Hebrew 5 & 7

Hebrews 5:7 In the days of his flesh, "Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears . . . ." I found comfort knowing that Jesus teared when he prayed. This past year, I have cried so much when I pray -- esp. when I pray for other people or when I recount Jesus' love for His people. I'm usually embarrassed, and I'm so focused on my tears that my mind goes blank when I'm praying. But now, I will remind myself that Jesus cried and teared when he prayed in his flesh, and that it is God's reminder that the Holy Spirit is living in me. I think another reason why I cry is because the Holy Spirit is so ecstatic that I finally repented and decided that I have no other choice but to follow God and one way to show His excitement is through my tears.

Hebrews 7:15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. My ESV notes tell me that Abraham did not witness God's promise and that God's promise was fulfilled after Abraham died. I usually expect God to answer my prayers within days; if they are not answered, I get frustrated and start thinking, "God, where are you?" But even to the great Abraham, God made him wait, and Abraham never witnessed God's promise that his descendants would be numerous. I pray that God will give me patience and perseverance to wait for His promises and that even if I do not see the fruits of my labor, I will continue to rely on Him and never give up because our God is a God that does not lie but keeps His promises.

This past week, I started think about Judas Iscariot's life. What made him betray Jesus? How did the devil enter his heart? Judas was with Jesus everyday; he was his disciple. Why did Judas never call Jesus "Lord," but only "Rabbi?" How could he not believe after witnessing the miracles of Jesus? Why did the devil choose Judas to betray Jesus and not the other 11? Honestly, I have no idea why I started thinking about Judas. But I wonder if Judas felt Jesus did not love him as much or if he was jealous of the other disciples or if he felt Jesus did not accept him for who he was so he hardened his heart. Hebrews tells us that when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. Is Judas an example of this? Jesus was able to heal every person who was sick -- but if I remember correctly, the sick that he healed longed to be saved (physically and spiritually). They were so poor in spirit and health that Jesus seemed to be their only option. Only those who believed were able to experience the power of Jesus. And maybe that's what the author of Hebrews is trying to tell us -- "we [must] draw near to God" -- to experience His awesomeness and power. Otherwise, we may harden our hearts and fall away because the Christian life will require suffering and constant battle.