Hi
One of the things I love about Jesus is that He kept it real. Whether in His interactions with God or humanity, His character was the same. Yesterday, we noted Jesus’ yieldedness to God’s purpose from the glory perspective and we also saw God’s immediate reply to Jesus. In today’s Holy Nougat we will look at another yielding prayer
“Going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me! Yet not as I will, but as You will.”” Matthew 26:39 TLV
Sometimes we cannot escape the distastefulness of task ahead of us; or of the one we’re undergoing in the present moment. It just is hard sometimes. Unbearable even.
Jesus’ response is radical – He asks God to release Him (Jesus) from the burden of the moment. My dear, it is okay to admit to God that our strength has failed and we are at breaking point. It is not only human, but it also reflects spiritual maturity. We do have the authority to keep it real by confessing our pain to Christ.
However, Jesus’ prayer doesn’t actually take the form of a litany of complaining and worry about our circumstances. No it doesn’t. And there is a seemingly insignificant word in this prayer – ‘If’. If assures God’s right to deny us the escape we seek. For Jesus, acknowledging what He faced was tempered by recognizing that there was more to His suffering than met the eye. And for many of our life experiences, that is exactly so. In that case, Jesus’ yieldedness is for our common good.
His death for our lives.
But, ‘If’ also means that we are asking for directions to the emergency exit. In including that conditional conjunction, Jesus also affirms that some cups are just toxic and we can seek God’s intervention for a shift. And here at the beginning of the month to raise awareness about Domestic Violence, I am emphasizing that we sometimes need the exit button. Not all suffering we face is God-ordained; sometimes we gotta RUN from danger. It isn’t always about being long suffering or suffering in silence!
What we are called to be, is Discerning. To be aware of God’s will for us in crisis situations. For our gut response may not necessarily be aligned to God’s plans and purpose. There were times the leaders wanted to kill Jesus but His time had not yet come. Jesus may have been considering other things He’d have wanted to do. He may have had items on His bucket list. Even in His acknowledging that He desired more time, Jesus remained yielded. And when it was time, His yieldedness led to His glory.
Lord, IF You desire; let this too pass
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
