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Monday August 4 - The disciples don’t understand “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow... stay here and keep watch”... Then
[Jesus] returned and found them sleeping. Mark 14:34,37
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? We know what’s coming, but the disciples were still in the middle of ‘watching the film’ (to use yesterday’s analogy!) so we do need to cut them some slack as we read about their shocking neglect – falling asleep while Jesus is sweating blood about his imminent crucifixion. However, this passage is a stark wake-up call – with the distraction of comfort it’s easy to overlook what’s really important.
Don’t misunderstand Jesus’ appreciation of the need for rest – he regularly withdrew to quiet places to rest and spend time with his Father. The challenge here concerns misplaced desire for comfort at times when Jesus is calling us to something greater.
In our church recently, after a sermon on spiritual discipline, we were asked to stand if we felt we were addicted to ‘doom-scrolling’ – the aimless (but comfortable and easy!) reading of endless information on your phone screen, most of which you instantly forget. Over 90% of the church stood up!
Like rest, there is nothing wrong with using our phones; however we have become consumed by it and the tragedy is that, meanwhile, Jesus is calling out to us, yearning for us to participate in his mission to the world. The desire for the ‘easy opt-out’ can drown out Jesus’ voice and send us down the slippery slope into spiritual numbness.
Jesus, help me to be attentive to your voice, to hear how you are calling me to be part of your kingdom mission here on earth. Amen.
Tuesday August 5 - The people don’t understand
The chief priests... were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death... then some [people] stood up and gave false
testimony against him. Mark 14:55-57
Have you ever played the game Herd Mentality? Points are scored on whether you can guess what others in the group (or ‘herd’) will answer to a question. It’s based on the human instinct of needing to belong. Just like a herd of cows, we feel safe when we blend in!
Although comforting, ‘the herd’ can mislead us. The religious authorities in Jesus’ time were jealous of his popularity and worked hard to confuse the people. Many were scared by the threats of their leaders and held back from following Jesus for fear of repercussions. Their fear was understandable – all the disciples except John were eventually martyred. So why did they keep following Jesus while others held back? Their proximity to Jesus gave them front row seats to see the life-transforming impact of his resurrection. They may have lost the safety of the earthly herd but they gained a glorious eternity with the King of kings!
Sadly, the ‘herd’ is still very influential today and many still resist separation from it – safety is too important, reputation too valuable. We often care so much about what others think about us that we can’t hear Jesus’ words to us. Fortunately, the disciples show us a fine example of how to override the words of the crowd and focus on Jesus instead.
Holy Spirit, please give me the strength to follow you instead of trying to be a part of the crowd. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY