Tag: Jesus Christ

Do You Love Me?

 

“When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” 

   He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” 

   Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 

   Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” 

   He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” 

   Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 

John 21:15-16

This is a favorite passage for believers throughout the whole world.  I think the reason is that it’s a transferable concept; it is something that communicates well to a heart and life that is struggling very hard.  If you think about it everything in the story is coming to us from two places.  Either Peter’s failure, or Jesus’ grace.

Failure is a brutal teacher; but man, do you learn! Much of the teaching had already been done in Peter’s life. His denial and cowardice had already been worked out, and Peter then had to live with himself.  He was defeated and very lost before this meeting on the beach.

Jesus’ heart is to reconcile his errant disciple with Him, and with Peter himself.  Peter is stuck; in his own failure and denial, and he needs Jesus to touch him in His own impenetrable darkness.  People who have failed God will understand this.  We have been in the darkness, and only Jesus can rescue us from its empty pain.

We see what amounts to a ‘good’ interrogation.  Peter, the failure, is asked over and over by Jesus the “Question”.  “Do you love me?  This is a simple and basic inquiry.  “Do you love me?”

Peter in his pathetic state, is forced to generate a response to Jesus that destroys his own confusion and apathy.  It’s neat to see Jesus pulverizing the foundations of darkness in Peter’s life.  He does it with a skill and deftness that leaves us in awe of Jesus’ love. Peter had denied knowing the Lord three times. It is fitting that Jesus would ask His question three times as well.

For us, the questions keep coming.  We are repeatedly asked, over and over, “do you love me?”  We must process the penetration of the question.  Do you really, really love Jesus?  Is it a show? Do we really love Him, or is it just words, a misbegotten display of cultural appropriateness?

Jesus moves Peter into the light.  Never again will he live in confusion and despair.  His interview with Jesus has placed him there, into the light.  Jesus’ incredibly wise questions led Peter to the place of authenticity.  Peter, from this new place of completeness and recovery, is finally restored and healed.

But do we love Him?  Do we turn the ministry we do, whatever that might be, does it come from a place of love and confidence.  Our love for Him is the essential basis, the root foundation of all Christian activity.  It’s all about the “love”.  “Do you love me?”

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A More Comfortable Discipleship

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” 

Matt. 16:24, NLT

This is a head scratcher. The issue for me is that it is the disciples who are being addressed.  Jesus has words with them.  And what He shares is intense and demanding.  He invalidates any discipleship that doesn’t say “No!” to oneself. This what is meant by self denial.

The desire to follow must be present, a true longing to walk with Jesus.  We must be willing, but this is only the starting point.  This would-be-follower is to go a step further.  He must put to death his attitudes, actions, wants and wishes.  This disciple is to turn her back on the very things she has grown and cultivated all these years as important and worthwhile.  These things are self centered and will only nullify a disciple’s walk..

There must be a major upheaval of things.  An excavation of your goals and reasons.  It all must be torn down and hauled away.  We are only following mentally, or emotionally if we will not make an end to this “natural” life.

Jesus talks about personalized crosses.  Each disciple has his own.  It is custom-made, with your monogram on it.  It is part of the discipleship attire, and many say it is out-of-style.  But each individual disciple must pick it up, settle it on his shoulder, and then step out into the crowded street.

Some say cross-carrying is a dubious and an eccentric take on Christian ethics.  Church is where we go to fulfill a religious duty we feel is necessary. Others, get a spiritual buzz from singing chorus’ or “Amazing Grace”.  But it is Christianity without a cross.

Pick it up.  Fit it on your shoulder, and focus on Jesus.  Set your gaze on Him and step into the crowd.  You are a disciple and a witness to the world and the world-system.  You who are denying self now, become real to the will of God.

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He Will Come and Find You

“The Blind Beggar” by Jules Bastien-Lepage

When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Mark 10:47

What a gritty, hard life Bartimaeus lived.  How terribly desperate and lost he must have felt.  He has spent years and years without any real hope.  The future to him had been emptied of all purpose and meaning.  Life, from his point-of-view was worse than non-existence.  It was brutal and vicious, and when he had bad times he could barely look up.

He had a customary spot beside the busy road.  Routine had become his coping skill.  As a blind man knew that routine kept him from really losing it.  Seated on a dirty mat, he focused in on the voices of the passing crowds.  There seemed many more than usual and Bartimaeus began to try to piece together what was happening.

Someone to the right of him, shouted “Hosanna, Son of David”!  In that stark moment Bartimaeus jumped up and began to shout himself.  He shouted and shouted until he was hoarse.  He waved his hands, desperate to be seen.  There were those around him who told him to sit-down and shut-up.  There were hundreds of people reaching for Jesus, arms outstretched and pleas being made.  In this crazy and confusing scene Bartimaeus will not comply, he must speak, he must, he is desperate!

Jesus doesn’t walk alone, but is mobbed by well-wishers.  But suddenly He stops, Jesus can hear the voice of Bartimaeus.  Jesus wades partly into the jumbled mass and asks someone to bring Bartimaeus into the open.  We see him wriggle through the crowd, he is shaking and he is filthy.  His hair is matted and he has rotting teeth.  He hasn’t bathed for several months.  A filthy rag is wrapped over his eyes.

Is Jesus passing by?  Do you call out for Him? Does he call for you?  He often touches His most needy disciples, outside of the confines of the Church.  Jesus’ travels wherever He wants, He goes where He wills.  Jesus passes by us as we sit in our youth meeting, our marriage counseling or on a short-term missions project to Mexico.  He interrupts and pulls you out of the crowd.  All to heal you, for Himself.

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Life in the Fast Lane, [Rest]

“Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.”

Psalm 131:1

“We are going as fast as we can, living life at a dizzying speed, and God is nowhere to be found. We’re not rejecting God; we just don’t have time for him. We’ve lost him in the blurred landscape as we rush to church. We don’t struggle with the Bible, but with the clock. It’s not that we’re too decadent; we’re too busy. We don’t feel guilty because of sin, but because we have no time for our spouses, our children, or our God. It’s not sinning too much that’s killing our souls, it’s our schedule that’s annihilating us. Most of us don’t come home at night staggering drunk. Instead, we come home staggering tired, worn out, exhausted and drained because we live too fast. “

— Michael Yaconelli

We have a problem.  We cannot hide it anymore.  It is invasive and a detriment to our lives.  It is called activity, or busy-ness.  It can destroy our souls as much as adultery, or stealing would.

Jesus commanded his disciples to rest, so we must conclude that this is necessary for us as 21st century disciples.  But the current is strong and it seems there is no “slow lanes” anymore.  Our days start early and we are propelled through it by the frantic pace of continual demands.

Can we honestly say that this is the abundant life that Jesus promised us?  Is this the fruitful Christian life?  The verse we must consider, “Be still and know that I am God.”  That word “still” means to be without motion, calm, at rest.

Tozer wrote to his generation with the penetrating question, “Has busy-ness become the new holiness?”  He observed that the Church was partial to activity, and that discipleship was becoming equated to work and movement.  The presence of the Lord was no longer a factor to the modern disciple.

We must return to the Master.  We must become quiet and listen to what he has to tell us. Matthew 11:28 tells us,

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

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“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not”

Isaiah 30:15


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