Abide:  Week 7 Devotionals

Author:  Aaron Kook

Monday, November 16, 2009

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:1

I have become pretty computer savvy over the last couple years. For example, on the computer program Microsoft Word, I have discovered that there are many ways to highlight text, to make it stand out for my readers. I can italicize a word, make it bold, or put a line underneath it. It makes writing even more interesting for me because I have new ways to emphasize the points I most especially want to make. 2000 years ago, Christians didn’t have computers and they didn’t even have punctuation! However, in his gospel, John has his own special ways of highlighting. For example, the command we read about in this verse (to love one other) is mentioned twice, here and previously in 13:34. John repeats the command again, in almost the same form as his first letter (1 John 4:7-12). Notice also that John does not portray Jesus giving commands very often. He saves commands for special occasions. Jesus’ insistence on this point must have made a very powerful impact on this apostle’s ministry. It is almost as if John has a big yellow highlighter marker and is running it over these words. He wants us to know that this is a big deal.

So what’s the big deal? Well, Jesus says elsewhere that God’s rules for our lives (the law) can be simplified down to these two commands: to love God and to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:35-40). Take note: the two greatest commandments are concerned with love. If our relationship with God and our relationship with others is determined and defined by the love that Jesus shows us, then Jesus will be the best teacher of right loving and right living.

Now everyone’s talking about love these days. Everyone has an opinion about what love is and, depending on their experiences, how love should be done. We should look to Jesus, our divine teacher. Jesus doesn’t just tell us what love looks like; he is an extraordinary teacher because he shows us too! As we enter this week, we come to God humbly, believing that He will show us, beyond all our experience and beyond all our expectation, what it means that He loves us. Another apostle also writes:

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Even before we look into the details of this love, let us stand in the presence of Jesus with this same expectant prayer. What we need from Jesus is a revelation of his love. Let us believe that Jesus will reveal his love to us as we abide in Him this week.

Jesus, let me know your love. I want to love You and I want to love others, but most of all I want to know your love. I don’t want to assume that I understand these things, but I want to come to you as a humble student. Jesus, I am in need of a divine revelation, so let me know your love. Amen.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12.

Something should be said about this particular verse from the context, from what comes before it. Jesus has just been speaking about our connecting with Him; He is talking about the abiding life. Let us imagine ourselves as the twelve disciples, as those who were closest to Jesus. They have been ‘abiding’ with Him for three years. If they will be obedient to his simple command, their love for each other will reflect the way that He loved them in those years. How does Jesus love his disciples? When we grasp this, we identify God’s heart for his community; for we are commanded to love the same way Jesus loves his disciples and the same way He loves us.

How does Jesus love his disciples? I can think of a few ways. First, Jesus spends time with his disciples, even when no one else cares to. Consider Levi at Mark 2:4. Jesus calls out to a man who is looked down upon as a lowly sinner. Jesus also calls out to a short, rejected man named Zacchaeus, who is camping out in a tree (Luke 19:5), and spends the day with him. Perhaps there are downtrodden folk in your life, whom others have found too needy or ‘annoying’ to be worth their time. God may be calling you to spend some time with them. If you feel that you are rejected yourself, know that Jesus has already accepted you; know that he is calling you to be a minister of his holy gospel to others, to love them. You have a high calling on your life! He will encourage you and show his love to you even as you look to spend time with others who are also in need of acceptance.

Second, Jesus is always serving his disciples. He washes their feet (John 12), He prays for them (Luke 22:32) and equips them (Luke 9:1-2). Among his own people, his place is intentionally humble and service-oriented (Mark 9:35). We also can expect to squirm at the humble services we are called to perform for our friends in Christ; especially if we have not been freed from the ‘pride of life.’ May you encounter the love of Jesus so as to become completely free from the constraints of pride and the need for the praise of men!

Can you think of some other ways that Jesus loved his disciples in the gospels? If you are not familiar with the life of Jesus, you can open to one of the early chapters of John (chapters 4, 5, or 6). Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how Jesus loves his friends in those chapters. Then ask Him to show you how He wants you to do the same for others. Looking at the life of Jesus, let us stand amazed at the many ways Jesus displays his love for his friends.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12.

I want to highlight another way in which Jesus expresses his love because it is central to this passage: Jesus allows his friends to get close to Him, to abide close by. Jesus is careful not to share his every internal thought or feeling with his friends, nor does He allow their opinion of Him to guide his actions (John 2:24-25), but He keeps them close and does not shrink back from intimacy. Most especially I am reminded of the incredible image of John, reclining ‘upon the breast’ of Christ (translated literally from the original Greek: epi to stathos John 13:25), asking Jesus to identify the betrayer. Also, I think of the woman whom Jesus allows to wash his feet with perfume, with her tears, and with her hair (Luke 7:36-38). I have often wondered about the particularities of the relationship Jesus cultivates with Peter, James and John, a relationship that allows them to feel comfortable asking him stupid questions (Mark 9:5-6); their relationship with God is not simply that of master and servant, but of close friends (John 15:15). I think about the way He loves to bring children near to bless them, and tells the disciples that they too must become children in this same way (Mark 10:13-16). There are enough details in the four gospels to show that Jesus loves to draw his friends close to Him. Furthermore, in Revelation 3:20, Jesus speaks to some disciples who have weakened in their commitment to Him. He writes, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” By the Spirit of God, Christ’s invitation is the same for us; we too may enjoy intimate fellowship with Jesus of Nazareth, even as we spend time with Him each day.

