Not My Will, But Yours Be Done
By Jonathan Mitchell

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus referenced the same prayer which He had taught His disciples:

"Let the effect of Your will, purpose and intent be birthed (come to exist) at once - as in heaven (or: within [the] atmosphere), so also upon the earth (or: Land)!" (Lu. 11:2b)

Just before Judas came to Gethsemane, in order to transfer and commit God's Lamb to the priests to be the Passover Sacrifice which would affect the deliverance of the world, Jesus had been in intimate conversation with his Father:

"He began speaking toward having ease and well-being (or: praying), progressively laying it out, and repeatedly saying, "O Father, if You continue intending with counseled purpose (or: since You keep on willing and desiring [it]), at once bear along (or: carry aside) this, the Cup, away from Me..." (Lu. 22:41b-42a)

But, most likely after a pause, He continued:

"However, in any case (or: Nevertheless, more than that), not the effect of My will, design or desire (or: the result of My wish), but instead, and to the contrary, let Yours continue of itself progressing into being (or: let Yours keep on happening to itself, and from itself come to be, then progressively take place for itself)!" (Lu. 11:42b)

He lived what He taught. The life which Jesus led was a parable for those whom He had chosen to be His apprentices (disciples). He had experienced pressures during His ministry, and He had told those with Him that:

"Within the System (dominating and controlling world of culture, religion, economy and government; or: among and in union with the aggregate of humanity) you normally have pressure and stress (or: continually have squeezing; repeatedly have tribulation and oppression), but nonetheless, be confident and take courage! I, Myself, have overcome and conquered the System (dominating world; organized arrangement of religion and society; aggregate of humanity) so that it stands a completed victory!" (Jn. 16:33b).

Now, Jesus had also said that He only did what He saw His Father doing:

"Jesus therefore considered and replied, and began saying to them, ‘Believe it, it is established (Amen, amen; count on it)! I am now saying to you folks [that] the Son continues unable to do anything from Himself (or: the Son, from Himself, habitually has no power to be doing anything [independently]) except He can (or: unless He should) continue seeing something the Father is in process of doing (or: if not something He may presently observe the Father making, producing, constructing, or creating), for what things That One may likely be progressively doing (making; constructing; creating; producing), these things, also, the Son is likewise habitually doing (or: is in like manner constantly making, producing, creating, constructing)." (Jn. 5:19)

Through the NT writings, we see what Jesus did. What a beautiful picture of our Father is thus presented to us. Jesus shared another aspect of His relationship with the Father, in Jn. 5:30,

"I, Myself, am continually unable (or: As for Me, I habitually have no power or ability) to be doing anything from Myself: correspondingly as I am continuously hearing, I am habitually sifting, separating, evaluating and deciding (or: judging), and My deciding (separating and evaluating; judging) is right and just (continues being in accord with the Way pointed out and is turned in the right direction of fairness, equity, justice and right relationship), because I am not seeking My own will (intent; purpose), but rather the purpose (intent; will) of the One sending Me."

In Jn. 8:38a, Jesus said,

"I am habitually speaking things which I, Myself, have seen, [being] at the side of (or: present with) the [other MSS: My] Father..."

This idea is given, again, in Jn. 12:49,

"because, I Myself do not speak from out of the midst of Myself, but to the contrary, the One sending Me - [the] Father, Himself - has given an implanted goal (an impartation of the finished, purposed product within; an inward directive of destiny) to Me: what I could (or: should; would; may) say, and what I will proceed to (or, as an aorist subjunctive: could, should, would or may) speak."

Jesus is the Pattern Son. Now, we usually look for an excuse for not acting like Jesus did, during His Incarnation. We say, "Well, He was God." Or, "But He had the Spirit dwelling upon Him" (cf Mat. 3:16). Well, consider what Jesus said to His apprentices, in Mat. 10:19-20,

"However, whenever they may hand YOU folks over (commit or transfer you), you should not be anxious or overly concerned about how or what you should be speaking, for, what you should say will continue being given to you men - within that hour! You see, YOU, yourselves, are not the ones then speaking, but rather, [it is] the Spirit (Breath-effect; Attitude) of YOUR Father repeatedly speaking within, and in union with, you."

This seems to describe a vital connection between our Father and His apprentices. Why do we not think this way? In Jn. 14:12, Jesus told His apprentices:

"Believe it, it is established (Count on it; Amen, amen), I am saying to you folks: The person habitually trusting and progressively believing into Me, the works (actions; deeds) which I Myself am constantly doing (habitually performing; progressively making, constructing, creating or forming) that person also will proceed doing (performing; making; creating; producing), and he or she will progressively be doing and producing greater than these, because I Myself am progressively journeying (going from one place to another; [cf vss. 2-3, above]) toward (or: facing; face-to-face with) the Father."

We have the same mission that Jesus did: to bring people to the Father, and through our lives, to show them the Father. Apprentices are trained to be like their master. We are Christ's body. Should we not be doing and saying what we see or hear from our Father? Remember, Paul instructs us that we are brothers of the Firstborn Son (Rom. 8:29 - we are to be conformed to His image). We are called to bear God's likeness (Gen. 1:26).

