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To read:
Psalm 20
Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are
going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son
of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be handed
over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat
upon. After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the
third day he will rise again.” But they understood nothing about all
these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they
did not grasp what was said. |
To think about:
Sometimes our best efforts to explain ourselves are not enough to bring
about understanding. Perhaps as a parent you have received the words
from your child, “You just don’t understand what I am trying to
say!” People seldom understood Jesus. Even when Jesus made
straightforward announcements of his rejection, suffering and death,
his disciples “…did not grasp what was said.” The learned religious
leaders in Jesus’ day did not understand the heart of Jesus and
grumbled when he quoted the scriptures and healed the sick. In the
hardness of their hearts they even went so far as to plan his death.
Rejection and misunderstanding come as no surprise to Jesus.
Misunderstanding and rejection by others would also come to the
disciples as they experienced their life through Jesus’ life.
Know then that when you speak of God’s great love in Christ Jesus,
you too will experience the rejection of others. To invite someone
to meet Jesus at the cross is not very appealing or understood from
a human point of view. Yet, it is precisely there as you knell
before Jesus that healing, forgiveness, and new understanding from
God’s point of view is given. |
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To pray:
Gracious and loving God, thank you for
coming to us through your word. Renew us and give us new eyes to see
and understand more clearly your divine plan of salvation by way of
the cross. Help us to acknowledge our sin, that we may find
forgiveness in you. Amen.
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