One Christian's Perspective on Trials and Other Aspects of American Life

Archive for February, 2023

Did Jesus Need a Better Plan?

Recently I reread the account of Jesus’ last days on earth, as He met with His 12 disciples. These were the people with whom He spent the most hours, teaching them truths about following God that were most important, things they were to teach others when He was no longer with them. Of course, they couldn’t have known all that would transpire and what a horrible ending Jesus’ earthly life would have. They were trying, as much as their finite minds could take in, but I’m sure they thought they had many years left of Jesus’ teaching and training before they would be without His earthly presence.

In the upper room at what has come to be known as the Last Supper, Jesus spoke about betrayal and desertion by these with whom He was about to entrust with the most important mission in all of history. The struggle to comprehend what He was telling them must have been rather overwhelming, to say the very least! Meanwhile, Jesus was getting ready to undergo the greatest injustice in human history and physical agony that was unimaginable. Even though He was God, the human part of Him facing this ordeal had to have been staggering. Judas left to betray Him to those who sought His life and the rest of the 11 accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and the disciples slept!!! Three times this happened, and then the last time He woke them, Judas came with those who would arrest Him and would ultimately put Him to death. Then, the 11 men left who had been Jesus’ closest earthly friends, ran away in fear.

This picture has stayed with me for a few weeks in a way that it never has before. Now, Jesus is the Son of God and of course He knew that what was taking place had to do so in order that His ultimate purpose for coming to earth would be fulfilled. But the human part of Him had to be crushed as He saw this happen. Here He was, undertaking the most important work ever, and the ones He would entrust it to after He was gone had all just RUN AWAY!!! He was, in the human sense, completely alone in the worst moments of His life, deserted and betrayed. If these all ran away, how was the world ever going to know the wonderful truth of eternal life that He was about to give His life for?

Fast forward to the third day, the ultimate victory, and Jesus was alive, resurrected and never to die again. He had set a meeting place for His 11 remaining disciples to meet Him following this miraculous event, and some of them were skeptical even then that it was really Jesus. His words to them: “God authorized and commanded Me to commission you! Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life.” The past performance of the disciples may have shaken them completely as to how in the world this was ever going to be accomplished. However, He also told them to WAIT in Jerusalem for the Helper He would be sending them after He returned to Heaven. He never intended for them to do it on their own! The work to be done was way beyond anything they could do or understand. It would be the power that would come when Jesus did what He said He would-He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside His followers so that His plan would be fulfilled.

On a human level, the plan seemed doomed to fail. After all, how were 11 men, 11 previously terrified men, ever going to do this? The whole world? Jesus obviously didn’t get an MBA or set up an organizational chart to diagram how this was going to take place! But was His plan ultimately successful? That answer has to be a resounding YES!! It required God doing what ONLY God could do through the work of His Holy Spirit-despite how it may have looked on the surface so many years ago. Those of us who have come to faith in the finished work of Jesus are forever grateful for the obedience of those 11 men who waited for the Spirit Who enabled them to go and teach everyone they met about the wonderful gift of being a child of God through Jesus.

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He Just Wants US

Recently I was walking on the treadmill and doing what I usually do during that time, listening to praise music and spending time talking to the Lord. We have had a very busy number of weeks, and circumstances and schedules have meant I was out of my usual Bible reading and prayer time routine. As I listened to the music and started telling the Lord that I was sorry for the busy times and that somehow it meant I wasn’t spending my regular time with Him, I realized a couple of things. The “voices” I was listening to at that moment weren’t encouraging or uplifting, in spite of the praise music playing on my earbuds. Instead, I was hearing condemnation and judgment, that I certainly wasn’t walking closely enough with the Lord or I would have been keeping my usual reading and prayer time.

At that point, I heard another voice, reminding me that those negative voices belonged to the enemy of my soul, the one who seeks to steal, kill and destroy. I was certainly getting myself all worked up about what I WASN’T doing rather than focusing on the Lord Himself. As I continued to walk and listen, the negative voices faded and the sweet voice that said “I just want YOU” began to crescendo.

The truth is, God doesn’t need us to do all of the things we impose on ourselves. He is God, after all, not in need of anything because He is all-sufficient. The gift He gives us is His desire to be with us. All of our box-checking has to do with making ourselves feel better, not making ourselves more acceptable to God. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more or earn extra points with Him. Spending time reading the Bible and praying is for our benefit, as we learn and communicate with the One Who loves us most.

Psalm 46:10 is often quoted as the “Be still” verse. The actual term can also be translated as “Cease striving”. I was certainly in “striving” mode that day, but the Lord very gently reminded me to STOP. The example of Mary and Martha came to me as well. In reality I am definitely more Martha than Mary when it comes to “getting after it”. Give me a to-do list and I will see to it that it gets done! When Jesus went to visit this family, Martha was busy fixing an elaborate meal to honor their special Guest, and of course it was quite an undertaking for one who is concerned about making sure everything goes well. She was a little annoyed at her sister Mary who just wanted to hang out with Jesus instead of helping her in the kitchen. Finally an exasperated Martha appealed to Jesus Himself, complaining that she was doing all the work while Mary was just sitting around visiting with Jesus. Jesus, in what was I’m sure a gentle rebuke, told Martha that, while He appreciated her concerns, He wasn’t going to tell Mary to leave His presence and go fix dinner! And if Martha wanted to join them, He would be happy with a much simpler meal.

When God gives us assignments, He will do the equipping for us to get them done. But such assignments are the overflow of our time spent with Him. He loves US and wants US to spend time just enjoying Him, not trying to move mountains or do great things for Him. I am so grateful that God doesn’t hold us to the standard of perfection that we often impose on ourselves-no one can do that! He just wants US! He already loves us, imperfections and all!

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