In Gethsemane, Jesus submitted His will to the will of His Father (Who was within Him). He had come to lay His soul-life over the world (Jn. 3:16), and in Jn. 15:13, He explained it this way:

"No one continues holding (or: having) greater Love (full self-giving; urge toward reunion) than this: that someone should place or deposit (lay; put) his soul (or: inner being; consciousness which is him) over [and cover the situation or circumstances of] (or: set or place his self and person, on behalf of) his friends."

Now, we who have been called to follow Him, are called to submit to our Father's will for our lives: to pray that prayer which Jesus gave to us. Making it personal, "Let Your will be done in my life, just as it is in heaven."

Remember, we are not living by static rules, but by a living relationship with our Father, to Whom we are joined and are one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). With most of us, our natural desires have not been fulfilled. Does this tend to make us feel that we are not "God's favorite."? Ha. We observe others living what seems to be a fulfilled life. Why not us? Or, why are we not healed? Why do our children not follow how we trained them to live? Why are we in such misery? (ad infinitum).

Paul informed us that:

"for you people were bought, as at a marketplace: [there was] value and honor involved in the price (or: [you are] of value)(or: = you see, you folks were bought and paid for; or: it follows that from a valuable price you folks were bought at market)." (1 Cor. 6:20)

To the called-out community in Rome, Paul introduced himself in this way:

"Paul, Jesus Christ's slave (or: a slave servant of, and from, [the] Anointed One, Jesus; a slave belonging to Jesus [the] Anointed [= Messiah]), a called person, one sent forth with a mission (or: an ambassador or emissary, by invitation), being one having been marked off by boundaries (fully parted and determined by bounds; separated away, isolated and limited off; delineated), and continuing thus defined, unto God's Good News (or: positioned into the midst of a Message of goodness, ease and well-being from, and which is, God)." (Rom. 1:1; [cf Acts 9:15])

In the first century, someone who was bought at a marketplace was a slave to his or her new owner. Paul evidently saw himself in such a relationship with Christ. He called Jesus, "Lord," which had the basic meaning of "Owner." Paul did not seem to see himself as having a "free will." But he was freed from the bondage of sin (failure to hit the mark). He gave us a key, in Rom. 6:16,

"Have you folks not seen, and thus know (Are you not aware), that to whom (for whom; or: in what) you habitually place yourselves alongside, presenting and providing yourselves as slaves into submissive, attentive, and obedient, hearing, you folks are, and continue being, [his or its] slaves - to whom you habitually submit in obedient hearing (or: in what, or for which, you consistently pay attention) - whether of failure (of sin; of missing the target; of deviation; from derangement) [leading] into Death, or, of submissive, attentive, and hearing, obedience, into a flowing together of eschatological Liberty of Rightwised relationship in the Way pointed out (or: into the midst of rectified [covenant] justice and uprightness, from being turned in the right direction [i.e., toward Christ]; or: to rightness)."

For those who have been given the attitude that God's will is primary for them, in this life, should we be surprised if His will for some is a path of deprivation? Deprivation usually humbles us, and James tells us that in God's Kingdom, a requirement comes to bear:

"you folks must consequently be made low (humbled; demoted; brought to a low station), in the Lord's sight (= in [Yahweh's, or Christ's] presence), and then He will progressively lift you up (or: continue elevating you). [cf Ps. 30:11]

The verb "be made low (etc.)" is in the passive voice. Most render it as in the active voice, in other words, "you must humble yourself." No, God arranges for the humbling, as He sees fit for us. A classic example for us is the story of Joseph, in the book of Genesis: from the pit to the throne. Again, we should not be surprised that our following Him who is the Way (Path), includes this work of the Lord in our lives.

Jesus looked at the crowds and said that they were like sheep with no shepherd (Mat. 9:36). Many flocks of sheep are herded by sheep dogs. To the will of the sheep, these dogs are adversaries (satans) because they constantly counter the "will" of the sheep. These sheep have no free will in these circumstances. Should they try to follow their own limited wills, they may become "lost" (Lu. 15:4ff), and then the shepherd must go find them and return them to the flock. Jesus even called his apprentices "sheep."

When the Lord brings freedom to us (1 Cor. 15:23), His will becomes our will, and then we can receive the desires of our hearts (which have been aligned with His desires). We are then a part of the second Humanity (1 Cor. 15:47), a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). This is all because,

"for it follows that (or: for you see,) God is the One habitually operating with inward activity, repeatedly working within, constantly causing function and progressively producing effects within, among, and in union with, you folks - both the [condition] to be habitually willing (wanting; intending; purposing; resolving) and the [situation] to be continuously effecting the action, repeatedly operating to cause function, and habitually setting at work so as to produce - for the sake of, and over, the pleasing good form and this thinking of goodness, in delightful imagination of what is desirable." (Phil. 2:13; [cf Heb. 13:20-21])

It was the Joy which was set before Him (Heb. 12:2) that He was inspired to say, "Not my will, but Yours be done" (Lu. 22:42). The Joy became His strength (Neh. 8:10), and carried Him to the cross. Ps. 40:8 is cited in Heb. 10:9, in reference to Jesus: "I am arriving to do (form; make; create; perform; produce) Your will (purpose; intent; resolve; what You want), O God!"

This is what true freedom looks like, and true success for this life we are now living.

Jonathan

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