Agony in the Garden, Again… Eden, Gethsemani but God’s Plan Prevails!
Looks like we are on a one chapter a day pace for Matthew in the New Testament but with only two more chapters of Matthew’s Gospel we are getting towards the end of Jesus’ message to us.
Here we go again! God, our Father, patient, loving and persistent trying to get a point across to us—that life isn’t all about what we want but that we should want to be the part of God’s kingdom he has planned for us.
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden didn’t work out so well—sin was introduced into the world.
Now Jesus and His disciples are in the Garden of Gethsemani and things aren’t working out very well again—our devotion to Jesus is paper thin and quite lacking.
Signs ahead of time, fore-shadowing and fore-illuminating our lives.
But do we see the signs?
Is our life getting darker or brighter from the inside-out?
A focus on education, discipline and perseverance led me to a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.B.A. and a successful career.
Despite much love, many blessings, and sincere attempts by both people, there were earlier signs that my marriage would end in divorce.
There were earlier signs, reading the Scriptures in church, much prayer and turning to God in good and bad times throughout my life that He would lead me down this spiritual path to TROML and Splendid Spiritual Self.
What signs are there currently in your life?
Out of denial, justification, and rationalization into peace, joy and freedom, The Ultimate Love of God, self, and others in life.
“Why do you trouble the woman, Jesus asked? She has done me a good turn. For the poor you have always with you, but you do not always have me. For in putting this ointment on my body, she has done it for my burial. Amen I say to you, wherever in the whole world this gospel is preached, this also that she has done shall be told in memory of her.”
Using the term “my burial,” was a pretty good sign that Jesus was to die and not be the King of the World that his disciples knew.
Where are you on your path to dominate the world, to leave a lasting legacy?
Will it be a lasting legacy of love or a betrayal of God’s plan for you?
“What are you willing to give me for delivering Him to you, the Judas in all of us asked our Lord every day?”
Isn’t it God’s will for us to feel superior to His other lowly children?
Aren’t we blessed and special beyond everyone else?
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, Jesus confided to us.”
God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit know our routine before we come up with that good idea to put us first in the world. They have been through it literally a billion other times with the billion people who have lived on this earth before us.
“Is it I Lord?”
Of course it is, you are human just like me.
“The Son of Man indeed goes his way, as it is written of him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It were better for that man if he had not been born.”
And Judas who betrayed him answered and said, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “Thou hast said it.”
“For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is being shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins.”
And after reciting a hymn, Jesus began to be saddened and exceedingly troubled. “My soul is sad, even unto death. Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; yet not as I will, but as thou willest.”
Jesus was human just like us except that he was not a sinner just like every one of us.
He felt deep emotions and did not over-drink, over-eat, or do any one of a million other human addictions to self-medicate Himself away from what God’s plan was for His life.
Three times he asked His Father to change the story, to have it not end the way he knew it had to end.
Jesus was taken away to Caiphas, the high priest and all the disciples left him and fled. Peter denied Him three times even though he promised not to.
We didn’t stand up for our friend and inspiration in life. We provided false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death.
But now knowing the facts, we can choose our own ending.
Yes, it is better for that man, who abandons Jesus, if he had not been born.”
But that and our lives, in of themselves, provide us an opportunity to admit our human death while still living on spiritually with Christ.
Don’t deny Jesus a fourth time, come home to the Lord and be at peace, feel joy and be free to live again accepting this sinful world as it is but not yourself as you appear.
Ask Jesus to come into your heart this very moment and your life will change forever and ever. Amen.
Day 28: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Agony in the Garden, Again… Eden, Gethsemani but God’s Plan Prevails!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Matthew Chapter 26.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
Saint Matthew, also known as Levi, was a Galilean by birth.
Tax Collector at Capharnaum
Christ called him to become a disciple, and later an Apostle
After the Holy Ghost came down on the Apostles on Pentecost, Matthew preached the Gospel in Judea.
He wrote his Gospel to prove to his readers that Christ was the Messiah foretold by God in the Old Testament
Matthew Chapter 26: Passion foretold; The council; The anointing at Bethany; Jesus defends the woman; The betrayal; Preparation; The betrayer; The Holy Eucharist; Peter’s denials predicted; The agony in the garden; The sleeping disciples; Jesus arrested; Peter draws his sword; Jesus speaks; Jesus claims to be the Christ; Jesus charged with blasphemy; Peter’s denial.
