Luke
22:47-51
When those who were around him saw what was coming, they
asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right
ear.
(Luke 22:49-50)
At least one
disciple adhered to a principle that still gets us in trouble today…the ready,
fire, aim principle. In other words, he
got a bit ahead of himself. The
disciples were stunned by the arrest of Jesus and the treachery of a
friend. Perhaps in panic, anger, or
loyalty, this unnamed disciple of Jesus decided he couldn’t wait for an
answer…he struck.
I find myself in
his shoes. No, I haven’t struck anyone
with a sword, but I have asked questions of Christ without waiting for the
answers. The ability to think and act on
my own is a gift of the Creator, but in seeking to follow Christ, I find that I
tend to get ahead of him. Panic, anger,
loyalty…perhaps, but more often, impatience.
Jesus quickly
stopped the violence and healed the injured man. In waiting one often sees the hand of God at
work. To ask, then act, without regard
to the answer, is to distrust the one whose wisdom you seek. In the heat of the moment, waiting is
difficult. In the heat of the moment,
however, faith can steady the hand and
heart.
Prayer: Help me,
dear Lord, to wait, listen, and learn.
Amen.
Jim
Abernathy
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