From: ICAN
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2016 4:30 PM
To: cmene...@tpg.com.au
Subject: Good Friday parable & be assured of our prayers
Forward to your friends
Bailey's Jesus
God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for
the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can
easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior.
Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the
story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular
event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes.
The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the
steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their
costumes and makeup.
Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart. It was
the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves
Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but
involved as if she were a player. She watches as Joseph and Mary travel to the
Inn and is thrilled when she sees the baby Jesus in His mother's arms.
When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the
auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic.
As he neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, "Jesus,
Jesus! There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words but exclaiming them with every
fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming his name and hugging us.
"It's Jesus. Look!"
I thought she might actually pass out. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at
Jesus through the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first
time. How like the blind beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus,
Jesus!", afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. (Mark
10:46-52)
This was so much fun.
Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as
they moved Him from the Garden of Gesthemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if
she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed.
"Bad soldiers, stop it!" As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to
her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending."
"They are hurting Jesus! Stop it!"
She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at
first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!". Then they quit smiling and
began watching her watch Him. In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus
carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back They were
yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten.
Bailey was now hysterical. "Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it," she screamed. She must
have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry
instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!" People all around us began to weep as we
all watch this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those
first century disciples had.
Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was
distraught. I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are
just people pretending to be soldiers. She looked at me like I was crazy. In my
lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!"
The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A
Super Bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's
reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!" I prayed
that she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would
remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus's
suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.
Following the pageant the actors all assembled in the foyer to be greeted by
the audience. As we passed by some of the soldiers Bailey screamed out, "Bad
soldier, don't you hurt Jesus." The actor who portrayed Jesus was some distance
away surrounded by well-wishers and friends. Bailey broke away from us and ran
toward him, wrapping herself around his legs, holding on for dear life. He
hugged her and said, "Jesus loves you." He patted her to go away. She wouldn't
let go. She kept clinging to Him, laughing and calling His name. She wasn't
about to let go of her Jesus.
I think God in heaven stopped what ever was going on that day and made all the
angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, 'Of
such is the kingdom of heaven?'"
Bailey's reaction should be our reaction every day. When we think of Him, who
He is, what He did for us, and what He offers us, we have to say, how can we do
anything less than worship Him?
- fwd: joao manuel pereira
Mumbai Walking Pilgrimage
Musical Way of the Cross Enacted.
Starts at Sacred Heart Church, Santacruz West, 10.30 am onwards
Ends Nr. St. Anthony's Church, Vakola, 3 pm.
Catholics, Christians, Protestants, Secular Citizens...
Join in Thousands. Call 9769555657 csfp...@gmail.com
--
Click Here to unsubscribe from this newsletter.
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
