Hello Sweet friends,
Today’s Reading … Matthew 23-26, Luke 20-21 and Mark 13-14
Judas and Peter were both chosen to be part of the 12 disciples. Jesus loved both of these men and yet each of them betrayed Jesus in the hour of His deepest pain. Their stories, however, had dramatically different endings. Judas committed suicide and Peter went on to become the rock on which Jesus built His church. This is reminiscent of other contrasting men we have read about in the Bible; Jacob and Esau as well as Saul and David come to mind. The key differentiating feature, the heart.
It is so important for us to pause and reflect on these situations because we, like all those before us, will fail Jesus. We will betray Him and our sinful flesh will win battles in our lives. The ultimate victory however, belongs to the Lord, and to us when our hearts belong to Him.
“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘What then is this that is written: The Stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust’” (Luke 20:17-18).
The question: Do you fall on the stone that the builders rejected or does your sin crush you under the holiness and perfection of Christ?
That stone is Christ, God’s greatest gift to us and He is there to catch us when we fall on Him. Jacob fell on him when he wrestled and surrendered. David fell on Him when He admitted his sin against Uriah. Peter fell on Him and begged for forgiveness when he denied Jesus before the crucifixion. Esau was impulsive and failed to recognize the providence and power of the Lord. Saul was prideful and unwilling to submit control to God. Judas was greedy, first for money and then for a quick escape from the guilt of his actions.
The difference: Willingness to fall on the stone instead of being crushed by the perfection and holiness of God.
There is no difference in our propensity to sin, we all have it. There is no difference in our imperfection and weakness, we are all broken. There is no difference in our total dependence on Christ, we all are. The only difference is the heart. When we have a heart that is humble enough to recognize and admit our sinfulness, our brokenness and our neediness to Christ then He is the stone on which we fall upon. When we have a heart that is prideful, hardened and self-dependent, He is the stone that crushes us. This is not because He is cruel, it is because He is holy and cannot co-exist with sin. That is why God made a way, through Christ, for us to be perfect in His sight. We must fall on the stone which the builders rejected and be broken into pieces so that He can make us more like Himself.
You see, we all must be broken to be made whole in Christ. When we fall on the stone there will be pain and challenges. This is the sanctification process. In the end, however, we will be more like our perfect Savior, by His grace and for His glory. Make a choice with me today. Let us choose to stop hiding behind our prideful and hardened hearts so that, instead of being crushed by the stone, we can choose to fall onto it. It is then that our brokenness will lead us to healing and redemption in Christ, God’s ultimate gift.
Love you all,
Kinsee
“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
