Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later

SCRIPTURE: Luke 20:18
¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

OBSERVATION: In context, the stone referred to in this scripture is Jesus. This is not one of those "feel good" verses from the Bible. However, I am glad Jesus spoke the truth and didn't sugar-coat what it would be like to be his follower. The truth from this scripture is that everyone will at some point have to deal with Jesus. There are two groups of people; those who choose to voluntarily come to him and "fall on the stone" and those who do not want to have anything to do with the stone, but it will fall on them anyway. The first group is broken to pieces. And a true follower does have his sinful nature broken to pieces. It is a painful process. But those who do not choose to go through this process will have the stone fall on them and crush them. Broken bones can heal; crushed ones cannot. There will be pain in this life. There is no getting out of that. But we get to choose if it will be productive pain by falling on the stone ourselves or if it will be unproductive and fatal pain by ignoring the stone and having it fall on us.

APPLICATION: I don't like being broken. I don't like pain. It seems I have no choice in the matter. So I choose to fall on the rock of Jesus and be broken. He is the Healer, and I will live on after I experience the "breaking" to be a better, more godly person.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, holy is your Name. Bring about your kingdom in my life, the lives of my family members and friends, and in my world. I choose to fall on the Stone. Break away my sin nature and heal and restore me to be like you. May I submit to the process even when it is painful, knowing that when I am in your hands I am in the most loving place I can be. Teach me to choose rightly so that I avoid what pain I can. I do not want to be crushed by the weight of sin. Thank you for taking that from me, Lord. Help me to help others to choose wisely as well. Blessed be your Name! It is in your Name I pray, Amen.