When Jesus got stressed

February 9th

Exodus 29:1-30:10

Matthew 26:14:46

Psalm 31:19-24

Proverbs 8:14-26

Friends, for those of you who tuned in to church on Sunday for Chuck's sermon, you will have heard how Jesus brings peace in the storm. You will have heard that he was so at peace that he slept through the storm on a boat!

In today's reading, Matthew 26:36-45, Jesus was not at peace. We witness a human who is flustered, depressed, and anxious. I don't know about you, but I feel a sense of refreshment reading this. Not because I take pleasure in reading about his pain, but because it's a connection I have with Jesus. 

Granted, I'm not about to take on the weight of the world's sins, but I do experience sorrow, and know how it feels to be troubled.

In verses 37-38, our prince of peace is troubled. He is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. This is a deep, dark emotional experience for Jesus. (side note: he shared his feelings with his disciples. When you are struggling, please share your feelings with friends you can trust).

Jesus fell with his face to the ground and prayed for God to take away his pain, three times. But he didn't just say "God make it stop". He prayed "if possible", and "yet not as I will, but as you will". Have you ever been in so much pain and asked God to take it away but only if it's his will? That's a special place to be at.

For those of us who are not yet able to pray that, dealing with pain that hasn't gone away,  we need to praise Him and thank Him for the future hope he's given us through His son Jesus. This pain will not last forever. After you have mourned, and sought comfort, then think of how you can use that painful experience for God's glory. 

God does not always take away our pain. If he did, then I think the whole world would be full of Christians! If we never experienced sadness, then how would we truly appreciate happiness? We would not be able to give testimonies of transformations. God lets us go through pain for reasons we may never understand. But we can understand that there is magnificent beauty to be found in our pain. It just requires some reflection.   

Our Father God, when we go through hard times and want nothing more than for you to take away our pain, help us to think of Jesus. Remind us that he went through the worst kind of pain imaginable, and He did it for our sakes. Help us to keep our eyes on you. May we pray for your will to be done. Comfort us with your rod and your staff. Lead us beside quiet waters. Cover us with peace. Strengthen us in our suffering for you. Give us hope that our citizenship is in heaven, where there is no suffering but only glory. Amen.