
I want to know the mind of Christ. I pray often that I will have His eyes and heart as I go about my day. That I would have ears to hear with His ears, but without His mind most of it seems jibberish, or goes without notice.
Today we were reading about the betrayal, and this past week I was reading about the last supper and the last moments before the betrayal. The mind of Christ chose to encourage and embolden His disciples before they would leave Him. Before they would deny knowing Him at all, He washed their feet. He dipped bread and shared a cup with the man that would leave in moments to betray Him.
Judas, one of the twelve, would betray Him in word and deed. His betrayal was not a stone cold “there He is” but an intimate pulling Christ close with the word “Rabbi” and a kiss. Jesus kept His mind in all this and did not curse Judas or call down legions of angels on him. Peter decided to take action and try to protect Jesus, as if Jesus needed this.
Instead, it provided another opportunity for Jesus to show His mind, and He heals the ear of a man that was coming to unlawfully arrest Him. A man working for the men that had missed the Kingdom of God completely, and just wanted to make Jesus disappear.
When God says His thoughts are not ours it is not complimentary, or lofty talk. It is saying how we think our own thoughts and own ways. How easy it is for me to slip into my own thoughts and want my own way. How easy it is for me to think up my own plans for the Kingdom of God and how it should all go. Only He is already working and has invited me into His story. I can join Him, or I can thrash about confused and swiping swords at servants’ ears, or I can run off in fear confused at what He is doing, afraid to mention that I am with Him and that He has a good plan.
I am brought back to Paul’s exhortation to the church of Philippi:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)
Christ had every right to defend Himself. To demand worship, to demand His way, and yet He humbled Himself, and loved and served to the end. He choice to serve those who would betray Him. He chose to love those who were falsely accusing Him. He chose to restrain the power He had to do something about this. Such a love. Lord teach me your ways and show me how to walk this path. It still does not come naturally to me. Holy Spirit fill my mind with your thoughts and give me courage to allow it to renew and transform it to your ways.
Reblogged this on Inkblot Life and commented:
#TBT Today in this very weird Holy Week I am brought back to these thoughts on the mind of Christ. I still stand in awe at the humility, grace, and mercy He showed at the Last Supper, washing Judas’ feet, patiently teaching Peter, serving all who would abandon Him. We are to have the same mind as Christ. May I decrease, so He may increase.
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