Of Shows and Service

 

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee.  They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.”  Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.  Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone.  But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.  Those who love their life in this world will lose it.  Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.  Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.  And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.  “Now my soul is deeply troubled.  Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  But this is the very reason I came!  Father, bring glory to your name.”  Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”  When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.  John 12:20-29

The Greeks who came for the Passover celebration in Jerusalem wanted to meet Jesus.  No doubt they’d heard the stir over his healing people, feeding people, and teaching that rattled the temple walls.  They were in town for the year’s biggest gathering, and, in true county fair circus mode, they certainly didn’t want to miss the biggest attraction.  For those who wanted to see it all and go back home with an autographed Scripture scroll, Jesus was the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Eiffel Tower, and Presidential inauguration – the sightseer’s musts on the to-do list!

If Jesus had been praying that prayer of holy week, O, Father, save me from drinking this cup, he might have been anxious to see these Greeks who made a special effort to meet him.  You know the way that happens – you’re facing an unpleasant event (putting the cross in a much milder category, mind you).  You’ve stepped-up your praying to “crisis mode”.  Two strangers tell your disciples they want to meet you.  Could this be the answer God is sending? 

The trouble with that scenario is our praying becomes a simple prologue to finding a way out of the discomfort, rather than a key to how God will be served.  That kind of prayer is more a knee-jerk reaction to the heat of the coming situation than a surrender to the will of God.  We wanted the show of a miracle, instead of the service of a disciple.

But Jesus wasn’t praying that way.  He was waiting for the signals of the Father’s movement so he could cooperate with the will of His Lord.  And when the movement winds started blowing, Jesus put the show on hold.  He held up the reality check…a seed comes to be dropped in the ground to bear a crop in the hundred-fold measure; it’s for sew, not show.

For You Today

You’ve faced (perhaps) many crises of faith since that first crisis of giving your heart to follow Christ.  Here, in holy week, we are reminded that whatever crisis we face, health, financial need, relational bumps, or worse, we are seeds-in-training; we’ve come to give our lives in whatever way the Master leads.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Bing Images   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©