I am often amazed by the lessons God teaches me in life. For example, God taught me a great lesson today that pulled my attention to the next words of Jesus from the cross that I want to look at. Let me explain...
So for the last few weeks at work they keep changing our bonus system. It seems that every time it gets changed it means that we get less money. Yesterday, when we received our bonus reports and learned that we are now making a quarter less per sale I was not happy. Okay, that might be an understatement. I was ticked off. While on break my supervisor asked me what was wrong. I vented my frustration and I must admit it wasn't very nice to see.
Today on my way to work I felt God press upon me the need to apologize for my poor attitude and for taking out my frustrations on my supervisors - afterall, they just have the job of bringing the bad news. After asking for their forgiveness they had the pleasure of telling a room of workers that not only were we now getting less for bonuses but some of the sales that counted toward bonuses before will no longer count.
This time I was able to remain calm, yet most the other people in the room did not. As I listened to this group of people venting their anger and frustration I thought of the scene at the cross where the people, who a short time before had welcomed Jesus into the city as a king, are now taunting and mocking Him.
In Luke 23:35-43 we read about the people mocking Jesus after He calls for a God to forgive them. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” It was so bad that even one of the guys crucified next to Jesus even joined in on mocking Him.
It is so easy to respond in these situations. It is so easy to join in with the crowd. But this story lets us see something else. 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
We see this other criminal go against the crowd and stand up for the innocent man. A man who at the end of his life realizes that Jesus came into the world to show us a better way of living. A way that doesn't kick a man while he is down. That doesn't join in the crowd in mocking, ridicule and put downs. He recognizes His need for Jesus before it is too late and Jesus responds, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Wow! Isn't it amazing that Jesus doesn't focus on all the negativity of the moment but focuses on the one man who has a need that only Jesus can meet?!
The question we need to ask is this, "Where would we be in this story?"
No comments:
Post a Comment