WEEK OF PRAYER #25: THE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF JESUS.
We have laid this all out very strong and clear for you each step is ready. . . consider how you are called to be more compassionate in the particulars of your own life, loving the invisible crosses of all the people bearing around you….It is so easy to say yes lord and to do all you’ve set before me and know it’s all in your light . . . I am always challenged and pressed to do more and learn more and grow more. Grief has really never “registered” for me. At least not since my accident. I guess I realized or experienced how death wasn’t real. It was really only a transition from one experience of life in this body to another experience of life without this body. So to give up my suffering or accept the suffering of another. . . Really is not out of reach either. It’s really about empathy, which I’ve understood and watched for years as well. I try not to engage too deeply, but readily recognize that I’m really always connected to all things.
What are you waiting for?Yes, i know, i need to get more deeply into my Bible studies and readings with you… DAY 1 LUKE 23:1-25 where this first verse was about Jesus getting “convicted.” What I felt about this was how the Roman’s really didn’t want anything to do with the lies the Jews were pulling. But still the impact of Jesus on them was to make them friends!
I mean, Jesus already knows what’s happening, or where it ends, and the important result presented here is that the two leaders became friends, how weird is that. These men recognize something deeper in this experience, growing and learning individually. How remarkable is that!
And again the power and clarity of this verse is remarkable. As Jesus steps into the place to be the Lamb for sacrifice, as the priests and scribes think they know what they are doing. Yes the religious leaders and lawyers of the Jewish people are lost and sinful, full of pride and arrogance insighting the crowd similar to the propaganda and gossip we see everywhere today. . .
Now I wonder as I review DAY 2 MATTHEW 27:26-31.
I guess what is more remarkable to me is how Jesus enhances my experiences out here online all the time. I open this picture app to markup my screen shot picture from the Bible verse reading for today. And it has new features for marking-up the text. I can use the pen still like marking in the verses in big read text, but now I can also paste a box and arrow in. Yes I can shade it back to highlight what I want and everything i express more and more each moment gets clear and strong. . .
As weird as it is to write this now . . . . His experience really feels familiar, as I was always picked-on. My brother and father were bullies, like some kids at school. I just accepted it and never really defended myself or argued. Sure I tried to argue with my bother sometimes, but it never mattered as it would always ended with my loss. Like my dad, what could I do there? It was like school too, where I could just hide from the bullies who would get after me all the time. I mean, like Jesus did here, you just accept what is coming. I guess He really already knew where it was all going. . . Course I never had a clue, never knew if someone would find me, catch me, or whether my dad would use a belt or his hand, or something else. . . . It was just accepted as par-for-the-course, whether I liked it or not. I just accept!
Now again DAY 3 Luke 23:26-32 Speaks of the way of the cross. . . And Jesus speaks to the women about the times to come . . . Where we should be weeping for our children. This really feels powerful too, like above in Day 2 Jesus seems to be just going along, knowing the end is near, and seemingly going through the motions necessary to complete the tasks before Him.
Again He is very conscious of what’s ahead of Him, and knowing His death is near, these ideas feel like what He might perceive as the results of this. Here the religious leaders and lawyers of the time have brought about His death. This implies that evil has taken over and any life there after will be dreadful indeed. It feels like speculation to me now. Just like Jesus asking for “this cup to be taken away from him,” as He prayed in the garden before being arrested.
Jesus certainly knew what was coming, but maybe not the details or the exact experiences as these depended on the choices of others. Like Judas betrayal with a kiss, pointing out Jesus could have occurred in a great number of methods . . . Jesus certainly knew it was coming, but the specific details and expression could have been a surprise. Similarly the women weeping for their children was simply expressing how dreadful the world would become without JESUS. Again something He certainly knew.
We are looking forward to hear what you have to say and share about this. . .This DAY 4 Luke 23:33-49 really has only three phrases spoken by Jesus here: “Father forgive them,” “be with me in Paradise,” and “into thy hands” . . . These are clear, strong statements again. It really feels like Jesus is just going through the motions. Like he already knew what was coming or already had prepared for what was next. It was all a matter of fact now.
I guess I recognize this level of understanding as well, as I step into things before me. I always feel like I'm making a choice or deciding something myself. But then often find I'm really just going through the motions and doing what has been setup before me. It’s like I don’t know what is next, somehow I’ve been prepared but don’t know exactly what is next enough to be surprised. All to bring us to know Act 4:12 only through Jesus that we can come to God.
