by Kala Loptien

Not As I Will

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And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’
Matthew 26: 39 English Standard Version

This passage evokes so much emotion. It’s heavy and graphic. Take a moment to reread that verse. What’s your reaction? Maybe empathy impounds our hearts, weighing us down by such an agonizing scene. Maybe we are overwhelmed with guilt, knowing we are the reason He’s even in this position. Perhaps also, we are stunned and troubled by the humanness expressed by Jesus. Let’s dig deeper…

Jesus knows what’s to come. He knows what’s at stake; and he knows what it takes to get there. In this moment, as His time draws near, we find Him in Gethsemane. In a dark place and dark moment. He grieves. Being fully man, He literally feels the weight of the world and the impending (momentary) separation from His Father. We see Jesus in distress. He asks about the possibility of having this taken from Him. And yet, being at the same time fully God, He yields in absolute obedience to His prophetic, life-giving, atoning destiny: the sacrificial lamb and Savior of the world.

We see our Savior surrender to God’s will. Though He knows it means physical, emotional and spiritual pain, He obeys. Jesus wants what God wants—even if it means enduring hardship, heartache and supreme suffering.

How do we measure up when it comes to absolute obedience? Personally, I fail every day. I need serious help in this arena. Fortunately, thankfully, we have that. We have a personal relationship with Jesus. He took our place. We have an advocate and comforter in the Holy Spirit. We have God’s Word to guide us, and we have a great community of believers to encourage us. We all experience hardship, failure, suffering, loss, shame, rejection…the struggle is real. But we are never alone. And what’s even more beautiful is we have a Savior who understands.

Fear not, friends. He overcame. We won’t ever master absolute obedience this side of heaven. But we can cling to and stand firm in the One who has.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.