He’s Not About You

“While he was still speaking there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’ And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, ‘Lord, shall we strike with the sword?’ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him.” – Luke 22:47-51, ESV

Jesus cannot stand the chaos. He doesn’t like the bickering and fighting. And know this: Jesus does not need us to defend him. His own disciples thought that they were valiantly fighting for their Rabbi. The truth is that they were actually fighting against the will of God. Jesus came to be betrayed. He came to be mocked and beaten. He came to be spit on and slapped, having chunks of his beard ripped from his face. He came to be flogged and to be struck with rods in the head while blindfolded. He came to die on a cross and raise from the dead, but the disciples saw none of this. What they saw was their Rabbi being arrested, betrayed by one of their own. Think about the thunderstorm of emotions that ravaged their minds as they saw Judas betray the Rabbi with a kiss. So they struck out against those that “stood against Jesus.” The only thing, by their defense of Jesus, they too had put themselves in opposition against him. Jesus stops his boys. Jesus goes up to the servant of the high priest and heals him, showing that Jesus wasn’t taking anyone’s side. Jesus was about one thing: his Father’s business.

How often have I stood against others while Jesus tried healing them? How often have I tried to defend my Savior only to actually put myself in direct opposition against him? How often have I actually believed that Jesus was really all about what I’m about rather than being about his Father’s business? How often have I waged war against those very same ones that Jesus endured God’s wrath for, in order to redeem and restore them? How often, because of my own actions, have I caused Jesus to cry out, “No more of this!” because I was not all about him? How often have you? I’m humbled. What about you?