1 Peter 2:21-25
This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.
They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I found this quote on a website today… “I love everybody. Some I love to be around, some I love to avoid, and others I would love to punch in the face.” On any given day, this could pretty well describe all of us. Our definition of “love” is often a little skewed, at best. We find the perfect example of how to love others in Jesus Christ… Who loved us with His whole heart and carried our sins to the cross so that we could be healed and complete. Yet, we choose to love selectively.
So we rant at the referees at our favorite sporting event for every call we deem as “poor”… forgetting completely that these same men and women are husbands, wives, sons, daughters, aunts and uncles –precious children of the Most High God. We lash out at those who disappoint us or anger us in some way. We criticize those who don’t conform to our standards or ideals. We say and do hurtful things without so much as a backward glance. We are very quick to react… and to retaliate.
I urge you to read this scripture passage again… several times. I have done this, and I am truly convicted by the message here. Jesus “never did one thing wrong… not once said anything amiss.” Picture Him carrying the cross to Calvary… with every sin and wrongdoing of yours and mine upon it. Imagine Him taking the wounds of the thorns, spikes and the spear, so that we could be healed and forgiven. We could not carry the burdens that would fit on a toothpick by comparison. Without the power and strength of God behind us, we are unable to do anything. Without the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus to heal and sustain us, we would sink to the depths of despair… we would be an epic failure in the making.
Read this scripture passage several times. Let it soak in that the One who never did one thing wrong or said anything amiss took all of our missteps and unkind comments, so that we could live freely from the burden of our sins. He did all of this out of a love so strong that we cannot begin to fathom it… an uncanny desire to preserve us so that we can join Him for all eternity in Heaven!
Who does this? Who loves like this? Only JESUS! Don’t you want to be more like Him? Don’t you want to learn His rhythms and how to walk in His ways? Isn’t this a great place to begin… by checking our thoughts, words and actions… and offering grace, mercy and forgiveness to others who would speak and act against us? I wish I could say that we will never again wish to avoid some people… or to punch others in the face. I know that we will never be that much like Jesus. It doesn’t mean we can’t try. Aren’t you willing to give it a shot?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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