"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
Simple Prayer: Teach me to love you more so that I will trust you more.
Read for Context (What does it say? Read 3x): Luke 23:44-49
Read for Insight (What does it mean?):
His Relentless Love: It is true that Jesus on the cross was about his love for humans. However, that is just part of the story. Jesus work on the cross was also about his love for the Father.
Jesus lived his life in constant communion with this Father. He was absolutely confident that God loved him. Throughout the gospels, the mutual love that Jesus and the Father have for one another is remarkable. Jesus said it this way, "I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me."
These last words, "into your hands I commit my spirit," are a testament to Jesus' trust in the Father. He was confident that everything he had taught about this endgame that his death would ultimately result in his resurrection and ascension to God's right hand would surely happen. This is why the beloved son could commit his spirit into the hands of his beloved Father. He was convinced that death was not the end of life but the beginning.
For Jesus, when he spoke these final words, he was really saying, "Father, I love you!"
Our Response: We live in a cynical world. Distrust of societal institutions government, education, health care, even the organized church - grows and expands.
We were never meant to put our trust in these things. We were designed to experience life as a beloved child who loves their father. We, then, order our lives around the joy of trusting God. May our actions even in response to difficult situations - reflect trust flowing from our relentless love for our heavenly Father.
Read for Application (How should I respond?)
Say/write a short prayer of commitment. In a journal or in the comments below.
Comments