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It truly was a powerful moment. For many, it was the first time they really began to understand the incredible pain and agony that God the Father felt, as His Son, gave his life for us…it reminds us that God has indeed felt the deepest pains that we have, and offers us love, acceptance, and a heart that understands even when we don't!
What thoughts do you have, and what was being revealed to you about the heart of Abba, Father God?
Monty
It was a bit unusual last Sunday that my wife Susan asked me what I thought was the message of this movie. I told her I was overwhelmed by the sudden awareness that God’s heart was broken more than ours will ever be.
Scripture tells us it pleased God to bruise Him (Jesus)… and we are reminded of that at the very end of the movie after the Dad sees the former addict on the train now clean and with a boy of her own and he raises his hands and face to heaven in Thanksgiving.
Until Sunday I had never considered an Abba so totally devastated and heartbroken that there was no other way and the Son must drink that cup for all the rest of us to have any hope at all. His loving kindness really is better than life… and more and more for me these days it is the goodness of God that causes all of the stars in all of the galaxies in all of the universe lights to go out in the Light of His Glory.
Rob Duin
Great thoughts Rob…we so often are lazer focused on -our- issues, and we approach God simply to alleviate the trials we face in this life…But God is so much -more- than we conceive. His love so great, and His sacrifice for us so other…perhaps if we thought more about God than ourselves, our lives would change in ways that could only be be described as “supernatural.”
Monty
In all honesty, it never occurred to me to think of what God must have felt. You and Mr. Duin are leap years ahead of me in your intellectual and emotional processing. My pragmatism caused me to focus on the suffering of those among us and how God works in our lives. There were many messages gleaned from MOST that we can use each and every day as we navigate God’s will for us through our life on earth.
We never know the impact each of us can have on the life of another through actions and words. Who is watching when we are unaware of their gaze? Who is touched with a grain of faith from a smile or thoughtful word?
The addict and the father were a glaring example of the many blessings received when envy, jealousy, resentment, blame and self pity are not a part of our being. The strength another will find to make life altering changes because of who we are.
It’s not what has happened in our lives that’s important, it’s what God wants us to do with it, how we learn and gain wisdom from it, and how might we help others having experienced it.
To love and lose is excruiating pain – to never have loved is a loss of far greater magnitude.
Sue Mackey
In all honesty, it never occurred to me to think of what God must have felt. You and Mr. Duin are leap years ahead of me in your intellectual and emotional processing. My pragmatism caused me to focus on the suffering of those among us and how God works in our lives. There were many messages gleaned from MOST that we can use each and every day as we navigate God’s will for us through our life on earth.
We never know the impact each of us can have on the life of another through actions and words. Who is watching when we are unaware of their gaze? Who is touched with a grain of faith from a smile or thoughtful word?
The addict and the father were a glaring example of the many blessings received when envy, jealousy, resentment, blame and self pity are not a part of our being. The strength another will find to make life altering changes because of who we are.
It’s not what has happened in our lives that’s important, it’s what God wants us to do with it, how we learn and gain wisdom from it, and how might we help others having experienced it.
To love and lose is excruiating pain – to never have loved is a loss of far greater magnitude.
Sue Mackey
I appreciate your comments Sue… especially knowing that even though I am 55… the last 30 of those years spent with the Lord Jesus… it is good to hear that I am not the only one who never considered what it was like for Abba 2000 years ago until I saw this movie last Sunday.
Even though I’ve been a Christian radio junky for those 30 years I also never knew until Brennan Manning told us a few months ago that The Creator of the Universe… The Lord Jesus Christ… always called His Father “Daddy” except for that one moment on the Cross when He was abandoned so we will never be abandoned… and there He cryed out to Him “My God”…
And Pastor Monty… there are not enough thank you’s in Thanksgiving for what I have learned going through the Gospel of John with you this year. Just the insights you shared about the wedding in Cana alone were mind boggling!
So… although in many ways this has been the worst year of my life… still I have a great deal to be thankful for and SVA is at the top of that list.
Rob
Pastor Monty,
I was really moved by the fact that the people on the train were oblivious to the sacrifice made for them–but the sacrifice was real and necessary and was made for every one of them, no matter what they were going to go on and do with their lives. I was moved to pray that I would look at everyone I see as a fellow traveler on the train and never forget that, no matter what they are doing with their lives, Jesus was the sacrifice for them in exactly the same way He was the sacrifice for me. It also made me meditate on the fact that the sacrifice was made for me, even when I am being self-centered and act like I am just along for the ride.
I thank God that you share your walk with us.
Betty Keeton
Sue…I loved what you said:
“It’s not what has happened in our lives that’s important, it’s what God wants us to do with it, how we learn and gain wisdom from it, and how might we help others having experienced it.”
That is a truism that people need to hear and experience…we get stuck in the “what happened” areas of life…the reality is that we can not change what happened, and if we choose not to deal with, and move through those experience, both good and bad…we end up stuck, angry and bitter. It is not easy, but healing.
Monty
Kudos Betty 🙂 When you said:
“I was moved to pray that I would look at everyone I see as a fellow traveler on the train and never forget that, no matter what they are doing with their lives, Jesus was the sacrifice for them in exactly the same way He was the sacrifice for me”
you made my heart smile…it’s easy to be grace-filled when people make the right choices, so much harder when they don’t…grace is the great equalizer of life…it de-elevates kings and elevates the commoner to the same platform supported by the love of Christ.
Monty