Matt 26:31 Jesus said to His disciples, “During this very night, all of you will reject Me….”
In the realm of “big deals,” this conversation seems pretty huge to me. Jesus hand-picked the 12 disciples. He spent time with them, taught them, counseled them, at times refereed them. I’m sure He heaved more than one sigh when they *still* struggled to grasp His point. But this betrayal is huge. Jesus knows He is headed to His death to fulfill the will of His Father. He also knows that every single disciple, whom He loves and has invested time in, will reject Him before the night is out. He knows, and He wants them to know.
Matt 26:32 “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Do you see the amazing grace lavished on His beloved disciples? I am awed and humbled by the love behind those words. They deserved a Holy dressing-down, “How dare you betray Me after the time and effort I put into you?!? You are dead to me!!!” But Jesus reacts with compassion. My paraphrase of this convo goes something like “You will reject me tonight. And that rejection will end up eating away at you. But don’t live in that mistake. Don’t get stuck there. Move beyond it, and meet Me in Galilee. I still have work for you to do. I’ll be waiting for you.” Thank You, Jesus.
Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your fierce love and unfathomable grace. You know I’m going to mess up, Lord. Thank You for reminding me that You can still use me, even when I think I’ve strayed too far. Thank You for allowing me, even with all my struggles and failures, to encourage and strengthen my brothers and sisters on life’s journey. Thank You for forgiving me, for loving me, and for reminding me not to get stuck in my own failures. Thank You for being able to use me, Lord, and for reminding me to keep looking to You, no matter what. Draw me closer. Amen.
Romans 5:8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.