The Help We Need

Matthew 7:11 (NIV)
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

This is Emmet. Emmet (some friends’ baby) was born on March 20. His name is Hebrew for truth.

Here is some truth God hit me with this morning. I was praying for God’s help for my typical, many struggles. As I was praying for help, I thought about several recent conversations about suffering people in places Haiti, India, Pakistan, etc. The combination of these and maybe the Spirit brought this thought into my head, “Father in heaven, help me. I don’t even know how I need to be helped. Before your holiness and wisdom, I am truly like a child who doesn’t know what is best for him. I really don’t know how I need helped. So again I ask, Father in heaven, help me.”

Later today, I opened an email from a friend with this little story from the devotional, “Streams in the Desert” compiled by Mrs. Charles Cowman.

“See how the lilies of the field grow. “ Matthew 6:28
Many years ago there was a monk who needed olive oil, so he planted an olive sapling. After he finished planting it, he prayed, “Lord, my tree needs rain so its tender roots may drink and grow. Send gentle showers.” And THE Lord sent gentle showers. Then the monk prayed, “Lord, my tree needs sun, please send it sun.” And the sun shone, gilding the once-dripping clouds. “Now send frost, dear Lord, to strengthen its branches,” cried the monk. And soon the little tree was covered in sparkling frost, but by evening it had died.
Then the monk sought out a brother monk in his cell and told him of his strange experience. After hearing the story, the other monk said, “I have also planted a little tree. See how it is thriving! But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better than a man like me what it needs. I gave God no constraints or conditions, except to pray, ‘Lord, send what it needs - whether that be a storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. You have made it, and you know best what it needs.

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER
Father in heaven, help me. I don’t even know how I need to be helped. Before your holiness and wisdom, I am truly like a child who doesn’t know what is best for him. I really don’t know how I need helped. So again, I ask, Father in heaven, help me.

Surely this man was the Son of God!

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39

Sunday, I preached from Mark 15:33-41—the death of Jesus. My outline was one long question. Here is it is:
No matter how foolish Jesus looks or you look, will you be close to the cross declaring Him the Son of God because of your intimate knowledge about His death?

Why?
One. The cross and the message of Jesus is foolishness to the world. To both Jews and Romans a cross was a disgusting instrument of cursing and death. At the time of Jesus people weren’t using them for decorations or jewelry. Surely they would look at us to today and think, “These people are creepy.” We should expect people to think that we are crazy for following.
Two. Mark tells us that the centurion who makes the great confession that Jesus is the Son of God was right in front of the cross. The very next thing he tells us is that the women were at a distance. And there is no mention of the disciples around at all.
Three. The confession that Jesus is the Son of God finishes what Mark introduced in chapter 1, verse 1 where he said, “This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Peter calls him the Christ in chapter 8 and now the centurion completes the description. To call Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God is an affirmation that He is God and He can claim that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father but through Him. (John 14:6). It would have been hard to hear then and it is hard for many people now.
Four. The reason the centurion made the claim was because “he saw Jesus die.” He didn’t get the miracle of a resurrection or Jesus coming down and saving himself as the mockers requested.

Application.
Let’s grow in our understanding and appreciation about His death in order to keep declaring Him the Son of God even when people think we are crazy.