Good Morning to All,
Genesis 3: 19a; “By the sweat of
your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground”
We all know what sweat is.
Perspiration is what happens when it is warm or humid and the moisture
forms on the body. Sweat is the result
of exertion. It means that somewhere
along the line, it was hard, arduous work.
It was a labor that caused us to groan as we did it and ache when we
were done. Part of that ache was knowing
that tomorrow; it would happen again. It
was the price we paid.
When God first placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, work wasn’t really
work. Tending was more of watching and
enjoying. He didn’t have weeds to pull
or thorns to fight. There was no need
for Roundup or 2, 4D. He didn’t need a
hoe or a tiller to clean up the weedy spots. What he ate was all around him; plentiful,
tasty and fresh. He had it all,
literally; until sin stepped in.
From that point on human existence was changed. Cracks began to form, problems arose. When man sinned, creation also paid the
price. Weeds, thorns, droughts, storms and
the like appeared. All of a sudden,
eating became a job. Finding food took
work, often extensive work. It took time
as well sometimes meaning food was lacking for a day or two. It became a lot of work just to eat and survive. The painful part was that often that sweat,
that aching labor would go for naught.
The painstaking planting was destroyed by animals or weather or other
people who were stronger and took it away.
Life got tough in a hurry and stayed that way.
Yet God had a plan from the beginning.
It was to send his Son into the world to sweat for you. There is a certain symmetry when we read in
Luke that as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “His sweat became like
great drops of blood.” Jesus did all the
hard labor for our salvation. Jesus did
the painstakingly agonizing work of our salvation. He received the lashes that carried the life
blood from his body. He carried the
cross, laboring under its weight until he could carry it no more. He hung on the cross with the weight of the
sins of the world on his shoulders making the labor excruciating. He died as he could sweat no more as there
was nothing left to give.
Yet in his mercy, he paid that price so you wouldn’t have to. Through his grace, he gives the victory won,
the price paid, the promised mercy delivered so that you might be healed. He did this so the rip in the relationship
with God might be healed. He poured all
the sweat that goes into making a relationship work in so that we might be
restored before God. Through his love,
his sweat, we are made whole again.
Father of grace,
our life is difficult and hard because of our own sin. Yet you wonderfully restore us through the
love that is Jesus. Give us the wisdom
to trust in your love and in your love alone.
Be with those who are struggling with the battles of life. As they sweat and struggle send them your
Spirit of comfort and hope. Give to them
the certainty of your love. In Jesus
precious name we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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