READING: Matthew 26
Jesus always gets it right. He is never wrong. Period.
He proved that truth again in today’s reading. Jesus warned the disciples as He headed toward His arrest, “This very night you all will fall away on account of me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’” (Matt 26:31). All of the disciples denied that possibility, echoing Peter’s commitment to die with Jesus if necessary (Matt 26:35). They were convinced of their commitment to Him. Just a few hours later, though, they had done what they said they wouldn’t do: “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Matt 26:56).
You see, Jesus always gets it right, and we so often get it wrong. We say we’ll never deny Jesus, yet we’re afraid to even talk about Him to others. “I’ll never commit that sin,” we say, but then many of us do. We commit to give for His work but draw the line before the sacrifice costs us much. The commitment we make today goes by the wayside when the risk becomes too real, too high, too painful. Our words and our actions too often differ.
What amazes me, though, is that Jesus agreed to do the Father’s will — to die — on behalf of sinners like us. When He said, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matt 26:39), He knew the cost would be giving His life for people whose faith would be fickle at times. He died for people like His disciples who slept when they should have been praying.
That was the Father’s will . . . and Jesus got it right.
ACTION STEPS:
- Evaluate whether you are willing to pray with integrity Jesus’ prayer, “Father, Your will be done in my life,” regardless of the potential cost.
- Reach out to someone who has fallen away from the church. Trust God to use you to draw back someone who is His own.
PRAYER: “Lord, help me to run to You, and not away from You, this day. Keep me faithful even if obedience is risky.”
TOMORROW'S READING: Matthew 27-28