Lenten Devotional Only the Father
The passion will inevitably remain extraneous to us until
we go into it through the very narrow door of the "for our sake"
because only he who acknowledges that the passion is his fault
truly knows the passion. Everything else is a digression.
--Raniero Cantalamessa
Reflect
As you quiet your heart and subdue your thoughts, gently thank God for being with you today. Take a couple of minutes to affirm Christ's presence here.
Read the following passage aloud, making it a personal prayer:
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in
a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus
I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power
and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is
better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will
bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in
Your name. --Psalm 63:1-4 NASB
Ask the Holy Spirit to be your Teacher and comforter through this time with Christ. Consider the prophetic descriptions of Jesus from Isaiah 53, listed below. Slowly speak each of the phrases, contemplating what it may mean.
-- a tender shoot
-- a root out of parched ground
-- no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him
-- nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him
-- despised
-- forsaken of men
-- man of sorrows
-- acquainted with grief
-- one from whom men hide their face
-- we did not esteem Him
What do you see in Christ that perhaps you haven't really comprehended before?
Remain here and keep watch with Me. --Matthew 26:38 NASB
...Such a simple request. Has He ever asked these men to do anything for Him before? From the moment He called them from their businesses and boats, did He depend on them at all to meet His needs?
He fed the five thousand—first the disciples and then the multitude. Did anyone make sure His stomach was filled with the broken bread and dried fish? He calmed the wind when the night wore thin and the disciples' terror grew, but did any of them think to offer Him a warm blanket or bowl of broth? A few hours ago He washed their feet—did anyone wash His?...
In the end, there is only the Father. He hovers near His child, though the agonizing dialogue between them is the start of a severing that will tear the Godhead apart. Visions of that moment torment the Son until He wonders if He can continue. He pleads with His friends, "Remain here and keep watch with Me," but only the Father hears.
Respond
Sit quietly, contemplating the darkness that surrounded the disciples that night. See Jesus a short distance from you, His heart beginning to break, His cries growing louder and louder. Imagine yourself falling asleep, oblivious to His pain. Hear Him gently calling you by name: "Could you not watch for one hour?"
Why do you think the disciples did not watch with Jesus? Why do you fail Him at times? Why were the disciples so out of touch with how terrible this time was for Christ? Are you at times out of touch with the true suffering of Christ? Why?
Ask God to give you spiritual insight into what Jesus was about to experience as He asked the disciples to watch with Him. Spend a few moments in prayer over this.
Write a prayer using some of the phrases from Isaiah (e.g., Lord, You were a tender shoot, like new life coming forth, fragile...and I crushed You).
Be quiet for a period of time, allowing this experience to settle within your heart.
Prayer: Oh, my Lord, I long to understand the extent of Your isolation, the impact of Your lonely pain. Did You ever feel at home during Your stay on earth, or did You experience abandonment from the moment You burst upon this dark planet? I, too, have let You down a thousand times, and I cannot for one moment judge the disciples who slept while You grieved. I long to join You now, though. My heart beats as Yours breaks, and in my spirit I offer You a shoulder upon which to weep. Let me remain and keep watch with You this day.
No comments:
Post a Comment