Excuses

TITLE: Excuses
DATE: April 2, 2019
TEXT:  Luke: 22: 26-27 – ESV - But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
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Excuses. Sooner or later almost everyone has an excuse.

And….sometimes those excuses are valid. Not so long ago the news carried the story of a Florida man who was paralyzed from the waist down. From his third floor apartment he saw a woman, fully clothed, wading out into the Gulf. Although he couldn’t be sure, it seemed as if she had her mind set on suicide.

The man could have said, “It’s not my job. Besides what can I do?” He could have said that, but instead he grabbed his walking sticks, hobbled down the stairs, got on his motorized bicycle and rode a quarter of a mile to where he could enter the water. Slipping and nearly falling on the muddy bottom, he waded out. He almost lost one of his sticks. When the water reached his waist and he could go no farther.

He tried talking to the young woman who was ten yards further out. "I can't go on living," she cried. "Leave me alone...I want to die." He said, quietly, "Look at me, I'm a cripple. (His words, not mine)  I walk with two sticks. I don't kill myself....Look at me."

For a long minute she stared at him, then slowly waded back.

Excuses. Sooner or later almost everyone has an excuse. And….sometimes those excuses are valid

 That's what Jesus could have said when He saw His disciples misunderstanding His message. Jesus could have washed His hands of all the work the Father had given Him. After all, people had  misjudged Him. They had hated Him. They had persecuted Him. They had laughed at Him. They had abused Him.

But Jesus didn't wash His hands of them: He could have had an excuse, a good reason to walk away.

But He didn’t.  Instead He did all He had been asked to do.

He had come into this world as the ultimate Passover Lamb and was determined to do everything necessary to save you and me. He was born in a stable to show He had come for the lowly among us. From that time until Easter Sunday when He rose, He accepted every dirty job He was given. He drew no lines.

Nothing was too much for Him to endure.

Now my question is, “What are the lines beyond which you won't go?” Is it teaching the children in Sunday School? Is it singing loudly in church (After all, nobody else is singing loudly)? Is it in helping with building maintenance or ushering? When you follow Jesus are you there as one who serves, or as one who is being served with an excuse?

THE PRAYER- Lord Jesus, forgive me for those times when I think that I am too good to follow You and too self-sufficient that I feel that I am master of my fate, rather than servant of Your will. Grant that I may become a better disciple in my witness and a more valuable servant  to You and the people You allow me to meet. In Your Name. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html