Father, this past season of celebrating Jesus’ birth was nothing like any I have ever experienced. It was a bit more difficult to taste but as we still have our tree and other décor up, may it help me to savor Your gift just a while longer. Amen.
Luke 23:26 (<<click here to read the passage)
We make choices regularly – what we are having for supper, if we are going to go somewhere on vacation this year, what we want to give mom for her birthday, will we go home via interstate or the scenic route.
Those are some of the many choices that we can make. But unfortunately, sometimes things are thrust upon us and we have absolutely no choice at all. For example, one of the managers I had at Kohl’s thought it best to do a couple of overnight shifts when we needed to do jewelry case changes. It made sense in that we were dealing with thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds and gold, along with some pretty nice watches. If it was just she and I and maybe our security supervisor we could set things out without worrying about someone “helping themselves” to some nice stuff as they strolled by. There was one not so good thing though, it was overnight, so we’d come in around 10 pm and stay for an entire shift, getting off around 6 am. I didn’t have a choice, it’s just the way it was.
Luke, in this single verse, shares the story of Simon of Cyrene. There he was just minding his own business coming in from the countryside when seized him and put [Jesus’s] cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. He wasn’t given a choice. It was his only viable option.
A few chapters back, in Luke 9:23, Jesus said,
“If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” AMP
The word “must” is there but He begins the whole statement with “If anyone wishes”. The difference between us and Simon is we get a choice. We can follow Jesus, as His disciple, or we can say “no”. But, choosing to follow Him brings about the “must” and like Simon, we will then take up our cross – daily, mind you – and carry it behind Jesus.
It is not a choice to be made lightly. Following Jesus is not a stroll through the park. The Amplified Bible stresses that in doing so we express a willingness to endure whatever may come…conforming to His example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Him.”
As we spoke of yesterday, persecution – real persecution – could factor in.
Lord Jesus, enable us to wholeheartedly follow You regardless of the cost. May we cling to the words of the Apostle Paul. Amen.
For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]! So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 AMP
Jan 7th, 2021, Thurs, 5:15 pm
