Note To Self

Foolishly, I decided to prune this delightful bush right back on a windy day.

Matthew 27:27-61

Reference: v.29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: Note to self: Don’t prune the roses on a windy day.

I was given a beautiful William Morris rose bush as a memorial of my father’s passing. This gorgeous shrub has apricot-pink flowers that hold hundreds of petals and grow beautifully up any nearby wall.

One thing the garden books don’t tell you about this stunning plant is that every stem is filled with thorns. Now, it may seem silly to say that of a rose bush, but the William Morris rose has more thorns on it than any other I have in my garden!

Foolishly, I decided to prune this delightful bush right back on a windy day. Every time I moved, my hand would be gauged or a long stem would attach itself to my clothing.

After 10 minutes I was so frustrated by the constant pricks in my fingers and the pulls in my shirt that I almost threw in the towel halfway through the job.

Application: I then read this horrific passage of scripture. The crown of thorns that were placed on Jesus’ head through his horrific crucifixion was one of the least painful things they did to him throughout the ordeal.

Here I was wanting to give us after a couple of spots drawing blood and yet Jesus endured thousands of times worse and never faltered.

We will never understand His pain, never fully appreciate His trial, and yet it’s important that we remind ourselves that He endured it all for us.

Prayer: Lord, Your sacrifice is immeasurable. Thank you oh Lord and King. Amen.

What pain have you suffered recently? Read through this passage again in the light of your pain.

Jesus, Matthew, pain, rose, sacrifice, thorn, trials