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OUR MASTER’S CROSS WE SHARE

TEXT

Matthew 13:54-58 NRSV

He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

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Our Jesus received no honor in his hometown; “they took offense at him.” We too, who follow him, will be ever scorned and ignored. It has ever been so. These words of Charles Wesley are not borne from theoretical suffering, but from cold hard experience.

-BR

 

Jesu, Thy weak disciples see,
Entreated in the world like Thee,
Partakers of Thy shame;
Because we will not let Thee go,
Sweet fellowship with Thee to know,
And suffer for Thy name.

Thy marks we in our body bear,
Our Master’s cross we daily share,
And bless the sacred sign;
Buffeted here for doing well,
We thankfully accept the seal,
And feel that we are Thine.

Our back we to the smiters give,
Evil for good with joy receive,
Nor meanly strive to hide
From spitting and from shame our face,
But glory in the full disgrace
Of Jesus crucified.

For Thy dear sake we suffer wrong,
And, persecuted add day long,
We thus the crown ensure;
As sheep appointed to be slain,
Our portion of contempt and pain
We to the end endure.

We in Thy strength can all things do,
Through Thee can all things suffer too,
When Thou the power shalt give;
We then by faith shall see Thee stand
The great High-Priest at God’s right hand,
Our spirits to receive.

Wherefore to Thee our Souls we trust,
Our Saviour to the uttermost
To Thee we boldly come,
With joy upon our heads return,
High on the wings of angels borne
To our eternal home.

—Charles Wesley

Hymns for Times of Trouble and Persecution #7

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WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

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