Hide or Seeking Jesus?

“…Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56)

With a kiss on the cheek, and a betrayer to the heart – Jesus is alone.

No other passage resounds in my heart than this: “then all the disciples deserted him…”
It’s like the playground at school when we were children, do you remember it?  When the bully would come and we would mind our own business while the one brave or frightened child would be left standing there all alone to fend for themselves.  The rest of us?  All too frightened to do anything.  More afraid of our own self-preservation than the preservation of the group.   

The disciples fled. >>>Every. Last. One. Of. Them.<<<
They “got the heck out of dodge“.
Fear consumed them and they just ran away.
Imagine how Jesus must have felt in that moment.
An hour before, Jesus had been languishing in prayer in the garden,  and on more than one occasion pleaded with his disciples to stay awake and alert with him – but they kept falling asleep.  The ones Jesus trusted the most, couldn’t stay awake for Him in his hour of greatest need.  And in mere hours they would be scattered, quaking and hiding away – distancing themselves from their Rabbi for fear of self-incrimination.

Jesus felt alone.
I imagine His “full-man” state felt the deep hurt of loss in this moment.
Bound and arrested, no one remained.
No advocate.
No friend.
No disciples.
Alone.

We can easily look at the disciples from afar as we read the accounts in the Bible and say to ourselves “I would never have done that.”  or, “How could they have  been so afraid?”  Yet, given the opportunity, I seriously doubt any of us would have done any differently.  We too would have turned tail and ran.

More presently, how often do we still abandon Him in our busy lives? 
How often do we run away from what He is asking of us in our work places, in our homes, with our families, friends, neighbors, strangers?  Do we simply melt into the crowd that is circling around the bully who is “pounding” another defenseless child?  Do we stand for anything in “the real world” apart from the church halls?  Are we roaring lions or bleating sheep in a deafening world of noise?  How often do we exercise our ambassadorship of Christ?  Are we willing to become His mouth piece, even if it costs us everything?  Or do we hope that someone else will come by to be that voice because we’re too afraid of what others might think of us?

I hope that we are more inclined today, given what we know of Christ, to be His hands and feet regardless of what might come our way because of it.  I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of running away.  I’m sick of playing hid and seek.  I’m tired of hiding away.   I don’t want to abandon Christ anymore!  Lord makes us brave!  Make us bold!  May we count the cost, pick up our crosses and follow You regardless of where it may lead us!  Lord, we do not wish to run and hide any longer!

Something more to ponder today!