With the start of the New Year at my church a new series is being presented. Its called “Pursuit: What are you chasing?” And as one can imagine we, the congregation, were asked what we will be pursuing.
As they said those words my first response was the unknown. With a mixture of romanticism and realistic thought the road before me is unknown, but nonetheless I am very much dedicated to it. Not only is this trip filled with many questions but also the time I have to prepare for it is filled with unknowns.
But as the sermon continued I asked myself “Oscar what are you going to pursue this year?” As I pondered and contemplated I came up with a simple yet heavily packed answer, and that was to become more like Jesus (Yes I know very original, thank you). But with that being said from the many aspects of Jesus that we should all strive to mirror I’ll be focusing on one.
Kenosis is the act of ‘self-emptying’ of one owns will and becoming entirely receptive to God’s divine will.
We see this action being displayed by Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew 26:39 we read “He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. But let not my will, but your will be done.”
Jesus being God incarnate could have easily escaped from the large crowd armed with swords and clubs who were sent by the chief priests. He could have ordered his angels to smite them, he could have just diapered into thin air, or even made them all blind so that they could not to see him but he didn’t. Jesus didn’t want to die but he was willing to do so because he emptied himself of his own self so that God’s will could come to pass. Just as Jesus was God incarnate he was also fully human. The fear of death was on him. His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow so much so that he was to the point of death. But still he emptied himself.
My pursuit is to empty myself. To empty my self of my dreams, desires, and wants. To set aside my emotions and thoughts so that God can fill me with his. Regardless of what it may be that I may have to face my hope is that I may face them with the same willingness and heart that Jesus faced his with.
