 As Jesus is hanging on the cross, He sees Mary, His mother, standing there, observing this sad sight. Standing next to Mary is John, one of His twelve Apostles. Showing His great love for His earthly mother, Jesus makes arrangements for her care, even as He is hanging there on the cross. He tells Mary to consider John as her son now, and He tells John to consider Mary as his mother. John takes Mary to his own home that very day, such that she has a place to live for the rest of her life. (See John 19:25-27.)
On the surface, this may seem like a lot to ask someone to do. Yes, we should all try to demonstrate hospitality to others, but that usually equates to having someone over for dinner or maybe spending a night or two at your house. But to ask someone, “Hey, would you mind putting up my mother for the rest of her life?” — well, that would seem to go well beyond the bounds of a simple favor. Yet, John doesn’t hesitate to agree to take Mary home with him. We don’t know if John is married, but if he is, he’ll certainly have some explaining to do when he arrives home this day. But regardless of his current living situation, this will certainly be a pretty major change in his home life going forward. So why does he agree to do this? Well, on the one hand, when your close friend makes a final request as He is being executed, it’s hardly the time to try to explain to Him the ways in which His request might be a bit inconvenient for you. But, on the other hand, it’s also true that Mary is a fellow disciple of Jesus, so John has his own love for her (as we today should have for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ), so when presented with the opportunity to do something to help her, he agrees to do so. But there’s another simple reason why John couldn’t refuse this request, and the same concept applies to us today: If Jesus tells you to do something, you do it! Yes, when the Lord tells you to do something, it’s not up for negotiation. The correct answer is, “Yes, I’ll do it.” He doesn’t need an explanation as to why it isn’t possible or other suggestions as to how the same thing might be able to be accomplished in a different way. He knows what you can do and what you can’t do. If He’s picked you for this assignment, you can do it! When the sons of Lehi were told to return to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates from Laban, Nephi’s brothers responded by saying that this task was too difficult to accomplish. But Nephi’s reply was: “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1 Nephi 3:7) So, the next time the Lord places something on your heart that He wants you to do, don’t start making a list of the reasons why it can’t be done. If He’s truly directing you — and make sure He is — then He’ll make a way for you to have success in what He’s telling you to do. Don’t put yourself in the position of saying no to God. If Jesus tells you to do something, you do it! This article has undergone ministry review and approval.
Want to listen to past articles? Click the button below to visit the Gospel Blog YouTube channel, where you can access all audio blogs.
 |
Scripture Study: Isaiah 30:8-17
Isaiah, Chapter 30[8] Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:[9] That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:[10] Which say to the...
0 Comments