Jesus had been preparing his whole life for what was soon to happen - His death on the cross. He was fully aware that many of His followers were NOT looking for a suffering Savior, but a strong military-style leader that would deliver them from the grip of Rome. He continued to tell them His purpose… to bring Light to darkness, to bring Living Water to the spiritually thirsty, and eternal life to all who would believe on His name… and that being cured of sin is the greater healing than being physically healed, as one is eternal, and the other is merely temporary. But they didn’t get it…
Time was slipping away… the day of His crucifixion was coming fast… so He took His disciples away privately to Galilee and laid out the details of what was to unfold… “’The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised.’ And they were greatly distressed.” (Matthew 17:22-23)
The second warning He gave them is found in Mark 9:30-32… “’The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.’ They did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it.”
The compass of their minds had been set for one paradigm, and they couldn’t see anything else. Jesus did not use a parable to explain this, He used clear language - “They will kill Him, but on the third day He will rise.” And their only response was confusion, distress and fear.
Friends, we’re no different than the disciples. We make a mental plan for how our life should be, and how God “fits” into this grand plan, only to have none of it turn out according to our design. We question where God is in it all; does He love us? Is He really “for” us? The truth is that we haven’t aligned ourselves with His words. He hasn’t come to promote our happiness, but our holiness. He didn’t die for our sins so we can live lives saturated in self, but in the fullness of Him. He didn’t make us His children only to have us fall in love with this world; He longs for us to set our affections on what is Above. Like the disciples… we often don’t get it.
If confusion and fear are present in our lives, it’s a good sign that we need to set our “idea” of what God SHOULD be doing aside, and ask Him what He’s really doing, then join Him in His purposes. Anything else will bring distress.
Yorumlar