Passion Sunday : Holy Week Reflections part 2

This  week in the Western Church is Holy Week.  Each day through Good Friday I will be posting reflections on the cross. Each is part of a Good Friday tenebrae service I helped write for Hope Lutheran Church in Toledo. I am sharing these here, as some folks who are reading this blog will not be able to attend Holy Week services.  It is my hope that God may work through these daily reflections to touch your heart and life.  Each day will have a scripture reading, a reflection and the words of a song.  May you have a blessed Holy Week~
Andrea
Scripture reading: Matthew 26:36-46

^{36 -38}Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me."

   ³⁹Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"

   ^{40 -41}When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."

   ⁴²He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."

   ^{43 -44}When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.

   ^{45 -46}When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here." (The Message)

Reflection:  Love in obedience

Faced with a decision that was crushing the life out of him, we see Jesus agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane.  In a few short lines of scripture we hear Jesus move from fear to trust, but we know it wasn’t that easy.  Those few short lines speak of a time that must have felt like an eternity.  Jesus’ decision would make a difference for all eternity. 

St. Paul tells us in the Letter to the Philippians “(Jesus)  had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.”   

Love and obedience mingled as Jesus trusted God with whatever came next.  He trusted his friends, his mission, his reputation and his very life to God.  Not my will, but yours, Father.  Jesus trusted the love that embraced him…and would soon embrace the entire world.

1. Go to dark Gethsemane,
Ye that feel the tempter's power;
Your Redeemer's conflict see,
Watch with Him one bitter hour:
Turn not from His griefs away
Learn from Jesus Christ to pray.

2. Follow to the judgment hall,
View the Lord of life arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall!
O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame or loss
Learn from Him to bear the cross.

Lyrics: James Montgomery

Music: Richard Redhead

Holy and amazing God, turn our hearts to you this week. As we watch Jesus act in love and obedience, help us to trust you with our lives...our all. Amen.