I grew up in Hawaii and love the islands but when I began my junior year in high school, I knew it was time to leave Hawaii and attend a college on the mainland. It was not island fever nor was it a desire to gain independence from my parents. I knew I needed to expand my horizons with new challenging educational and personal experiences. It was time to move on and I was fortunate to be accepted at a college in Southern California.
The same desire came upon me when I searched to do my dermatopathology fellowship. After nine enjoyable years in Southern California, it was time to move on and I continued my fellowship training in St. Louis.
Each move was made with some fear of the unknown. Would I be good enough? Would I be accepted? But with none of my moves did I ever think that I may face my own death.
Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
Matthew 20:17-19 (NKJV)
Jesus Christ was born in the small town of Bethlehem and spent most of his life until the age of thirty years in a slightly larger city of Nazareth. God led Jesus to begin preaching in the countryside and small towns until the last week of his life, when He entered Jerusalem, the city of David. Jesus Christ willingly made the move to Jerusalem, with full knowledge that He would be killed. He was obeying God, the Father, as He led His disciples through a chaotic week that ended with His horrific Crucifixion.
If I knew that only persecution, torture, and death awaited me with any of my moves, I would probably still be living in Hawaii. We speak of the great faith of Jesus Christ and His willingness to die on our behalf. We should equally revere His courage and steadfastness to complete His mission. He pressed forward when I would have retreated in fear. How can we ever begin to understand and thank Jesus Christ for what He did for us?
Praise God!
Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.
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