the heart of Jesus

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gente and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matt. 11:29

 

Jesus's heart was pure. The Savior was adored by thousands, yet content to live a simple life. He was cared for by women [Luke 8: 1-3], yet never accused of lustful thoughts; scorned by His own creation, but willing to forgive them before they even request His mercy. Peter, who traveled with Jesus for three and half years, described Him as a "Lamb unblemished and spotless" [1 Peter 1:19]. Afther spending the same amount of time with Jesus, John concluded, "And in Him is no sin" [1 John 3:5].

Jesus heart was peaceful. The disciples fretted over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus. He thanked God for the problem. The disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He thanked God for the problema. The disciples shoted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it. Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers, but not Jesus. He lifted his hand to heal. His heart was at peace. When His disciples abandoned him, did He pout and go home? When Peter denied him, did Jesus lose His temper? When the soldiers spit in his face, did He breathe fire in theirs? Far from it. He was at peace. He forgive them. He refused to be guided by vengeance.

He also refused to be guided by anything other than His high call. Jesus heart was purposeful. Most lives aim at nothing in particular and achieve it. Jesus aimed at one goal- to save humanity from its sin. He could sumarize His life with one sentence: "The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost" [Luke 19:10]. Jesus was focused on His task that He knew when to say, "My time has not yet come" [John 2:4] and when to say, "It is finisheh" [John 19:30]. But He was not so focused on His goal that He was unpleasant.

Quite the contrary. How pleasant were His thoughts! Children couldn't resist Jesus. He coul find beauty in lilies, joy in worship, and possibilities in problems. He would spend days with multitudes of sick people and still feel sorry for them. He spent over three decades wading through the muck and mire of our sin yet still saw enough beauty in us to die for our mistakes.

But the crowning atribute of Christ was this: His heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected His intimate relationship with the Father. "I am in the Father and the Father is in Me,", He stated [John 14:11]. His first recorded sermon begins with the words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" [Luke 4:18] He was "led by the Spirit" [Mtt. 4:1] and "full of the Holy Spirit" [Luke 4:1]. He returned from the desert "in the power of the Spirit" [Luke 4:14]

Jesus took His instruction from God. It was His habit to go to worship [Luke 4:16]. It was His practise to memorize Scripture [Luke 44:4]. Luke says Jesus "often slipped away to be alone so He could pray" [Luke 5:16]. His times of prayer guided Him. He once returned from prayer and announced it was time to move to another city [Mark 1:38]. Another time of prayer resulted in the selection of the disciples [Luke 6:12-13] Jesus was led by unseen hand. "The Son does whatever the Father does" [John 5:19]. In the same chapter He stated, "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told" [John 5:30].

 

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created Hum. Col. 3:9,10

 

Max Lucado in "Just like Jesus, devotional"