Matthew 20: 17 - 19
Jesus pulls his disciples aside to talk to them privately. They have to understand what is coming. He is intent on their realization of what lies ahead in Jerusalem. Jesus is walking into Jerusalem with his eyes wide open. The disciples are not. So we read today of his 3rd attempt to prepare them.
There will be pain in Jerusalem. And this pain will be all-inclusive.
- There will be the emotional pain of betrayal by a friend. The Lord of glory was betrayed by a friend. Have you ever felt that pain?
- There will be the injustice. Have you ever felt the pain of being unjustly treated by others?
- There will be the humiliation of mocking. Ridicule. Public. Have you ever suffered from someones ridicule of you? Even publicly?
- There will be the physical pain of flogging. From my reading, the Roman system of flogging is unparalleled in human pain. Have you ever had physical pain beyond what you thought you could bear?
- There will be death. Satan's ultimate weapon. If you are reading this you obviously have yet to experience this level of pain. Have you had to watch as someone you loved dearly had to walk through that pain? Also, we all know it will be for us as well ... one day.
Did the disciples really hear him? I think not. Perhaps they couldn't. Perhaps it was just too much for them to process. We are going to find that they are still shocked when the actual pain comes.
But how like us! Jesus tries to prepare us for living in this world. He warns us of the pain. He continually reminds us that this is not our 'home'. And we still are shocked when the painful times come. We still seem to think that we deserve a pain free existence because we are believers. Why is that?
Just in the book of Matthew that is the focus of our thinking this year ... listen ...
Matthew 4:24 "News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick." Notice ... there was (and is) sickness.
Matthew 5:11 "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you ..." Notice, he did not say "if" ... he said "when".
Matthew 6:34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Notice ... in your 'today' there will be worries and trouble.
Matthew 10:16 "Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves." Notice ... that's not a safe place!
Matthew 10:17 "For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues." Notice ... that's in the public arena and in the religious arena.
And remember the healings we have read about ... the lame, the deaf, the blind, the chronically ill, the demon-possessed. Those things all existed in his day ... and they exist in ours.
Jesus told us that is the way of life in this fallen world ... this world under the dominion of Satan.
The disciples seemed unable to truly hear his warnings about the pain in Jerusalem. Can we hear the warnings of the pain in this world?
Bad news, right? But NO ... hard news, not bad news. Because Jesus follows this warning to his disciples with the promise of resurrection! The promise of victory over the pain and the death.
- That's why you can not crumble under betrayal.
- That's why you can handle sickness and pain.
- That's why you can endure emotional stress and strain and weariness.
You can ... because you know what's coming! You know there is an end - it's not eternal. It is temporary. You can! And you have the very same Spirit IN you that has already walked through all of these human pains ... he went first ... endured first. So ... we can.
Read the following words from Jesus aloud as you close your meditation today ... hear your own voice say them ... and believe.
John 16:33 "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
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