"Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time. When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him. ...'Believe also in Me,' said Jesus, not – 'Believe certain things about Me.' Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him." Oswald Chambers (from My Utmost for His Highest, April 29) |
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...So, it appears the chief priests were making a statement: Jesus is of no more value than a slave. He isn't worth "whatever is demanded," the penalty for the life of a free man, He's worth the amount a slave would be worth dead. Not long afterwards, Jesus died on a cross, not because He was betrayed for thirty shekels, but because He had chosen to die for us, and this betrayal was how it had to play out. The irony is this: Jesus was the only one in the story who was not a slave. And by His death, each of these priests, and even His betrayer, was being offered the chance to be set free from slavery. Set free, by the One who voluntarily gave whatever was required of Him for the redemption of all our lives. "The resurrected body of Jesus Christ has wounds. That was a revelation to me. Why did God not allow His resurrected body to have no wounds? Because there is resurrection life beyond the wounding, but the wounds, the scars are still part of who He is in His resurrection life, as they are with me and as they are with you. I have wounds in my life I would love them to be completely done away with. I would love them to disappear but it’s through the wounds that God ministers to people."
Hilary Price, "The Galilee Retreat," part 4, "Moving Beyond Failure" |
All thy sins were laid upon Him, Jesus bore them on the tree;
God, who knew them, laid them on Him, and, believing, thou art free. Joseph Denham Smith (c. 1817-1889) Praise reflection archives
May 2020
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...take root downward and bear fruit upward.
2 Kings 19:30 |