A good friend of mine often quotes a passage of Scripture to me that I’ve had in my head frequently as of late. It comes from the book of Isaiah, and I’m going to share the King James Version…something that I don’t use often, but it’s the one that he quotes, and I like it.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)
The New Living Translation says it this way:
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
Perfect peace. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty good to me. Perfect peace…especially in times that are unsettling. How can we have this?
It might sound simplistic, but the answer is focus. Keep our minds “stayed on God,” our minds “focused” on God. Keep our trust rooted in Jesus, our trust “focused” on our Savior. Keep focused on Christ. That is the way to have perfect peace…even when our world and situations are changing rapidly.
I’ve shared with the church that I decided to lay off of the sweets for Lent. No sugar for me! It’s not like this is some huge problem or sacrifice, especially in light of what others are going through during this time; however, I do like my chocolate, and cookies, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and pie, and cake, and ice cream…you get the point. I like sweets. Do you know when it’s the hardest for me to refrain? Do you know when I struggle the most? I have the hardest time when I become focused on those things that I cannot eat. When I focus on the Butterfingers in the bottom of the pantry on the left hand side, wrapped in their bright yellow packaging, whispering my name (not that I’m keeping track), when I focus on them instead of the fresh fruit in the refrigerator, I struggle. When I think about the chocolate Frosty at Wendy’s that I have chosen not to consume during this time instead of the refreshing glass of water in my hand, it’s more difficult.
If I focus on that which I cannot have or cannot do, I find myself struggling more. I find myself having a hard of time. I find that I am not at peace. However, if I focus on the good, the true, the right, the holy, the blessings that I have received, peace comes. More importantly, if I focus on God, if I fix my mind on Christ and I put my trust in Jesus, that peace that is mentioned in Isaiah can be mine.
During this time of uncertainty, I ask, “Where is your focus?” Do you spend more time focusing on the news and the ever-changing soundbites of information about this virus, or do you spend more time focusing on God? Is your mind fixed on Jesus, or is your mind fixed on distraction, filling your time with a constant Netflix stream or never-ending recaps of Tom Brady’s (or some other celebrity’s) every move? Have you spent as much time in the Bible as you have in the newspaper? Are you more focused on what you cannot have and cannot do rather than what you can have and can do? Do you have the perfect peace that God has offered, or are you filled with waves of doubt and fear and uncertainty? Is it possible that there is a problem with your focus?
This Sunday is Palm Sunday. Typically, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we talk about the crowds, we talk about the King of the Jews entering on a donkey, we wave palms, we sing songs of joy, we celebrate. All of that is good, and we should certainly continue to celebrate this occasion in the life of Christ. However, for this Palm Sunday, I want for us to consider another aspect of the story, and I want for us to think about focus. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing what was coming. He knew that beyond the celebration of Palm Sunday that he would be facing betrayal, he would be facing trial, he would be facing persecution, he would be facing the cross.
If we look at the Gospel of John, directly after the Palm Sunday passage, Jesus says this:
“Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.” ~ John 12:23-25
Jesus knew that suffering was coming. He knew that it was time for him to be planted, to die. But even though the cross was before him, even though unimaginable suffering and death were in his path, Jesus maintained focus…not on Palm Sunday’s fleeting worship, not on Holy Thursday’s communion, not even on Good Friday and this suffering that would occur. Instead, Jesus remained focused on what lay beyond. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.” Jesus endured the cross because he knew what was beyond, he knew that he would be reunited with the Father, he knew the joy that lay before him. That was the focus.
In this time, we have a choice, and it’s a choice of focus. May we endure our “crosses” now, the suffering, the heartache, the distancing, the threat of disease, the discomfort, all of it, while looking beyond, while focusing on God. May we, too, be like Jesus who endured the suffering for joy that was before him.
This Palm Sunday, we can still wave our palms (well, figuratively), we can still sing songs, we can still worship, we can still praise Jesus. Yes, the times may not be easy, yes, we may suffer, yes, the cross may be before us. But if we remain focused on God, even in the midst of our suffering, we will experience peace. Why? Because God has promised that He “wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
You remain in my heart and prayers,
Pastor Chris
