Wandering to Winning

Joshua was first mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 17, when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites in the wilderness on their way to Mount Sinai. In the story, Joshua was already portrayed as Moses’ trusted assistant: “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekite’” (Exo 17:8-9). Moses seemed to have been fond of Joshua that he actually took Joshua with him up to Mount Sinai on his sixth climb to meet God: “Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God” (Exo 24:13). Joshua stayed with Moses at Mt Sinai for forty days, and went down with Moses: “Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, ‘There is the sound of war in the camp’” (Exo 32:15-17). It seems therefore that Joshua was with Moses when Yahweh inscribed the law in stone tablets.

Joshua served Moses’ young aide all throughout Moses’ leadership: “Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent” (Exo 33:11). He was very protective of Moses’ role leadership over the Israelites and was jealous for Moses’ sake (Num 11:29). As Moses’ assistant, it was proper that he was a member of the 12-man scouting party Moses sent to Canaan (Num 13:16-14:38). When Moses died, he succeeded him as the leader of the Israelites (Deut 31:7-9; 34:9). This is not surprising because Joshua was actually a very remarkable man of God. He was described by God as “a man in whom is the spirit of leadership” (Num 27:18) and one who “followed the Lord wholeheartedly” (Num 32:12).

What fascinates me in Joshua’s life is the fact that even though he was great in the eyes of God, he still suffered a lot with the people of Israel. He was there in Egypt as a slave. He was there the very day the Israelites left Egypt. He was a part of the wandering people of God in the wilderness. He experienced the difficulties and scarcity of the desert. He experienced the scorching sands of the wilderness, and its lack of resources necessary for human survival. He experienced eating manna for 40 years, every day. He experienced and saw with his own eyes God’s blessings and punishments. He saw, and probably buried, thousands of people in the wilderness. As Moses’ assistant, he knew how rebellious and ungrateful the Israelites were to God. Like

Joshua, with all his good credentials, was a wanderer for forty years. His life may be the mirror of ours. We may be good men and women but still in the desert, not because of our own fault, but because we belong to an ungodly group of people. We might be suffering and stuck in scarcity because of our own families. We might be experiencing the death of our own spirits because of our friends. We might be experiencing a lot of toxicity because of our workmates or school mates. We might be experiencing an asphyxiating pressure because of our loved ones. Our potentials might be being suppressed because of our leaders. We might be feeling discouraged because of others. We can be like Joshua, the righteous man of God among a crowd of mockers, pulling us down with them in their steady descent to the cradles of hell. Even righteous people wander in the wilderness—not by their own choice—but as the consequence of their belongingness to a group.

Nothing is more depressing than to realize that you are doing the best you can only to be dragged down by your group. This was the life of Joshua for 40 years. He was suffering as an innocent. He was wandering in the wilderness of death, surrounded by people whose expertise was in grumbling. The journey was already exhausting, but being with nasty people added to the suffering. The journey from Goshen to the promised land is only about 900 miles, which they could have walked in four months, maximum. In fact, they reached Mt Sinai, which was about than halfway through, in just 44 days. But the journey lasted for forty long years, not while eating ice cream in the desert, but in suffering and death. For Joshua and the Israelites, they could almost see their destination. It was just right in front of them, but they could not move forward. They were trapped in their hellish routine.

Never in his entire life would Joshua have expected to experience victories. The odds were against him. Although he was the new leader of the Israelites, the Israelites were still the Israelites. They were the same rebellious, stiff-necked, doubting grumblers like in the time of Moses. If I were Joshua, I would not be expecting much from the same people who were the very reason for his 40-year wandering. It was not as if he joined another group of more reliable and godly people. He was basically in the same place, surrounded by the same group of people who weighed him down. He knew the Israelites very well that the task given to him was challenging. He saw how the people regarded God and Moses, and he was most probably not optimistic about his dignified new leadership role.

But the miracle of miracles happened. After 40 years of wandering in defeat, Joshua tasted two victories immediately after taking the leadership from Moses. They were able to cross the Jordan river and defeat Jericho without much effort. They have been trying so hard to enter the promise land in the last 40 years, and the land seemed almost impenetrable. But Joshua and the people crossed the Jordan river and defeated their first city within a month’s time. In the span of one month, Joshua experienced a change from being a defeated wanderer to a winning warrior.

How did this happen? What changed? What was different? We can observe two things.

First, in both crossing Jordan river (Josh 3:14-17) and conquest of Jericho (Josh 6:2-7), the priests holding the ark of the covenant were leading the way. Gone were the days when the Israelites relied on their own wisdom and strength. Gone were the days when the scouts led the way. It was a new era: one characterized by unreserved (and even foolish) trust and confidence in God. Can you imagine how foolish it was to send priests carrying the ark of the covenant to walk ahead while crossing a river? Can you imagine how foolish it was to send priests carrying trumpets to lead the way in sieging a fortified city? They allowed God to lead them, and this gave them victories.

