- Go with God
- Hold on
- Back to the beginning
- Considering others
- What is the world coming to?
- No justice, no peace
- A necessary intermission
- God help us
- Ripe fruit
- One more time
- Beware jealously
- Trusting God with our whole life
- The power of forgiveness
- Ask Jesus
- Don’t take the bait
- Be righteous
- Enough to start
- Yield
- Mercy
- Is anything happening?
- As we go
- An open heart
- Faith in action
- Reject rejection
- God is our dad
- Loving our enemies
- Let’s go
- Trial by fire
- Active patience
- Right this way
- Finally
by, Isam Itson III
Matthew 26:31-35 – Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Sometimes God leads us into situations where we completely lose our bearings. Some typical responses are, “How can God let this happen?!”; “Where are you God?!”; “I can’t go through this again!”; “I give up. Nothing ever works out.”; etc… In our frustration, we scatter or we check out. We are just too overwhelmed to stay on point. In our hearts, we distance ourselves from God. If you have not experienced this already in your relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you will.
That is what Jesus is discussing with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion. The disciples have been with Jesus in Jerusalem during Passover week observing his effect on the crowds. They are anticipating that Jesus will be celebrated as the divinely appointed ruler of Israel. He will usher in a new age of righteousness and justice that will bring an end to tyranny throughout the earth. A golden age for humanity. And the disciples will rule at his side.
Jesus is letting his disciples know that this is not how events will unfold. He is about to be arrested and executed in public on a Roman cross. Rather than being celebrated he will be humiliated. Their hopes will be dashed and their world will be turned upside down. The disciples will be overwhelmed with fear, shame, and guilt. They will hate themselves for abandoning Jesus in his hour of trial. And they will doubt the presence, purpose, and faithfulness of God in their lives.
In times when we are overwhelmed by the darkness, chaos, violence, and cruelty we encounter in life we also lose sight of God’s presence. In our desperation our faith in the fulfillment of God’s purpose is shaken. This does not mean we are no longer children of God. God is not shocked by our confusion and fear. He knows we are but dust. When we come back to ourselves, he has already told us how to reconnect with him. “I will go before you to Galilee.”
When the dust settles, we make our way back to where we first encountered Jesus. Remembering how he saved us. Refreshing our first love. Grateful for our eternal salvation above everything else. Rejoicing in God’s love for us. Then we will be able to once again move forward with Jesus through the valley of the shadow of death that is life in this world.
In response
Meditate on God’s love, grace and mercy toward you all of the time. I like Psalm 23 and Romans 5:8 for this exercise.