2/21/17
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.”
There is a special confidence that Jesus wants his disciples to have. Often we glance at a passage like John 15:9-16, and we come away with this message: God has given his commands through Jesus. We are to care for his commands. Then we can remain.
There’s something about that message which erodes our understanding of God’s love. Here it is. We are given God’s commands. We are to value/keep/guard them. But where do we remain? We remain in Jesus’ love. What effect does that distinction have? It points out to us that our relationship with God is based on love, not on how well we keep the commands.
What more does Jesus say about the confidence we can have when we are resting in his love? Many things, but just now, we observe that we have no fear about his commitment to us. He has laid down his life for us. He has called us friends, not servants. As friends, he has given us all the knowledge and understanding of our situations that we might ever need. He allows us into his confidence. If we have a need he is ready and willing to help us as a friend, not as a ruler over a dependent. Jesus cares for his people.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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.”
There is a special confidence that Jesus wants his disciples to have. Often we glance at a passage like John 15:9-16, and we come away with this message: God has given his commands through Jesus. We are to care for his commands. Then we can remain.
There’s something about that message which erodes our understanding of God’s love. Here it is. We are given God’s commands. We are to value/keep/guard them. But where do we remain? We remain in Jesus’ love. What effect does that distinction have? It points out to us that our relationship with God is based on love, not on how well we keep the commands.
What more does Jesus say about the confidence we can have when we are resting in his love? Many things, but just now, we observe that we have no fear about his commitment to us. He has laid down his life for us. He has called us friends, not servants. As friends, he has given us all the knowledge and understanding of our situations that we might ever need. He allows us into his confidence. If we have a need he is ready and willing to help us as a friend, not as a ruler over a dependent. Jesus cares for his people.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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