Finding Gold in the Garbage [a hope-filled heart]

On the night before his death, a veritable landfill of woes tumbled in on Jesus. Somewhere between the Gethsemane prayer and the mock trial is what has to be the darkest scene in the history of the human drama. Though the entire event couldn't have lasted more than five minutes, it had enough badness to fill a thousand Dumpsters.

Except for Christ, not one person did one good thing. Search the scene for an ounce of courage or a speck of character and you won't find it. What you will find is a compost heap of deceit and betrayal. Yet in it all, Jesus saw reason to hope. And in his outlook, we find an example to follow.

'Get up, we must go. Look, here comes the man who has turned against me.'

While Jesus was still speaking , Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders of the people. Judas had planned to give them a signal, saying, 'The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him.' At once Judas went to Jesus and said, 'Greetings, Teacher!' and kissed him.

Jesus answered, 'Friend, do what you came to do.'

Then the people came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him. When that happened, one of Jesus' followers reached for his sword and pulled it out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

Jesus said to the man, 'Put your sword back in its place. All who use swords will be killed with swords. Surely you know I could ask my Father, and he would give me more than twelve armies of angels. But it must happen this way to bring about what the Scriptures say.'

Then Jesus said to the crowd, 'You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I sat in the Temple teaching, and you did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened so that it will come about as the prophets wrote.' Then all of Jesus' followers left him and ran away.

MATTHEW 26:46-56 NCV

The darkest night of Jesus' life was marked by one crisis after another. Later we will see what Jesus saw, but first let's consider what an observer would have witnessed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

First he would have seen unanswered prayer. Jesus had just offered and anguished appeal to God: 'My Father, if it is possible, do not give me this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.' (MATTHEW 26:39 NCV)

Never has earth offered such an urgent request. And never has heaven offered more deafening silence. The prayer of Jesus was unanswered. Jesus and unanswered prayer in the same phrase? How is that possible? Would God, the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, keep something from his own Son? He did that night. And that was just the beginning. Look who showed up next.

Judas arrived with an angry crowd. Not only did Jesus have to face unanswered prayer, he also had to deal with unfruitful servece. The very people he had come to save had now come to arrest him. He came to the aid of so many. All those sermons. All those miracles. And so now we wait for the person who will declare, 'Jesus is an innocent man!' But no one does. The people he came to save have turned against him.

We can almost forgive the crowd. Their contact with Jesus was too brief. Perhaps they didn't know better. But the disciples did. They knew better. They knew him better. But do they defend Jesus? Hardly. The most bitter pill Jesus had to swallow was the unbelievable betrayal by the disciples.

Judas wasn't the only turncoat. 'All of Jesus' followers left him and ran away' (MATTHEW 26:56 NCV). These are the same people who earlier had echoed Peter's words: 'I will never say that I don't know you! I will even die with you!' (MATTHEW 26:35 NCV).

All pledged loyalty, and yet all ran. From the outside looking in, all we see is betrayal. The disciples have left him. The people have rejected him. And God hasn't heard him. Never has so much trash been dumped on one being. From a human point of view, Jesus' world has collapsed.

Jesus, neck-deep in rubbish. That's how I would have described the scene. That's how a witness would have portrayed it. But that's not how Jesus saw it. He saw something else entirely. It wasn't that he didn't see the trashl he just wasn't limited to it. Somehow he was able to see the good in the bad, the purpose in the pain, and God's presence in the problem.

We could use a little of Jesus' 20/20 vision, couldn't we? You and I live in a trashy world. Unwanted garbage comes our way on a regular basis. We, too, have unanswered prayers and unfruitful dreams and unbelievable betrayals, don't we? Haven't you been handed a trash sack of mishaps and heartaches? Sure you have. May I ask, what are you going to do with it?

- excerpt from Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado

spent the time i had today finishing Just Like Jesus because i didn't go to school. time fruitfully spent, in my opinion. i looked at The Purpose Driven Life, but decided that since it is recommended to read a chapter a day over a period of forty days, i'll start on it during Lent. seems like perfect timing, after all Lent will be here very soon. i've decided that i want to watch The Passion of The Christ this year [yes i haven't yet because i was just too scared of the blood and gore] during Easter to see what all the fuss is about over that movie.

i don't know why it is that i've been so pensive of late. went for another long walk today and it just didn't seem right. i have to fix my eyes on Jesus. i have to be a better person for Jesus. dear friends, forgive me if i have turned you away - i have been selfish and absorbed in my own thoughts. common tests are in 7 weeks according to zx. i really must start preparing. mandy! let's go!

Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of My Heart.

+ posted by M @ 5:39 PM