Focus on the Locus

UV 3248/10000 Focus on the Locus with Passion

(looking away from all that will distract us and ) focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfector of faith(the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith into maturity), who for the joy (of accomplishing the goal) set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God(revealing His deity, His authority and the completin of His work).

Hebrews 12 v 2

Jesus demonstrated laser-like focus and blazer-like passion, the two things anyone needs to fulfill his mission or purpose in life. The gospel writers recorded that He set His face like flint towards the cross. His love for mankind caused Him to volunteer to pay the price for all sin of all mankind as the perfect sacrifice that makes all imperfection perfect in the uncompromising sight of God. God, the Father’s nature is not to compel anyone against his or her will. He would not have compelled Jesus against His will. Once Jesus accepted the challenge to travel from His Heavenly home to the dust and grime of the Earth, He did not allow satan or his machinations to divert or distract Him on His mission. He was filled with the consuming fire or passion of God. He manifested, celebrated or reflected that spirit of the best of mankind- single minded dedication combined with whole hearted devotion to God. We too need to be filled with such passion that burns up anything that can side track us, anything that disturbs our zeal for God.

Jesus disregarded the shame of the cross, He decided to bear its pain. He focused on the crown of glory He would receive from the Father, the Authority in heaven and on Earth. The spectre of pain, shame, loneliness wherein He would be cut off from the fellowship of the Father and the Holy Spirit for the first time in all of eternity ( God would be forsaken by God), the betrayal and desertion of His friends, the agony of His earthly mother Mary, the mockery of the Roman soldiers and the contempt of the Jewish religious leaders, the despising even by the condemned prisoner dying along with Him on the cross, the smug smile on satan’s face did not keep Him from the scepter of righteousness. Absolute righteousness and power had been stripped off Him to make Him not just a token payment but an absolute payment for sin, failure, shame, misery, ignorance, weakness, curses, sorrow. His mission accomplished, no longer would these have an absolute grip on humanity, individually and collectively. Jesus is both the purpose, the power, the center of our universe, the very locus of the circle of our existence. The vacuum in our hearts is filled, the gap in our words and deeds is filled, our lives are fulfilled in Jesus.

Now we are required only to focus on the locus, the starting point of a new history, a new story, a new life. Are we to focus on Jesus on the way to the cross, the dying Jesus, the dead Jesus on the cross or the resurrected Jesus who has come into His glory? The locus of our lives now is the resurrected Jesus who has come into His glory, who has full authority on the right hand of the Father in heaven, who intercedes or pleads on our behalf even now as satan brings accusations against us. Jesus has cancelled the handwriting of judgement against us. He has declared us, “ Not guilty as charged. Innocent for all eternity.” Having been so freed at such a heavy price to the deity of Jesus, the image and authority of Jesus, we are to free ourselves from the burdens of this world that hamper us and either slows us down or hinders our growth and progress as well as the enticements and temptations, the lure of this world, the sinful pleasures and conceits of this earthly life. We are to consign these to the flames of the consuming fire that burns in us, the Holy Spirit sent to us by Jesus as a sign and by His signature or authority to seal us and fill us with zeal. The Lord runs beside us as our Coach, our Encourager, Our Enabler to remove hindrances that are placed in our way by the enemy of our souls.