I thirst III

So they put a sponge of sour wine and put it up to His mouth. And when He had received the sour wine. . .

To think that the very first miracle that Jesus did was to turn water into extraordinarilry good wine and that His last drink was sour wine, one wonders. Did He ever do anything to make things easier for Himself?

Today my brother-in-law was horribly burned and injured at his work. It's so very hard not to wonder why God allows such things to happen. Several people have told us that they immediately put this information on their prayer chain. My wife has been reassured that many people are now praying for him. 

But why did this need to happen at all? Why do we have to plead to God to make this better?

The only "answer" that gives me comfort is that the Lord Jesus went through a situation that more than matched my brother-in-law's, and though He had often made things better for others, He would not make things better for Himself. 

What could be the reason, the purpose of my brother-in-law's pain? Why does he have to drink from such a sour cup?

I have no idea, but it is something our Lord also did, and He did so when He could have changed the situation.

Did good come out of the pain our Lord accepted for Himself? Incredible good. And will good come out of the pain my brother-in-law is bearing? That is where we trust God.

I thirst II

Medically speaking, thirst was probably not the most important thing for Jesus to be concerned about. He was dying on a cross. If He wanted to improve His situation, not dying on a cross would be a better place to start. 

I work with people who have a lot of problems. My wife often deals with people who are dying. There are times in both of our jobs when we will come to a point where we realize that there is nothing left for us to do, medically speaking. Whether it is a terminal condition or a severe and persistent mental health diagnosis, sometimes people just are not going to get better. So what do you do?

Priscilla believes deeply in the importance of making dying people just a little more comfortable -to improve the quality of life, no matter how short. Jesus seemed to have a similar opinion. Knowing full well that every person He healed would someday die anyway, Jesus spent much of His time on earth making this temporary life just a little more comfortable for others.

We all, like Christ, are terminal cases. Time making another person a little more comfortable is well spent.

Daniel

I thirst I

To be human is to have needs.

Regardless of our goals or abilities, we have needs that we must constantly attend to.

More than that, so often our needs can only be met by someone besides ourselves--we need help to meet our own needs.

It's pretty amazing to think that the One who created everything, and created everything out of nothing, was at one time in such a state of helplessness that He cried out for someone, anyone, to get Him a drink.

Woman, behold your son XIII

The Lord Jesus did not give His family preference or precedent, though His family did play a role in His earthly ministry and in the leadership of the early church. We read of a couple of occasions when Jesus actually spurned His brothers and also His mother, and proclaimed that whoever did the will of His Father were His real family.

For most of us, at least in theory, our families are supremely important. Regardless of bad behavior, family is still family. Blood runs thick.

When Jesus directed His mother to take His beloved disciple as her son, and his beloved disciple to take His mother as his  mother, I think He was saying the same thing as He said in the parable of the sheep and the goats: we need to fully concern ourselves with the needs of others--to such an extent that as we care for others (or don't care for others), it is just as if we were doing it (or not doing it) for Him. And how we respond to Him is what is of the utmost importance. 

For a powerful politician or business executive to give preference to a family member, it is considered unethical. Such behavior is called nepotism.

Natural human morality says we need to treat everybody equally well. 

The Lord Jesus illustrates what this means by showing us that the woman in need is His mother. 

For as much as you have done to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Matt 25:40

Woman, behold your son XII

Behold is one of the great words of the Bible, right along with with hosanna, amen, grace, and loving kindness.

Behold: take notice; observe right now what you have not seen before even though it is right in front of you. 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

Behold, I will show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah...and I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain.

Behold I make all things new.

Perhaps my first memory was when I had wondered away from my parents at the Lilac Festival at Lombard, Illinois.  Someone had brought me to the festival headquarters where they put me over the loud speaker system where I was heard all over the park. With a certain reluctance, my mother came to claim her screaming son while the crowds watched in amusement. It took some effort to get me out of my overwhelmed state but finally it broke through to me that my mother was right in front of me waiting to take me in her arms. Behold! There she was!

One day as Believers we will wake and behold! there will be the One who will wipe away all tears.

Woman, behold your son XI

My mother died yesterday. 

She had been in a nursing home since February and slept nearly all the time. For the last five years she had a type of dementia that had corroded her personality so it was almost unrecognizabilty, But less than an hour before she died she told my sister she was beautiful.

I miss my mom. I've missed her for a long time now.

I imagine Glory. I imagine my Lord showing me around, and coming upon a lady quietly appreciating some special little spot of beauty. "Behold your mother," He will say to me.

And she will look up and smile, very pleased to see her son again. I was a delightful child you know. Just ask my mom, when you see her.

Woman, behold your son X

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty partial to my family. Each one has a very special place in my heart. Whatever their needs, concerns or wishes, my family knows I will do anything for them. 

I had a boss one time who kept telling us employees that we were all part of the corporate family. "Maybe not," I would think to myself.

When our Lord directed His mother and His beloved disciple to form a mother-son bond, it was a precursor of the church. It is both our obligation and privilege to form family bonds within our local church fellowships.

Among the many other things that this means is that we are intimately involved in each other's lives and we desire good for each other. Church is more than church meetings; It means enjoying each other and caring for each other.

As a family, we don't give up on each other. My oldest son, even during his years of waywardness, knew his family wanted nothing more than having him back.

A family, a church, cares for each other through good times, through hard times. That's just what families, and churches, do.