Secondly, immediately after entering the promise land, Joshua led the people to be circumcised in Gilgal and celebrate the Passover (Josh 4:19-5:12). Circumcision was the sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites, so Joshua was leading the people to renew their covenant with God. Most of the people who entered the promised land were not there when the Israelites made the covenant with Yahweh at Sinai forty years ago. They have broken their covenant of worship and faith in Yahweh in their repeated disobedience and grumbling in the wilderness. One of the first things Joshua did was to renew the covenant between the people and Yahweh. The way forward is to return to covenant relationship with God.

These two things are what we should do today if we want to transition from being a wanderer to a winner. We must make sure that our covenant with God is renewed every day. We must make sure that we are in relationship with Him. This is the foundation of all that we are as Christians. Also, we must allow God to lead the way for us. We must renew our faith in God and be confident in His wisdom and grace that will carry us through life. In the words of Proverbs 3:5-6, we must

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.


[This is the second sermon in the series New Beginnings. The fist sermon is here.]

Forget the Past; Forge the Future

If we are to describe our last year in one word, what would it be? Would it be success, failure, busy, lazy, challenging, joyride, stressful, chill, change, constant, love, sorrow, heartbreak, excitement? The thing is that whether we have had a good or challenging year, we are all going to leave last year behind. Last year is already the past. This is both a scary and a beautiful prospect. For some of us who have had a good year, there is no assurance that we will have another abundant 2018. For those of us who have had a difficult year, we are looking forward for a better one.

The common image in Filipino comics that describes the changing of the year is an old man being replaced by a new baby. There is a new beginning, almost from nothing. The new year affords great opportunities to start again. The apostle Paul, reflecting about his life as a missionary of the gospel, has written one of the most important set of verses in the whole New Testament about what it means to put the past behind as we look forward to the future. This is one of my favorite passages: Philippians 3:4-14 (NIV)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Our primary verse is this: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (3:13). These two complement each other. When we look at the life of Paul, the message is very clear.

Forget the Past

Paul’s first advice is to forget what is behind. Typically, Paul’s advice is interpreted from a negative perspective. Paul is thought to be admonishing that we should leave our experiences of troubles behind and forget all of these. We should forget both the offenses of others against us and our own self-inflicted failures. To a certain degree, Paul was probably thinking of these when he was writing the letter. He had the right to say these things, because his past was not a rose-colored story of righteousness and success. He was once a blasphemer, violent, and persecutor of the church (1 Tim 1:13). People persecuted him. People stoned him. He was undeservedly punished. He was a recipient of envy and scorn, even from those he ministered with (the Corinthian believers). He was tossed and battered by the angry sea. He was accused of all sorts of things, arrested, and beaten.

So Paul’s words may be understood as a challenge that if we have been violent blasphemers of our faith, defiling the name of God in the process, we should leave that behind in the coming year. If we have experienced suffering because of persecution, misunderstanding, envy, and others, we should forget about these things and leave them behind. We may have been criticized, talked about negatively, pushed aside, neglected, offended, not respected enough, rejected, or whatever, we are being asked to forget and let go. We should let go of the thoughts of vengeance or bitterness or unforgiveness. We are to leave behind the sufferings of the past year, both self-inflicted and caused by others.

However, I think Paul’s main thought in the passage is about forgetting our sufferings. In fact, when we go back and read verses 4-6, Paul enumerated a few things that he can boast about himself. He was talking about his achievements. It seems to me that Paul’s primary message in Philippians 3 is that if we are to forget something, we must concentrate on forgetting our past achievements. We are entering the new year. We may have accomplished this and that, we may have achieved this and that, we may have received this and that, we may have done this and that, but it is time to forget them and move on. We may be tempted to live in the glories of the past and lose sight of the greater work that is in front of us. We might become conceited about what we have accomplished in the past and develop spiritual pride and superiority complex over others. Paul says in verse 7: “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless” (NLT). Let go of the past, and strain toward what is ahead, because as Paul wrote, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it” (3:13). There is so much more to do. We have not even reached half of our task and goal.

Forge the Future

When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was in prison. He was probably aware that he was almost at the end of his life. He had an inkling that the Roman empire would not leave him alive. We can sense that he was torn:

“Now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Phil 1:20-23).

Whatever the outcome of his imprisonment would be, Paul’s attitude was exemplary. He was discerning that the end for him was very near, but he still admonished that we should all strain toward what is ahead. What is ahead might be death and other many forms of suffering for the sake of the kingdom, but Paul says, strain toward it anyway!

We must forget about our past accomplishments and consider everyday as a new start, because our goals are yet to be achieved. We cannot be content with our past victories. We cannot be content with our historical record, but must strive to break them. We must move toward even more victories, more accomplishments, and more labor. There is no time to be complacent. Our victories in the past should pale in comparison to the victories of tomorrow, so that when we look back, we can laugh and scorn our old selves and say, “How foolish of the old me, thinking that this was the meaning of success.”

