<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 10;32-34<div><br></div><div><b>32. &nbsp;And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve&nbsp;again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,&nbsp;</b></div><div><b>33. sayin, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priest and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles;&nbsp;</b></div><div><b>34. &nbsp;and they will mock him and spit up on him, And scourge&nbsp;him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>We know the disciples were fully aware of the malice and hatred of the religious leaders. &nbsp;They were <i>“amazed” </i>that Jesus knowingly, intentionally was walking right into that. &nbsp;Who deliberately goes where they know they are hated? &nbsp;If possible,&nbsp;I&nbsp;intentionally avoid conflict, but Jesus was seeking it. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I know what it&nbsp;is like to be commanded to go into harm’s way, to be told to confront death. &nbsp;I did it certainly not because I wanted to, I did it because I was under orders to go. &nbsp;In the case of Jesus, I believe the love &nbsp;of the Father constrained Him. &nbsp;I believe Jesus desired to get on with this certain death. &nbsp;He knew that His death would mean eternal life for us.</div><div><br></div><div>We never read in Scripture that, ‘Jesus was afraid’, although He did tell His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane&nbsp;that, <i>“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.” &nbsp;</i>(Matthew 26;38) &nbsp;Such sorrow is not fear.</div><div><br></div><div>The disciples were most assuredly afraid. &nbsp;They were astounded, this was no way to wage war, or to&nbsp;deliver Israel from the Romans and the corrupt religious leaders of the&nbsp;day. &nbsp;This was insanity!</div><div><br></div><div>God at times&nbsp;does lead us in ways which are utterly crazy from human perspective. &nbsp;He intentionally puts us in circumstances which our flesh and reason rebel at and completely reject. &nbsp;Yet, He says, ‘Follow Me.’</div><div>If we do, all we have is faith and hope beyond reason. &nbsp;In such circumstances, little children are best able to follow in simple trust. &nbsp;Children may be afraid, but their trust is greater than their fears. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Back in verse 24 of this same chapter, Jesus called his disciples <i>“children” </i>saying, <i>“Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”</i>&nbsp; again, at&nbsp;the &nbsp;Sea of Galilee, Jesus stood on the shore early in the dim morning light and called to His disciples in the boat, saying, <i>“Children, have you any fish?” </i>&nbsp;(John 21;5)</div><div><br></div><div>This is why Jesus says to us all, <i>“Truly,I say to you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” </i>(Matthew 18;3)</div><div><br></div><div>Children know they do not know everything. &nbsp;The problem with thinking like adults is that we think we know it all.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father in heaven, grant us to know, we do not know or understand everything. &nbsp;Bless us to <i>“Trust in The LORD&nbsp;with all our hearts and do not rely on our own insight. &nbsp;In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight our paths.” &nbsp;</i>(Proverbs 3;5&amp;6). In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, everyday, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are his.”</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 10;32-34
32.  And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33. sayin, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priest and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; 34.  and they will mock him and spit up on him, And scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.”
We know the disciples were fully aware of the malice and hatred of the religious leaders.  They were “amazed” that Jesus knowingly, intentionally was walking right into that.  Who deliberately goes where they know they are hated?  If possible, I intentionally avoid conflict, but Jesus was seeking it.  
I know what it is like to be commanded to go into harm’s way, to be told to confront death.  I did it certainly not because I wanted to, I did it because I was under orders to go.  In the case of Jesus, I believe the love  of the Father constrained Him.  I believe Jesus desired to get on with this certain death.  He knew that His death would mean eternal life for us.
We never read in Scripture that, ‘Jesus was afraid’, although He did tell His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane that, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.”  (Matthew 26;38)  Such sorrow is not fear.
The disciples were most assuredly afraid.  They were astounded, this was no way to wage war, or to deliver Israel from the Romans and the corrupt religious leaders of the day.  This was insanity!
God at times does lead us in ways which are utterly crazy from human perspective.  He intentionally puts us in circumstances which our flesh and reason rebel at and completely reject.  Yet, He says, ‘Follow Me.’If we do, all we have is faith and hope beyond reason.  In such circumstances, little children are best able to follow in simple trust.  Children may be afraid, but their trust is greater than their fears.  
Back in verse 24 of this same chapter, Jesus called his disciples “children” saying, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”  again, at the  Sea of Galilee, Jesus stood on the shore early in the dim morning light and called to His disciples in the boat, saying, “Children, have you any fish?”  (John 21;5)
This is why Jesus says to us all, “Truly,I say to you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18;3)
Children know they do not know everything.  The problem with thinking like adults is that we think we know it all.
Prayer:  Merciful Father in heaven, grant us to know, we do not know or understand everything.  Bless us to “Trust in The LORD with all our hearts and do not rely on our own insight.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight our paths.”  (Proverbs 3;5&6). In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, everyday, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are his.”

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