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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion March 23, 2005 FALLEN |
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Frontline Devotion for Wednesday, March 23, 2005 By Penny
Risen
Matthew
26: 36-46
Curling up in the darkness, the men covered themselves with cloaks against the
chill.
It had been a long day and the emotional exchanges over Passover dinner added to
their weariness. Jesus asked His disciples to wait and keep watch as He went a
short
distance into the night-shrouded garden to pray.
“When He came back to His
disciples, He found them sound asleep.
He said to Peter, ‘Can't you
stick it out with Me a single hour? Stay alert;
be in prayer so you don't
wander into temptation without even knowing
you're in danger. There is a
part of you that is eager, ready for anything
in God. But there's another
part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping
by the fire’ … When He came
back the next time, He said, ‘Are you going
to sleep on and make a night of
it? My time is up. The Son of Man is about
to be handed over to the hands
of sinners. Get up! Let's get going!
My betrayer is here.’ “
The Message Bible
How could they let Him down, just when He needed their protection, care and
support? He warned them over and over that betrayal was just a short step away.
They’d fallen short. Huddled in the gloom, the temptation to sleep overcame
them.
Moments later, when Judas and the soldiers came to seize Jesus, the disciples
ran.
They’d fallen short. Gripped with fear, the urge to save themselves prevailed.
Jesus asked them to be strong, to support Him in this critical hour.
They’d fallen short. Human and weak, they saw months of spiritual renewal and
fellowship with their beloved Teacher brought down with a bitter kiss from a
brother.
Could you or I done any better to serve Our Lord on that night at Gethsemane? The story of the garden --- where Christ prayed in anguish only to be turned over to the authorities --- usually focuses on His appeal to His Father. Instead as we move toward the events of Holy Week and the Crucifixion, consider the disciples and put yourself in their shoes. Walk their troubled path as Jesus is taken from them, tried and beaten, and see their torment because they felt that they’d fallen short.
Jesus knew that His faithful believers could be weak, tired and spiritually frail in the face of the threats that lay ahead. The fulfillment of His mission would be painful and filled with regret. After all, He was chosen to die for all the fallen of God’s creation. But He still loved them and He was willing to sacrifice Himself for them. Jesus’ hope was that when His chosen were challenged to take up His cross and champion His church after the Resurrection, that they would not fall short.
He still calls to us, “Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into
temptation without even knowing you’re in danger.”
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, my hope is in You. Even when I don’t feel
worthy of Your sacrifice, help me to be strong, to have faith, to stand tall and
not fall. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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