The Challenge 26 February, 2004

Just had to write again today after seeing the Passion last night...

Thank You, Lord!

I could not wait a week to get you all an update on the movie last night. I also felt that it was important to get this out quickly. I do not know how many of you have seen the movie already but I would love to hear from you on your thoughts.

Went with my wife and met some friends there and all I can tell you is that I was terribly moved by the whole thing. I found it hard to talk at all. It made me thing about the sin that I heaped upon Him as He paid the price for me. I did not see Jews, I did not see Romans, I did not see anything else but Jesus on a mission to get to the cross... He was driven there not by whips, not by Jews, but by His own love for me and for you! As he was falling over from the pain during his trek to the Calvary I felt that everyone in the audience was wondering why He did not just give up. Why would anyone want to continue under that much pain, stress and anguish? But deep down you knew He was going to get there and complete His mission... at some point in the movie, I stopped feeling sorry for Him and started understanding true love. It was a driven Love. There was nothing anyone could have done to stop Him and it was all based in Love. That is all I could think of during the entire movie. The portrayal is vivid, gruesome, and above all heart wrenching. I would have given up my life long before the cross. I wanted to turn away numerous times but my wife said it best when she said that she felt that she had to make herself watch the two-hour movie because Jesus endured the whole 12-14-18 hours for me...!

I hope and pray that I can keep the image of God in the flesh in the forefront of my mind as I live out the rest of my days. Anyone who loved me that much, to endure that much for me... is worthy of everything I have and so much more!

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15:13

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us." 1 John 3:16a

Again, I Challenge you...Go and Watch. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, it should bring about feelings that you don't want to feel. Yes, it will be hard to endure. Watch Love in action... I Challenge you!

Until next week ~ Dave

To make comments, to suggest topics you'd like me to tackle, to get past devotionals, or to be added to this weekly "devotional email" please write to: Dave Hansen at philip419@earthlink.net