattened everyone there who was crucifying him and walked away shaking his head, he let it happen. He traded his perfect life for our sin and death and wiped it out completely.
Alleluia.
I'm thinking about how after that Jesus himself was really, really completely dead in the grave and he raised himself back to life. That's the proof. He destroyed death. He really is God. It really is done. Everything he ever said is true.
ALLELUIA.
Jesus closest friends and family had sorrow and trouble. JESUS had sorrow and trouble. Don't let anyone tell you being a Christian is about God wanting to give you happiness and comfort and abundance here on earth. That would be way too small a thing. Everything will be made new. But mostly not here and mostly not now.
Matt has lived his whole life believing this, counting on this, trusting in Jesus as his Savior.
Heaven is our home. Jesus already paid for it. For Matt. For me. For you. For the world.
And that's not a small thing at all.

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