Acceptance.

I was reading in Matthew 26, which begins with the plot to kill Jesus and ends with the trial before the Sanhedrin and Peter's denial. Somehow, the revelation that I got from it was not what I expected. I looked at Jesus, knowing who he is, knowing some of what he had done up until that point, and knowing how flawless he was. I saw that here was a man who dealt with his humanity. That very day, he sat alone in a garden and pleaded with his Father to grant him an alternative to hell. And yet, he chose to be obedient. His eyes were steady on Jerusalem; on his mission. I saw how perfect he was. And yet, they still crucified him. They still hardened their hearts toward him. They still did not believe. And those who did still denied him.

Sometimes, I have these notions that if I truly am obedient to the Spirit and only speak and do as He leads, then people will all listen and believe and love every word. Or, at the very least, they will love the presence of God. But how can I assume this when people turned away even when God walked among them? Jesus was hated with an all-consuming, murderous hatred. Why is it that we allow even the slightest rejection of the truth to discourage us? It might not be idealistic, but it is reality. Even when revival comes, there are those who will criticize and mock and refuse to believe in God. But He is worth it. He is worth living and celebrating and fighting for.

My heart prays that I, and each one of us, become ever more steady and firm in our convictions and relationship with Jesus. Never, ever, ever do I want to hear "I do not know that man," fall from my lips in reference to my Christ. The One who lives, not even just among us, but within us.

Waiting for my "The Spoon Does Not Exist" tshirt :)