However, and more importantly, we should learn why Paul talked about forgetting what is behind and straining toward the future. Why should we forget our past accomplishments behind? What is the goal that we should strain toward? The answer is found in verses 7-10:

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Let us leave our victories behind. What truly matters is our deepening relationship and knowledge of Jesus Christ. So what if we have earned more money last year? So what if we have been promoted at work? So what if we have served a thousand hours in our ministries? Paul says that these are garbage, because what we should really gain is Jesus Christ (Phil 3:8). He is the goal that we should strain toward. All our efforts should be concentrated on knowing Him, in experiencing the power of his resurrection, in participating in his suffering, and becoming like Him in his death (Phil 3:10). Forget the past, leave it behind, and strain toward our goal, Jesus Christ. He is the true crown of righteousness for us. Our destiny and purpose is not predicated on what we do, but on who we are with. Our desire for this new year must therefore be to get closer to God, to know Him more, and to have Him manifested in our lives.

This is what our 2018 as disciples of Jesus Christ should look like.


[This is first of the sermon series entitled New Beginnings.]

Lent: Pride of Life

This post is the second in the series of sermons on the three temptations of Jesus Christ in the wilderness, juxtaposed with 1 John 2:16. The first sermon, Desires of the Flesh, highlighted the fact that the tempter appeals to our basic human appetites and needs to lead us to sin. Because the temptations are related to our human appetites and needs, they are actually difficult to discern and overcome.

This second sermon will deal with the second temptation of Jesus Christ, which John referred to as “the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Matthew 4:5-7, ESV, records the second temptation:

The devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

One of the lessons I have never forgotten is from my Doctrine of Holiness class from fifteen years ago. Rev. Randy Lingenfelter commented that everyone has pride. The fact that we check ourselves in the mirror before leaving our homes reveals that we want to appear presentable to other people. He said that this is an evidence of pride. I agree with him. Everyone possesses a lingering amount of pride. This means that pride is not altogether evil. Without pride, we would all be dirty and smelly. In the first temptation of Jesus Christ, Satan appealed to His human basic appetites and needs. In the second temptation, Satan again appealed to our human sense of dignity.

In the Syriac and Arabic manuscripts, the translation is “the pride of the age.” What is it that drives people today? What do people want to achieve in life right now? What characterizes success today? It would not be an exaggeration to say that there is a feeling of unrest and un-accomplishment among peoples of the world today. This is partly because we compare ourselves to others, resulting in self-pity, discontentment, and careless busyness. But it is also partly because we live as people trying to feed our pride.

In 2015, the estimated annual income of Filipino families is Php267,000.00. If compared to 2006, when the annual average income was Php173,000.00, there was actually a 35% increase over the last ten years. But do Filipinos feel as if they are wealthier and are saving more? I highly doubt it. There is a widespread discontent and desire for more. People still feel that they are poor, but why? Dewi Hughes is right: “The widespread consumerism and materialism of the culture—expressed above all in our incessant advertising—seduces many people into making extravagant decisions about major purchases like houses and cars and smaller things like recreation, eating out, vacations, etc.; and the result is that most families are financially pressed in spite of enormous wealth.”[1] In short, people feel that they are poor because they are proud. They want to compete with their neighbors and friends, because their pride won’t allow them to not enjoy the same things the people they know are enjoying. Once, a salesman became very successful by using one line to sell to his customers: “Let me show you something several of your neighbors said you couldn't afford.”

Temptation about Public Life

Interestingly, temptations related to the pride of life are temptations that involve our public life. Most of the times, we are tempted in relation to our private lives, and we want to hide the sins that we do. People watch pornographic videos while doors are locked and the curtains are closed. Shoplifters steal very discreetly. Big time robberies are committed by people wearing masks. Corrupt politicians stealing the government money do so in secret, making sure to remove trails leading to them. When people commit fornication and adultery, they do so in a carefully planned way so that they remain hidden from the world. Sins of lust are committed in secret or in the dark.

But the temptations related to the pride of life are different. These are public sins. We do them while others are around, inviting everyone to see them. They are things done in the open. This is the temptation to show off what we already have. First, it is the temptation to display one’s glory and achievements. In Filipino homes and offices, it is not uncommon to see certificates, diplomas, trophies and medals hanging in walls, displayed for everyone to see. This has a name: “The WOW! Wall.” Honestly, I have never felt comfortable doing this, which is why I never put these things in display.

Secondly, it refers to the temptation to show off our wealth. A popular Filipino story I heard when I was young was about a young lady went to the market wearing a huge gold ring on her finger. She would intentionally raise her hands to point at things in the market in order to show off her ring. In one of the stores she entered, a merchant happily assisted her, but when the merchant realized that the lady was just showing off, he began to smile from ear to ear. The young lady was shocked, because she saw that all the teeth of the merchant was made of gold. Jeremiah 9:23 warns us about showing off: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches.” Thirdly, this also includes the temptation of public display of religiosity. Jesus warned His followers about this as well: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” (Matt 6:1).

