"Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Matthew 19:27
Even though it was Peter who asked this question it could have been anyone of us since each of us who begin following Jesus do so with our own agenda. We come to Jesus wanting to figure how we can leverage Who He is or what He can do for our benefit.
Jesus is the Son of God, God in the flesh, the second member of the Trinity and we follow Him with the intention of making it about us.
Never mind that Jesus had already spoken to this issue early in His teaching ministry:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
In yesterday's post I detailed how Judas Iscariot tried to force God to fit into his agenda and discovered the eternal and universal truth - "God's hand can't be forced and His will can't be thwarted". Judas in disgrace went out and hung himself.
Earlier in this story Peter tried to impose his agenda on Jesus by telling Him He wouldn't have to suffer and die. Jesus rebuked him and called him "Satan". That's not good.
Sarah and Abraham tried it with Hagar and it didn't end well. (Still hasn't ended, right Middle East?)
Others have tried it and everyone ended in miserable humiliating defeat. But yet we still try.
You've tried.
I've tried.
You get even more perspective on how pervasive this instinct is when you see Jesus struggling in prayer over His will and God's will in Gethsemane. So difficult was this struggle that Jesus sweat drops of blood over it.
It's a defining moment in your spiritual journey when you stop trying to sell your plan and begin complying with His will and His plan.
As you begin this day why not pray sincerely as Jesus prayed and as Judas wished He would have prayed, "Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done"?
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