Thursday, March 29, 2012

Jesus and the soldiers

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.  They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.  They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him.  "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.  Matthew 27:27-31 (NIV)

As I read this the other day there were several things that stood out for me.  In my last post I noted how Jesus showed compassion even in his time of pain toward the servant whose ear was cut off.  First I want to focus on the soldiers in this story.  Most of these had probably heard of Jesus but because they were not of Jewish decent they did not have any emotional or spiritual ties to who he really was.  As far as they were concerned he was just a man who the Jews did not like and who they could make fun of.  They had no real morals as to how to treat people.  They must not have ever heard Jesus tell the story of the good Samaritan and who their neighbor really was.  Their king was Caesar.  Even the chief priests told Pilate that they had no king but Caesar as told in the gospel of John.  How could they be so cruel?  Are we ever that cruel to people?  Do we ever make fun of someone because we don't understand them or because other people don't like them?  Again, how could they be so mean?

At this time I want to focus on Jesus.  We have already noticed Jesus' compassion.  He had told his diciples that His Father could at once put at his disposal more then twelve legions of angels if He called out to Him.  He knew what he had to do.  Jesus loves us very much and wants all of us to come to know him.  I can imagine as he was led into the room and his clothes were changed how sad he must have been.  He knew the hearts of the soldiers.  He knew their understanding of how things were.  As they put the crown of thorns on his head and the robe on his shoulders I picture tears falling down his cheeks not only from the physical pain but because of his love and concern for the soldiers in front of him.  Have you ever been hurt by someone and cried not as much from the physical or emotional pain but because you wish they understood just how much you do love them?  I am sure there are parents who have cried many tears because their child turns away and just does not comprehend the love they have  for them.  Again I want to point out Jesus' self-control.  He could have said "Enough." but he dealt with the pain and humiliation because he knew that his death was the only way we would have hope of being with him forever.  He loves us that much.

I want to return to the soldiers a few days later.  Were any of the soldiers that had mocked Jesus also at the tomb on that glorious Sunday?  Did any of the company of soldiers that mocked Jesus stand at the cross and see the darkened sky and the bodies of the saints rise from the dead remember what they had just done and wonder if they had been wrong?  Did any of them listen to Peter on Pentecost and repent and follow Jesus?  We don't know but I pray that some did.  How could they see the events of the next few days and not be touched?  Did they instead believe the lie that was told and figure they were in the right?  How hard was their heart?

I pray that we can respond to the love of Jesus.  I pray that we will open our heart to his message and the hope that he gave us.  Let's not let the tears that fell mean nothing to us.  Respond to him today and decide that you will do all you can to share his love with those who are hurting and do not understand.  Pray that all who mock Jesus will see the power of what his death and resurrection means for us that their heart will be softened and they will repent and join into Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection by obedience to his will for us to be baptized and follow him as a disciple.  We must make sure we never mock Jesus by the way we live.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Greed, love and compassion

I was reading in Matthew 26 the story of Jesus’ prayer, arrest and trial.  As I read about Judas and his approach to Jesus I could only imagine how greed must have hardened his heart.  He had spent three years following Jesus, watching the miracles, and seeing His love and compassion toward those who were hurting.  Through all that time Judas was focused on money.  The Bible tells us that he used to take from the money bag for himself.  What was he doing with the money?  Did he set it back thinking he would walk away from Jesus someday a rich man?  Did he take it thinking he would he could buy a high place in the new kingdom on earth they all thought Jesus would establish?  Maybe he finally realized that Jesus was not going to be the earthly king so he betrayed Jesus for money to gain favor with the Jewish leaders.  We don’t know why Judas took the money or all of the answers to the questions we could ask.  We do know he was full of greed.  His heart was blind to Jesus’ love and compassion.  He was not able to hear what Jesus taught because his heart was hard and cold.  Are we ever that way?  Are we at times so filled with greed or anger that we cannot hear or see the love shown to us either by Jesus or even someone very close to us?  Have we ever closed our heart so much that we cannot see the truth?

Let’s look at Jesus during this time now.  As the disciples tried to protect Jesus after Judas and the Jewish leaders arrived one of them cut off the ear of a servant.  Even with all the anger and hatred being aimed at Jesus, he took the time to pick up the piece of ear and place it back on the head of the servant and heal him.  I wonder what the officials were doing as Jesus did this.  Were they so busy yelling and threatening that they never noticed what he did?  It had to take a moment to take care of this servant.  The officials hearts were so hardened that even this moment of compassion from Jesus did not change their heart.  They were angry.  They wanted Jesus dead.  So what that he cared for this man enough to heal his pain right then.  Jesus was about to suffer a painful death yet he cared for another man’s pain in the midst of his own.  He loves us that much. 

Let’s return to Judas.  A while later Judas realized that Jesus was going to be put to death on the cross.  Judas was filled with remorse and returned the money.  The money no longer meant anything to him.  Did all those years of listening to Jesus and watching the miracles and seeing the compassion Jesus had for the hurting and lost finally break through the hard heart filled with greed?  Did it take Judas “hitting bottom” to finally make him understand the man he had followed for three years?  Again, we do not know the answers to these questions.  We do know he was filled with such remorse that he felt he could not live with what he had done.  He chose to end his life rather than repenting and accepting Jesus forgiveness. 

One more person to observe is Peter.  Peter denied ever knowing Jesus.  He was afraid and deserted his teacher when he needed him the most.  Granted, Peter did not turn Jesus over to the Jewish leaders.  He just denied ever knowing Jesus and when confronted with the seriousness of his sin went out and wept bitterly.  He repented and was forgiven and went on to be a great leader and teacher concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Judas could have known the love Jesus had for him had he only opened his heart and soul to his Savior and repented.

What can we learn from these stories in this short reading from Matthew 26?  Jesus loves and cares for everyone.  He is a forgiving Savior when we repent and follow him.  Our heart must be open to him.  Anger, greed, and many other sins harden our heart to Jesus’ love and compassion for us.  Jesus will take the time to show compassion and healing if we will only listen to him.  Peter was sorrowful which led to his repentance.  Jesus loved Peter and allowed him to come back to him.  He will do the same for us.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Books about Jesus

I have been wishing for a book about Jesus that just talks about getting to know him as much as learning his teachings.  I have seen a title by Beth Moore that sounds interesting though I am really wishing for a book written by an author from the churches of Christ.  In Beth Moore's book the description indicates that she "follows" Jesus as he reacts with the people all around him in each story.  I believe very strongly in the need to be baptized for the remission of sins and to be added to Christ's church.  I believe very strongly that you are not added to his church until the point of baptism.  Most authors writing will include a section about just pray this prayer and ask Jesus into your heart and to forgive your sins.  While all else they say is wonderful and powerful I am saddened when I read this part of their book because I feel they are not really paying attention to all of scripture like they say they do.  Yet, I often feel that if their writing is indicative of their believe and walk with Jesus they are closer to him than I am.  I would just like to receive encouragement from women who believe in baptism as I do even if it is never mentioned in the book.  I know I must leave the judgement of their soul up to God yet I cannot ever teach the believer's prayer leaving out baptism regardless of how sincere a person is.  That said, I am asking if anyone knows of a book that is written by a woman from the churches of Christ that fits the style I have tried to describe.  Meantime, I think I might just get the book by Beth Moore and others I can find.  They will no doubt open up some thoughts and meaning to me and then maybe someday I will write that devotional book that I am searching for.