Riverside Community Church Blog

1

Mark 14:32-42

 

What does it mean to go a little farther?

How does a child of God, go a little farther?

How did Jesus, go a little farther?

Betrayal was looming in the air. Jesus was deeply distressed. He was troubled. Verse 33
Distressed: suffering from anxiety, sorrow or pain. He was not just distressed, He was deeply distressed. Jesus was troubled.

What do you do when you are troubled and deeply distressed? Energy of fight or flight arises and self wants to take control. It is too easy to suddenly begin to find fault and become angry or disillusioned toward those closest to us or simply withdrawal in silence. One begins to search for comfort or escape through food, alcohol, drugs, shopping or business. Obsessive thoughts take over; scrambling for a way to manipulate or control a situation or person. Often these defense mechanisms are the first we run to, rather than our heavenly father. It is a choice in how we, go a little farther. Unharnessed energy must look so ugly to my Jesus.

“What does an unused prayer link look like? Anxiety. Instead of connecting with God, our spirits fly around like severed power lines destroying everything that they touch. Anxiety wants to be God but lacks God’s wisdom, power, or knowledge. A godlike stance without godlike character and ability is pure tension. Because anxiety is self on its own, it tries to get control. It is unable to relax in the face of chaos. Once one problem is solved, the next in line steps up. The new one looms so large we forget the last deliverance.” A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller

Jesus went a little farther and fell to His knees in prayer to His father. That is how Jesus would, go a little farther. He could have used all of His might and power to change the circumstances. He could have talked to those following Him and had them fight for Him. He could have run away. But He chose to talk to His father, share His heart and seek the desires of His father’s heart.

Mark 14:35 “Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba Father, “ he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Three times Jesus asked His father…..”Daddy, I don’t want to do this…I see what is happening, I sense it coming…..please, Father. I know you can do anything and as much as I want you to make this stop I want what you want more than what I want.”

Many times my prayer has been, “Help me to want you more than what I want right now. And Father, you know how badly I want this. By the power of the Holy Spirit I ask that you work in my heart and help me to want you more.” This is a heart wrenching prayer when you want your child healed or your marriage to become alive again, money in the bank account for overdue bills or battling infertility.
When we follow Jesus example and go a little farther we become transparent before Our Maker and ourselves. This is true Christianity. This is how we walk with our God in a broken world that is full of heartache that we do not understand. We go a little farther and let our father hold our hand. And as any relationship, when we come out of isolation and share our feelings and fears the walls come down and we rest in the presence of the one we choose to trust.

Jesus was not spared the betrayal that lead to His death. Often we are not spared from hardships in this broken world. The horrible death that Jesus experienced brought the opportunity of eternal life. May He weave this hope into our hearts as we go a little farther and pour our deep distress and troubled hearts out before our God. May we hope and believe that somehow God will indeed use this for good. Good that we will possibly not see in our life time. Perhaps the good is for the next generation or the next. Jesus went a little farther, fell to His knees and talked to His father. This is where He found the peace, courage, humility and strength to follow what His father wanted instead of what He wanted. May we do the same. May we Go a Little Farther than ourselves and fall on our knees before our father. And may He fill us with the courage, humility and strength to accept and do His will and not our own. May we trust that just as He used the death of Jesus Christ for such beautiful good that He will do the same in our lives as well; use our hardships for His beautiful good.

I pray that you and I will, Go a Little Farther when our hearts are broken.

Click here to watch a short video

1 Comment

In Jesus's Name Amen

Write a Comment

Comments for this post have been disabled.