Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Struggles of the Disciples


Have you ever thought about what it would have been like to be one of Jesus’ twelve disciples during this week of their lives?  We get a glimpse of some of their stories through the Gospel accounts but I can’t imagine how scared and confused they must have been as the events of the week transpired.   As we follow their story, this week we realize that 2000 years later we are not that different, and we struggle with the same things they did.

When Jesus washes the disciples’ feet Simon Peter protests and says that their master should not be washing their feet.  Simon Peter felt that he was above the charity of Jesus.  He didn’t understand that Jesus was showing his grace and teaching them to show that same love and compassion to others.  How many times have we had problems but failed to bring them to God?  We are often too full of pride to admit our own struggles and ask for help, aren’t we? Donald Miller has a quote that I love that says, “In exchange for our humility and willingness to accept the charity of God, we are given a kingdom.  And a beggar’s kingdom is better than a proud man’s delusion.”  Just as the disciples learned to humble themselves we are called to humble ourselves, both to God but also to each other, in our actions and relationships.  We need to let down our pride and be open to the grace that is given to us.

When Jesus is arrested in the garden it is written that the disciples scattered and fled so that they would not be captured.  How often do we also turn from God when bad things happen?  It’s easy to put the blame on someone we can’t see right? Instead of turning away from Him in difficult times we should draw nearer to Him.  In Ecclesiastes it is written, “On a good day, enjoy yourself; on a bad day, consider: God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won’t take anything for granted.”  It’s not always easy because it seems like it would be so simple for God to turn things around and make our problems better but He knows what He is doing. We just have to trust that it will all turn out right in the end.

We see the struggles of Peter once again when he denies being a disciple on three different occasions after Jesus is arrested.  It would be easy to find fault in Peter but I realize that I am not so innocent either.  Maybe I have never outright denied being Christian but there are times when I have skirted around the truth or done things that did not show that I was a follower of God.  I think that any time we fail to show Jesus’ love, whether it is talking about someone negatively, not helping someone in need, or any other various ways that we fall short of the disciple we are called to be, we are denying knowing Him.  Because we are loved by God we are, in turn, called to love others.  Jesus even commands the disciples to love one another and that is how people will know they follow Him.  We are still called to that same command.

Through the stories of the disciples we can see that they had similar difficulties to the things we now face today.  I pray that as we reflect upon our own shortcomings, those times when we have failed to show God’s love in the world, that we will be filled with the reassurance that we are not the only ones who struggle. God knows that following Him is not easy but He is there for you, and for me, when we fall.  We just need to be willing to accept the outstretched hand that is helping us back up.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5: 6-8

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