“‘What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ Pilate asked.” Matthew 27:22 (NIV)
As the wife of a children’s pastor I often find myself with a puppet on my hand or leading a group of children in their favorite Bible songs. I’ve also been known to act out a few Bible stories in my time. I love acting out Bible stories, unless I have to play a “bad” part, like the time I was a member of the crowd, crying out to Pilate to crucify Jesus. Tears filled my eyes as angry shouts escaped my lips, “Crucify him!”
It’s easy to think of those “foolish people of Jesus’ time” as the ones who real- ly messed up. Jesus walked among them. They saw His miracles, and yet when they had to decide whether He should live or die, they chose death. How could they have done that to Him? we wonder. Couldn’t they see who He really was?
The fact is, each of us must answer the same question daily: “What shall I do, then with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Should I give Him access to my heart? Should I turn to Him for direction in my life? Should I allow His truths to matter more than my opinion? In quiet mornings it’s easy to say yes to all these things, but following through is the hard part. Daily at work, through our friends, and through popular culture we get the message that Jesus doesn’t matter. Voices around us cry out in independence and defiance, and too often we find our own voice joining in.
Sometimes I’m the foolish person who chooses to follow the crowd. But the closer I grow to Christ, the more I’m learning to consider what I am do- ing with Jesus this moment, this day.
Faith step: Consider the voices around you that cry out in defiance against Jesus. You may not shout the same angry words but your lack of submission to Jesus leads to the same result. What is one courageous step you can take to allow Jesus to be Lord of your life today?
Tricia, what convicting words! How often we think we’re fine b/c we “love Jesus” with our lips…but our actions show differently. To live a life of complete submission to Him is challenging to say the least. It is a constant and very deliberate act to slay our selfishness and submit to the one who truly deserves our praise and wants the best for our lives. Amen, sister!