The Greek word used in 1 John 2:16 is alazoneia, which means boasting. Boasting seems so simple, but why was it given that much attention in the temptations of Jesus Christ? Considering that there are other seemingly bigger sins out there, why would the second temptation be related to boasting? Is boasting really such a big thing? Paul actually writes the seriousness of this sin in Romans 1:28-30, “God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents.” This means that boasting is a product of a debased mind or corrupted mentality. In short, boasting is done by crazy people! This is all the more so because if this temptation is related to the things we do in public, radical shamelessness is a necessary requirement if a person is to commit it.

Temptations about Power

Looking closely at the three temptations of Jesus, the second temptation is quite unique. The temptations related to the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes are related to things that Jesus did not have: food and wealth. Quite simply, Jesus was hungry and poor. But the second temptation is a temptation related to what Jesus already had. As the Son of God, He had the power and capacity to call for angels to help Him. Satan was right. In fact, the whole temptation narrative actually ends with a note that angels did come to help Him: “the devil left him, and angels came and attended him” (Matt 4:11).

So what is the temptation all about? The temptation about the pride of life is related to the things that we already have, and we are tempted to show them or use them for our advantage. This is the temptation to use our authority, positions, social status, economic status in a way advantageous to us. There are many examples: a teacher using her authority to extort money from students, a policeman using his authority to accept bribes, a businessman using his money to evade the law and social responsibilities, a parent using his authority to abuse his children, a muscular student using his strength to bully other students, a leader using his power to siphon money from the company, a manager using his authority to delegate all works to his subordinates while he plays Clash of Clans at the office. The examples can go on and on.

Jesus refused to use His authority over the angels of heaven in order that He might have a graceful landing when He crazily jumps from a high place. He refused to take advantage of what He had at His disposal. Paul alludes to this characteristic of Jesus in Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV),

Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant.

Temptation about Preponderance

Moreover, the second temptation of Jesus was also about enjoying more than what He was currently experiencing. Satan’s words can be paraphrased as: “You are not getting the treatment you deserve. Are you not interested in enjoying more benefits than what is currently available for you right now?” These are the whispers of the tempter to us as well: We deserve more. We deserve a better status. We deserve greater things than what we are enjoying right now. We deserve better!

This was the same tactic that Satan used to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden: “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5, ESV). Satan was telling Eve that there was a better status and greater knowledge that was available for her. She deserved to enjoy greater benefits. The means to achieve greater knowledge was right there at the Garden, ready to be picked, so Eve did not really need to wait. The pride of life is the desire to have more than what we currently have. In essence, this is a good thing: the desire to be better is godly. But it is precisely this desire that Satan uses to appeal to us so that we might sin. 

The Israelites in the wilderness also fell because of this desire. They complained to Yahweh because they were hungry, and God provided them manna (Exo 16:1-36). But they soon got tired of eating manna, and began to complain again: “The rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at” (Numbers 11:4-6, ESV). Again, the desire was to enjoy life a little better. It is amazing how the simple desire for preponderance can lead many to sin.

Moses’ demise is also related to pride. He desired greater respect and honor. Numbers 20:2-12 records the story where because his authority and leadership were questioned by the Israelites, he decided to take the glory that should belong to God for himself. He was tempted to raise his status in the eyes of the Israelites by using God’s own miracle. This was why God told him: “because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel…   you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel” (Deut 32:51-52). Ironically, Moses’ desire for greater authority was precisely his downfall.

Why does Satan use this trick to tempt humanity? The answer is because this temptation is very effective even for the holy ones. In fact, this was the temptation that was actually potent even to Satan himself. It is so effective that Satan himself became a victim of this temptation. Isaiah 14:12-15 (ESV) writes:

“How you are fallen from heaven,
    O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground…
 You said in your heart,
    ‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
    I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
    in the far reaches of the north;
 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.’
 But you are brought down to Sheol,
    to the far reaches of the pit.”

It would do us a great deal to remember that the sin that resulted in Moses not receiving the fruits of his 40-year sacrifice and labor with the Israelites, the expulsion of Satan from heaven, and the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden came through the temptation to be better or have a better status in the eyes of people. 

Conclusions

The first temptation tells us that Satan appeals to our natural human appetites and basic human needs to lead to sin. The second temptation tells us that Satan appeals to our public image, to use what we already have, and our desire to be better. Make no mistake about it: to have a good face in public is good, to use whatever we have is good, and the desire to be better is good. But let us remember that all these three things can be and will be used by the tempter to tempt us to sin.

---

[1] Hughes, “The Whole Church as a Transformed and Transforming Society,” 50.

Lent: On Mortality

On Ash Wednesday, ashes are marked on foreheads in the sign of the cross. This practice is actually a symbolic reminder of our own mortality. It tells us in the most vivid way that from dust we came and to dust we shall return (Gen 3:19; Ecc 3:20). It is interesting that the whole celebration of Lent begins in this way. It reminds us that the path of Lent is the path of death. This is patterned after the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was aware that His entire life and ministry will ultimately lead to His death. He journeyed from Galilee to Jerusalem with the knowledge that when He arrives in Jerusalem, He would die at the hands of the religious leaders. He spoke about this quite openly to His disciples. This means that for us, participating in Lent means participating in Jesus’ journey towards death. It is our participation in His journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.

