Hi dear
Today’s Holy Nougat is a bit hard to swallow, especially in times of crisis. I propose that there may be lessons hidden away in there
“And all fled, abandoning Him.” Mark 14:50 TLV
On one level, the behavior of the disciples was disappointing. Shameful even. At the moment of His arrest Jesus’ disciples disappeared, as though wanting to ensure no one associated them with him. Or perhaps they were worried that they would also be arrested.
And to that effect, it is an honest warning for us – don’t expect that friends are necessarily going to stick around with us when things go wrong. Some, (maybe even all) will desert us at the first sign of danger. My commiseration, Jesus experienced the same, you’re not alone or special.
That being said however, we recall that Jesus’ entire earthly life and ministry was in fulfillment of scripture and covenant from the time of Adam and Eve. Thus, Jesus and others could not have been sentenced to death, for no matter how much they loved Him, the others/disciples were NOT the promised Messaih. And that’s the crux of the matter. Although the disciples turned tail on Jesus; let’s remember, they weren’t supposed to stay with Him.
You see sometimes we get all het up about us deserting friends, or friends leaving us in our time of distress. And it’s painful. But what if we were to realize that that wasn’t the person’s purpose? Would our perspective change at all? I suspect it would.
People have differing roles in our lives and we may fail to appreciate their intrinsic value if we remain focused on their visible or external attributes. Jesus forgave every one of those disciples AND He gave them more character specific tasks after His resurrection. Moreover, He empowered them by gifting them the Holy Spirit. What a recipe of love and grace.
I pray that we will extend and receive grace during the rough patches of our lives.
God bless you.
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
