Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
A Few Extra Steps
Matthew 26:36-46 March 28, 2004
The Movie, “The Passion of the Christ”, opens in the Garden of Gethsamene. Jesus is caught up
in the dark and somber setting and stands alone in prayer. I have to tell you that this is not the
image that I have had of Jesus in the garden.
I like to picture Jesus smiling and reaching out to all who would walk with him. I see Jesus as
the compassionate hero, gladly willing to do anything for his friends. The problem is that this just
doesn’t match up with scripture. Yes, Jesus comes to the garden, but he comes with a decision
that has to be made. Will he walk with us and face the trials that arise from sinful life or will he
walk away and be content with simply being a good example to follow?
In the garden, Jesus could have decided that being a role model and good teacher was enough.
He had already changed thousands of lives. He was loved by the crowds and he had started a
new way of thinking about God and religion. He was tempted to quit – and I love the fact that
Gibson brought the devil into that scene. There is nothing that the devil loves more than to see us
quit before we reach the goal. It only makes sense that at the moment of Jesus’ greatest
temptation, the devil would be speaking lies into his ear.
We know it because we have all been there.
But Jesus does something that is very symbolic. He comes to the garden with his disciples but
the text tells us that he leaves them and takes a few extra steps. It says he goes ahead a little
farther. He moves beyond the place where they are called to be and takes a place of his own.
This is significant. Because Jesus was saying to the wsorld that he was going to be a servant of
God.
Gordon MacDonald, a preacher and well known speaker, said, “You can tell whether you are
becoming a servant by how you act when people treat you like one.”
How do you react when you are treated like a servant? I have to confess that I don’t always do
so well. My kids will tell you that they have heard me respond to their requests on occasion by
saying, “What do I look like, your servant?” Most of us like to be served rather than to serve. As
a matter of fact, we often look at the little things we do to help someone else as being
magnanimous gestures of serving and servant hood.
“I held the door for that lady coming into the church.” “I moved over in the pew so that he could
sit here too!” “I brought in some cupcakes for the coffee hour today.”
Don’t feel bad if that sounds like your level of service. Most of us are in the same place. We
serve in small capacities every day and it makes a big difference. We are like the disciples who
walked with Jesus to the garden and sat down and prayed with him. That small gesture allowed
him to do what he had to do. But it was nothing compared to what he was going to do.
The difference between us and Jesus, is that he took the few extra steps. WE will gladly give
fifty dollars to the World Mission Offering, but how many would be willing to give their vacation
time to minister in the slums of Calcutta, India. We will teach a Sunday School class and work
with our kids for a year but how many would be willing to be confined on an island of leper
colonies rescuing the lepers from their prison of seclusion and sadness? I don’t want to belittle
what we do, because it is valuable and important, but we need to understand the mind of Jesus
when we come to the garden of Gethsamene. He understood what it was to be a servant. To be
a servant means to give everything you have to the master. IT means not holding anything back.
It means going a few extra steps.
The truth is that Jesus’ life was motivated by three factors; his compassion for the lost, his
commitment to God and his faith in God’s plans. I want to take a few minutes and discuss these
this morning.
First off, our text talks about Jesus going a little farther or taking a few extra steps and that was
certainly true when it came to his compassion for the people he met. Time after time we hear the
words, Jesus had compassion on them. Compassion sees people in need and does something
about it. We may be aware of a person eating bread and water to survive and feel sorry for them.
We might even be able to remember when we had little food in the house and be able to feel for
them, but we have not shown compassion until we are moved to get some good food and take it
to them.
You have undoubtedly read the story in Chicken Soup for the soul about Mr. Alter’s fifth-grade
class at Lake Elementary School in Oceanside, California. There were fourteen boys who had no
hair. Only one, however, had no choice in the matter. Ian O’Gorman, was undergoing
chemotherapy for lymphoma, and he faced the prospect of having his hair fall out in clumps. So
he had his head shaved. But then 13 of his classmates shaved their heads, so Ian wouldn’t feel
out of place. Ten-year-old Kyle Hanslik started it all. He talked to some other boys, and before
long they all trekked to the barber shop.
"The last thing he would want is to not fit in," said Kyle. "We just wanted to make him feel
better." Ian’s father, Shawn, choked back tears as he talked about what the boys had done. He
said simply, "It’s hard to put words to." That is compassion.
Paul said "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2)
We are called to follow his example. For us as Christians, compassion is one of the evidences of
Jesus’ lordship in our lives. It is the outworking of the “love of God.” It is a reflection of the
example of Jesus. Do you remember Jesus’ actions at the very beginning of that night when he
went to the garden.
