A STONE'S Throw

Luke 22:41
He (Jesus) walked away about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed.

How far is a stone's throw? I guess it depends on the arm that is throwing it.
But in this case, a stone's throw is the greatest distance ever traveled by man.
It is this "stone's throw" that took our Lord deep into a garden to wrestle with an event that lay before him. That "stone's throw" separated Jesus from the others to face his coming death alone. Left to his thoughts and his desire to see the Father's will carried out, Jesus knelt down in prayer. Everything else disappeared from his mind. His heart was heavy and the emotions were weighing him down. "Father, if possible take this cup from me....not my will, but your will be done."  We're not told how long Jesus tarried there in the garden, but what we do know is that at some point, he arose and went to meet those who were sent to arrest him. He went in the power of the Holy Spirit. He went secure in the knowledge that he could face the cross and everything it stood for. But you have to go back to that garden, to the place where the decision was made to go on, to not turn back or run away. It such places like this, time like this when we are facing the hard facts about our own lives, that we must go "A stone's throw."

We must go into our own garden.....in our hearts and minds. We must separate ourselves and face the things that are seeking to kill us. It might addiction...it might be an abusive relationship. Truth be known, it is probably a heart not yielded to God. A heart that still desires to have our old ways. We want to quit doing drugs or drinking....we want to quit living in dead end relationships....we just aren't willing to commit to the change. Jesus told some people who were following him that if they wanted to save their life...they will loose it. But if you wanted to lose your life, for his sake, you would save it. Kind of a conundrum isn't it? What he was saying is that we must die to our old ways. The power of sin is at work in us. It directs us and leads us. It influences us and we become slaves to it. I guess the greatest deception sin ever perpetrated on the human race, was the idea that we were in charge of our own lives....when in fact we have sold ourselves into "sin" slavery.

Just as in Matthew Chapter 4, were we read that after Jesus' baptism the Holy Spirit drove him into the wilderness...it takes the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to drive us into our "stone's throw" where we must face up to the truth that we are in need of a Power greater than ourselves who can restore us. It is in such times and faced with such truth that we can see the light of God's love. A God whose desire is for us to give ourselves, will and life (Step #3) over to his care.  Once that decision has been made, and we have prayed confessing our sin and asking for his forgiveness, we can know that we are now "a new creation" (II Corinthians 5:17). We no longer have to live under the power of sin. We no longer have to fear the penalty of sin, and we no longer have to be weighed down by the presence of sin. Now I don't know about you, but that dog will hunt.

Think on these things....
God on you....
mb