Feeling Alone

Feeling Alone

…Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. 57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

Matthew 26:56-58

Just hours before, Jesus had asked his disciples to pray with him. He had a meal with them and washed their feet. Now they were all gone. This unfortunately is a common result when you rely on human beings. They will often let you down. How many times do you feel alone in this world?

Jesus gave himself willingly to his enemies. He did this because he knew that this was his purpose. The very people he was trying to save, the very families he had saved and delivered in Jewish history, were now trying to kill him. He would not fight it. He would also not rely on humans from this point on. He knew that what needed to happen next was for him alone.

There are many ways that he could have freed himself. He could have used his power but that would have been a failure to his mission. He could have groveled at the feet of the Jewish leaders or bribed them with power and influence, but that would only have helped him and no one else. Jesus wasn’t thinking about himself during this time but all of us whom he would be sacrificing himself for.

It must have been strange to stand before the High Priest of Israel. Jesus had created the position. He had set the rules and obligations. He had blessed the original High Priest; Aaron. Now he stood before this man who claimed to be the intercessor of God and yet Jesus knew that his heart wasn’t anywhere near God. The world had chosen an imposter and rejected the real thing.

Only Peter stayed close, and according to another gospel so was another apostle (John 18:15-16). Most say that it was John who was also there. Either way, none of them ever tried to help Jesus.

In all of our lives, there will be a moment when we feel alone. This is practically unavoidable because God needs us to depend on him even when we can’t feel him close. For our faith in him to grow, he must allow us to go through these events. What is important is to never forget that feelings and reality are often not the same. Just because we might not feel God close, doesn’t mean that he isn’t. Jesus promised that he would always be with us. This is where growth is truly done.

You might feel alone right now. I know many people are. Realize that Jesus went through the same thing in his life. He knows how it feels but he also got through it. You can to. Trust in him. He will never let you pass through more than you can take.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto