Wednesday, October 9,
2019
“Not my Will”
Jesus prays: “Take this cup from me; yet not
my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42
Jesus
prayed to God that night in the Garden prior to his arrest,
Not
what I want-.not my will but yours! Jesus was very honest when he said “Not my
will” this is not what he wanted and was ready to give up completely. He was
ready to give up with the intent of never claiming a right or interest in what
was going to happen. He was ready to abandon the event as it unfolded because
it was not His will but God the Father. Yet was this human or divine side of
Jesus who was speaking?
For
many people the idea of Jesus even thinking about not fulfilling prophecy
through his death is not acceptable. Yet do we really expect Jesus to just go
ahead on autopilot and let everything happen as it was foretold? What about his
feelings and thoughts, his compassion and love?
Jesus
was really torn about what was to happen. If it was possible to redeem people
of their sins in any other way, Jesus was trying to opt in to that solution. But
Jesus knows differently. Jesus was real in his thoughts and prayers with the
Father—he did not want to die. Take this cup. This is how we pray as well- I
don’t want to deal with this- take this cup;
But this is really what I want so take that away and give me the
alternative.- We linger and we wonder.
Yet
Jesus turns this around and says—what you want God is what will happen.
Philippians 2:6-8 states that “Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not
consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather,
he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in
human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!
Jesus
made choices: “not my will – but yours “. And then he expressed the abandon of
love he has through his earthly life. He feels for those he leaves behind
because he loves them. This prayer also shapes us and teaches us. Jesus learned
obedience from what he suffered. Yet God provided what he needed to choose the
outcome. God’s will was done- on earth as it is in heaven.
PRAYER
God a part of us can’t believe that
Jesus did not want to die yet we can also understand why. He was leaving people
he loved very dearly- not just his disciples, but his family and close friends.
But he knew that in order to fulfill prophecy and change the world his death
had to occur. And so when he prays not my will but yours we are reminded that
we live this life because of and through you alone. Help us to be honest in our
thoughts and prayers and keep us under your protection. We ask in the name of
Jesus our Saviour. Amen.
REFLECTION inspired by Elisa
Morgan, “The Prayer coin: Reflections on Prayer” Our Daily Bread Ministries
2019 |I will conclude this series next week!]
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