Still Giving Life

 

This week holds many thoughts as I reflect, contemplate, and dwell on the actions of this week of Jesus' life.  

After three years of interacting with people, of telling them the ways of His kingdom and who He is and where He comes from; He experiences - the hosannas and waving of palm branches, still missing the purpose of His coming and kingdom.  He hears the words spoken, "I never knew the Man."  He wrestles in the garden with the weight of His purpose.  He was greeted with a kiss from a friend that was betraying loyalty.  He felt the whip of the lashes coming down upon His back.  He heard the mocking cries of His Kingship, of who He is.  The crown of thorns pierces His head, thorns that were part of the curse of our sin, He now wears and is pierced with on the tender place of His head.

Jesus, the One who is the Way to Life.  Jesus, the One who is Truth and told us the truths of His way, is now being ridiculed, whipped, and pierced.

Rejection.

Rejection pierces deep.  Jesus, the Man on the middle cross, hangs there bearing the weight of being mocked and rejected for showing the Way back to Himself.  He dies, being the Way for us.

What is gripping my heart is in the midst of all this, He speaks life and heals for the very ones rejecting Him.  When Peter cut the high priest's servant's ear, Jesus rebuked Peter and reached out and touched the spot where the ear was no longer there and healed it.  Jesus, as the High Priest, touched and healed the one who was a servant to the high priest and coming to arrest Him.  

Healing to the one who came to hurt Him.

Jesus, with pain and compassion, greeted Judas, the one who betrayed Him with an endearment - a kiss to the soldiers coming for Him.

No retaliation - still offering life.

Jesus, on the cross, spoke of forgiveness.  "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do".  Jesus gave His life all the while continuing to give life to those around Him.

As I let this settle into my heart, I am left with the stark reality of my own responses when I am hurt, rejected when I offer myself, and when I experience heartaches.  I am too much like Peter - defending, whirling my defense mechanism.  I sense the tenderness of Jesus saying, "No, stay with Me.  I love you.  I offer life and healing."

I bow my head, confessing, and cry out to Jesus, "Help me.  It's only through You and because of You that I can live out the ways You taught us."  I pause and realize, that if Jesus who is the Way to truth and life does not defend or demand allegiance and to be understood, why should I, a human, demand that I be understood?

When we stay with the Way, we find our way.  We find our way to truth and life.  God's word is truth and is a sword.  We take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and 'fight'.  Ephesians 6:17

As I write, today is Good Friday, the day Jesus stretched out His arms, open and wide and gave His life so you and I can have life eternal.  Inviting, open.  

The two men who also hung with Jesus offered ridicule, but one repents, choosing Jesus and receives life eternal.

The invitation is still being offered - the invitation to receive the gift of life that Jesus offered and continues to offer.  But we must want it.  We must accept the invitation.  We must let go and see God in the midst of our broken stories.

That life is not only for us personally but as Jesus lived it, He modeled for us the way.  And yes, giving life, even in the midst of pain, betrayal, and mockery.  

Our pain does not need to end with itself.  With Jesus, there is hope and life.

Jesus accepted the weight of His cup as He surrendered to His Father.  As we surrender to Jesus and know of His love, we too, can find the strength to walk the path before us.  We can, because Jesus promises us that He not only gives us life but He is with us in this life.

The weight of the cup and the path Jesus walked became the way to the resurrection and life over death.  The weight of pain and death we experience can also become the way to life and resurrection when we choose Jesus and stay with Him.

The Promise and the Hope In the Midst of Death

Recently death invaded life.

My aunt is one of half of her siblings that have a genetic issue that affects the heart.  She entered her second open heart surgery with the awareness of the high risk of not living beyond surgery.  Surgery went well, but her heart was too weak and it did not survive the procedure.  A week and one day later, she left her earthly body to exchange it for an eternal one.

Death.

We, as a family, were going to go to our cabin and do some work on it in preparation for renting it out.  Cousins, uncles, and aunts were going to be there.

Upon receiving the details of viewing and funeral, our plans were changed.  And yes, our boys were disappointed and thought we could still go because all the viewing/funeral details were Sunday -  Tuesday.
Yes, in all reality we could've still gone, it simply would've made for a very hectic weekend.

My response to the boys included... death interrupts life.

Initially I was thinking of our life and its plans.  When death happens, it is never convenient.  Plans are changed, lives are disrupted, dreams are ended.

But literally, it is true.  Death interrupts life.

Aunt Lil's life was interrupted.  It seems to be cut short.  Children needed her.  Grandchildren would've benefited from her presence.  Husband is alone.  Many friends benefited from her care.

That is the temporary perspective.  The part we see and feel.

II Corinthians 4:18, says the things we can not see is what is eternal.  The eternal perspective.

The eternal perspective breathes a hope and a promise.

Jesus.

One day, He, who is Life,  will forever interrupt death!  Death will be swallowed up in victory.  forever!!

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To those who have traded your earthly, human body for an eternal one... we miss you.  We ache to talk to you for you are a part of our lives.

But we know there is more than what we see.

So, until we reunite, we place our hand in the hand of Jesus and choose to walk with Him, trusting His heart and allowing Him to guide us safely home.