The earliest Christians followed a Jewish tradition of pausing to pray, preferably together, first thing in the morning, about mid morning, at noon, about mid afternoon, and in the evening. “Just a Note” posts are brief observations made from Scripture readings not related to a lectionary. If I have one to post, it normally appears about 9:00 in the morning, at “the hour of prayer.”
In John 13:31-35 Jesus makes some astonishing promises. He has been glorified. And the glory is reciprocal. the Father and the Son are equal. Not the same, but equal. They act as one. Yes, it’s hard to wrap our minds around. But Jesus clearly claims equality with God. In other words, he claims to be God.
What’s really interesting, though, is what this claim leads Jesus to. Because he and the Father are in such close agreement, the outcome is that Christians need to love one another. This draws a picture of the relationship of the persons of the Godhead. By our love for one another, all will know that we are Jesus’ disciples.
That doesn’t always work too well, does it? Lately it’s been fashionable to try to show love for one another by accepting anything and everything that someone else might say, do, or believe. That is by no means wise. It denies the very clear personality and demands of God. No, we find agreement and love in common doctrine. We find agreement and love as we care for those who are in need among us and around us. We find agreement and love as we put aside our personal differences and look to the Lord who has made us one in Him. There is agreement. There is love.
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