Events in the world remind us of the reality of life and death: natural disasters and the deaths of family members and friends. Each of these instances reminds us that death is the ultimate destination of humanity. There are only two things that are inevitable in this world: change and death. These are also the two things that we have no complete control of. Our life on earth is also like the journey of Jesus from Bethlehem to Calvary. Whether we like it or not, we are going to climb our own Golgothas.

We rename death so that it does not sound so bad. We call the dead someone who is “at peace” or “at rest” or “one who goes to a better place.” We call death as “passing away.” We may even try to suppress the thought about death. We make ourselves busy so that we do not have to face the reality of death. The philosopher Martin Heidegger remarked that we busy ourselves in the crowd in the hope of forgetting our fears. Death is feared because it is irreversible: “Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die” (2 Sam 14:14).

The immediacy, imminence, and reality of death is vividly narrated in Psalm 90:3-12, which was apparently written by Moses. So what was Moses’ credential to write about human death? Let us look back at biblical history. According to the Bible, there were 600,000 (excluding women and children) who left Egypt (Exo 12:37; Num 11:21). At Mount Sinai, when there was a census, the record was that there were 603,550 men over 20 years old present (Num 1:45-46). In the second census, when the Israelites were on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho (Num 26:3), there were 601,730 males recorded (Num 26:51). [1]

600,000 men, excluding women and children	left Egypt	Exodus 12:37; Numbers 11:21
603,550 men over 20 years	Mt. Sinai	Numbers 1:45-46
601,730 males	Jordan River	Numbers 26:51

We may remember that many (if not all) of those who left Egypt were not able to enter the promised land. Yahweh proclaimed: “Not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it” (Num 14:21-23). Also, we read in the Scriptures how God brought death to the Israelites in huge numbers while they were in the wilderness:

3000 killed by Levites	Golden Calf at Sinai	Exodus 32:28
23,000 killed by God	Golden Calf at Sinai	Exodus 32:35; 1 Cor 10:8
14,700 killed by God	Kadesh Barnea	Numbers 16:49
24,000 killed by God	At Shittim near Jordan	Numbers 25:9
many people killed by God	Zered river	Numbers 21:6

Moses saw and encountered death all throughout his life in the desert with the Israelites. He witnessed how people’s lives are so fragile. All throughout Psalm 90 we see Moses’ description of human mortality. Verses 3, 6, and 10 portray the shortness of human life. Verses 7-9 and 11 reveal Moses’ awareness of the wrath of God which He witnessed as the cause of the death of many Israelites.

You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.
Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.

We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.
Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.

But after considering the life-span of humanity and the anger of God, Moses leaves us a verse with an important lesson: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:12).

Teach Us to Number Our Days (90:12a)

We like measuring things. Laboratories are filled with instruments that measure things by milliliters and milligrams, but it is easy to neglect measuring our life span on earth. Thomas Chalmers once remarked, “Once in my unconverted days I forgot two things: the magnitude of eternity and the shortness of life. These are the great mathematical factors which I now see to be important.”

What does it mean to number our days? It is to recognize that life is short. The Bible has some more passages that highlight this: “we all shrivel up like a leaf” (Isa 64:6); “you have made my days a mere handbreadth” (Ps 39:5); and “you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

Life is short and time runs fast. We do not need rocket science and complicated calculations to notice that our days on earth are fleeting. Although we do not notice it, because we are busy living our lives, the people around us are changing. Our children are now attending schools, and what’s left of their childhood are only photographs. Children who we once knew are now in relationships, ready to get married. Some of them have become successful in their careers. Some of our grandparents, parents, relatives and friends have passed away. Time is fast. It runs its course without our permission and observation.

A Heart of Wisdom (90:12b)

Moses admonished that God would teach us to number our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom. What wisdom is found in the awareness of our fleeting existence?

1. Teach us to number our days so that we do not offend God (90: 7-9, 11). Moses witnessed the hasty death of his fellow Israelites because they have disobeyed God. This is foolishness. It is not wise to spend our short days in blatant disobedience. Moses is saying that since our life on earth is short, we should spend it in pleasing God and obeying His commands. We cannot be arrogant before God, continuously incurring His wrath because of our grumblings, murmurings, and disobedience. Since we owe God every minute of our existence, we should spend it in worship.

2. Teach us to number our days so that we store treasures in heaven: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20). People spend their days trying to gain more money. To use John Bunyan’s words, it is “raking a little bit of dust into a pile: a little bit of money, a little bit of property, and little bit of this and that.”

We are reminded of the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-20): “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” There are many who are fools, although they are not rich.  Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36).

3. Teach us to number our days so that we redeem the time. Paul admonishes us to “make the most of every opportunity in these evil days (Eph 5:16). William Whiting Borden, graduate of Yale and Princeton Theological Seminary, once said: “Each day consists of 24 golden hours; each hour consists of sixty diamond-studded minutes.”

