Week 24—Friday Matthew 26:38-39, 45-46
Week 24—FRIDAY
TEACH THE WORD, OR BE THE WORD?
We now come to an incident which was crucial—the coming of the Greeks:
They went to Philip . . . and appealed to him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” . . . And Jesus answered, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears rich fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who cares not for his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. . . . My soul is now disquieted. What am I to say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? Nay, it is something else that has brought me to this hour: I will say, ‘Father, glorify Thy name.’” Then came a voice from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” . . . “Now is this world to be judged; now shall the Prince of this world be expelled. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:20-32, Moffatt)
Why this commotion in the soul of Jesus over the coming of the Greeks? This was obviously a real life crisis. Was it not this? The Greeks seeing the impending storm about to break upon the head of Jesus came to invite him to come to Greece and be their teacher. “You can put your message into the center of the world’s thought—Athens—and from there it can spread throughout the world. The Greeks are responsive and will accept your teaching. The Jews are narrow and rebellious. Come to Greece and be our honored and loved Teacher.” The issue was: Athens or Jerusalem? Athens, an honored Teacher; Jerusalem, a crucified Redeemer. The one was the Word become word; the other the Word become flesh.
He stated the issue: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears rich fruit.” “You ask me to be the Word become word—teacher; I must be the Word become flesh—a Redeemer.”
O Jesus, you here go through the temptation that we all go through who begin to follow you: Shall I proclaim the Word, or shall I be the word? Shall I withdraw myself and be a single grain, or sow myself and die? Jesus, save me from this temptation. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: The issue: Shall I be the saved grain, abiding by itself alone, or the sown grain, bearing much fruit?