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Violently Accused
Andrea Lende • May 18, 2020
Luke 23:10-11
Violently Accused
You may also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Violently-Accused-ee84tu
Daily Word:
Luke 23:10-11
“Meanwhile, the chief priests and the scribes stood by, continuing vehemently and violently to accuse Him.”
“And Herod, with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and scoffed at and ridiculed Him; then, dressing Him up in a bright and gorgeous apparel, he sent Him back to Pilate.”
Jesus walked boldly to His accusers.
He knew what was about to happen.
He knew He would be treated unthinkably.
He knew He would be beaten.
More than that, He knew that His own people’s cry would put Him on the cross and kill Him.
As I read these verses today, I felt a heaviness.
I thought about offense.
About being offended.
About obstacles that I have had to overcome.
Those obstacles being people.
People who have talked badly about me.
People who have made fun of me.
People who have intentionally made my life more difficult.
People who have been jealous over what little I have or am.
And, yet, none of what I have gone through comes close to what Jesus, the Lord of Lord, the King of Kings, the Son of the Almighty God went through.
Nothing compares to His experience.
Somehow, He was able to forgive the people while He was hanging in tremendous physical distress.
And while He was being vehemently and violently accused, He said nothing.
He didn’t complain.
He didn’t try and defend Himself.
He knew the people were wrong.
The leaders that were wanting Him out of the way were inciting a riot that unjust and undeserved.
Yet, He said nothing.
He knew their motive.
The leaders were jealous.
He still forgave them before His death on the cross.
While He was hanging on the cross in the most physical distress He could possibly be in, He forgave them.
He prayed that God would forgive them.
So, I come back to my experiences and know that I have fallen short.
No matter what has happened to offend me, I should follow Christ’s behavior.
I should not try and defend myself, but let God defend me.
I should not complain about an injustice.
Continual complaining keeps me in a place of feeling offended over and over again.
It accentuates the feeling of offense.
I should ask God to come to my aid and allow Him to right the wrongs.
Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from Me, declares the Lord.”
We have the promise that the Lord will vindicate us.
Today I choose to follow Jesus’ example of how to be when others come against me.
May you find that Jesus’ forgiveness of His accusers will light your path as people come against you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for continuing to show me how to act and live in this world. Thank You for sending Your Son to show me how to behave. He forgave His accusers and those who nailed Him to the cross as He was in tremendous physical distress. He didn’t wait until it was too late or until He was comfortable. Help me to be quick to forgive, Lord. Help me not hold a grudge or feel offended when others come against me. Help me put my trust fully in You, Father. Help me know that Your plan isn’t thwarted just because some people may not like it. Help me know that You will always defend me as I work to complete Your will for my life. Thank You for being my Defender. Thank You for being my Rescuer. Help me call on You first before I complain and become agitated. May Your peace rest upon me at all times, Lord. Please strengthen me so that I do not crumble under someone’s accusations and untruths. Help me cling to You at all times. Help me reach for You before I allow myself to be offended. Keep me lifted up, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and will defend you and keep you.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.