Of course, in all these things, we must learn from the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus knew that His days on earth were numbered. The distance from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem is a mere 123 kilometers. It will take about 2 hours to drive this distance. (The average speed a human walks is 3-5 kilometers per hour. Walking 3 kilometers per hour in 8 hours gives you 24 hours per day. This means that to walk from Galilee to Jerusalem should only take 5.125 days.) Jesus knew that His walk to Jerusalem, where He would die was a very short walk. It is true that it took Him three years to get to Jerusalem because of His teaching and healing ministries. But He was aware that every step He took was leading Him closer to Jerusalem.

Jesus knew that His days were numbered. So how did He use His remaining days on earth? He used each day seeking the lost, serving the needy, proclaiming the kingdom, healing the sick, fellowshipping with the outcasts, teaching the gospel, and forgiving sinners. Lent is a commemoration of the short life of Christ before His death. Like Christ, we are all in this journey. The question is: “How are we living our days on earth? Are we pursuing a life full of wisdom or foolishness? Are we using our days like Christ in obedience to the Father and in service to other people, or are we using them to gratify our self with pleasure and indulgence?

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[1] http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-population-of-jews-hebrews.htm

Lent: Nature of Temptations

Since Lent is patterned after the forty days of Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness immediately after His baptism, and since I already dealt with prayer and fasting, it is just appropriate that I also deal with the temptations of Jesus Christ that marked the culmination of His days in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1-11 records the temptation story:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

In movies, the castles and hide-outs of villains are truly quite impressive: the White Witch’s Castle (The Chronicles of Narnia), Sauron’s tower at Mordor (Lord of the Rings), and El Macho’s Crib (Despicable Me 2). These citadels or strongholds are presented as huge, and often scary. Imagine these citadels and how frightening it is to invade them. Scary, right? When Matthew 4:1-11 narrates that Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted (4:1), it was actually saying that Jesus was led into the very domain of Satan in order to be tempted. In Jewish mentality, the wilderness (along with the sea) is the place of evil. This means that Jesus was led to be tempted precisely in Satan’s stronghold. Therefore, it was not as if Jesus was on the defensive side; rather, Jesus was actually in the wilderness to defeat Satan in his own turf.

So how did Satan try to defeat Jesus Christ in his own turf? What were Satan’s strategy? In this post, we are going to focus on the words of Satan. In particular, we will try to discern the presuppositions he had when he tempted Jesus.

If You are the Son of God… (4:3, 6)

When I was an elementary pupil, fights among children were almost a daily occurrence. Fights did not really erupt with violent punching and hitting. Rather they were usually characterized by a long standoff. The fighters would stand in their fighting stance, but they would not touch one another. In order for the fight to start properly, a ring leader was often necessary. The ring leader would say things like, “If you are really not scared, touch his ears,” or “If you are not scared, walk closer to him.” So the one challenged to do the touching, in order not to be called a coward, will touch the other child’s ears, and the violent hitting would officially begin.

I think the nature of the temptation of Satan to Jesus is similar to this. Satan was tempting Jesus to do something by saying “If you are the Son of God, you will do this.” The implication, of course, is that when Jesus does not do what Satan asks, Jesus’ identity will be called into question. Satan’s temptations are well-laid traps.

From Satan’s tactics, we can discern that temptations are specially tailored according to our own identities, personalities, and capabilities. Satan knew that Jesus is the Son of God, and he knew about Jesus’ capabilities. Although it is true that Satan tempted Jesus in consideration of Jesus’ weakness (hunger), the neglected other side of the coin is that Jesus was tempted in consideration of Jesus’ strength and capability. The temptation to turn bread into wine and to jump from above unharmed only works with Jesus because He is capable of doing them. An illuminating dialogue from the 2003 movie Luther was between Cardinal Cajetan and the young priest Aleander:

Cardinal Cajetan: “What is your desire in life, Aleander?”

Aleander: “To serve God with all my heart.”

Cardinal Cajetan: “Then it is through your desire that you will be tempted.”

The fact is that we are tempted not only in accordance with our weaknesses, but also in accordance with our strengths. What are we capable of? If we are rich, we face temptations related to our wealth. If we are good-looking, we face temptations related to our physical attributes. If we are politically and socially influential, we face temptations related to our influence. If we are leaders, we face temptations related to our responsibilities and privileges.

We face temptations grounded in who we are and what we have.

The temptation of Jesus reveals the fact that there are limitations related to our capabilities. There are things that we are able to do but should not do. Satan tempted Jesus to do what Jesus was capable of, but Jesus knew that if He does what Satan suggested, He would be abusing His own powers for His own self-interest. This is one of the crucial elements in the story. Doing something we are capable of doing is not inherently wrong. What is wrong is using our own influence, power, wealth, talents, gifts, etc. for our own self interests. Jesus can easily turn stone into bread in the wilderness like He turned water into wine at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-12), but why did He do the latter and not the former? Because the former benefits Him only and the latter is for the sake of others. Why did He not violate the laws of nature (or gravity) in the wilderness when He can actually control waves, winds, and storms? It is because He did not want to abuse His own power if it is only for His own sake.

The Great Wall of China is a gigantic structure which cost an immense amount of money and labor. When it was finished, it appeared impregnable. But the enemy breached it: not by breaking it down or going around it. They did it by bribing the gatekeepers. It was breached because some soldiers abused their power and capability.

