Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. John 12:24-25 (MSG)

Friends and Followers – The Failure Series – Part 7

Go to PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  PART 4  |  PART 5  |  PART 6  |  PART 7

When Jesus said these words (above), no one knew what was ahead. None of his friends and followers knew that a Roman cross was not too far in his future. I bet if you had told any of Jesus friends and followers that he would die a horrific and painful death, they would have laughed at the absurdity of the thought.

The Messiah?
The Chosen One?
The Rabbi?

No. Freaking. Way.

Yet, Jesus died. He was plotted against by his own people, falsely accused, tried, convicted and sentenced to death.

Surely he would show the world his power by defeating the very ones who were trying to kill him? Surely he would choose this moment to call on heavens army to overthrow the government and release the Israelites from Roman occupation? Surely he would reveal his Divine Authority, silencing his enemies, causing every knee to bow and every mouth to confess his Lordship over Ceaser, the earth, and the powers of Darkness?

No.

Instead, Jesus remained silent. Humble. Submissive. There was no grand display of power. There was no twinkling of hope as he walked the road to Golgotha, stumbling under the weight of the wooden cross, his blood soaking the dirt with each footstep, his eyes clouded with pain.

And as he experienced one of the most horrific ways a human can die, his friends and followers watched, bewildered. Horrifically surprised. They couldn’t believe their eyes.

If I was there, I have to admit, I would have been livid. Devastated and angry. How dare Jesus disciple us, lead us, build our hopes and then DIE!! I would have felt let down, duped. Failed.

It certainly looked like Jesus had failed. Failed his friends, his followers. Failed, he himself, at inaugurating the New Way, The Kingdom of God, in the earth.

What his friends and followers didn’t realize, what we sometimes miss in our own lives, is that it’s not until we let go of pleasing and winning and achieving that we can experience life beyond failure. Perhaps even our failures are doorways, answers, sign posts, to hope, wisdom, transformation: to new life. And it would take the disciples some time, some more than others – as is the same with us – to recognize Jesus beyond the failure, through the letdown, with eyes of faith; having the very nature of failure, success, Kingdom, and Divinity redefined for them right in front of their eyes.

Jesus knew that on the other side of this perceived failure, was something entirely miraculous: Resurrection.

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you.” (Col 3:1-4 MSG).

Or as Brené Brown says in  her great book, Rising Strong;

“We craft love from heartbreak, Compassion from shame, Grace from disappointment, Courage from failure. Showing up is our power. Story is our way home. Truth is our song. We are the brave and brokenhearted. We are rising strong.”

Written by Lizzy Milani
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