But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
How do you feel when someone does something to you that is wrong? Do you feel angry? Do you want to get even somehow? Do you grumble and complain? We all do. It seems to be instinct to get upset right away, even to lash out. We all seem to have these feelings.
My husband came home yesterday down because of some things that happened at work and how he was treated. Rightly so. I am not saying we shouldn’t feel these things. They are nature. I tried to be supportive and express that he shouldn’t let it get to him. You see, when we let other people’s wrong behaviors affect our behavior, we are lowering ourselves. This isn’t what God wants us to do.
This morning as my husband left for work, I told him not to let others behaviors change his behaviors. He said to me “it’s hard when you're slapped in the face”. At this I found myself staring off with a picture of Jesus in my mind. I said to my husband “that’s what happened to Jesus”. Think about that. Really think about it. I have all day long.
Jesus was pushed, spit on, brutally whipped, and mocked. His body beaten and bloody. He was forced to carry His cross to Calvary even though He was weak from all the abuse. A crown of thorns was thrust on his head leaving blood streaming down his face. So many people were involved in the brutality cast upon Jesus. All shouting for his crucifixion. And yet, He loved them all. He loved each one who hurt Him. He took all of it. Knew He was going to die on that cross yet He did it all for each of them. He did it for each of us. He did it because of the depth of His love for all of us.
His great desire to save each and every one. With every whip across the back, every taunt, every thorn of the crown on His head, he was driven more and more to complete His mission. We pull farther away from Him all the time. He just wants us closer. He just wants us saved. He wants us to be with Him in eternity. All that abuse and the magnitude of His love shone through.
What an amazing love that is! It is beyond our comprehension. There is no way to truly, fully grasp how amazing that love is. That is true love. To be slapped in the face but still have love in your heart. That is amazing. Be humbled by this thought. I am. The love He has for us is so immense. There is no way to adequately thank Him for this gift.
So, the next time someone does something to you that you feel is wrong, think about Jesus. Think about what He went through and He still loved each of them who hurt Him. Let this change your behavior for the better instead of letting someone’s poor behavior change yours. Amazing Love!