Wednesday, April 12, 2006

on grace and pain


yeaps, it's Maundy Thursday, the day on the Christian calender when we remember Jesus at the Last supper, teaching his disciples at the upper room, breaking bread and toasting wine, doing the first communion, washing His disciples' feet, predicting His betrayal, prays for Himself, the disciples and all future believers. Later Jesus and His disciples went to Gethsemane, where He prayed in the Garden before the start of His Passion.


In a nutshell, why the King of kings and Lord of Lords subject HImself to this particular episode in history? Isn't it peculiar that God did not choose to reveal His glory as He should have done, like the other princes of the world? Even at this point of time, Jesus did not deny His birthright as Son of God. He continued to perform miracles (He made the Roman legion who went to arrest HIm fall back just by announcing His identity, and healed the high servant's severed ear with His touch.) Then, why against all logical things to do, did Jesus allow Himself to be questioned and humiliated like a common criminal, and be hung to death on a cross?


I believed this verse holds the secret:


Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." - Matthew 26:39 (NIV).


The Bible records that Jesus prayed this prayer three times to the Heavenly Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even as Jesus agonizes over the coming ordeals (He is fully Man, after all), He still sought to do the Father's will, because He loves His Father, and loves His neighbours as Himself. (He is fully God, praise be to God!)


So why is this titled "on grace and pain"? Well, because it is of the grace of God that we are saved, and it is done by His pains. I think many a times I forget the full import of the grace and the pains of His in this portion of the Gospel. If I can only remember the full cost that it took me to be saved, maybe I won't lived my life out as carelessly as before.


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Because we children of Adam want to become great,


He became small.


Because we will not stoop,


He humbled Himself.


Because we want to rule,


He came to serve.


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“ Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. ”- Luke 9:23-24

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