Does Your Worship Disparage Jesus?

Mark 15:16-20, presents a terrible scene of soldiers disrobing Jesus and placing a purple robe on his shoulders and a crown of thorns on his head.  After taunting and spitting on him, the soldiers then fell to their knees and pretended to worship Jesus before leading him away to be crucified.   

Today we’d consider such treatment of an innocent man, aside from the fact that He was our Savior and King, appalling.  Non-Christians may not be able to physically crucify Jesus, yet they continue to demean, curse, degrade, and humiliate his reputation.   

As Christians we might bristle at such treatment of Christ, however don’t we too often fail to share our faith, make excuses for missing corporate worship, hoard money, overlook service opportunities, ignore his blessing and forget to thank and praise Him?    

Romans 14:11 states, “As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me and every tongue will confess and give praise to God”(NLT.)   Our Heavenly Father doesn’t appreciate teasing when it comes to worship.  His son Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins so that we could have a new and everlasting relationship with Him.  Jesus is worthy of ALL our Service, ALL our Worship, and ALL of Our Thanks & Praise!   

Dear Father, please forgive us when we fail to give you the thanks, honor and praise for the many amazing thing you have done and continue to do for us each day.  Help us to yield our minds, bodies, resources, and lips to your service and praise.   In the Mighty Name of Jesus we ask this.  Amen.

                                   “Brought to Your Knees”

            In Psalm 59:11, we see King David frustrated over the enemies of God.  In verse 12, David tells us he’s irritated by their lying, curses, and pride.  He doesn’t pray that his enemies are killed but rather asks God to “stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees,”(NLT). 

            As a kid, I can remember people describing pride as one being, “too big for your britches.”  Often we battle with truth by running away or refusing to listen.  Over and over again, I reject holiness by choosing defiance.  Why does humiliation have to precede meekness?  

            David says in Psalm 51:17: “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart,”(NLT.)   Jesus, in the New Testament, becomes the only sufficient sacrifice for our offenses and wrongdoings.   It’s only His brokenness that He brings me to my knees and makes me whole.

            Prayer: “Heavenly Father, when my life crumbles into pieces, please bring me to my knees in submission to see your divine will.   In brokenness, as I give you all the pieces of my miserable circumstances, I know there are new enormous things you can recreate.   It’s with energetic patience that I wait for your plans to be accomplished in my life.   Amen.