Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . The night before his crucifixion, a spiritual battle is raging. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me ." [1] Earlier that evening, Jesus shared a Passover meal with his twelve apostles. As they ate and drank, he tried to prepare them for what was coming. This bread is my body broken for you. This wine is my blood poured out for the sins of many. The disciples heard Jesus’ words. But in their wildest dreams, could they have imagined their fulfillment would come in the form of a cruel crucifixion? After dinner, they arrive in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus walks a little further for privacy. He asks his three closest friends—Peter, James, and John—to accompany him. “Watch and pray,” he pleads. But the hour is late. Sleep comes unbidden. It makes me wonder. Were these three oblivious to the distress in Jesus’ eyes? Or perhaps it caught them off guard. After all, they were the needy ones. Jesus was the...

Welcome to Real Life . What does strength look like? Those who give much without sacrifice are reckoned as having given little. –Erwin Lutzer “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Isaiah asks. Because the Word from God he’s about to deliver is not an easy one to believe. In Isaiah’s day, Jerusalem was surrounded by enemies and facing annihilation. God’s people were seeking a political messiah to swoop in and rescue them. Instead, God would send an unlikely hero. Not someone to save them in the moment, but the One who could save their souls for all eternity. Who would God send? Not a Samson, but a man of sorrows, despised and rejected. It was our pain and punishment he bore. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Seven hundred year after Isaiah's prophecy, the arm of the Lord—his strength in reaching, res...

Welcome to Real Life . God’s grace is so rich and abundant and free. I live it, walk it, breath it. It envelopes me like a warm blanket. Because it's so familiar, I forget that it came at an enormous cost. On a day I least expected, God brought this lesson home.  I was traveling Slovakia with my parents one summer, visiting relatives and sightseeing. My cousin Ľudka planned a day trip to  Levoča  for us. It is an ancient, walled city that has two churches of special interest: the hilltop Basilica of the Visitation and St. Jacob’s Cathedral which houses Master Paul's carvings from the 1500’s. Walking up to the Basilica, we were met with the sweet melody of chanted prayers. Ľudka led the way to a pew inside the crowded sanctuary. Taking in the beauty of the church, my eyes rested on a statue of Jesus in agony on the cross. Tears streamed down his face. Blood poured from his side. It was a beautiful, yet horrible image. As I gazed at Jesus' face, two words from the...