False Accusations

One scene from the week before the first Easter is in the court at which lying witnesses falsely accused Jesus of political insurrection.  (Matthew 26:59ff) Jesus faced those false accusations and refused to argue. The accusations didn’t deserve His attention. You, too, may have some false charges placed against you. Someone in your community may accuse that you did or didn’t do some special treatment, or didn’t see a doctor soon enough or you didn’t see a certain doctor or you didn’t try certain alternative treatments or you or they missed something and so on, and so on. You also may accuse yourself of all this and more. Jesus’ false witnesses were set up by the court. Yours could be set up by the enemy of your soul.

Roman soldiers mocked Him with “royal” robes and a crown of thorns. Mocking like this is another kind of false accusation. (Mathew 27:27ff). The priests and teachers mocked Him saying: he saved others, but can’t save himself. Not true. He chose to not save himself. He could have. But He gave His life, voluntarily. He chose to save all of us instead of saving himself. It was so dramatic that a soldier concluded: surely he was the Son of God (Matthew 27:54) because of what he saw.

Neighbors may accuse. We can accuse ourselves. And we have the Enemy who is also known as the Accuser. He sits on your shoulder whispering in your ear. You’ve seen the cartoons representing this. The accusations come from every direction. What can a grieving parent do?

Like Jesus, you can meet the accusations with truth. You don’t need to argue or prove yourself to anyone else. Just know the truth in your own heart and head. Here are some general truths that apply:  1. Jesus loves you. 2. You made every decision during your child’s illness based on all the information and wisdom you had at the time. 3. The Bible says the number of days of your child’s life was planned from before the foundation of the world (Psalm 139:16).  4. You can’t extend that plan by one minute by worrying. (Mathew 6:27)

Jesus chose to go ahead to the cross and through the tomb, for you. So that, now in grief, you can have hope for heaven because His death can redeem you from the penalty of sin and because His resurrection proves Life wins. Since He’s done all that don’t let the accuser get to your heart. Trust that God has been in it and with you all along the way. Believe that His purposes are good – because He says so. Jesus knows that feeling of being falsely accused of something, just like you. He’s such a good friend. Talk it over with Him. The hymn says: What a friend we have in Jesus, all our … griefs to bear… Take it to the Lord in prayer.”