If You Will Bow Down and Worship Me (4:9)

Jesus overcame the first two temptations, and so in the final temptation, Satan changed his tactic. If Satan failed to tempt Jesus by appealing to what Jesus is, in the last temptation Satan appealed to what Jesus is not yet enjoying: kingly reign.

Satan’s temptation is actually very tricky. When he said “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (4:9), he was actually saying “be my son, and I will give you all of these.” In Jewish culture, like ours today, children are heirs of everything their father owns. Bowing down to Satan is reminiscent of the bowing down of sons in order to receive the blessing of their father (eg., Jacob in Genesis 27:27-29).

So if the tactic to appeal to the identity and capability of Jesus did not work, Satan tried to tempt Jesus with what Jesus did not have yet. We can translate Satan’s words as “You are the Son of God, but here you are in the desert suffering. Is this really the life of a King? Why don’t you worship me and I will give you rulership right here and right now?” The third temptation, therefore, is a temptation based on who we are not yet, what we do not have yet, or what we are not yet enjoying. John Piper says that sin “gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.”

What is hidden in the temptation, however, is a necessary exchange. In order to gain something, you will have to give up something. A survey was conducted about what people are willing to do for $10,000,000? Here is the response of the respondents:[1]

Would abandon their entire family (25%)
Would abandon their church (25%)
Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
Would give up their citizenship (16%)
Would leave their spouses (16%)
Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
Would kill a stranger (7%)
Would put their children up for adoption (3%)

Of course, there is nothing wrong with the desire to have what we do not have yet. It is alright to dream for a new car or a new house. It is alright to dream for promotion at work or to have higher socio-political status. The problem is when we are tempted to obtain or accomplish these godly dreams in the wrong way. Satan was tempting Jesus to be glorified now and in the wrong way. Jesus will be glorified by His Father in heaven anyway, but the road to such glory is not through Satan’s suggestion, but through humility and the cross. Paul wrote:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name (Phil 2:6-9).

Conclusions

One of the most important English words is “No.” We face temptations on a daily basis. But like Jesus, we can become victorious in the power of the Holy Spirit, with whom we are all baptized with (1 Cor 12:13). According to the writer of Hebrews, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Heb 4:15).

The temptations that Jesus faced are not so different from the temptations we face daily in our lives. On the one hand, we are tempted in accordance with our capabilities, who we are, and what we have. On the other hand, we are tempted in accordance with our limitations, weaknesses, and things that we do not have yet. But here is our comfort and assurance: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).

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[1] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/g/greed.htm

Lent: Prayer and Commitment

Since the season of Lent is our preparation for the commemoration and celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, we must engage in prayer. (For a sermon on Lent and Fasting, see here.) This is all the more so because the forty days of Lent is actually patterned after the forty days of Jesus’ prayer and fasting in the wilderness immediately after His baptism and before His public ministry.

Since we are dealing with prayer, we are going to look at Jesus Christ. I do not know any better approach. The Gospels portray Jesus as a man of prayer. He prayed at his baptism (Luke 3:21-22), in the morning before heading to Galilee (Mark 1:35-36), after healing people (Luke 5:15), all night before choosing His 12 disciples (Luke 6:12-13), while speaking to the Jewish leaders (Matt 11:25-26), giving thanks to the Father before feeding the 5000 (Matt 14:19; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16; John 6:11), before walking on water (Matt 14:22; Mark 6:46; John 6:15), while healing a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37), giving thanks to the Father before feeding the 4000 (Matt 15:36; Mark 8:6-7), before Peter called Jesus “the Christ” (Luke 9:18), at the return of the seventy (Luke 10:21), before teaching His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1), before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41-42), for little children (Matt 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17), that His name be glorified (John 12:27-28), at the Lord’s Supper (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:19), for Himself, for his disciples, and all believers (John 17:1-26), “Father forgive them…” (Luke 22:34), “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46), for blessing on the bread (Luke 24:30), and is praying even now for us (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1).

But here, we are going to look at the well-known story at the garden of Gethsemane, when He prayed in deep anguish the night before His crucifixion. We will read Matthew 26:36-45:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

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.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.

This part of the life of Jesus Christ is quite fascinating. Many church theologians and bishops from the early church used this passage to highlight the humanity of Christ. Indeed, we see in the story the sheer humanity and vulnerability of Jesus Christ. He weeps like all of us. He cries in agony. In Luke 22:44, it even says that in His sorrow, “His sweat become like drops of blood.”

The Strength of Jesus Christ

The title might appear inappropriate, considering that the story paints Jesus Christ as a human filled with sorrow and grief. The descriptions that Jesus gives about himself in the passage portray His extreme vulnerability: “he began to be sorrowful and troubled” (26:37) and “my heart is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (26:39). Even His commands indicate that at that very moment He was in need of friends who can comfort him: “stay here and keep watch with me” (26:38). There was also a hint of disappointment and irritation in His words: “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” (26:40) and “Are you still sleeping and resting?” (26:45).

