bought "as is"

So many songs, so many verses in the Bible have been grabbing at me lately. As I reflect on This love journey Jesus went on. Today must have been the longest day in the lives of those who were there watching Jesus die. The light of the world, the son of the Living God... died. This CANNOT be part of the plan. ....can it? And why die... for me!?!
what's that old phrase:
"Love has it's reasons, which reason knows nothing of"



I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?
Psalm 8:3 & 4 [the message]

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 [NIV]

I keep hearing things Jesus said & thinking of how he lived them out.
Luke 17:33
Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
[NIV]
If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms. [The Message]

I think the Philippians passage goes with this.
"The last shall be first & the first shall be last." Mathew 20:16
in Isaiah [14:12-14] It mentions the fall of Satan. How he said he would climb God's holy mountain & sit above God, & rule over him.
[basically: "I will be first"]
Jesus came down. Lived as a servant, & died on our cross.
[basically saying: "ok, I will be last"]
He lived as a servant. Didn't he say "The greatest among you will be your servant."?
Mathew 23: 11-12 [above was 11],
12
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

I could go on. I won't, however. I'll just sit in awe.
He didn't say much during his trial. Nor did he speak much during his execution.
Jesus, "the word, became flesh & dwelt among us." as John says. The one who spoke the universe into existence....was mostly silent. He could have saved himself, easily.

How much power you have... isn't nearly as important as what you do with it.
and another line from a song..."hallelujah, what a savior."
I guess we could all learn how better to use the power we have, couldn't we?
perhaps power isn't the only thing we have
that we could learn to use better...

[an untitled poem]
Jesu
There is no logic
in what you did “yesterday”
no fairness
in dying for me
you never made a mistake
[even though I’ve felt like one]
It is so
“speech stealing”
“breath taking”
to know you could have saved yourself
you could have called a legion of angels
to fight for you
“take care of my light work for me will ya guys”
but
you didn’t
YOU
didn’t need angels to save you
YOU made US
surely you can crush us
with a word from your lips
you could have hung there & told all of those watching
“Go to Hell”
and they WOULD have
[it would have been fair]
yanked your hands & feet off that cross
landed on your feet without a scratch on you
you are that powerful
And more
YOU
didn’t
We want to know
we constantly ask & seek
“Am I loved”
You died on a cross
and all you ask us is
“can you hear me now?”
“This is how much I love you”

You
Jesu
have changed everything
You walked through the valley of the shadow of death
alone
so we wouldn’t have to
You are the origin
of all power
You have showed me
through your life
that it isn’t how much you have
it’s what you choose to do with it
that count
by b.e. Noll