Look at the heart of Jesus:
“But I, when they were sick – I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with my head bowed on my chest.
I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother…
But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing” (Psalm 35:13-15)
Think of the Lord Jesus as He worked good for all those He met, healing the sick, driving out demons, weeping with those who wept and raising their dead so that their weeping ended. And what did they do to Him? Crucified Him. Here in Psalm 35 we see how this felt for Jesus, He felt totally betrayed. Imagine how he must have felt as they jeered at him hanging on the cross. And yet, what did He pray for them? “Father forgive them”.
Our forgiveness was so costly, as Jesus hung on that cross, perhaps the next words of Psalm 35 were also in his heart “how long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction.”
What was God doing? We know from our reading in Luke 3 that this was God’s beloved Son. How could the Father see His Son suffer like this?
In our reading from Numbers we saw some of the awful judgment on God’s enemies. As we read it we may be shocked, and that’s why our Psalm and gospel reading are so helpful to read alongside it. As we are shocked at the judgement of God, we see His incredible love that He’s done everything so that we don’t have to face it. He’s allowed His beloved Son to face awful betrayal, to be punished in our place so we can become God’s beloved children.
Jesus knew what His death would achieve, and that His Father would raise Him, and so Psalm 35 continues “I will thank you in the great congregation.”
Allow Jesus to lead you in praise today for what He has done for you so that you can be part of the great congregation. See what it cost Him and praise Him.
For more on the heart of Jesus in the Psalms see The heart of Jesus (Exodus 22-24, Psalm 109, Ephesians 6)
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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