Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado
If I hadn't hiked this trail before I might guess that it leads to the base of this rock formation in the Garden of the Gods. It doesn't, but let's imagine that it does. In fact, lets imagine that we must somehow climb this rock formation to make it to the other side.
Given that task, we might give up. It looks impossible to climb this cliff.
As we journey though Lent, and see this journey as a reflection of our lives, we might want to give up.
"When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:36 New Living Translation
Jesus looked at people and saw them as confused. The sheep are confused by the many voices heard in their world.
Jesus looked at people and saw them as helpless. What Jesus saw was the futility of people's attempts to grasp meaning in life.
We come up against a rock cliff and life becomes confusing and pointless.
When Jesus faced his cross he wasn't confused, but he was helpless. He knew that there was no avoiding the cliff that was in front of him. He accepted the cross. He embraced his cross. And in the end he committed himself into his Father's hands.
And so do we. In our own power we cannot scale the cliff that makes life seem helpless and confusing. Instead we grasp on to the one who embraced his cross, his cliff.
It is Jesus who gives our lives clarity and hope as we face those things that tempt us with confusion and helplessness.
Question for the Day: How does embracing Jesus help you scale the cliff you're facing today?
Join the conversation at Praying With the Eyes on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/173881749421231/
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-14Douglas P. Brauner. ARR
Given that task, we might give up. It looks impossible to climb this cliff.
As we journey though Lent, and see this journey as a reflection of our lives, we might want to give up.
"When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:36 New Living Translation
Jesus looked at people and saw them as confused. The sheep are confused by the many voices heard in their world.
Jesus looked at people and saw them as helpless. What Jesus saw was the futility of people's attempts to grasp meaning in life.
We come up against a rock cliff and life becomes confusing and pointless.
When Jesus faced his cross he wasn't confused, but he was helpless. He knew that there was no avoiding the cliff that was in front of him. He accepted the cross. He embraced his cross. And in the end he committed himself into his Father's hands.
And so do we. In our own power we cannot scale the cliff that makes life seem helpless and confusing. Instead we grasp on to the one who embraced his cross, his cliff.
It is Jesus who gives our lives clarity and hope as we face those things that tempt us with confusion and helplessness.
Question for the Day: How does embracing Jesus help you scale the cliff you're facing today?
Join the conversation at Praying With the Eyes on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/173881749421231/
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-14
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