Today’s reading is Luke 23:1-24:53.

I can hardly fathom, hanging on a cross in immense torment and agony, dying, but then crying out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46). What absolute trust. What absolute surrender.

Jesus was quoting Psalm 31:5. Just listen to the beginning of that Psalm: “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

We know how the story ends so this statement may not seem as powerful as it really was. Having seen the end, we know Jesus was wise to commit His spirit into the Father’s hands. He was going to be resurrected on the third day. He was going to be delivered. But thing of this from the stand point of hanging on the cross. Think of this from the standpoint of being in the midst of the separation of the Father. How hard it must have been to look at the big picture of where all this would lead when distracted by the intense agony both physically and spiritually. Yet, Jesus trusted the Father.

I need to learn this kind of trust. Letting God be my refuge doesn’t mean I’ll never suffer. It means I know God will use it for good and I trust His knowledge of the big picture of my life, the lives around me, and eternity.

This helps me knowing that God if God is letting me go through some suffering, He has His reasons that will be for my good in the long run. When I actually have this concept firmly in my mind and heart, it produces a peace that passes understanding. I don’t have to live in fear that something awful might happen. If it does, I can know that God is working. He is my refuge. He is my stronghold. He is my deliverer. Instead of taking my spirit into my own hands, I can commit it into the hands of my loving, faithful Creator who really does have my best intentions at heart.

I’m going to make this prayer of Jesus a regular prayer for me, especially if I’m in the midst of something that I don’t like.

Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

I love self-help gurus. Among my favorite are John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard and Stephen Covey. Maxwell does this really neat mentoring program once a year called Exchange. It sounds awesome. I would love to go. It costs about $7000 plus travel. I keep saying that costs too much.

I once contacted the Covey organization to see about getting a coach to help me manage my work and goals, to mentor me in pursuing life with balance and vigor. I can’t remember the cost. I simply remember saying–”Whoa, that’s too much for me right now.”

Then I come to Luke 14:26-33 and I get stuck. I’m not sure what to make of this for my life. Becoming a student of Jesus costs way more than going to Exchange or contracting with a Covey coach. I balked at the price for those. However, I seem to think I’m paying the cost to have Jesus as my mentor when He has asked for everything. Granted, I understand that Jesus’ cost is not meted out by writing a check. But that is what makes it difficult to do and easy to deceive myself.

What if I had called up Jesus and He had asked for a check? What if He had said, “Every month, I want you to write me a check equal to the value of your income, your possessions, your family, etc. Then I will run your life for you”? Would I do that? Right now, He has said I can keep it all and just use it. However, I have to remember I am a steward. None of this belongs to me. I have to use my money, my time, my relationships, my opportunities, my abilities, my everything the way He would use it if I just handed it over to Him.

This needs to be a moment of rigorously honest self-examination.

I also can’t help but think about the state of modern religion. As more and more churches and Christians argue and defend entertainment based worship and service. As more Christian living seems to be a defense of just doing what people want to do anyway with increasing defense of immodesty, drinking, gambling, and so much more, I struggle as I hit this passage. 

Jesus said being His disciple would be so costly it would be like taking up a cross. Today we seem to be making it so easy it is more like slipping on a bathrobe.

I don’t know what we should really say about this. I just know it worries me. It worries me for our generation. It worries me for our churches. It worries me for our families. Most of all, it worries me for me.

I need to do some examining. I hope you will do some as well.

ELC

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.–Luke 9:23

A brief thought struck me at this verse. We take up our cross daily. We don’t take it up weekly, monthly, yearly. We don’t even take it up for our whole lives. 

I so often live in the future, thinking I have to be sinless and pure for the rest of my life. When I start thinking that way, I begin to despair. I just don’t think I can do this for the rest of my life. I don’t think I can do this for a decade. I don’t think I can do this for a week. Sometimes I don’t even think I can do this tomorrow. But I don’t have to. All I have to do is pick up my cross today. Just one day at a time. By God’s grace, I can do this today.

Perhaps this is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34, ESV).

Don’t worry about next year, next month or next week. Just take up your cross today. You can do that.

Have a happy 4th of July.

Keep the faith and keep reading.