Jump Start # 745

Matthew 26:22 “Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”

This week, our Jump Starts are going to explore some of the great questions of the N.T. Asking questions is a powerful way of learning things. Not only was Jesus asked many questions, He used questions as a means to get people to look within. Children are known to ask questions every day. Their “why” and “how come” can seem endless but they are part of a curious mind that is growing and learning. I expect when we stop asking questions, we’ve just about stopped learning and growing. We should never fear questions nor be afraid to ask questions. In the setting of faith, the only acceptable answers must be what the Bible says. “Because I said so,” isn’t acceptable when dealing with things of salvation. Show me in the Bible, must be our plea.

Our question today comes from the setting of the Passover meal and the last supper that Jesus ate with the disciples before being arrested and crucified. The clock was ticking. Everything was about to happen. Jesus knew. He revealed that one of them, one of the chosen twelve, was going to betray Him (v. 21). That bothered the disciples. It should have. Two things come from Jesus’ statement.

First, they were grieved. Betraying Jesus was an incredible breach of trust and loyalty. That statement revealed that things were not getting better, but worse. They certainly did not grasp all that was involved with the betrayal—the arrest, the trials, the abuse, the fear, and finally, His execution. They couldn’t see all that. They couldn’t imagine someone who knew Jesus wanting to turn on Him. The critics had been accusing Jesus for a long time, but they never really understood Him nor tried to listen to Him. This was different. Someone that knew Jesus was going to turn. A traitor. Quitting. Surrendering. All those have a negative impact upon people. We do not have a national holiday to honor a traitor in history. We do not remember battles which we had to surrender. Those are dark and painful memories.

Not only was Jesus about to be betrayed, but one of the twelve, one of the apostles was going to do it. How could they? They, of all people, knew Jesus the best. They had witnessed the miracles. They have listened to Him countless times. They have asked Him questions, traveled with Him and seen Jesus in every circumstance possible. Yet, one of the twelve was going to turn. Unbelievable.

The question they ask, “Surely not I, Lord?” A great question. A personal question. A question that looks within, the best kind of question and reflection. Instead of looking at each other, and pointing fingers or saying, “I think it will be Peter…” , they asked, “Is it I?”

That question has a lot to do with how we think and look at things today. Some many are worried about the other guy, how others are living and what others are doing. They want to judge others, criticize others, and tell others what they ought to do. The question asks, “Is it I?” If each of us would put more attention upon ourselves and our walk with Jesus, and worried less about others, things would be much better. This is not a call to become selfish nor close our eyes to help those around us. It is a call to be less concerned about who is doing what and to look more at “what am I doing?”

Our walk and our relationship with Jesus is a personal one. I must ask look at myself. No one knows me better than me. I know why I do what I do. I know what I am after. I know when I’m playing and when I am serious. I know when I don’t feel like doing something and when my heart is really into it. I know me. Other than God, no one knows me as well as I do.  When I am honest, I know my strengths and weaknesses. I know when I have failed and when I have done well. I know when Satan knocks on the door of my heart and when I have opened that door to let him in.

Surely not I, or, “Is it I” as other versions put it, is great question. What about me? The more I try to make a better me, the better the world becomes. We spend so much time trying to fix the other guy, and too little time trying to work on our self.

What a great question, “Surely not I, Lord?” Surely I wouldn’t betray you? Surely I wouldn’t let you down. Surely not I? A look within makes us realize that we are not so different than others. Our circumstances, our journey, our pasts may be different, but basically we are all the same. We have the same needs, the same concerns, the same issues. Surely not I causes us to pause and wonder, could it be me?

How about me? The humble heart looks in. The proud heart looks outward. The humble heart is honest. The proud heart boasts. The humble heart has hope. The proud heart is a problem. The humble heart considers, Surely not I? The proud heart thinks, “I know who it is.” The humble heart thinks, “this is written for me.” The proud heart thinks, “I know who he is writing this about.”

Is it I, Lord?

Roger