April 19, 2011
His Last Week On Earth As A Man – Identifying With Jesus – Part Three
Frustration, Grief and Agony
“Grief drives men into habits of serious reflection, sharpens the understanding and softens the heart.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Today’s Thought:
”To mourn is to be extraordinarily vulnerable. It is to be at the mercy of inside feelings and outside events in a way most of us have not been since early childhood.” – Christian McEwen
Today’s Question
Have you ever considered this: “God does not send us despair in order to kill us; he sends it in order to awaken us to new life?” – Hermann Hess
Today’s Spiritual Thought:
“Grief is the price we pay for love.”
- Queen Elizabeth II
“For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation..” – The Bible (Luke 22:37-46)
Jesus has known all His life that He would come to this moment: for ultimately He was born to die for the sins of mankind. Yet, knowing this as God and experiencing this as man created in Him turmoil, frustration and conflict. Yet the love He had for His Father and the love He had for humanity enabled Him to overcome these human feelings and to yield to the Father’s will.
We, like Jesus, sometimes face conflicts in our lives. We have difficult choices to make. Often in these instances we agonize and toil over our choices and decisions. I’m sure none of us have sweat drops of blood as Jesus did, but our anxiety, frustration and despair have affected us emotionally, mentally and often physically in one way or another. Remember, as we noted yesterday, Jesus was tempted, tried and tested in every way, just like we are; and He overcome and so can we.
May we be like Jesus in that we too don’t choose the easy way out or the least painful path to follow; but may we be willing to yield to the will of the Father and trust that He will take us through whatever He desires for us to do.
Today’s Verses:
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:3-6
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew 9:35-36
Jesus wept.
John 11:35
Today’s Prayer:
Father, no one ever said faith and obedience would always be easy, but I know it is always worth it, so grant me strength and grace to always follow you and to do things your way.
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