From start to finish, the life of Jesus could be summed up in a single word...Sacrifice. Before He ever trudged up Calvary's road, to bear your sins and mine, He carried the cross of sacrifice.
“The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” Matthew 20:28. Not for Himself, but for others, He lived and thought and prayed" (Christ's Object Lessons, pg 139).
"His life was one of constant self sacrifice. He had no home in this world except as the kindness of friends provided for Him...In every city, in every town, every village through which He passed, He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones and healed them. Wherever there were hearts ready to receive His message, He comforted them with the assurance of their heavenly Father's love. All day He ministered to those who came to Him; in the evening He gave attention to such as through the day must toil to earn a pittance for the support of their families" (Ministry of Healing, pg. 17,19).
When I look at Jesus, I see a life of such constant devotion to His mission. It was as basic to His nature to give to others as it is for us to eat or breathe. In fact, He said it in just that way. "My food is to do the will of My Father in heaven, and to finish His work" (John 4:34). This mission compelled Him to push forward in spite of harassment from the Pharisees, to forego sleep, and walk countless miles, from Galilee to Phoenicia. He may have become weary, but He never faltered. "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36, New Revised Standard).
The burdens of His work must have been enormous! What urgency He must have felt as He watched the reaction of the spies and Pharisees, dogging His every step. But His mission never consumed Him to such a point that He worked non-stop, never taking time to rest. Quite often, "He went out and departed to a solitary place and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35). As fervent as He was in finishing God's work, He was just as fervent in seeking communion with God. After the sun set, He would retire to the mountains or a quiet garden, to seek His Father's presence, unburden His heart, and find strength to keep going on His mission of salvation.
Christ's mission is our mission as well. Millions surround us who are not ready for the coming of the Lord. Millions more are dying in their sins, going down to Christless graves, "having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). Jesus calls us to go, move out, and make disciples of all nations. The great needs are pressing all around us. And yet, if we take no time to be still with God, no vital spark will ignite our work. We'll just be spinning our wheels, working for Him in our own strength. And what's worse, we may give a distorted picture of who God really is.
"From hours spent with God [Jesus] came forth morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened Him from His slumbers, and His soul and His lips were anointed with grace, that He might impart to others. His words were given Him fresh from the heavenly courts that He might speak in season to the weary and oppressed" (Christ's Object Lessons, pg. 139).
Our Savior never calls us to a life of endless toil. He knows better than we do how much we need solitude--time to hear God's voice, time to become what He is, full of grace and truth. Working for Jesus will always be the Christian's "food"--just as it is for Jesus. But a consecrated life is a balanced life. It's a life demanding intimacy with the Father. And solitude is the place to get it.
For in being still, the worries and cares cease their clanging. And you hear God's voice breaking through the stillness, saying, "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. "Be still, my child. Be still and listen, and watch this hour with Me."
Share Your Thoughts
This reminds me of Isaiah 30:15, "...thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength...'"
ReplyDelete