Category Archives: Obedience

With a Passion

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The Passion of the Christ.“The Passion of Christ,” Mel Gibson’s movie about the crucifixion, is extremely difficult to watch, but it’s the least I can do in trying to think seriously about Christ’s intense suffering. This year while watching, something new occurred to me.

 

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In the opening scene as Jesus agonizes in Gethsemane just before being arrested, we’re shown 3 sleeping disciples who Jesus had brought with him for support during his darkest hour. I’ve always thought of Peter, James, and John as being irresponsible in their untimely napping while their teacher and friend suffered so terribly.

This year I checked my Bible for more information. Luke says that their sleep came as a result of “exhaustion from sorrow.” Untimely napping, then, isn’t an accurate description of what was happening.

Earlier that night Jesus had given these men a boatload of bad news. They were in the process of internalizing it when they’d been asked to accompany him to the garden, and when they got there, they watched him fall apart. Confusion, fear, and sorrow mixed together to overcome them completely.

Jesus’ response to finding them sleeping was interesting. Although he was “a man of sorrows” himself and knew how they felt, he instructed them to “get up and pray.” He didn’t tell them what to pray about, but he did add, “Pray so that you don’t fall into temptation.”

What temptation was he talking about? Could he have meant the temptation to get stuck in their debilitating sorrow? He needed these men to remain strong, not only to support him but to cope with everything that lay ahead. Even so, Jesus wasn’t harsh with them. He said something like this: “I know your spirits are willing to stay awake, to watch, to pray, but I also know the human side of you has been weakened right now.”

Even during his most excruciating hour, Jesus was still teaching them. Maybe he was saying, “Don’t be tempted to get stuck in your sorrow. I’m fighting the same temptation right now, but I will not give in. My spirit is willing to endure whatever my Father asks, and I want you to do the same.”

Anyone who’s been swamped with grief, even a grief much lesser than that of Jesus, knows the temptation to get stuck in it. Deep sorrow is exhausting and can immobilize us, despite our spirits not wanting to succumb. But sometimes we’re too weak to resist it.

Jesus gives his disciples (and us) the way to successfully resist: watch and pray. He implies we won’t suffer in our grief longer than necessary if we’ll follow those instructions. And when we look at how he victoriously overcame tremendous temptation in the garden that night, how can we do any less?

Sleeping in the garden

“When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow… ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’ ” (Luke 22:45-46)

Digging Deeper

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The home we raised our family in was a 100+ year old farmhouse located near a creek. I loved to think about the farmer choosing that spot to build his house, up on a rise near free-flowing water that would satisfy household needs. In the late 1800’s, this family probably drew all their water from that creek by way of heavy wooden buckets.

Our old house

After we’d bought the house, we had a surprise visit from the “little boy” who’d been part of that first family. He was in his 90’s then, bent over with age, but his memories of the house were rich. We walked from room to room, and while standing in the corner where he said his mother had worked at a dry sink, he told of the well his father and brothers had dug. It was an upgrade from the creek, but she had complained it was too far from the house.

He then told of the grand day his father had dug a closer well and linked it to a hand pump on the front stoop. (That explained the 3” round hole in the concrete.) Of course eventually they had running water, and just before we moved in, a fresh well had been dug to a depth of 127’. The water quality wasn’t good, but with a line-up of purifying tanks in the basement, it was acceptable.

A creek-water bath

After living there 12 years, one day I drew a bath for the girls, and the tub filled with very strange water. It had gritty soil in it and looked much like the creek water flowing outside. Our girls loved their “black bath” and felt like they were playing in the creek.

The next day a well-man gave us the bottom line: “Your well’s going dry, and you’ll need a new one.”

After accepting our fate, Nate told him, “Dig deeper this time. Maybe you’ll find better water.”

Dig right in.

A week (and $12,000) later, we had water again, this time from a 165’ depth. There was bad news and good: the water quality wasn’t any better, but the well pipe had hit a deep vein of water, assuring us we wouldn’t run dry again.

I thought of how quickly we were willing to “dig deeper” to get the water we needed, both in the yard and in our pockets. Are we just as willing to diligently dig for God’s truth? How much effort and expense are we willing to put forth?

In the USA we can “taste” spiritual water with virtually no effort or expense. It’s on the car radio, at the corner church, on our TVs, on the internet. The question is, have we cheapened God’s pure provision by wading through its abundance without actually drinking it in?

165'

If that’s true, God’s love will see to it that we inevitably “dry out” to the point of craving his water like someone dying of thirst. And when that happens, no effort or expense will be too great to quench our genuine thirst for him.

“Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

How ’bout now?

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As a mother of young children, I was never a consistent disciplinarian. Having had a mom whose M.O. was to “let the kids have fun,” I didn’t know how to do it, and besides, being the bad guy was hard work. So I schlepped along, hit-and-miss, and it’s only God’s grace that brought my children through.

Jesus was never a parent, but we get glimpses of his parenting skills throughout the Gospels. I love to read how he got frustrated with his disciple-children once in a while, because all parents have those same exasperating moments.

Kids know in their hearts that parents have their best interests in mind when they set the rules, but a desire to “do their own thing” is often stronger than the will to comply. I saw a recent example of that in my granddaughter Skylar:

Pep!

This energetic, creative little girl is, at 4½, something of an expert on family relations. Last week when we were visiting, the whole family was working toward a birthday dinner for her little sister, Autumn. Company was coming at 5:00, and there was much to do. Linnea called to Skylar, asking if she’d please come into the kitchen to help her.

Caring for pets

Skylar’s reply was interesting. “Mommy, I’d love to help you a whole bunch, but I first have to deal with one of my pets who is having a birthday party tonight also.”

Her comment reminded me of the Bible story where 3 men expressed an interest in joining the ranks of disciples following Jesus. Their words said they were all-in, “a whole bunch,” but the excuses they gave as to why they couldn’t do it right-this-minute fell flat with Jesus.

These unnamed men had no concept of what they were about to give up by making excuses. They believed Jesus was their wondrous Messiah, but incredibly, after this conversation with the Son of God, they chose to go their own way.

Jesus did, too.

I shake my head and think, “They could have had one-on-one teaching from the Master! They could have watched his every move, listened to every conversation, gleaned how righteous living worked. They could have followed him all the way to the cross, to the Garden Tomb, and even to Resurrection Day! By making excuses, they forfeited it all.”

But am I any better? Hasn’t God asked me to do this or that when I’ve said, “Good idea, Lord. I’ll definitely get around to that somewhere along the way.” When I respond in that maybe-later way, do these God-structured opportunities evaporate? Does he come back later? Or does he go and ask a more obedient “child?”

What treasured opportunities have I forfeited?

Skylar didn’t get away with her bogus excuse, since Linnea and Adam are much better at disciplinary follow-through than I ever was. But as for Jesus, I have a hunch he usually leaves it up to us.

“Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” (Luke 9:61)