Devo Luke 23

Chapter 23

26As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in
from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and
wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not
weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come
when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and
the breasts that never nursed!’ 30Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on
us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ‘ 31For if men do these things when the tree is
green, what will happen when it is dry?”  32Two other men, both criminals, were
also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the
Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the
other on his left. 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  35The people
stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others;
let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”  36The soldiers
also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, “If you
are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  38There was a written notice above him,
which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  39One of the criminals
who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and
us!”  40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since
you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting
what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  42Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  43Jesus answered him,
“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”


  Meditation:
1. Jesus bore much suffering on the cross.  The road to follow Christ is one of the
cross.  We must be prepared to suffer and even to die just as Jesus did.  Am I
afraid?  Will I continue to go on this road?
2. Just before his death, Jesus prayed and asked God to forgive those who
crucified Him.  Come to think of it, isn’t my attitude toward Jesus similar to
those people that day, rebellious, neglecting, even rejecting Him?  Indeed, I
was among the crowd putting Jesus to death.  So, Jesus’ prayer has included
forgiveness for me, the sinner.
3. Continue to meditate on this thought.  Afterward, offer a prayer of
thanksgiving to God.

Personal Notes:
I am willing to suffer for the sake of Christ.  God has given me hope and life.  It is through suffering and sacrifice that one's love is shown.  Christ's suffering and sacrifice is enough and I am not suffering for the sake of getting saved.  Rather, I am grateful for the gift of life that I am willing to suffer for God's kingdom.

Suffering practically can mean: serving and helping brothers and sisters who are in need, spend time and listen to their pains and joy, sleeping less so I can spend more time to care for them, ridiculed from non-believers for living a foolish life...

I am one of those people who was rebellious towards Jesus.  I was among the crowd putting Jesus to death.  Jesus Christ has forgive me of my sins.  I am to forgive those who mock God's name and love them and lead them to the love of Jesus Christ.