Twenty-Fifth Day of Lent

Twenty-Fifth Day of Lent

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,
he resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51

I wonder if we are well-acquainted with this word, “resolutely?” Do we have any concept of what it means to move toward something that we know is going to be painful, but that we also know is right? Are we willing to proceed, no matter the cost? That is to resolutely set out.

The Message paraphrases this, “he gathered up his courage and steeled himself.” I guess that I don’t often think of Jesus as having to “gather up his courage.” For too many years, I explained away things that I couldn’t deal with by allowing myself to see Jesus only as God. That way I could reason that he could stand anything because, after all, God has no limitations.

As I have gotten older, however, and have studied more closely what the Bible says, I realize that faith can never really grow until we know deep down inside that he really did suffer every temptation that we will suffer, but never yielded to a single one of them! He gathered up his courage and steeled himself, moving toward a terrible death so that he could reconcile us to God. He came to be with us – Emmanuel. We have to face life’s difficulties, but we never face them alone. He modeled this for us when he resolutely set his face toward Jerusalem, obediently moving toward the cross!

Prayer: Father, help us to be resolute in the things that you have told us are important to you. Help us to move toward whatever is in our future with confidence that you have a plan for our lives, a plan for good and not for evil that we may prosper. Help us to trust you with that plan and not to waiver. Amen.

And He Set His Face toward Jerusalem. . . .

A Lenten Devotional Guide
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, Spring 2007,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator