Luke and the Lost

Have you ever falling to your knees because the circumstance became so great, so out of your control, that it was time to give up all you thought you were handling in your efforts? Or was there a time when a family member was so ill that you fell in front of Jesus and asked for His healing touch to intervene, knowing that no one but Him could turn the sickness around. Our deep prayers of anxiousness, giving up our will for His, even giving up the person in our lives and offering them up to the Heavenly Father, is an exercise of realizing the greatness of God over the weakness of our human efforts.

Jesus fell to His knees before God, (and remember Jesus was God in human skin), with a battle of wills. It was a dark night, as he asked his disciples to pray with him, for themselves. This prayer of anguish comes on the heels of being betrayed, admonishing his followers about serving by laying down the competition between them about who was the best among them, then warning them to pray for their own souls, so they would not give in easily to temptation…but He knows they will. He knows Peter, is most trusted, the one who will be the foundation for His church, His bride, will betray Him three more times. Yes, Jesus Christ prays hard and long for He knows what is about to happen next. “What do YOU want?” He cries out to God the Father. But He knows the answer.

An angel comes to strengthen Him. He prays all the harder. His earthly will is laid to rest. His Father’s heart and will wins over and gives Him the ability to rise up from where He knelt with His physical body to resolutely take on the sins of the world, yours and mine, and finish what the Father sent Him to earth to accomplish. It’s a dark night indeed.

Luke 22, The Message
A Dark Night
39-40 Leaving there, he went, as he so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed him. When they arrived at the place, he said, “Pray that you don’t give in to temptation.”

41-44 He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?” At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.

45-46 He got up from prayer, went back to the disciples and found them asleep, drugged by grief. He said, “What business do you have sleeping? Get up. Pray so you won’t give in to temptation.”

47-48 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a crowd showed up, Judas, the one from the Twelve, in the lead. He came right up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said, “Judas, you would betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49-50 When those with him saw what was happening, they said, “Master, shall we fight?” One of them took a swing at the Chief Priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.

51 Jesus said, “Let them be. Even in this.” Then, touching the servant’s ear, he healed him.

52-53 Jesus spoke to those who had come—high priests, Temple police, religion leaders: “What is this, jumping me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I’ve been with you in the Temple and you’ve not so much as lifted a hand against me. But do it your way—it’s a dark night, a dark hour.”

This is the beginning of the end of Jesus on earth. But let’s stop right here, and meditate on these small morsels of Luke’s retelling of these last days and be filled with joy and gratitude for what Jesus did, knowing exactly what was about to happen, and He did it anyway. For you. For me.

Let’s consider the betrayal, the cruelty, the denial that He was Who He said He was, the constant teaching about who God is and what He wants to fall on deaf ears. He left earth with some still not believing. We will leave earth with some not believing.

Someone needs this today…If you are discouraged in God’s work, be encouraged! God knows exactly what You are feeling. He knows Your heart for others salvation and how sad you become when they don’t accept this wonderful gift of eternal life. He knows! AND it’s HIS work in souls, not ours.

As Paul writes…So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Gal 6:9, NLT) AND God is the LORD of the harvest! We do what we can as led by God, to work up the soil, to plant the Word of God in fertile souls, then we leave all the rest to Him, THE Savior of the world. We work and serve. He completes the work of salvation because HE saves. What a relief, eh?

More thoughts as we meditate on Jesus anguished embattled prayer then His action to save us?

Dear Heavenly Father, This passage speaks of your darkest hour on earth. This morning, It stirs the fire in our souls to gratitude and challenges our hearts to continue to spread the word of Your salvation. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Continue to be with us…we love You with all our heart, mind and soul. In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.