SAYING “YES,” EVEN IN THE FACE OF HARDSHIP
Denise Linton
Today's Scripture: “And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.’” Matthew 20:17-18, ESV
Theme: Jesus leaves a legacy of going where the Father sends Him, even when it is a hardship or even dangerous.
WHY ARE WE GOING?
In 1978, my mother and father were approached by a Christian mission organization and my father was asked to build a hospital in the mountains of Haiti. There was a small clinic there already, but they needed to expand, since it was many days' walk to any other medical facility. My parents were teachers at local high schools, not career missionaries. They would need to leave their jobs, with no promise of positions waiting for them when they returned. They would need to rent out their home to help pay the bills, plus raise money for support and income while in Haiti, learn a new language, and hardest of all, convince their two teenage children this was a great adventure.
They explained to me that there would be no stores, no television, no hot water for showers, no formal school, no opportunity for me to play soccer or other games. Those sports were available only to boys. Oh, and by the way, no shorts or T-shirts; just dresses. My question was, “Why are we going?” Their simple answer was, “Because God is asking us to go.” I wish I could say I went with an open heart like my parents, but I did not. I asked if I could stay with friends or family for the next year and a half, but the answer was no.
Although I didn’t see it at the time, my parents left a legacy, helping many people, both physically and spiritually. The hospital my father built is still there and continues to serve the people of that mountain community. The experience was also a foundation for my own legacy. It was in this poor country that I learned compassion, love, and developed a desire to help those in need, which I later came to use in working with at risk children.
FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN
In today’s scripture, Jesus is telling His disciples exactly what will happen when they reach Jerusalem. Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man and tells them He will be delivered to the Jewish religious leaders and condemned to death. It will not be a quick process. There will be a deliberated judgement of death in response to a charge against Him. I can pretty much imagine that this is where the disciples asked the same question I did, “Why are we going?”
Jesus knew what was coming; He knew He was going to die on the cross through crucifixion; He knew He would be mocked, beaten and humiliated. But His commitment and resolve to carry out the will of His Father and demonstrate God’s love for the world (John 3:16) was absolute. Jesus contained all the power needed to keep Himself from being arrested, convicted, and condemned to death. He could have said, “No, I think this is too difficult.” But He knew His Father’s plan and that He was the only acceptable sacrifice for the world’s sin, and for you and for me to live in eternity with our Heavenly Father. Jesus would complete what His Father had given Him to do and obey to the end, no matter the cost.
Make it Personal: In John 20:21b (NIV), Jesus returns after His resurrection and tells His disciples, ““Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” God is calling each of us to a mission. It may not be to a foreign country, although it could be. It might be that God is asking you to invite someone to church, or to share the Gospel (which can be scary for some of us). It might be that He is asking you to leave your job or the things that make you comfortable so that you can complete the plan He has for you. Are you willing to leave a legacy in Jesus’ Name? Or are you still asking, “Why are we going?”
Pray: Father, thank You for Your Son and for His legacy of going where You sent Him. Thank You that Jesus chose to obey You so that I can have eternal life with You. I pray for the courage to be willing to go where You send me, despite the possibility of hardships or danger. I want to say “Yes, send me” and leave a legacy like Jesus.
Read: John 3:16, 20:19-22
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9, ESV