The Road to Courage Is Paved with Trust

Posted: 07 Apr 2009 09:00 PM PDT
Is 50:4-9 / Mt 26:14-25
Jesus never sinned, but the gospels tell us that he experienced plenty of temptations. Surely the greatest temptation of all must have come at the very end, when his apostles deserted him and seemed to have learned nothing of what he’d tried to teach them. The temptation to despair must have been tremendous. But even as he found himself left to die alone, Jesus did not despair and he did not turn back. He entrusted himself wholly into the hands of his Father, and he went forth to die.

The words of Isaiah must have been ringing in his ears, “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced.”
None of us will ever have to face the extremes of suffering that Jesus faced, but at times our desperation can be very real, and the temptation to despair or to run away can be powerful. There is only one possible way of addressing those moments successfully, and that is to entrust ourselves into our Father’s hands just as Jesus did.
Put yourself entirely in his hands, and hold nothing back. He will hold you gently and give you his strength.