Jesus’ Walk To Jerusalem A Reflection of Peace

“God cannot give us peace and happiness apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” C.S. Lewis

Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Throne of God; Sweep over my spirit, forever I pray; In fathomless billows of love. I’m not going to reiterate the current events in the world at the moment, I am quite sure that a lot of folks are quite aware that the world is indeed on fire. I’ve written quite a lot about stepping away from social media and embracing the wondrous beauty of God’s world around you. You might say, “There is not much to give thanks for at the moment.” To which I would reply, “Yes, there are so many black spots in life at the moment, but we must find some small point of thanks, that is where the journey to God’s peace begins.” 

Easter is a perfect time for reflection

As Resurrection Sunday approaches, I can’t help but think about Hebrews 11 and 12. In Chapter 11 we are given The Hall of Fame of Faith, their deeds were dastardly indeed. Murderers, liars, cheaters, a veritable host of not so good people that God used to do many great things to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In Chapter 12 after listing all those who endured in faith, The writer emphasizes: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Jesus’ walk to the Cross was a source of joy

Jesus, in His walk towards the cross and the pain, suffering and absolute shame of a criminal’s death, looked for the joy that was set before Him in dying for our sins. He bore every horrible deed, every pain that we suffer, every single crushed heart, every horrid scenario we imagine, he bore it out of love for us. After that, He sat at God’s right hand on high and made His joy available to us to make it through our lives. The word joy that is used in this verse is Chara, it means: the occasion that caused joy. Jesus found joy in His walk to the cross. Why? Personally, I believe it is because He knew He would give us a path to accepting Him into our hearts and lives. He made His joy available to us to make it through each day. 

Jesus spoke of small joys in the Gospels

Throughout the Gospels Jesus spoke of small joys. The lilies of the field that neither toil nor spin, yet they are more splendid than the grandest king.

The sparrows which Jesus said were not of much worth to people, but of great worth to our Father in Heaven. God knows the very number of hairs on our head. God in His wisdom was telling us that even the smallest detail is worth considering as a source of gladness. Can you take a moment and find a small joy or(thankfulness) each day? This first step will lead us to a closer walk with God which in turn will help us to realize the triumph of Easter not just one Sunday a year, but all throughout the year. 

Joy had been lost in my life

For many years I taught kickboxing to the detriment of my right knee. Some days my knee is the size of a golf ball, others it is just fine. There was a time when I would hike with my husband several miles a weekend, when the injury worsened, it became very painful to walk. The loss of joy was acute, what once was easy was now quite difficult. To be honest, I gave up that important aspect of life. The darkness crept in and started to seep in just about every aspect of life. 

One moody morning a lesson was learned from my elders

One particularly moody morning I arrived a few minutes early to work with my senior citizens, on the door was a note that was encouraging all the residents of the building to participate in Jesus’ walk to Jerusalem in the days leading up to Easter. The walk would entail about 5 kilometers a day. My first thought was, “Well, I can’t do that” until I read the rest of the flyer. It stated: “If you have mobility issues that is ok, we can make accommodations for you to participate in this walk.” Those words struck like a bolt of lightning. The residents with their wheelchairs, their canes and their mobility issues could participate even if it was difficult. What was my excuse? My knee hurt, but I could still walk, albeit slowly. The joy had left with my excuses. I had to participate in the Jesus walk.

Even in the slow pace joy was found

As the walking commenced, in the slowness I was able to take in the breeze, the chirp of the birds, the budding leaves that were popping up from their dormant state, and the beauty of creation. It was much like a symphony that was greater than the works of Bach; he too probably had to slow down and find joy to compose his works. Another product of the slow walks was a new commitment to prayer. I prayed for the nations, friends, my family, soldiers and other various and sundry situations. It was, and continues to be a refreshing time. Yesterday on the Jerusalem walk a blessing came to my mind from the book of Numbers. may we too bless others with these timeless words: The Lord bless you, and keep you [protect you, sustain you, and guard you];The Lord make His face shine upon you [with favor],And be gracious to you [surrounding you with lovingkindness];The Lord lift up His countenance (face) upon you [with divine approval],And give you peace [a tranquil heart and life].’ As Easter approaches, I hope you can remember the joy of Jesus as He walked the road to Calvary. His love for you was His purpose, His peace will be your stay and His love will grace your days. Find the sparrows and lilies and your life and start the walk of thanks.