Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks put the circumstances of our lives, both good and bad into God’s hands and help us see them through His eyes. Last night our beloved daughter-in-law Melinda slipped from this world into the presence of Jesus. And while we are overwhelmed with grief and shock, these words are promises to which we cling. Melinda has finished her race. Her battle with cancer is finished. And while that pernicious disease claimed her physical life, it could not touch her soul. That remained fully and exclusively in the hands of Jesus with whom she now lives. Nancy and I didn’t know how to process the news that came in three words. “She is gone.” Yet as sadness rolls over my heart I sense the message echo back from Heaven, ” She has arrived!”
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:32 KJV
Have you ever wondered why most churches have a cross at the top of their steeples, or why hundreds of millions of Christians wear crosses around their necks? It certainly isn’t stated anywhere in the Bible that we are supposed to do these things – and yet we do. In fact, when we think about the events of the gospel it might seem more appropriate to put an empty tomb on the roof showing the victory of Jesus over death or a throne and declaring that He is King of the universe. And yet, there is something about the cross that attracts us to Jesus. But maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus told us that when He was lifted up that He would draw people to himself. Jesus healed lepers, multiplied bread, and walked on water but the lepers went home, the bread eaters stopped following, and even Peter who had walked on water with Him, denied knowing Him. But on the cross things began to happen that no could have imagined. At the cross, a thief believed and was promised paradise, and a Roman soldier cried out that Jesus was the Son of God. After Christ died, the once fearful Nicodemus came boldly requesting to give Jesus a proper burial. In fact, even Jesus’s enemies remembered His claim of resurrection and asked for the tomb to be guarded and sealed. Repentance and faith, remembering His words and watching the tomb all began at the cross. The cross calls for us to take a stand and helps us see and believe that Jesus is God’s Son. So, keep putting the cross where everyone can see, because Jesus has promised that when He is lifted up, that He will draw all men to Him!
And Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide His garments. Luke 23:34 ESV
Usually, we only think about our inheritance, after the person who leaves it to us is gone. The chair they sat in, the back yard they planted the tree in, and the jewelry they wore, are the material reminders we have. But the real inheritance we hold onto is what remains in our hearts. While we are trudging through the daily drudgery of our responsibilities to them or the daily joys, we usually forget how quickly things can change. Then we are shocked when the moment comes and they are suddenly gone. Whether by divorce or death, a career change or altered financial circumstances, that individual has moved on and we are left with the attitudes we held towards them. Initially our inheritance from them may be frustration, anger, and disappointment, because of the choices they made or the way they treated us.
When Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, hung dying on the cross, He had every right to be angry, and to demand retribution on those brutal soldiers who were gambling for his clothing. But instead, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness and in so doing He inherited the name that is forever above every name in Heaven and earth. By forgiving, Jesus inherited an eternal kingdom of hope and peace, based not on what others had done to Him, but by grace.
This morning, some of you may be carrying hurts because of a failed relationship that was not your fault, or a sudden circumstance that was beyond your control. But the good news is that our spiritual inheritance can be changed. By HIs choice, Jesus changed the meaning of the cross from a symbol of judgement to the source of grace. Just as He chose to forgive and release the outcome of His suffering to His Father, so can we. Why not choose as He did, a new legacy, a different memory, and a new path to walk? Why not release what has lingered in our hearts for too long, and trust it forever into the hands of God?
P.S. This poem written while I am learning patience is dedicated to my former pastor, Dr. Joliam Sampaio. As he and his wife Claudia have given their lives in ministry, and missions, they have modeled patience. Through suffering and even slander, they have maintained both the joy and the meekness of Jesus.
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