Ftiday Thought -- July 22, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’ The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.” (Luke 18:31-34)

There is one phrase in this passage that stands out for me: “The disciples did not understand any of this.”

That is a comforting phrase for me because there are many things that happen in my life and in the lives of people around me that I do not understand. I don’t understand them from the perspective of what God is trying to accomplish through His people. I don’t understand them from the perspective of God’s love and compassion for His children. I don’t understand them from the perspective of God’s desire to build His children into the image of Jesus. I just plain don’t understand a lot of things that happen.

I have a friend – a teenage boy – who has leukemia. I don’t understand the why of that.

I have another friend who has breast cancer. I don’t understand the why of that.

I have a friend who has ongoing health problems that defy explanation and treatment. I don’t understand the why of that.

I have friends who have lost spouses and children and parents to death. I don’t understand the whys of those things.

I horrendous tornado hit the city in which I went to college – Joplin. It killed hundreds and did unimaginable damage. I don’t understand the why of that.

And I could go on and on with my list. There are many things that I don’t understand. Yet, they seem to be a part of God’s plan. At least God hasn’t prevented any of them.

The story from Jesus’ life comforts me because it shows that the earliest and closest followers of Jesus didn’t understand, either. But here’s something else that becomes evident as the rest of their lives unfolded – though there were many things they didn’t understand, they trusted Jesus and kept following Him.

That’s my decision, too. There are many things I do not understand, but I choose to trust Jesus and keep following Him.

His, by Grace,

Steve