In Honor of Jesus

     Jesus came to do the will of His Father. His Father's will was that He come down to this earth as a human being. God became man. How is this even possible and what does it say about our God? A God that can become a baby born in a stable and born to woman that has the curse of sin on her, just as we all do, who is He that is able to do this? As a baby, you are helpless, not in control. As a child, you obey your parents and submit to their discipline and correction. He gets older, and starts going about "His Father's business." Still He walks on the dirt roads, sits on a donkey, and works in His Father's shop. He gets baptized in a dirty river, submitting to the unthinkable and His Father announces how much He loves Him and how pleased He is with Him.
     His Father's heart, His Father's will are always before Jesus. Even so, He goes to pray. What does this say to us? He is on this sin cursed earth where the Enemy rages and storms. He is a man, born in the flesh, yet the Son of God. How His heart must have longed after His Father! How He must have yearned to be at His side again without the constraints that are upon Him now! Can we even imagine the communion Jesus longed for with His Father?
     Yet He said, "Not my will but Thine," when it came time to become sin for us. A man that knew no sin, Son of a Holy God, submitted to this awfulness, because it was His Father's will. The Enemy, no doubt, thought he had Him in his clutches. This is what it looked like. Like all was lost.
     The Enemy did not expect the resounding VICTORY and TROUNCING he got through Jesus' death and resurrection. The battle is won. "It is finished," said our Lord. The Enemy tries to keep us from believing this. He does not want us to become like a child and believe and trust. He wants us cynical, unbelieving and calloused.

Loving Him

     Jesus was at Simon the Pharisee's house ready to eat. A pharisee, a leader, high in social and spiritual standing, was having Jesus to dinner. This was not a house where the lowly and sinful were welcome.
      Yet there was a woman, a lowly, sinful person who wanted to see Jesus. It grew in her, that desire, that longing, to see Him. She knew the shame and scorn that would meet her in a Pharisee's house. Her longing overcame the fear of rejection. She got her gift and started on her way. Doubts plagued her but doggedly she kept going.
     She entered the house with head lowered, eyes downcast. Standing behind Him she started weeping. Kneeling she began washing His feet with her tears. Wiping them with her hair, she kissed them. With the ointment, she rubbed Jesus' feet. All the love she had for Him went into these ministrations, mixed with sorrow and grief for her many sins. He did not repulse her but accepted these acts of love with forgiveness and mercy.
     When the Pharisee thought condemning thoughts, Jesus explained and defended her actions, saying, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much."

Come Unto Me

    "Come unto Me," says Jesus. Who is to come? All who are weary and burdened, those who are working hard, striving, burdened with doing are to come. The promise of rest hangs in the air. Slowly, we come scarcely daring to believe that it could be true.
    Gently, oh so gently He receives us. In humble awe and gratefulness we take His yoke upon us. He walks beside us; not in front, not behind, but beside us. Walking closely by His side, guided by Him, associated with Him; we learn from Him.
     We learn of His humility. Our Jesus is not exacting, controlling and impatient. He has no need to prove Himself and is not worrying about how our actions will reflect on Him. Instead He asks us to come along side of Him and learn as we go. Always quick to forgive, He is not too concerned with our mistakes, but that we learn and stay by His side.
     Think of a mother teaching her daughter to cook. If she is too exacting and critical the daughter becomes discouraged and wants to leave her side. But when the mother is loving her daughter and her concern and heart are toward her and not perfection, she will have great patience. She will not be worried about the mess or the mistakes, but will gently guide and direct, working along side her. The mother will not burden the daughter with complete responsibility the first time or the second but gradually give more responsibility as time passes.
     Always Jesus' heart is toward us, offering us rest. What a great Savior!