But strength is displayed precisely in the midst of weakness.

In the same moments when He was deeply troubled, He was able to pray the difficult prayer “Your will be done” (26:39, 42, 44). This prayer is so simple and basic, but its meaning is profound and its implications are far-reaching. When Jesus prayed this line, it meant that God’s will be done even though He knew it would cost Him pain, even though what God required was death, even though it would not bring any good to Him or give Him earthly rewards, even though the whole nation will taunt and mock Him, even though His closest friends will betray, deny, and desert Him, and even though He would appear like a defeated fool.

This is the strength of Jesus.

The temptation looming over Him to abandon His mission was very appealing. Jesus was sent by the Father (John 3:16-17; 7:28-29) to accomplish something, and the fulfilment was about to come true. He knew about His purpose. He knew that He is the Suffering servant prophesied in the Scriptures (Isa 53:1-7). He knew that He would die, and He made quite an effort to reveal this fact to His disciples (Matt 16:21-28; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31-38; 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33). We see in our story that He was sorrowful. We can even say that there was reluctance in His tone: “if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (26:39, 42).

We can learn from Jesus’ prayer that we need to pray about the things we have previously committed to God. The temptation is always there that we will abandon our commitments. When Jesus asked His disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (26:41), the word used for temptation was similar to the one used in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:13). The word refers to the “final, decisive test that accompanies the coming of God’s kingdom” (cf Rev 3:10).[1] Like Jesus, we are tempted to abandon our commitment for the kingdom! How often have we made that prayer of commitment to serve and evangelize, and yet we are still not serving or evangelizing? We must pray, Jesus said, so that we are given strength to enact those commitments we have already made to God.

Jesus prayed because He was feeling weak and troubled. Jesus was at the verge of abandoning His commitment and mission. He needed to communicate to God His fear, His anxiety, His sorrow. Without prayer, our commitments to God can easily be forgotten. Obedience is not a one-time decision. In fact, Jesus was not content to pray once; He prayed the same prayer three times (26:39, 42, 44). Sometimes we have to utter the same prayers many times. We have to renew our covenant with God every day.

One Sunday morning, a husband was violently woken up by his wife. It was already 9AM, and they have to be at church by 10AM. The husband did not rise from the bed. Instead he lazily pulled up the blanket to cover his entire body. The wife pulled the blanket away, and asked: “What’s wrong? You realize it is Sunday, right?” The husband replied, “Yeah, I know, but I don’t want to go to church today. Can we skip going just this once?” The wife was surprised and said, “No, we have to go to church!” The husband replied, “OK. Give me three good reasons why I should go to church today?” The wife happily obliged and said: “First, God wants us to be with His people in worship today. Secondly, our children will miss Sunday school. And finally, you are the pastor of the church.”

The Weakness of the Disciples

Whether we like it or not, we are less like Jesus and more like the disciples in the story. First, we are prone not to pray. Jesus’ statement is apt: “the spirit is willing but the body is weak” (26:41). Jesus asked the disciples to pray three times, and He was disappointed three times too. Not only were they not praying, they were sleeping (26:40, 43, 45). The third time, He asked them with a stern rebuke: “Are you still sleeping and resting?” (26:45).

Secondly, we are prone to abandon our commitments. The contrast between Jesus and the disciples cannot be missed. The mention of three specific disciples in the story—Peter, James, and John (26:37)—seems purposeful, considering how these three fellows were the ones who were closest to Jesus Christ and were the ones who made great commitments to Jesus Christ. Peter was someone who voiced what was in his mind quite impulsively. He made strong verbal commitments to Jesus: “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37) and “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). The two sons of Zebedee, James and John, had a somewhat related story. When Jesus asked, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” they confidently responded “We can” (Mark 10:38-39). But the same three disciples who made these statements were the same people who, in the last hours of Jesus’ life, failed miserably. At Gethsemane, they were not even asked to lay down their lives or drink Jesus’ cup; they were asked simply to stay and pray. Sure, they stayed, but did not pray (26:38-40).

We, like the disciples, are weak human beings. Our spirits are willing. Our minds are willing. Our hearts are willing, But our wills are weak. We can make commitments and covenants with God every time we hear a sermon, but we often times fail to carry through those commitments.

Like Jesus, we can be tempted to abandon our mission and calling for fear of suffering, for fear of the future, or for self-preservation. When Jesus experienced these, 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’” (26:39). Then He repeated the same prayer three times. If we are experiencing weakness, we must go back to the Father, fall on our knees and pray. And we should do this as often as we can.

We may have made commitments this Lenten season to fast. Are you experiencing trouble or weakness? Why don’t we go to the garden of Gethsemane and pray “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (26:39)? Have you made commitments in the past that you have not yet accomplished or have already abandoned? Let us go to the garden of Gethsemane and pray “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (26:39).

Are you struggling with something that God is asking you to do? Are you weakened or full of doubt? Let us make this sanctuary the garden of Gethsemane, and pray “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (26:39).

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[1] Daniel J. Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1991), 373.