In John 13:1-5 we read that Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Here we see the Master doing
the work of a slave. In those days it was customary for a slave to wash the feet of visitors. To
not provide this kindness would be considered uncivilized and inhospitable. Apparently, there
were no servants available to do this job for Jesus and the disciples, so Jesus Himself gets up
from the table, pours Himself a basin of water and begins to wash the feet of the disciples.
Imagine the amazement that must have filled their minds and faces as their Lord stooped to wash
their dusty feet one by one!
Jesus was teaching us something through this event. The washing of the disciples’ feet pictured
the removal of the contamination that had been acquired as they traveled. The whole event is a
foreshadowing of what would take place on the cross as his blood was shed to take away our
sins.
In Gibson’s movie, there was one part that I didn’t get until after I had thought about it a while.
As Jesus was hanging on the cross, a soldier pierces him in the side and immediately water began
to flow out and splash this man. I was repulsed at first then I wondered why this man stood
there letting it wash over him. Then I remembered the prophesies that his blood would wash
away our sins..
He says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.” It was his death that made this possible. That is going a little further in
compassion!
Compassion alone isn’t enough. Jesus also went a Little Further in Commitment
Our text provides insight into Jesus’ commitment. Jesus prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me;…” What is the cup Jesus wanted to avoid if at all possible? Was it the
mockery? Was it the physical suffering? No. Jesus had already been experiencing these.
Throughout his ministry the Pharisees had mocked Him. Throughout his ministry He had
suffered poverty and physical deprivation. The cup Jesus dreaded was the sin of mankind that
would separate Him from the Father. Jesus was committed to his relationship with the Father and
didn’t want anything to mar that relationship even for a moment.
You know how that is. You have a good friend who does something stupid. They come to you
for advice and you hesitate. You don’t want anything to ruin your friendship. You know if you
speak your mind they are liable to get mad and not talk to you anymore. So what do you do?
Your friendship demands that you be honest with them despite the separation that will follow.
That was Jesus’ dilemma. Jesus had compassion on the people. He knew there was only one
way to save them and that it would separate him from God if he went ahead with it.
However, that commitment to the Father was balanced and even demonstrated by Jesus’
commitment to his Father’s will. He went on to pray, “not as I will, but as You will.” Life is filled
with conflicts. Real commitment is when we are faithful to the right thing even at great cost.
There is a great story told that illustrates this so well. Several years ago soldiers carrying
automatic weapons invaded a small church in China. The leader said every one who wants to live
must leave now. Anyone who refuses will be shot and killed without mercy. Many from the
small congregation immediately left their seats and headed for the door. Only the pastor and the
few faithful remained. To their bewilderment, the soldier in charge laid his weapon on the floor
and extended his hand to the terrified pastor saying, “We want to worship only with the faithful”.
I wonder if you and I would have been left there among the faithful. Would our commitment be
strong enough to risk death? Jesus didn’t risk death – he chose death in his commitment to the
Father as well as to you and me.
All of what Jesus did would be for nought if he didn’t have faith in God’s plan and the courage
to see it through. One of the most stunning parts in Gibson’s movie comes when the guards
come to the garden to take Jesus. The disciples are ready to fight to the death. Peter pulls out a
knife and attacks one of the guards, but Jesus calms him down and heals the wounded soldier.
He willingly gives himself to them even though he knows that it is his death sentence. He goes
because he trusts God and his plan.
Someone has said, “Being positive is part of being a hero – maybe the hardest part, because if
you are a hero you’re smart enough to know all the reasons why you should be discouraged.”
Jesus certainly had reason to be discouraged. “He came unto his own and his own did not
receive Him” according to John 1:11. Nothing is more discouraging than to be rejected by
someone you love dearly. Jesus was rejected. But he stood tall. He was courageous because he
was on a mission from his Father and the presence of “God” in Him enabled Him to face
rejection.
You know I think that is the key for all of us as we try to follow Jesus, as we decide to take a
few extra steps in our own walk of faith. Jesus offers us that same courage through a
relationship with the Father. That relationship is made possible because of Jesus’ willingness to
face the cross.
Courage is not just persistence against obstacles. Courage is also doing the right thing even when
others are doing the wrong thing
It is doing what is right even when it is unpopular. We need more people taking the extra steps
today. We need more people willing to follow Jesus.
A little old lady was on a flight to Europe. She was very nervous. The man sitting next to her
asked, "Is this your first flight?"
She said, "No, I’m always nervous when I fly. But it won’t be bad this trip."
"Why?" he asked.
She said, "We’re flying toward the morning. We’re flying toward the dawn."
That’s the thing to hold on to. As the disciples of Jesus Christ, we’re flying into the sun and we’
re flying with the Son. As long as we emulate his compassion, his commitment and his courage
we will be able to “go on a little further” in our walk of faith and service.