“You know that after two days the Passover will be here; and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
In the court of the high priest Caiphas… and they took counsel together how they might seize Jesus by stealth and put him to death.
“Why do you trouble the woman? She has done me a good turn. For the poor you have always with you, but you do not always have me. For in putting this ointment on my body, she has done it for my burial. Amen I say to you, wherever in the whole world this gospel is preached, this also that she has done shall be told in memory of her.”
Using the term “my burial,” was a pretty good sign that Jesus was to die and not be the King of the World that his disciples knew.
“What are you willing to give me for delivering him to you?”
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
“Is it I Lord?”
“The Son of Man indeed goes his way, as it is written of him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It were better for that man if he had not been born.”
And Judas who betrayed him answered and said, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “Thou hast said it.”
“For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is being shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins.”
And after reciting a hymn…
“Even though all shall be scandalized because of thee, I will never be scandalized.” Jesus said to him, “Amen I say to thee, this very night, before a cock crows, thou wilt deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I should have to die with thee, I will not deny thee!” And all the disciples said the same thing.
And he began to be saddened and exceedingly troubled…
“My soul is sad, even unto death.”
“Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; yet not as I will, but as thou willest.”
“Could you not, then, watch one hour with me? Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Again a second time he went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink it, thy will be done.”
And leaving them sleeping (a second time), he went back again, and prayed a third time, saying the same words over.
“Sleep on now and take your rest.”
“Whomever I kiss, that is he; lay hold of him.”
“Friend, for what purpose hast thou come?”
“Put back thy sword into its place; for those who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
“How then are the Scriptures to be fulfilled, that thus it must take place.”
“I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me.”
Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Now those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiphas, the high priest…
Were seeking false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death.
“This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it after three days.’”
“Thou hast said it. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming upon the clouds of heaven.”
“He has blasphemed, what further need have we of witnesses?”
“Thou also was with Jesus the Galilean.”
“This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
“Surely thou also art one of them, for even thy speech betrays thee.”
And at that moment a cock crowed… and he went out and wept bitterly.
I have to say, that after reading these recent chapters of The book of Exodus, I will look much more closely at the details of a church and the garments worn by the priest.
Makes sense as fat, like wax would produce a flame like a candle? Not sure since the only burnt offerings I have witnessed is the burning of incense to bless me and others and at times Easter baskets!
“Where I will speak to thee…” That is what building the altar and sacrificing animals is all about—speaking, having a conversation with God, Old Testament-style. The New Testament, our new covenant with God encourages that a conversation with God take place anywhere, at any time. The only requirement is that our heart is open to Jesus and we do so in a humble, willing, and meaningful manner.
So things were going along nicely in the design phase of the tabernacle. Workers were called by God and filled with the spirit of God, and with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all manner of the work to be done.
Moses came down, heard the voice of singers, everyone was naked and when he saw the golden calf idol he threw the tables out of his hand and broke them. Then he destroyed the golden calf idol.
Then Moses did one of those “you are either with us or against us,” if any man be on the Lord’s side let him join with me. All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him and they slain by sword that day about three and twenty thousand men.
The disciples were ‘UP’ on Palm Sunday when Jesus made his triumphant return to Jerusalem. They thought he was going to be the King of the Kingdom on Earth. They were wrong and were ‘DOWN’ when he was crucified and died on Good Friday.
Haven’t all our lives been a rollercoaster to some degree? Up and down and all over the place! Our relationships too! Sometimes jumping the track yet never fully crashing, somehow, some way, we seem to always get back on track. At least until the next peak, downfall and turn in the road. That’s life—unpredictable, unyielding and certainly uncontrollable although we try to perfect it, control it and live it to the fullest while we have the opportunity.
We do this best by moving on with Jesus Christ in our hearts. Jesus frees us from fears, resentments, untruths, and most importantly from our self, our ego and our pride. We come out of denial, justifications, and rationalizations to find our True Self and Trusting Ego. We become childlike in our love affair with Christ and receive His love and the love of others in a different, more meaningful way. We find peace, joy and freedom to live our lives uniquely as ourselves.
