Luke 7:2
Just at that time the highly prized slave of a Roman army captain was sick and near death.
The Roman centurion, by all accounts, was a generous and kind man who contributed greatly to his community. Not feeling worthy and showing a great deal of respect and humility, he sent the Jewish elders and his friends to Jesus, pleading for healing for his deathly ill slave. How sad the captain must have been, filled with fear and anguish over losing someone so dear.
We all have experienced sadness and have been in desperate situations to one degree or another. How do we as Christians address sadness and can hope be found in the midst of our grief?
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus experiences and understands sadness.
He wept with Mary at the death of her brother and in the Garden of Gethsemane in his last hours. God the Father embraces us just as He did Jesus, an ever-present source of strength.
Thank goodness the story doesn’t end there but rather read further in Luke to refresh your memory.
Our sadness starts at the cross but joy replaces our grief at the empty tomb.
Nate Drucker
This Lent, we are sharing the offerings of members of All Saints who worked together to create a daily Lenten devotional book. Join us for worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for full calendar and information and respond to this email message to request to be removed from our distribution list.
No comments:
Post a Comment