Jesus knew the limitations of His disciples. He realized they could not alleviate His pain, but He had hoped that they might, at the very least, keep pace with Him that final night. They did not know the future He was facing or the agony He would endure, but they could be present in His affliction. In those moments of anguish, in the time and space where Jesus set His face like flint toward the tasks at hand, He was simply wanting a witness for His pain.
Tag: Nearness
To ‘know’ as described in scripture is so much more than a simple introduction or a shared meal. Knowing implies a oneness, an intermingling of souls and an amalgamated future. To ‘know’ Christ is to abandon ourselves to Him entirely without regard for personal well-being or promotion. That being said, how many of us truly ‘know’ Him?
Still is a strange word, a little unsettling even. But it is the word that has been chasing me down and soothing my spirit for the last month or so.
Pause with me for a moment and revel in the reality of the God of heaven slowing down to sit with us in our sorrow. Note, He is not inexperienced with suffering: Jesus has walked on earth in flesh and subjected the Godhead to the excruciation of temptation, the trauma of sin and even death. God is not too far-off to understand or too insulated to empathize.
“Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves…” (Mark 2:6 NIV) The Pharisees spent all their time in Jesus’ presence in dissection and accusation. Jesus’ ministry looked so wildly different than their own, they could wrap their minds around…
Regularly recognized as the wisest man on earth, Solomon discovered that his wisdom was in direct correlation with his walk with God.
We read Simon’s name amidst the details of the alabaster anointing and we realize that our own healing is merely a footnote in the far-grander story of who Jesus is.
“There I will go to the altar of God – to God – the source of all my joy.” (Psalm 43:4 NIV) We go to the altar when we are happy or when we are sad. When we are whole or in desperate need of…
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV) This verse takes the pressure off us as leaders, doesn’t it? It reminds us that we are not responsible to lead in our own strength, we are only responsible to follow…