Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42 KJV
The Context:
It is difficult to put into words the agony of the moment captured in the words of today's extract. This was the day he was arrested, the day before his agonising death on the cross. All of Jesus' life was leading up to this very moment, yet it appeared that the strength to face it was waning.
His purpose for coming into the world in the form of man, leaving all his glory in heaven, was to pay the price for man's sin, yet at the place of fulfilment, we read today's words. Let nobody claim that Jesus had it easy; it was more about him submitting to the will of his father, than enjoying the pain that was about to be unleashed. When next I consider the price that was paid for my new standing in God, I must remember these words, and be eternally grateful for the mercy that persisted, even in the face of certain pain and death.
The Message:
Knowing what is ahead is just part of the story; being willing to submit to and embrace it are equally important. Right from the beginning of his public ministry, he knew how it would end, but that never bothered him. He kept working: preaching, teaching, healing, rebuking and praying. Is there anything I consider so important that it can take the place of the right priorities in my life? Can God trust my focus, that it will not be shaken at all, no matter what comes my way? Is God keeping some assignments away from me because he cannot trust that comfort, convenience and calm will not confuse my focus?
In the prayer in today's extract, a few things are settled:
1. God's perfect will must be the ultimate pursuit of a man's life. If I do not pray it every day and mean it with all my heart, how can God reveal his mind to me per time? If I keep quiet and make assumptions, how can I be certain that the course of my life aligns with God's will for me?
2. Jesus did not keep quiet; he prayed. He took his desires to his father and laid it all there. I must do the same: trust God with my burden, and when I have dropped them, leave them there. What is the use of praying and asking God to help me with my burdens, when after I have prayed and said Amen, I pick up the burdens again and go with them? Where is the trust in God? Where is the confidence in his power, grace and mercy?
3. I must trust his response. I can only expect a response when I have asked. This is not the grumbling, murmuring, complaining, arguing or fighting that we erroneously call prayer; it is that humble sitting at the feet of Jesus, worshipping him as a Father, tabling your needs before him, receiving clear guidance on what is ahead, and acting like one who trusts that God is with him in all that is ahead.
We know that as soon as Jesus had finished praying for God's will, he was able to face what was coming. It is the same strength that is available for us as we trust God for the present and the future.
The Response:
I must not face the world before I have faced God and obtained his clear direction for my life. Is God my father, to whom I relate as a child, or is he a stranger that I only go to for provision, protection and power, but no desire at all for his presence? This is such a thin line but with a remarkable impact. We all call God our father, when we recite the Lord's prayer, but recital does not make it true. It is only when I have submitted to his authority and discipline that I become a son. I can call him my father all day long; if he does not hold my heart totally, he is not my father.
If he is my father, I will embrace his will. If he is my father, I will not struggle to submit. Prayer becomes a joy. Prayer activates joy, because I know I am receiving guidance for my life. When I have received it, I trust his process, procedure and precision in bringing me into his perfect will. That is the only way my life can end well, when it is lived in total submission to and acceptance of God's will. Is that my default setting, or does God need to do a lot of work to get me to submit to Him? His time of favour is here.
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