Lent Day 32
I love comedy. I love to be funny. Mostly I use sarcasm to make jokes. The problem with that is that it’s usually at someone else’s expense. Sometimes I cross the line and I hurt feelings. I didn’t mean to hurt someone’s feelings but in my self-centered quest to be funny, it happens. If you really knew my heart, you would always just laugh a long with me.
When Jesus is making his journey toward the cross, there is nothing funny about it. In fact, it exposes the heart of Jesus and it’s a beautiful thing. From the manger to the cross, in Jesus, we see tenderness, humility, sympathy, patience, love, faithfulness, grace, generosity, and more. But as his heart is revealed, ours is too, and the contrast is not only deeply humbling but it also exposes just how much we need the sacrificial death that Jesus is heading towards.
Take a minute and read Mark’s chapter 2. You will clearly see the contrast between the human heart and the heart of Jesus. Did you see it?
Peter, James, and John all witness the glory of Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration, and Jesus said to not tell anyone about it. You have to wonder how they carried this spectacular secret in their hearts without telling anyone.
After this, Jesus raised a boy from the dead. There is no greater power in this world than the power of resurrection. Jesus went on to tell his disciples that he too would die but come back to life. I don’t think they heard that second part because it says they were sad about this news.
Jesus had the power over death, but he did not exercise that power to save his own life. He knew his glory and his power but he also knew his calling. Matthew 20:28 says that Jesus came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. So you would think that after three years, his disciples would understand this.
But at the end of Mark chapter 2, Jesus sees his disciples arguing. And what are they arguing about? Who among them is the greatest? Really? As the greatest one who ever lived and was willing to march to a criminal’s death, his disciples were arguing about who among them is the greatest.
I wish I could say that I can’t relate, but I can. I sadly share this heart, and probably, so do you. I like to be the center of attention. I like to have the strongest argument. I like to be in control.
As long as sin still lives inside me, I will still have moments when I want to be great, and when I do, I demonstrate how much I need the grace of this glorious and powerful Jesus, who did not save himself but willingly died to save people like me from myself. On the road to the cross, not only the heart of Jesus is exposed, but ours is too. And let me finish with this, Because of the glory and the power and the calling of Jesus on the cross, there is grace for everything that gets exposed.