21 Apr, 2011
Cross Eyed
Cross Eyed
One of my favorite comedians is Christian funny guy Tim Hawkins. He says that parents sometimes give great advice too late. In other words, moms and dads have very good wisdom and advice, but it may come too late to be practical. Think about it: have you ever fallen down and hurt yourself? What’s the first thing your mom will usually say? “Be careful!” See – that’s great advice…..too late!
Did you mom or dad ever tell you NOT to do something? Obviously there were some serious things like not running with scissors (we could cut ourself), or don’t touch the stove (we might get burnt) or don’t run out into the street (we could get hit by a car).
There are some other things that parents sometimes tell us not to do and they make us wonder if they’re true. I always think of my mom saying not to make a funny face or that I shouldn’t cross my eyes or they could stay that way. But did you know the Jesus was cross eyed?
Clip art courtesy of 123rf.com
Luke 22:39-46
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
What does today’s Scripture Story teach us about being cross eyed?
We see that this was a common occurrence for Jesus to go to the Mount of Olives to pray (v. 39 says “as usual”). He tells the disciples to pray that they would not fall into temptation. It’s easy to remember that Jesus was fully God, but here we can glimpse his human side. He prays and asks God if it would be possible to avoid the cross. He knew that it would be a torturous death. However, He was willing to accept the request of the Father who was sending Him to the cross for our sins. He prayed for God’s will to be done.
Jesus’ prayer time was intense. Sweat drops like blood fell from His body. Although God’s will was for Him to be a sacrifice and die on the cross for our sins, He did provide an angel to come and strengthen Him as Jesus began to experience the cost of our sins.
How can we connect today’s God’s Story scripture to our lives?
As we look as Jesus’ life, we see that He spent time with His Heavenly Father. He didn’t look forward to going through hard times, but He was willing to do whatever God asked, no matter the cost, the pain, the suffering, or any question that He might have.
Our lives should connect to the Father in the same way. We should ‘usually’ (vs. 39) pray and not be afraid to let others know that we rely solely on the Father. Our prayers and requests should reflect the desires of our hearts, but ultimately we should submit and surrender to the will of God, no matter what that may be.
How can we connect today’s story, God’s Story scripture, and our story to others?
Take time to reflect with your friends on what Easter means. But first, for the next day or so, concentrate on the cross. Share how Jesus could see the cross clearly in His future and that in His human nature He wanted to avoid the weight of the sin of the world, but He ultimately chose to follow God’s will.
Listen to the prompting of the Spirit. Perhaps this is a weekend when your friends will be more open to making a decision to make Jesus their personal Savior. Continue to pray for your friends who don’t know Jesus.
Be cross eyed like Jesus – zoom the eyes of your heart to the cross and for what it stands. Focus on forgiveness. Freedom. The Father. And then you’ll really be able to see what Jesus went through for me and you.
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