Matthew 26:36-46 March 28, 2004
The Movie, “The Passion of the Christ”, opens in the Garden of Gethsamene. Jesus is caught up
in the dark and somber setting and stands alone in prayer. I have to tell you that this is not the
image that I have had of Jesus in the garden.
I like to picture Jesus smiling and reaching out to all who would walk with him. I see Jesus as
the compassionate hero, gladly willing to do anything for his friends. The problem is that this just
doesn’t match up with scripture. Yes, Jesus comes to the garden, but he comes with a decision
that has to be made. Will he walk with us and face the trials that arise from sinful life or will he
walk away and be content with simply being a good example to follow?
In the garden, Jesus could have decided that being a role model and good teacher was enough.
He had already changed thousands of lives. He was loved by the crowds and he had started a
new way of thinking about God and religion. He was tempted to quit – and I love the fact that
Gibson brought the devil into that scene. There is nothing that the devil loves more than to see us
quit before we reach the goal. It only makes sense that at the moment of Jesus’ greatest
temptation, the devil would be speaking lies into his ear.
We know it because we have all been there.
But Jesus does something that is very symbolic. He comes to the garden with his disciples but
the text tells us that he leaves them and takes a few extra steps. It says he goes ahead a little
farther. He moves beyond the place where they are called to be and takes a place of his own.
This is significant. Because Jesus was saying to the wsorld that he was going to be a servant of
God.
Gordon MacDonald, a preacher and well known speaker, said, “You can tell whether you are
becoming a servant by how you act when people treat you like one.”
How do you react when you are treated like a servant? I have to confess that I don’t always do
so well. My kids will tell you that they have heard me respond to their requests on occasion by
saying, “What do I look like, your servant?” Most of us like to be served rather than to serve. As
a matter of fact, we often look at the little things we do to help someone else as being
magnanimous gestures of serving and servant hood.
“I held the door for that lady coming into the church.” “I moved over in the pew so that he could
sit here too!” “I brought in some cupcakes for the coffee hour today.”
Don’t feel bad if that sounds like your level of service. Most of us are in the same place. We
serve in small capacities every day and it makes a big difference. We are like the disciples who
walked with Jesus to the garden and sat down and prayed with him. That small gesture allowed
him to do what he had to do. But it was nothing compared to what he was going to do.
The difference between us and Jesus, is that he took the few extra steps. WE will gladly give
fifty dollars to the World Mission Offering, but how many would be willing to give their vacation
time to minister in the slums of Calcutta, India. We will teach a Sunday School class and work
with our kids for a year but how many would be willing to be confined on an island of leper
colonies rescuing the lepers from their prison of seclusion and sadness? I don’t want to belittle
what we do, because it is valuable and important, but we need to understand the mind of Jesus
when we come to the garden of Gethsamene. He understood what it was to be a servant. To be
a servant means to give everything you have to the master. IT means not holding anything back.
It means going a few extra steps.
The truth is that Jesus’ life was motivated by three factors; his compassion for the lost, his
commitment to God and his faith in God’s plans. I want to take a few minutes and discuss these
this morning.
First off, our text talks about Jesus going a little farther or taking a few extra steps and that was
certainly true when it came to his compassion for the people he met. Time after time we hear the
words, Jesus had compassion on them. Compassion sees people in need and does something
about it. We may be aware of a person eating bread and water to survive and feel sorry for them.
We might even be able to remember when we had little food in the house and be able to feel for
them, but we have not shown compassion until we are moved to get some good food and take it
to them.
You have undoubtedly read the story in Chicken Soup for the soul about Mr. Alter’s fifth-grade
class at Lake Elementary School in Oceanside, California. There were fourteen boys who had no
hair. Only one, however, had no choice in the matter. Ian O’Gorman, was undergoing
chemotherapy for lymphoma, and he faced the prospect of having his hair fall out in clumps. So
he had his head shaved. But then 13 of his classmates shaved their heads, so Ian wouldn’t feel
out of place. Ten-year-old Kyle Hanslik started it all. He talked to some other boys, and before
long they all trekked to the barber shop.
"The last thing he would want is to not fit in," said Kyle. "We just wanted to make him feel
better." Ian’s father, Shawn, choked back tears as he talked about what the boys had done. He
said simply, "It’s hard to put words to." That is compassion.
Paul said "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2)
We are called to follow his example. For us as Christians, compassion is one of the evidences of
Jesus’ lordship in our lives. It is the outworking of the “love of God.” It is a reflection of the
example of Jesus. Do you remember Jesus’ actions at the very beginning of that night when he
went to the garden.
