Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Healing Choices Jesus Made for You

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41 NIV).

Read this as a prayer:

On the night before you died, you prayed for me, that I would be as close as a heartbeat to the Father (John 17:22).

On the night before you died, you called me friend, no longer a servant, because you’d taught me everything the Father taught you (John 15:15).
On the night before you died, you came to me with bloody sweat dripping down your face and arms because you’d stared straight into the future with eyes wide open at the truth, while I hid behind the covers of my deep, denial sleep.

On the night before you died, you shook me and seemed to ask, “Can’t you watch with me? Come beside me, friend, and wait the time with me” (Matthew 26:40, author paraphrase).

On the night before you died, I saw a man intimate with sorrow, but also the Word become man, “the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV).

On the night before you died, you understood my struggle, but never demanded that I understand yours. You whispered, “I know how it is, brother, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (based on Matthew 26:41 NIV).

On the night before you died, I saw you, friend, so full of sorrow, yet, on that night you proved to be the better friend, still the teacher, still the brother, still thinking of me above all your own needs, the Lamb of God on mission to redeem faulty friends, like me.

Jon Walker

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