“Father,
if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine
be done” (Luke 22:42)
There is a cry within the
heart of humanity: Why didn't God answer MY prayer? MY need. "My hope is
lost" is a shout within everyone at some point, and for many, life may
well become a time of relentless "hanging-on" by the one who did not get
seem to get “their” answer to prayer. The tense person you see in the
next pew at church, or the neighbor who yells at your child may be one
of them. Many people who have LOVED the Lord at some point, may in the
future conclude, "I know God is OK; so something must be wrong with ME."
Some people at that point turn away altogether, into lives of bitterness
and disappointment.
Others enter into lives of
self-destructive behavior, but the anger is only partly at themselves.
It's also at God, who, they say, "allowed me to be this way!" Sometimes
the anger is directed outward, toward others: "Why don't they do things
better? Why can't they ever learn?" And they may stop associating
with others, especially those in the church.
A lot of different persons
have asked versions of the questions for today, and for them, mere
"answers" aren't what’s enough to satisfy their questions. Sometimes
they are just too upset; sometimes they care too deeply to be satisfied
with “easy” answers. We need to have a responsive ear - and lots of
prayer for those among us who have great need.
Recently, I was on my way to
someplace or other in the car, and managed to hear just a bit of a
sermon. I tuned in too late to get the idea of what the whole talk was
about, but the Scripture touched me and it definitely seems right that
it is to be ours for this time often referred to as "Palm Sunday."
The Pastor’s words were about
Jesus at the time when the Father replied with a “No” to the Son’s
prayer, while He was on His way to the cross. A number of years ago, we
were in the Garden of Gethsemane and were intrigued when Ellen the tour
guide told us that some of the olive trees we saw were over 2000 years
old. That means Jesus touched those same trees as He went to the Father
in prayer, during the time in the Garden that must have seemed endless
to the Son of Man.
Jesus cried out, “Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not
My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42). An angel was given to
strengthen Him, and Jesus responded by praying even more earnestly. The
stress of the moment became very great, to the extent that blood was
forced through His pores, which mingled with His sweat (Luke 22:43-44).
The Father's answer to His prayer, “remove this
cup from Me,” was an emphatic, but also gentle, “NO!” and
even at that moment, Judas Iscariot was leading a multitude of
determined, angry men toward our Lord.
A great prayer for the church
relates to the needs of those around us, and it goes something like
this: "Lord, what's WRONG with Your people? Why are they (we) so
self-centered? We only have a few short years on this earth, and yet -
such shallowness! Even the "spiritual" ones think only of themselves..."
and so on. The concern is so great that, as stated, some LEAVE the
church, rather than be surrounded by shallow people who do nothing of
significance for anyone; not even for themselves.
And there’s truth in that
observation. The church is like a hospital, a place for both sickness
and healing. Sickness starts with an "S," and so does "Sin,"
along with "Shallowness," "Selfishness" and "Self-centeredness."
We need our Savior to give us another "S" word: "Servanthood."
And He will, if you and I will spend some time with one more "S"
idea: Learn to "Be Still” before
Him, “and know that (He)
is God" (Psalm 46:10). He has much good in
store for those you are praying for – and for you!
There comes a time for each
one, when we understand that it's all true - the church, the body of
Christ is like a pack of mice in God's pantry. We shouldn't be there,
and wouldn't be, except for the grace of God. We might squeak at the
mouse next to us and complain that he is eating the King's "bread," but
then, it's obvious that one way or another, we've been doing the same
thing. The good news is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a
"mouse" like us, and came into the "pantry" too. He died a terrible
death in a Mouse Trap that was really set for you and me. We ate the
"cheese" and the "bread" and everything else we could get our little
paws on, and He died because of what we did. Then another miracle: He's
ALIVE and we can be, too – in Him.
We're all sinners in need of
the grace of God and all of us fall short of His glory. We lack LIFE in
the sight of God, but we can have that life and more, if we trust in the
One who sets us free. Don't look accusingly at your brother, your sister
- look at Jesus, look to Him, and you will find He is looking at you,
waiting patiently to touch you with His great love. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). He says
- Do you hear Him? - Then "Abide in Me" He
whispers (John 15:4). Listen and you will hear His Word. Then, when the
“plank” ("the four by six" as Pastor Chuck
Smith calls it) in your eye has been taken out, “you
will be able to see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's
eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).
He wants to USE you in His
kingdom! He will place you remarkably in His service! He’ll wondrously
take your life and make it COUNT for the kingdom of God! He will RESPOND
to your prayers about yourself and about others. But first, come a
little closer to our Savior. Trust in Him that He knows what He was
doing when He selected both you and that person in the next pew. You
will learn to call out His words, “not My will,
but Thine be done,” even when the enemy who should be your friend
is marching against you (Luke 22:42). And when YOU have trusted the Lord
in ways you never expected, He will use the warmth of His love in you,
to melt the ice in the heart of your neighbor.
Father, I come to You now.
Forgive me. Show me what it means to “abide” in Christ. Whatever it
takes, let me trust in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
