As we finish this lent season we end on what I feel was the saddest and hardest part of the crucifixion journey. The garden.
The garden was the biggest battle for Jesus. He fought against the human desire to escape and not go through the pain. He fought the fear. We don’t like to think of God as having fear, but Jesus became fully human so He faced the human feelings. If He had not been fully human He could not have died. If He had not been fully God His death would not have saved us. It’s a mystery, but God likes to show His power through wonder.
The garden was a battle field. The devil fighting to keep Jesus away from the cross. Jesus fighting for God’s will to be done. In the end He chose the death. The pain. The shame of that cross. For us. All for me. I could never earn that death. I could never be worth that moment. Yet He still died for my sake. And for yours.
Tag: He first loved me
Doing for others who won’t do for you
Doing for others who don’t do for you.
Do unto others… yep, we’ve all heard that over and over and over again until it’s too much. Funny thing is, the only one who ever said to love your neighbor as yourself who I have actually seen do so Himself was Jesus. Usually I find the one shelling out the do unto others line is the person who wants something from you, but when the roles are reversed that same person can’t be bothered to consider you a neighbor. Sounds familiar huh?
But no matter how many times I read Jesus’s words I can’t find the loop hole that would fix this problem, the loop hole that I have often put in myself in my actions, the one that says to only treat your neighbor as yourself if that neighbor will do the same for you. That feels right, doesn’t it? Maybe Jesus intended to say that but forgot? I mean, who would make you treat well someone who is a leech?
Oh, right, the same one who says love your enemies, He’s the one who would make us be good to those who aren’t good in return. It’s really hard. People who want to take from you but you rarely give back are some of the hardest people to deal with. At least you feel a little good about yourself when you do something kind for an enemy, but when you’re giving out to a bad neighbor it just makes you feel like a door mat.
Jesus however, never gave a command He didn’t follow Himself. To the point of suffering and death He did unto others as He would have them do unto Him, exept He knew full well that most of them wouldn’t do the same for Him; many wouldn’t even stop hating Him. The martyrs did for Jesus what He did for them, but how many more gave in to the politics and force of the rulers around them to save their own lives? Jesus knew we wouldn’t do the same for Him, yet He still walked the road to the cross. So next time I have to give to those I know won’t give back without a fuss, I hope the Holy Spirit reminds me that Jesus gave His life for me, knowing I would fail Him everyday. It’s not about give and take, as much as it hurts sometimes, it’s really all about give and wait for your reward in Heaven, which you earned because of someone who gave for you.
Carried in the cross 