FOCUS: Don't give up

Thursday’s Reading: Matthew 26:17-46, Mark 14:12-42, Luke 22:7-46, John 13-17

“Then all the disciples left Him and fled.” (Matt 26:56)

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I recently felt abandoned by someone I love. 

It was at a point when my body was weak and tired. I felt exhausted and poured out, looking ahead at a long up hill road, and then someone who I thought was completely at my right hand had to make a hard choice to not be.

Suddenly the road ahead just seemed so much harder. 

It’s remarkable how much togetherness can give you courage for whatever’s ahead. Surrounded by my nearest and dearest I can scale a wall and move mountains (or that’s how I feel!). But it’s also remarkable how one person walking away (even if for good reason) can leave you feeling alone, abandoned, weary …

and completely overwhelmed for whatever’s ahead.

And it was in this exact moment that a short sentence of Scripture came to mind. It’s such an insignificant little tidbit in scripture we almost read right over it without noticing. But on this day, late on Thursday, just hours before Jesus will take on the sins of the world, hang on a cross, and receive the full weight of His Father’s wrath, just hours before this, as he gears up for the most unthinkably torturous event in the history of mankind, he experiences this:

First, Peter, James & John can’t even stay awake. They’re snoozing while Jesus is praying (Matt 26:40).

Then, one of his friends, one of the 12, Judas Iscariot, betrays Jesus with a kiss (Matt 26:49).

But then, as if this weren’t enough. With a matter of minutes, we read a short verse that nearly knocks the wind out of me:

“Then all the disciples left him and fled.” (v.56)

All His disciples.

All His friends.

All His faithful followers.

All His “core team.”

Every last one.

Gone.

After spending years pouring into them and loving them and giving His life for them. In a matter of moments, every last one of them is gone.

And He is alone. In every sense.

I can only imagine in Jesus’ humanity, in a point of weariness, utter fatigue and exhaustion (he’d been up all night praying) the abandonment would have made it even more overwhelming to face what was ahead.

In my moment of tears, when I bowed down on the floor and poured my heart out for God, I heard this:

“You’re in the middle of something revolutionary. Don’t give up.”

(Now I have no idea what the first part is about. But I get the second part. It’s a pretty straightforward command.)

Perhaps Jesus heard something similar when He cried out to the Father.

“You’re in the middle of something revolutionary. Don’t give up.”

I don’t mean to draw too close of a parallel here. I’ve endured a tiny hurt feeling and Jesus endured the wrath of being forsaken by God and man as He hung on the cross and bore the sins of the world.

But we’re called in Scripture to identify with Jesus. To have His mind.

And if you have ever felt alone, forgotten, abandoned, left …

you can identify with Jesus.

You can enter into His story today and experience a droplet of the ocean of grief He bore. 

You can let that experience lead you to worship, gratitude, overwhelming thanks to Jesus that He didn’t give up.

And you can not give up either. 

{You’re in the middle of something revolutionary. Don’t give up. Thanks for reading.}