Hope at the End of Your Rope

Matthew 5:2-3, Mark 5)

Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions . . .

I love how The Message translation ushers us into the scene.

Welcomes us to a still spot on a hill near the Sea of Galilee.

Describes the disciples.

Climbing companions.

So intimate.

Inhaling the hillside air, Jesus begins.

With the first of eight blessings . . .

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. 

With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

The next blessing follows without discussion.

But I wonder if, in real time, the disciples ask questions.

Because it sounds impossible, at the end of your rope, to feel blessed.

Instead, we can find ourselves in fight-flight-or-freeze mode hoping for whatever’s driven us there to just be over.

I wonder if Jesus grins here.

Already aware of real life applications developing, in triplicate, on the opposite shore of the Sea of Galilee . . .

Where He and His climbing companions will encounter three people at the ends of their ropes.

Three believing their inner voices, “You’re never leaving, never leaving, never leaving . . .” 

Different ropes, same hopelessnesses.

And yet . . .

And yet!

Jesus appears.

Right there at the ends of their ropes. 

And when He does . . . 

The first falls on his knees before Jesus.

The second falls down before Jesus.

The third falls at the feet of Jesus.

Three at their ends.

Three in His presence.

Three kneeled in hope.

One after another.

Bang, bang, bang.

Pretty hard to miss.

Living pictures of less-of-me-and-more-of-God.

Each of their appeals to Jesus is unique.

But the first steals my heart.

He utters just a krazó.

Which might be translated croak.

Perhaps because by the time he reaches the end of his rope he and his voice are exhausted.

Cr-oa-oa-oa-oa-oa-oa-oa-k

Entirely relatable. 

Falling on our knees creates space at the ends of our ropes.

Space for God’s movement in our situations.

And space for His movement in us.

On that day all three experience healing.

And receive direction.

To the first He says, 

“Go home.”

To the second, 

“Go in peace.”

To the third,

“Get up!” 

As if to say, “I came that you might have life. Now get out there and get back to living.”

Sometimes situations push us to our rope’s end.

Other times we walk ourselves out there.

Totally wrapped up in, well . . . us.

Living pictures of more-of-me-and-less-of-God.

Speaking from experience here.

I was there yesterday . . .

Until God intervened.

With a get-out-of-yourself-get-up-and-get-out-there kick in the pants.

In a nice way.

I ended up driving a high school senior to her first job interview.

Jittery, excited, terrified . . . she was all three.

I waited nervously in my car.

Until she emerged.

Practically floating across the parking lot.

I don’t know who was most excited about her landing the job.

Her . . . or me.

I couldn’t stop thanking God for His kindness.

That kick in the pants.

Without which I would have missed this joy.

Sometimes situations push us to the ends of our ropes.

Other times we walk there on our own.

Either way, we are blessed.

By a God who meets us there.

With compassion.

Healing. 

Or, when needed, a kick in the pants heavenly nudge.

With less of you there is more of God 

See you in a couple weeks.

Love,