The Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ
Jesus' heart was at peace. The disciples were agitated because there were thousands to feed, but Jesus remained calm. He thanked God for the problem. The disciples screamed in fear during the storm, but Jesus remained calm. He slept despite the tempest. Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers, but Jesus remained composed. He raised his hand to heal. His heart was at peace. Did he sulk and go home when his disciples abandoned him? Did he become angry when Peter denied him? Did he snarl of revenge when the soldiers spat in his face? Far from it. He remained calm.
He forgave them. He was not driven by vindictiveness. He was driven by nothing but his high calling. He acted purposefully. Most people don't have a specific goal in life. Jesus pursued a single goal: to save people from sin. He could summarize his life in one sentence: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Lk 19,10)Jesus was so focused on his task that he knew when to say, "My hour has not yet come." (Joh 2,4)...and when he could say: "It is finished" (Joh 19,30)But he wasn't so focused on his task that he became unfriendly.
Quite the contrary. How kind his thoughts were! Children couldn't resist Jesus. He could see beauty in lilies, joy in worship, and possibilities in problems. He could spend entire days with crowds of sick people and still feel compassion for them. For three decades, he waded through the swamp and mire of our sin and still saw enough beauty in us to die for our failings.
But the crowning characteristic of Jesus was this: His heart was spiritual. His thoughts were shaped by his intimate relationship with the Father: "Believe me, I am in the Father and the Father is in me," he explained. (Joh 14,11)His first recorded sermon begins with the words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me." (Lk 4,18)Jesus was led by the Spirit (Mt 4,1)...and was "full of the Holy Spirit" (Lk 4,1). From the desert he came “back to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Lk 4,14).
Jesus received his instructions from God. It was his custom to attend church services. (Lk 4,16)He memorized Bible passages. (Lk 4,4)Luke writes: “But he (Jesus) withdrew into a remote place and prayed.” (Lk 5,16)He was guided by his prayer times. Once, he returned from prayer and announced that it was time to move to another city. (Mk 1,38).
A different time of prayer led to the calling of the disciples. (Lk 6,12-13)Jesus was guided by an unseen hand. “For whatever this man does, the Son does likewise.” (Joh 5,19)In the same chapter, Jesus said: “I can do nothing of myself; as I hear, I judge.” (Joh 5,30)The heart of Jesus was spiritual.
by Max Lucado
This text was taken from the book “When God changes your life” by Max Lucado, which was published by SCM Hänssler ©2013. Max Lucado is the long-time pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. Used with permission.
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