40 DAYS in the GOSPEL Sample

GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY

I (Josiah) once had a job that included scrubbing a dumpster clean. Seeing as a dumpster is a large metal container for putting garbage in, I really had no idea that people cleaned them until it was up to me. The first few times I attempted it, I kept my distance. I didn’t want to completely soil my uniform and get coated in the slime while I still had hours of work left. The problem is that this made the job twice as long and kept it from getting decently clean. I started to realize that if I actually wanted to accomplish this particular task, I was going to have to breathe through my mouth, get close, and just dive in.

I feel like life can be like that sometimes. There are some dirty and difficult tasks in life, and it seems like if you want to get through it quickly and get it done correctly, you just have to get a lot closer to it than you want to. Comforting a crying child is going to get your shirt wet. Helping a neighbor change a tire will turn your hands black. Being there for your family in hard times is going to cost you time and money. Going through a crisis with a friend is going to keep you up really late. Real love is messy. You can try to keep it from getting on you, but in the end, deep care for others is going to pull you in close.

It can be hard to believe that God loves like this. After all, if we had His infinite power and exalted status, wouldn’t we use it to keep ourselves clean? That is often what the powerful elites of our culture use their resources for—insulation. Our text (v. 22-25) shows us that the God of the Bible thinks differently. Jesus spells out His up-close and personal love for His people in bread and wine. He shows His disciples that the gospel is most clearly seen in a body broken and blood poured out. There is no way that God could have come closer. He left no insulation between Himself and His sinful people who had wandered far from home.

PRAY ABOUT IT: Take some time to thank God that He came down all the way into the painful and messy issues of not only your life--but also of the entire human race. If you or a loved one is going through a painful situation that has left you feeling alone, invite God into it. Remember the bread and wine of communion which point to the body and blood of our Lord.