THE WORD 4 ev 1

Luke 13:31-32 - At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’”

Do you have a job that requires goals to be set and accomplished? Some of us do, and
some don’t. When I worked in the shop of an industrial pipe, valve, and fitting company in Chicago, nobody spoke to me of goals. They were satisfied if I packed orders correctly and didn’t injure myself (or others) in the process.
But for the salespeople who worked upstairs, it was a different story. They had definite goals to be met and their job security depended on meeting them. And, the owner of the company provided them with certain tools to assist them in accomplishing their work.

A company car, an expense account, support staff, etc. were among the things they
needed and I didn’t. As an educator and administrator, I’ve become more familiar with goals. A board chairman once declared we set a goal of increasing enrollment for the coming school year by 20 students. When I inquired about a plan and tools, specifically money in the budget to accomplish this task, he said we couldn’t afford any additional expenses. The goal ultimately failed because it lacked some key elements.

Achieving goals typically requires a plan as well as a commitment. In today’s verse, Jesus is warned to stop what He is doing and flee because Herod is out to kill Him. Jesus, however, doesn’t run but rather He speaks of reaching His goal. He understood that accomplishing this goal—rescuing us from our sin—required the ultimate commitment. It would come at a high price—His very life.

THE PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for paying the ultimate price for accomplishing the goal of our salvation. Amen.