MT. OLIVE
We recently painted the room that we use for worship. Some liked the color, some did not. I, myself, am color blind. That’s why I didn’t pick the color. I just got the little pallets and got opinions from respectable women. What I liked about the color that was chosen, is the name—“Mt. Olive.” I thought that was perfect, since that is where Jesus prayed, and this is a house of prayer. When I see it, I think of the symbolism, that we are in a house of prayer.
Jesus did pray at the Mount of Olives. At the foot of this mount is a place called Gethsemane. We remember that name around Easter time. Why? Because Jesus prayed in this garden right before he was betrayed and arrested. What was Jesus doing right before he was to be handed over to the religious leaders and the Romans—experts in torture? Praying.
Gethsemane is a place of passionate and fervent prayer. Hebrews 5:7-9 says, “During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” He prepared himself mentally to endure the worst of deaths through the spiritual act of prayer. He did it for us. He asked God if there was any other way, than to drink this cup of suffering- not only physical pain, but also the weight of all sin, and separation from God. He prayed “not my will, but Yours be done.” We should be eternally grateful.
When we suffer or have to endure something hard, do we prepare ourselves beforehand in prayer as Jesus did? If not, then don’t you think we should turn to God first instead of trying everything else and relying on our own strength. Remember that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Not just when you’re at this House of Prayer, but wherever you are when things get tough, follow Jesus’ example of receiving strength from above through prayer. Don’t underestimate the power of prayer (James 5:16). It sounds so simple, but Jesus is not simple. He showed us the way to deal with suffering. Grace and peace!
posted by Gregory Fish @ 12:41 PM
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