In John 13:1-5 we read that Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Here we see the Master doing
the work of a slave. In those days it was customary for a slave to wash the feet of visitors. To
not provide this kindness would be considered uncivilized and inhospitable. Apparently, there
were no servants available to do this job for Jesus and the disciples, so Jesus Himself gets up
from the table, pours Himself a basin of water and begins to wash the feet of the disciples.
Imagine the amazement that must have filled their minds and faces as their Lord stooped to wash
their dusty feet one by one!
Jesus was teaching us something through this event. The washing of the disciples’ feet pictured
the removal of the contamination that had been acquired as they traveled. The whole event is a
foreshadowing of what would take place on the cross as his blood was shed to take away our
sins.
In Gibson’s movie, there was one part that I didn’t get until after I had thought about it a while.
As Jesus was hanging on the cross, a soldier pierces him in the side and immediately water began
to flow out and splash this man. I was repulsed at first then I wondered why this man stood
there letting it wash over him. Then I remembered the prophesies that his blood would wash
away our sins..
He says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.” It was his death that made this possible. That is going a little further in
compassion!
Compassion alone isn’t enough. Jesus also went a Little Further in Commitment
Our text provides insight into Jesus’ commitment. Jesus prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me;…” What is the cup Jesus wanted to avoid if at all possible? Was it the
mockery? Was it the physical suffering? No. Jesus had already been experiencing these.
Throughout his ministry the Pharisees had mocked Him. Throughout his ministry He had
suffered poverty and physical deprivation. The cup Jesus dreaded was the sin of mankind that
would separate Him from the Father. Jesus was committed to his relationship with the Father and
didn’t want anything to mar that relationship even for a moment.
You know how that is. You have a good friend who does something stupid. They come to you
for advice and you hesitate. You don’t want anything to ruin your friendship. You know if you
speak your mind they are liable to get mad and not talk to you anymore. So what do you do?
Your friendship demands that you be honest with them despite the separation that will follow.
That was Jesus’ dilemma. Jesus had compassion on the people. He knew there was only one
way to save them and that it would separate him from God if he went ahead with it.
However, that commitment to the Father was balanced and even demonstrated by Jesus’
commitment to his Father’s will. He went on to pray, “not as I will, but as You will.” Life is filled
with conflicts. Real commitment is when we are faithful to the right thing even at great cost.
There is a great story told that illustrates this so well. Several years ago soldiers carrying
automatic weapons invaded a small church in China. The leader said every one who wants to live
must leave now. Anyone who refuses will be shot and killed without mercy. Many from the
small congregation immediately left their seats and headed for the door. Only the pastor and the
few faithful remained. To their bewilderment, the soldier in charge laid his weapon on the floor
and extended his hand to the terrified pastor saying, “We want to worship only with the faithful”.
I wonder if you and I would have been left there among the faithful. Would our commitment be
strong enough to risk death? Jesus didn’t risk death – he chose death in his commitment to the
Father as well as to you and me.
All of what Jesus did would be for nought if he didn’t have faith in God’s plan and the courage
to see it through. One of the most stunning parts in Gibson’s movie comes when the guards
come to the garden to take Jesus. The disciples are ready to fight to the death. Peter pulls out a
knife and attacks one of the guards, but Jesus calms him down and heals the wounded soldier.
He willingly gives himself to them even though he knows that it is his death sentence. He goes
because he trusts God and his plan.
Someone has said, “Being positive is part of being a hero – maybe the hardest part, because if
you are a hero you’re smart enough to know all the reasons why you should be discouraged.”
Jesus certainly had reason to be discouraged. “He came unto his own and his own did not
receive Him” according to John 1:11. Nothing is more discouraging than to be rejected by
someone you love dearly. Jesus was rejected. But he stood tall. He was courageous because he
was on a mission from his Father and the presence of “God” in Him enabled Him to face
rejection.
You know I think that is the key for all of us as we try to follow Jesus, as we decide to take a
few extra steps in our own walk of faith. Jesus offers us that same courage through a
relationship with the Father. That relationship is made possible because of Jesus’ willingness to
face the cross.
Courage is not just persistence against obstacles. Courage is also doing the right thing even when
others are doing the wrong thing
It is doing what is right even when it is unpopular. We need more people taking the extra steps
today. We need more people willing to follow Jesus.
A little old lady was on a flight to Europe. She was very nervous. The man sitting next to her
asked, "Is this your first flight?"
She said, "No, I’m always nervous when I fly. But it won’t be bad this trip."
"Why?" he asked.
She said, "We’re flying toward the morning. We’re flying toward the dawn."
That’s the thing to hold on to. As the disciples of Jesus Christ, we’re flying into the sun and we’
re flying with the Son. As long as we emulate his compassion, his commitment and his courage
we will be able to “go on a little further” in our walk of faith and service.
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