Do not be afraid!
I believe that if you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and become intimate with His word that your destiny will be divine for the rest of your life here on earth and more than divine in the afterlife in heaven.
It was a difficult time for the children of Israel having been freed from Egypt but transitioning to a new homeland but not yet there.
And hath filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding and knowledge and all learning.
God grant me the serenity
Trusting that He will make all things right
I am excited to start the second gospel in the Bible—The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark. He was not a disciple of Christ like Matthew was but somewhere along the way, Peter, the disciple and apostle of Christ, encountered Mark and took him as travel companion and interpreter. Mark the Evangelist wrote down the sermons of Peter, thus composing this Gospel according to Mark.
As it is written in Isaias the prophet: “Behold, I send my messenger before thee, who shall prepare thy way, the voice of one crying in the desert, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
I remember how good it was when my mother or father praised me growing up. It was not that often and often quite subtle but I knew I was loved. Just think how Jesus felt, as he started His ministry, as God proclaimed his love for him and pleasure in what a great job Jesus was doing to the whole narrow world at that moment in time. Jesus was simply following His Will as a human being just like us, but in a more perfect, divine and sinless manner.
Long before daybreak… I am trying to get on an early to bed, early to rise schedule to enjoy the quiet time of a morning and the day of sunshine.
All this talk of gold to build the Tabernacle to worship God in the days of Moses near Mount Sinai.
I have to remember that this is Old Testament, the Old Covenant between God and the people living at that time. Only some of the hundred billion people that have lived on the earth. All trying or have tried to make sense of this thing we call life.
Would you give yesterday’s hundred dollar equivalent in today’s value which is likely in the millions of dollars to build your own personal Tabernacle to God?
Is there love in your hearts right now as defined by 1 Corinthians 13:4?
And again he entered the synagogue. “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil? To save a life or destroy it?” And being grieved at the blindness of their hearts. “Stretch forth thy hand” And he stretched it forth, and his hand was restored. But the Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might do away with him.
The times in my past which I am most sad and regrettable about are those times when my heart was blinded, overcome by fear, resentments, untruths and my big selfish silly ego. I don’t want to be dead inside. I want to connect with other people in a real, meaningful, heartfelt way. I want to come completely out of denial, justification and rationalization. I want to be the true me, my Splendid Spiritual Self!
Aren’t we all sinners? Isn’t Levi’s real name Matthew the Disciple and Apostle who wrote the first gospel of the New Testament of The Bible?
“But whosoever blasphemes against The Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but will be guilty of an everlasting sin.”
There is no easy way around it, one can only go through it if one is to survive and live on to find peace, even joy and freedom in what has happened.
Knowing and acknowledging the truth about oneself and others is the surest and strongest foundation in life.
My lifetime has been full of beautiful people and beautiful experiences with those people whose grace and love touched me richly and deeply.
Getting back to going to mass at the Tabernacle way back when with fire on the altar and burnt offerings and holocausts. Before Christ, the oblation was the act of making an offering, not the Eucharist, of herds, flocks, and fowl. I guess everything gets modernized, translated or what have you. It’s a big deal today if communion is a piece of real bread instead of the wafer. The wafer which did not taste good to me as a young boy. I would do the prayer with hands over the face and slip the soggy wafer out of my mouth and hide it under the pew. Bad sin I know. I often wondered if anybody wondered why there were dried out wafers under my seat.
The soul that sinneth through ignorance, and doth any thing concerning any of the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded not to be done.
The priest shall pray for him and for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. We are only as sick as our darkest secrets. Tell a priest, your rabbi, reverend or tell a trusted friend but first be honest with yourself and tell God. We can all come out of the shame, isolation and abandonment of dysfunctional childhoods. We are all valuable children of God.
And when the eighth day was come, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the ancients of Israel… for today the Lord will appear to you. This is the word, which the Lord hath commanded: do it, and his glory will appear to you.
Perceive, understand, be converted and your sins will be forgiven.
But eventually all becomes known to all people.
Be Close to Heaven right here on earth. Be your Splendid Spiritual Self and make sure you are there in The Ultimate Love with one-way boundaries to your mind, emotions and body. Don’t short circuit anything. Be bold and daring but only from within, a solid base in The Word of God.
