Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
““Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.””
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, March 12, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Jesus didn’t want to die. Think about that. He was human, after all. It’s my personal theory that every societal ill, from violence to enslavement to the greedy amassing of ridiculous wealth, all stem from a human fear of mortality.
The difference is that even though Jesus was human, and didn’t want to die, he didn’t turn around and use that as an excuse to exploit others. He accepted the reality. He knew it was his purpose. He wouldn’t ask God to change the plan—he understood what was at stake. And he was willing to do what needed to be done for the sake of the world.
I don’t know what I would do if faced with my own imminent death. Maybe it’s something worth contemplating, so that I can recognize where my fears might be causing me to behave in negative ways. I think it would be good for all of us to get comfortable with the idea of our own mortality. But gently—even Jesus wasn’t too keen about the idea.
Have I given much thought to my own mortality? What do I think about it?