Reading about Jesus' time in Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-44 really showed me something. Jesus himself was about to face death and He knew it. He went into the garden that day to pray. First thing He told his disciples were "sit here while I go over there to pray."
After that Jesus began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. He told the disciples with Him that His soul was exceedingly sorrowful even to death. Next He went a little further and fell on His face praying, "O my Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not as I will but as You will."
A second and a third time Jesus went off and prayed the same words. Saying, "Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, Your will be done."
Reading how even the Son of God was exceedingly sorrowful and distressed helps me with my own grief haunting me inside. And instead of telling God, "one more memory with my family Lord. One more memory with my family," I should be saying, "Thy will not mine be done."
As hard as it is to deal with the grief of dying it helps me to know even Jesus shared those emotions. He demonstrated in the garden how to deal with it by giving it up to God's will not His own. I know when I do that I will hear in my heart what was said to the thief on the cross. "Today, soon, or even some day you will be with Me in paradise." Luke 23:43.
No comments:
Post a Comment