Anyone who goes looking for trouble would be thought a
fool. Trouble comes at us soon enough. Why
go looking for it? Consider this encounter with Jesus found in the book of
John.
Now among those who went
up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was
from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see
Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told
Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth
and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much
fruit." John 12:20-24
Imagine the scene. Some Greeks, complete newcomers, went
to meet Jesus. Something attracted them to Jesus, and then they hear
ominous predictions about suffering and death. We don't know if they understood
or were frightened off.
How do you react to
Jesus’ talk of coming trials?
Remember that you are told these things not to frighten but to strengthen you.
Remember that we must die to self in order to live with
Christ. Amen?
