SCRIPTURE We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
“While Lent is the journey into the most significant event of human history, the three great days [Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Saturday night Great Paschal Vigil] are a life-changing experience of God’s saving work in history. For Christians there is no time throughout the entire Christian year that is more crucial than the three great days. These are days to be set aside to enter into a worship that is the source of our entire spirituality, a moment in time that defines all time for Christians, a moment in time that is the very sum and substance of our spirituality for every season, every week, every Sunday, and every moment of every day. . . . It is imperative for the church to go beyond its present practice to recover the fullness of the three great days and to impress upon us all how important these days are, not only as historical events to be remembered but as events to be lived in our own dying to sin and rising to the new life of the Spirit. For herein lies the source and energy of our spiritual lives.“
Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Time Forming Spirituality Through the Christian Year
THOUGHT During the filming of The Passion of the Christ, Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus, paid a heavy price to do so. In an interview filmed at Rock Church, San Diego, in 2010, he told how Mel Gibson actually tried to talk him out of it for the sake of his career. He told how he separated his shoulder almost immediately, and continued to separate it again and again during the crucifixion scenes. He told of the sting of a whip that missed its intended target and opened a 14-inch gash on his back; of suffering pneumonia in both lungs while hanging on the cross; of enduring a lightning strike during the last scene – an event which necessitated eventual heart surgery. During the course of filming he went from 220 pounds to a meager 168, and was told by a doctor he might die if he didn’t stop. He didn’t, because he was prepared to die if necessary.
If we truly believe that God is good, we must also believe he will give us everything we need to complete the race he has asked us to run. We may be afflicted, but we won’t be crushed.
PRAYER Jesus, you said if we wanted to come after you, we would deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow. Make your life obvious in us as suffering comes our way.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
Check out Walking When You’d Rather Fly, and learn more about the book and Amy’s other ministries. You will also find her devotional work at Words of Hope.
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