July 7
Matthew chapters 25-28 and Mark chapter 1
It has been very hard
for me the past few days - I hurt my right shoulder and after taking two
Vicodin yesterday morning, my body is still dopey - I've probably slept
25 of the last 30 hours. Besides the fact that Thursday was the 4th of
July and I was throwing toddlers around in the pool and helping tired
moms by occupying their kids with crafts.
The upshot of which, I
had my quiet time every day, but couldn't get going to blog about what
I'd read until today. I'm still falling asleep sitting up and my
shoulder is better (thank God for a daughter who is a brilliant massage
therapist!) but I figured I'd better get on the stick and write an
update before I just got too unmotivated.
Wise and foolish
maidens. To be chosen as a bridesmaid by the bridegroom was quite an
honor To me it's a symbol how the groom honors the bride by
accepting her friends. But 10? geez, herding 10 girls around is like
herding cats! And this is no exception. Five of them are ready to go,
planning carefully,waiting to be fetched for the special ceremony. Five
are "jjust happy to be here!" and forget that they have a job to do.
And all of them fall asleep at one point.
I'd love to say I was
one of the first maids, the planner, the get-up-and-go kind of girl -
I'd love to say that. The good news it, it's not too late for me - God
hasn't called me home and I am doing my best to stay awake. The foolish
maids look and see what's going on, even get involved in stuff at church
- but their hearts run out of fuel and when the Bridegroom comes, they
won't have any excuses.
"I'm frightened for our children,
That the live that we are living is in vain,
and the sunshine we've been waiting for
Will turn to rain." The Moody Blues, Story in Your Eyes
That's
the general consensus of the last half of chapter 25 - that no matter
what we call ourselves, if our actions do not reflect our hearts, then
we're cast off.It speaks to all of us who cry "Lord, Lord" but
especially to me as a mom and grandma. I was far from the perfect
parent, but I'm doing my best now to be the Godly woman He's made me. I
hope that I reflect Jesus to all the children in my life.
A
waste of money. A woman who honored Jesus as God by offering an
anointment of expensive perfume was ridiculed as wasting her money. But
the Pharisees were willing to pay Judas probably just about the same
amount of money to betray Jesus in the garden. Tell me, which money was
wasted?
Jesus is human. Jesus is God. He knew what had to be
done, but he was frightened. It wsn't just the ignominious death of
crucifixion, it was the fact that all our sin was placed on Him. Men
have been crucified - it just ends their life. Jesus took the weight
and guilt and complete evil that ws our sin onto Himself and sacrificed
His lefe, burned it up, killed it off. All of us. From the beginning
of time.You, me, the bum on the street, the man in the White House.
And
that was His choice. He asked the Father if there was some way to
forego the pain ans suffering, but knew there wasn't ans so allowed
Himself to be taken and executed.. How can we not honor that?
Peter
the Blowhard. "No, no, I will never forsake you, Lord!" Oh Peter, I
feel for you babe. I've spent my life saying and doing the wrong things
and then weeping afterwards because I know I've saddened God. But He
is a God of mercy, a God of forgiveness. Like the little kitten who
bites and scratches, then comes to you purring because they want a
cuddle - that's Peter and me. God takes us back, after He's swatted our
noses, of course, and gives us food and water and a clean box and all
the love we'll accept.
"You said it, Guv." Pilate - a man stuck
between a rock and a hard place (or between the natives and his wife).
He is trying to make everyone happy, and in the end, he fails. Maybe
not on that day, but yes, in the end.
Jesus is stripped, whipped
and mocked. but that is nothing compared to what He goes through on
the Cross. And the Jews still antagonize Him. Knuckleheads, pour
gasoline on the flame of their black hearts.
God forsaken. That
was the ultimate moment, right there, when God the Father turned His
back on Jesus the Son. It was only for a moment, at least to us, but in
a place where there is no passage of time, where God is eternal, alway
now, always then always there ahead - that is the agony of it. But that
was the necessity of it as well. How could Jesus die for my sins 2000
years ago? Because He was there then and He's here now where I am. No
time limits, just an eternal love that stretches to all of us.. Wow.
Three
days, no word. That, too, must have been agonizing for the disciples,
the men and women who loved Jesus and believed in Him. Silly people.
Like me, they quickly forgot what He had promised - "I will be back in
three days." "I will meet your every need, Dorinda. I will not take
care of you, as long as you believe."
And there He was.
I
will blog about Mark starting tomorrow - I read him today, I'll have
insight tomorrow. God does truly love me and take care of me. He is
the King.
No comments:
Post a Comment