Wednesday, 2/11/2015

...I shall be telling this with a sigh 

Somewhere ages and ages hence: 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— 

I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost

LEVITICUS 13

Chapter 13 discusses skin diseases and molds in great detail.  God gives instructions on how to appropriately manage each potential situation.  

MATTHEW 26:20-54

The day of the arrest...

20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

Jesus then identifies Judas as the one who will betray him.  After this Jesus warns all of them that they will all fall away

31Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:“ ‘I will strike the shepherd,and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’^c

33Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”34“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”35But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

At this point they head to the Garden and Jesus asks them to keep watch while he goes to pray.  In his prayer he asks if there is another way.  Upon returning to the disciples he finds them asleep.  He wakes them up...

40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus asks God again and returning finds the disciples asleep. He lets them sleep and goes back a third time asking God again.  

 45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

JOURNAL

Obedience.  Jesus takes a path that would seem, preposterous.  He has options, yet he chooses obedience to a path of heartache, certain death and the falling away of his beloved disciples.  It is such a radical path that Jesus inquires three times as to whether God will permit him to do it differently.



When I think about my own life, do I really submit to following God?  Am I willing to obey no matter how foolish or unwise God's direction may seem?  This is not for the faint of heart.  It is not a path that should be pursued if God is just my "genie in a bottle".



This is the crossroad...many times the choice to follow is into the unknown

23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? (Luke 9:23-25)