Surrender. The word seems to be a common theme during the Easter season. To the strong, this word may evoke thoughts of weakness. To the weak, it may be the dread of further humiliation. But to Christians, surrender is grace.
The Old and New Testament are full of accounts of total surrender. Noah trusted God enough to follow an unbelievable plan to save creation from a devastating flood despite the ridicule of his peers. Then there was Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who surrendered her infant son to the safety of a small basket released to the arms of the dangerous Nile. Consider Rachel, surrendering her whole person to stay by the side of a frail old woman whose family and religion were both foreign to her. And what of Abraham? Was he not willing to give up his only son, that he had waited so long for, to obey God's command? These examples are but a few that resonate with the theme of surrender, but not just surrendering for a moment in time. The surrender in each of these stories brought forth a great purpose from the total giving of self. These stories and countless others were not just stories with a happy ending that happened once upon a time. These were stories of a building of a kingdom. The surrendering in each story brought forth a wave of such magnitude that it rippled down through the ages – pointing to and paving a way for the most important surrender of all through Jesus Christ.
Jesus' life in itself is based on surrender, surrender to the Father. Look at the very beginning of Our Lord's conception. Mary totally accepted the call to surrender her body to be used in miraculous ways and bring forth a savior. All of this may seem like a heroic gesture, but the most awe-inspiring part is that Mary had no idea of God's plan. She could have been stoned to death for the conception of a child outside of marriage. Her planned marriage to Joseph could have been revoked. Instead, God sheltered this act of surrender in the palm of His hand, just as He sheltered that little babe in a basket on the Nile.
Fast-forward to Jesus as a child, lost from His frantic parents for three whole days. Mary and Joseph must have been praying with every breath for the safety of their Son, putting into God's hands what they could not control, what they could not physically hold and protect. Yet, when their prayers were answered and Jesus was found safe and sound in the temple, yet another surrender was to be felt.
"Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)
As a parent, if you have ever felt like you have lost control, this would have been that moment for Mary and Joseph. What a blow for Joseph to be reminded this was not flesh of his flesh, but the Son of God, of whom he was the steward. Yet, the Scriptures never tell us that Joseph complained or gave up. He surrendered his services as a father figure, a mentor, and a protector to the Son he always would know was not his own.
With Holy Week behind us, the message of Christ's Passion still fills our hearts and minds. We still see the images, still feel close to Jesus, the apostles and Mary. Remember the garden? Luke tells us that Jesus sweated drops of blood in His surrender to the Father before the hour he knew would come, for the hour He would become the Pascal Lamb and sacrifice Himself for so many. This is total surrender, a surrender He even contemplated God taking from Him.
"Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42)
God had a much greater plan in mind – the ultimate plan that would top the pinnacle of the accomplishments of Noah, Abraham, Moses and even King David. This plan would succeed in defeating sin and death, and ultimately open the gates of heaven for each one of us.
As Christians, we must look at surrender in the context of God. He has a plan in mind for each of us and our families according to His will for the building of His kingdom. There is a much greater plan at work in your life. Surrender to the Father and let Him take the lead.
April Parker is a member of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, where she teaches third grade at St. Pius X School. Parker is also an author and freelance writer.