Matthew 27:27-31
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and
gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They
stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and
then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and
mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They
spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After
they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him.
Then they led him away to crucify him.
As
I began this study in Matthew, I had decided I was going to place a special
emphasis on the Words of Jesus, looking closely at those “red letter words”. Today though I see no words coming from Jesus
and as they say, actions speak louder than words. So how do I apply this to my life?
I have
never been physically beat up like Jesus but I have been emotionally hurt by
others. Chances are, I have hurt a few people
myself. I have lashed right back with
hurtful words towards those who have hurt me.
I have become angry, upset, disappointed, and the list goes on. That is not what Jesus did. You may say, “But these men were not his
friends” but even more of a reason to lash back. Jesus could have stopped the mocking at any
time, yet He knew that the will of the Father was more important than His
pride. The one who could have taken that
staff and turned it into a snake, allowed them to hit Him over the head with
it.
Can you
imagine how those soldiers would have reacted when as they began to hit him with
that staff it would have turned into a snake and bit them? That my friend is how I would react to mocking
and that my friend is no way to act if we follow Jesus example. I have a tendency to want people to pay for
their actions rather than to stand still and let God have control.
Today
dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive me for wanting revenge. What I want more than anything is for your
name to be glorified. Father I pray that
you will reveal your glory, your honor, and your power to those who have hurt
me and to those that I have hurt. I pray
that through my silence you will speak and your name will be glorified. Give me the wisdom to know when you want me
to speak and when you want me to be silent in order for your name to be
praised. I pray for strength to keep my
tongue from evil and that you will please protect me from the evil one. I pray my faith will allow me to strengthen
others, including those who have hurt me and that I have hurt. I ask that through your strength you will
allow me to be a witness unto you and your forgiving heart. In the precious and Holy name of Jesus I
pray, AMEN.
Those
soldiers will someday bow down to the Christ that they once mocked. They will have to answer for their
actions. We too will bow down before Him
and will have to answer for our actions.
Will Jesus tell you, “well done” or will He tell you “depart from me, I
never knew you”. As you seek Him may He
find you depending on Him for your strength to make it through each day. May He find you being faithful to Him. May He find you being silent in order for Him
to speak. Actions do speak louder than
words.
Seeking
Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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