Master 202: Five Reflections for the Church, Part 15
Imitating the Father.
Composed: 31 January 2010.
The following is one line from the latest version of the Vision Statement that the Focusing Leadership Team has been working on: "Our church is committed to building relationships in our community such that people ask spiritual questions...". It's important to remember that the goal of our outreach and service in the community is not just to be nice, or just to make people more comfortable. Rather, our goal is to bring people into contact with the light and life that God has made available to human beings through His Son, Jesus Christ. That life is to be encountered in us. We want to be living and conducting our lives in such a way that it is evident to everyone that there is something different about us. And we should hope and expect that, because of that, people will begin to ask questions.
But just what is that way in which we are supposed to live? What is that something different that is supposed to set us apart? And how are we supposed to answer such questions when they come? For helpful insight into these matters, we can look to no better place than the life of Jesus Himself. It goes without saying that Jesus lived a life that was radically different from the norm. People recognized that incredible power and authority accompanied this man, as well as abundant grace and compassion. In the fifth chapter of John, that apostle records an incident in which Jesus heals a man by the Pool of Bethesda who had been sick and lame for thirty-eight years. The Jewish leaders took issue with this miracle because Jesus had performed it on a Sabbath. According to the Jewish Law, no work was to be done on the Sabbath, and they saw Jesus as violating that commandment. In fact, John says, "[T]he Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath." (5:16, emphasis mine)
Jesus' activities definitely caught people's attention, and prompted questions and even strong objections. How did Jesus respond? How did He explain His actions? What did He have to say for Himself? Just this:
"My Father is working until now,
and I Myself am working." (John 5:17)
Jesus' answer is so simple, yet it reveals so much about His character. When Jesus healed that sick man, He had one thing on His mind: what His Father was doing. He wasn't thinking about what the Jewish Law said. He wasn't thinking about how the religious leaders would respond. He wasn't thinking about how his actions would be perceived or interpreted. He was just thinking about what His Father wanted. A couple verses later He expands on this point: "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." (5:19) When Jesus healed that sick man, He was just following the example of His Father.
Now consider your own case. If someone were to ask you why you do the things that you do, could you answer with the simplicity, sincerity, and straight-forwardness that Jesus did? Why are you so generous when you have so little? Why are you so gracious, even to people who treat you badly? Why do you give up your free time to serve others? Why do you care so much, even about complete strangers? There are an awful lot of reasons why we don't do these things. But Jesus' relationship with His Father was so real to Him and so much a part of His life, that when He saw that man lying on his mat, He knew what to do and did it, without a second thought. Jesus was so full of power and authority, grace and compassion because of His relationship with His Father. And He was so convinced of His Father's goodness and greatness that He was even willing to follow Him to the cross.
This world announces to us that there are many different ways to live life well. We can choose one path or another. It doesn't really matter; all of them will eventually lead us to something approximating happiness. But for Jesus there was only one path. It was obvious to Him. The Father's way was the best way--even if it made the Pharisees angry, even if it led to His own execution. And because He lived His life in that way, each and every moment of each and every day, people saw and recognized that there was something different about Him. They knew that He had something that was real and good. And He was able to lead them into the same kind of relationship with His Father that He had. That is our calling and opportunity as well: to do what Jesus did and to do it in the way that Jesus did.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
Composed: 31 January 2010.
The following is one line from the latest version of the Vision Statement that the Focusing Leadership Team has been working on: "Our church is committed to building relationships in our community such that people ask spiritual questions...". It's important to remember that the goal of our outreach and service in the community is not just to be nice, or just to make people more comfortable. Rather, our goal is to bring people into contact with the light and life that God has made available to human beings through His Son, Jesus Christ. That life is to be encountered in us. We want to be living and conducting our lives in such a way that it is evident to everyone that there is something different about us. And we should hope and expect that, because of that, people will begin to ask questions.
But just what is that way in which we are supposed to live? What is that something different that is supposed to set us apart? And how are we supposed to answer such questions when they come? For helpful insight into these matters, we can look to no better place than the life of Jesus Himself. It goes without saying that Jesus lived a life that was radically different from the norm. People recognized that incredible power and authority accompanied this man, as well as abundant grace and compassion. In the fifth chapter of John, that apostle records an incident in which Jesus heals a man by the Pool of Bethesda who had been sick and lame for thirty-eight years. The Jewish leaders took issue with this miracle because Jesus had performed it on a Sabbath. According to the Jewish Law, no work was to be done on the Sabbath, and they saw Jesus as violating that commandment. In fact, John says, "[T]he Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath." (5:16, emphasis mine)
Jesus' activities definitely caught people's attention, and prompted questions and even strong objections. How did Jesus respond? How did He explain His actions? What did He have to say for Himself? Just this:
"My Father is working until now,
and I Myself am working." (John 5:17)
Jesus' answer is so simple, yet it reveals so much about His character. When Jesus healed that sick man, He had one thing on His mind: what His Father was doing. He wasn't thinking about what the Jewish Law said. He wasn't thinking about how the religious leaders would respond. He wasn't thinking about how his actions would be perceived or interpreted. He was just thinking about what His Father wanted. A couple verses later He expands on this point: "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." (5:19) When Jesus healed that sick man, He was just following the example of His Father.
Now consider your own case. If someone were to ask you why you do the things that you do, could you answer with the simplicity, sincerity, and straight-forwardness that Jesus did? Why are you so generous when you have so little? Why are you so gracious, even to people who treat you badly? Why do you give up your free time to serve others? Why do you care so much, even about complete strangers? There are an awful lot of reasons why we don't do these things. But Jesus' relationship with His Father was so real to Him and so much a part of His life, that when He saw that man lying on his mat, He knew what to do and did it, without a second thought. Jesus was so full of power and authority, grace and compassion because of His relationship with His Father. And He was so convinced of His Father's goodness and greatness that He was even willing to follow Him to the cross.
This world announces to us that there are many different ways to live life well. We can choose one path or another. It doesn't really matter; all of them will eventually lead us to something approximating happiness. But for Jesus there was only one path. It was obvious to Him. The Father's way was the best way--even if it made the Pharisees angry, even if it led to His own execution. And because He lived His life in that way, each and every moment of each and every day, people saw and recognized that there was something different about Him. They knew that He had something that was real and good. And He was able to lead them into the same kind of relationship with His Father that He had. That is our calling and opportunity as well: to do what Jesus did and to do it in the way that Jesus did.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 9:58 AM
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