Jesus Died Because He Loved His Father

Tuesday, August 9, 2011l

Reading: Mark 14:32-42

Reflection: Ok...let me aplogize to those who have been following this post. Difficulty accessing my account made it not possible to update my blog for the last several days. I have resolved those issues and am back on line. So, our reading today reminded me of something very important. I have often heard people say that the reason Jesus embraced the cross was because He "loved me" so very much. This example, then, is to motivate me to love others so much that I offer my life in ministry to them. However, it would appear to me that the love that compelled Jesus to embrace the cross was not His love for me, but His love for His Father. Jesus asks that the cup be taken from Him. Why? Because He doesn't want to die. However, because of His great love for His Father, Jesus embraces the cross. So, it is Jesus love for God the Father that motivates His action. This is important, because there are some people God has called me to embrace who I don't really love. In fact, I may not even know them very well. However, if I love God rightly, I will love others fully not out of a devotion to them but out of a devotion to my Father. So, Jesus models for us how to love those we would not naturally love. We do that not by loving them more, but by loving God fully. If we love God fully, then we will do what we would not otherwise do...love others because He has asked us to do so. Jesus died because He loved the Father. In the same way, I die to myself and serve others for the same reason.