You need to remember you too had countless years of suffering. Your own death experience was very violent and traumatic too. Certainly not at the level that Jesus endured, but you must realize your own experiences were considerable, and much beyond what any of your peers have seen. You have to recall the realization which the police shared with you. They chose not to arrest you or enforce the laws knowing you had already been punished. Recognize this was in direct violation of their job requirements, meaning the police risked their jobs and professional careers by ignoring the crimes you engaged in. They showed real compassion and empathy to your pain and suffering, much beyond the mockery and scorn Jesus endured.Now again to start DAY FIVE, we have a repetition of one of these previous days of prayer. I'm perplexed at this scenario where my own death and trauma were brought before me now. And I realize it’s something I’ve not fully understood throughout my life, as I really have had ALL these “adverse childhood experiences.” This is something that I know my children haven’t addressed yet either. And it’s critically important that i share and love them more than ever before. Apparently I’ve been given more understanding and learning into my own trauma. Literally within the last weeks as my children and other events have shown up simultaneously. It’s kinda weird of course, as I’m heading north to see my daughter for my birthday. She always makes my days and visits really special . . . Yes I'll see my son towards the end of June too.
I guess that awesomeness of my daughter repeats all the time too. But here in this SEEL Lesson to review the last days of Jesus on Earth, I wonder what else I could find in this now. I guess it’s about acknowledging my own trauma, or sharing it more deeply with my children.
And now to see what shows up and how I have the time and opportunity to explore and address this more deeply. Yes, now I’m alone to pray and share more with Jesus. Like today on the Prayerline, hearing people in trouble and conflict, and teaching the Power of The Word in Jesus. Yes I shared the Renounce and Command phrases several times again. Yes very specific phrases for each experience we can name.
And as annoying as it gets people always try to add to my phrase and list a bunch of things at once gettin lost in the listing and forgetting the whole point of taking control and becoming more into the power of God. I guess what’s kinda weird now as i recognize these words I’m using . . . Jesus Himself told us the same things over and over again and we still couldn’t listen, accept and understand.
This really comes through so clear and strong again now as the story with DAY SIX Isaiah 52:13-53:12 brings us back to the Prophesies again where it is all about the about MOST HIGH Jesus . . . . Holy Son of the Father where the KINGS are speechless and He must suffer and die. . .Yes The SON is despised and rejected to be the Man of Sorrows Acquainted with Grief!
WOW, Surely He has born our grief to carry our sorrows wounded and bruised for Our Transgressions. And so this is really about me now!
And I need to really come to terms with what this means in the deeper TRUTH OF CHRIST.
Yes, were you wounded and bruised for your transgressions?It is never clear to me what it’s all about. How I am always blessed with so much clarity and focus stepping into this experience and learning at such a deeper level. Yes, I know grief, I’ve died already, so grief really has no meaning for me because I know deep down inside that death really doesn’t mean anything. So all the world struggling to find the cure for aging and death are really wasting their time since Jesus Already has beat them both.
Again we are searching and seeking beyond God when in fact it’s all in God already. . . . And the Ultimate Gift from God is that of His One and Only SON!
?yes, and you gave up your son as well. . .Ok this gets wicked intimidating as I am not Christ.
You have been called, and you are a Son as are all your peers and colleagues. Each has been called similarly and each listens and follows as best as they can.I come now to DAY SEVEN and John 10:1-18 (Jesus, the Good Shepherd).…
?do you hear this call before you now to share more clearly and more strongly??I get it more crazy stuff before me. . . Wow, what’s the Good Shepherd here to teach me now . . .
Heavenly Father, help us to follow the model of your son, Jesus. He seemed to us to be cool, come, and collected in his life. in all that he did. He was very... at peace.
He was very compassionate. He was very in tune with his relationship with you. Give us the strength to follow the model that he presented to us and for us.
A new way of being in this life. Help us to disconnect from the model that society offers, that our culture seems to be eaten up with the do, do, do mentality, instead of the B, B, B, mentality. You have given us free will, you have given us choice.
Help us make those deliberate choices. To disconnect from culture and follow the model of Jesus. And we pray these things in Jesus' name.
Amen. Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
