F O O T H O L D
READING
50 SACRIFICE OR
SELFCENTREDNESS
PRAY "God be merciful
to us and bless us: look on us with kindness'
Psalm 67:1).
READ Luke 22:1438.
THINK How does this passage
help us see the meaning of Christ's death?
FOCUS Try to be a reverent
onlooker as Jesus met with his disciples for
this very special meal.
Listen carefully to what was said. There
was such a difference
between the attitude of Jesus and that of
his disciples.
THE SPIRIT OF THE SAVIOR.
The spirit of the Saviour was the
spirit of SACRIFICE. He was
about to face suffering (15). His
body would be given (19) and
his blood shed (20). Every communion
service, the bread and wine
remind us that through the death of
Jesus we are saved from our
slavery to sin. The suffering of
Jesus brought in his kingdom
of love (16).
THE SPIRIT OF THE DISCIPLES.
The spirit of the disciples was the
spirit of SELFCENTEREDNESS!
What were they arguing about (24)?
The disciples still thought
that Jesus would set up an earthly
kingdom. They would need to
fight for it (38). They hoped to have
power in it, to be the
bosses, and this led to trouble.
A selfcentred spirit can
invade our minds, even when we don't
actually express it. We
think:
"How am I appearing
to the people of the neighbourhood?'
'Am I doing as well on
this committee as my predecessor?'
'How do I compare with the
other members of the group?'
This attitude makes us think
of OURSELVES more than of the LORD.
And it stops us from getting
down to the business of just living
for others (26).
How might you overcome selfcentredness?
PRAY Ask God to help you to
think less about yourself, more about
others, and most of all
about him.
