49-51Jesus said, "I'm not crazy. I simply honor my Father, while you dishonor me. I am not trying to get anything for myself. God intends something gloriously grand here and is making the decisions that will bring it about. I say this with absolute confidence. If you practice what I'm telling you, you'll never have to look death in the face." (The Message)
As a new year starts the focus is upon hope and the future. We wonder what the new year will bring and we set goals and try to look past the disappointments of the past year to the hope of what might come our way. Many years the calendar can't come down fast enough so that we can start over and regain a glimmer of hope for the future.
Jesus' ministry was focused around hope. Here he promises people that God is up to something "gloriously grand" and will not be dissuaded from that which is coming. It is a promise that he would not back down from and that he wanted everyone else to hear and embrace. It was a fairly simple promise, do what I tell you and don't worry about death. It is a message that we want to hear but is still difficult to fully embrace.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- When you change the calendar to a new year do you have primarily hope or dread for what is coming?
- Why do you think people had difficulty accepting Jesus' simple teaching about what God was doing?
- What part of Jesus teaching do you find the most difficult to practice?
- What might you do this year to make sure you have hope throughout the coming year?
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