In the same way, we are called to love other believers by allowing them into our life. That means that we will share with them the details of our daily walking with God; we will be open about our struggles, our longings, and our triumphs. In the course of a hectic schedule, it is easy to remain disconnected from friends regarding these deeper concerns. Often I would rather shut off or speak only about surface matters, especially when I am in a rotten mood or when I am doing things that are wrong. Being open to friends about my life’s ‘ups and downs’ is a way of helping to keep me accountable, but it also shows them that they are trusted and needed. When I draw them close to me, I express my friendship with them. Allowing others into my life also means letting them bless me. Sometimes I can be uncomfortable in letting friends encourage me or in receiving gifts from them. If someone speaks an up-building word to me, I will sometimes second guess it or respond with a self-disparaging remark. There is some pride in me, but also some fear; I am afraid that if I receive encouragement, I will have to respond likewise. Often I lack the faith to believe that the encouragement is true. It is the same with receiving gifts. Often I don’t think I have anything in myself to give back. In the midst of this kind of struggle, ask yourself: Are my relationships patterned on the love that Jesus shows to me? Will I step out into ‘deeper waters’ of friendship, knowing that Jesus first entrusted himself to a deeper friendship with me? To share life with friends is a risky business because we humans are not always sure of ourselves or of others. It requires discernment and prayerfulness, but also a boldness that comes from knowing who we are in Christ.

Pray this prayer today: Lord is there anyone whom you’ve called me to befriend on a deeper level? Do I have relationships where I share openly about my life? Do I consistently practice the giving and receiving of encouragement with my Christian friends? Show me where my friendships are not patterned on the love that You show me and help me to love others as You have loved me.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12.

Yesterday, we discussed the need to receive accountability and encouragement as an act of love and as a means of deepening our friendships. You may not have noticed that I did not give particular examples of how Jesus did those things. Did Jesus open up to his disciples about his inner life? He knew well that they were faithless enough to desert Him and that they were smothered in ambition, but I believe there is evidence to show that He chose to be open with them about certain struggles anyway. Take for example the intensity with which Jesus responds to Peter’s rebuke. “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of man!” (Mark 8:33) Peter has questioned and rebuked Jesus for saying that He will have to be handed over to their enemies to be killed. With the reference to Satan, whose role in the gospels is foremost that of a tempter, Jesus makes it clear to his disciples that Peter’s words have stirred up a place of difficulty within him. His passionate response does not come simply from a place of objective concern about Peter’s ‘misguided theology.’ Rather, Peter’s words are clearly striking a tender place in Jesus’ spirit. Later, with regards to this same place of trial, Jesus is again transparent to his three closest friends, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to the point of death.” (Mark 14:34). Paul follows Jesus’ example and is open with his believing friends about places of weakness in his life. He describes the difficulties of his present situation and says that he will speak even more openly about it, to the point of ‘boasting’ in his weakness, because when he is weak (and honest about his weakness), God is the most faithful to provide strength (2 Corinth 12:7-10). At Thessalonians 5:14 Paul writes, “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.” We all are undisciplined, discouraged, and weak at times. In order for the church to operate as God desires, we are all given this exhortation, to keep each other accountable and to provide mutual encouragement.

Consider, as another example, the encouragement Jesus receives from Peter. Peter tells Jesus who He is, the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus knows this already; He was reminded of it when He was baptized and he knew it when he was in the temple at the age of twelve. Yet, Jesus receives it as a word directly from the Father. He does not state whether it makes Him ‘feel’ encouraged, but he does affirm it and take it as a statement of prophetic power in his life. Often there is little ‘feeling’ that we gain from a friend’s encouragement, but it is still good and right to speak in agreement, to call an encouragement true in light of the revelation of God. This is what it means to receive encouragement from friends. In that process, Jesus loves Peter too, by affirming that his words are from God and that his words have been received in love. To receive encouragement is just as much an act of love as giving encouragement. Both are essential to the Christian life. Likewise, in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul writes, “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.” Isn’t it incredible, the way that God’s word is so consistent and clear? Let’s be obedient!

List at least two people in your life who hear about your deepest struggles on a weekly basis. List at least two people from whom you receive encouragement on a weekly basis. Hopefully, they are the same two people for both activities! If you cannot think of two people on these activities, ask God to point out two people who can fulfill this role for you. Before the end of the week, be sure to initiate with them for intentional accountability and encouragement.

Friday, November 20, 2009

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13

The first verse is often interpreted in relation to the verse following it. The second verse defines the greatest love: to lay down your life for your friend; this is the love that Jesus made plain to us on the cross. He took our sin upon himself and paid its consequence, death and utter separation from God. How do we love others as He has loved us? First, God calls us to offer our lives to God for the sake of God’s calling on our life. This ‘offering’ parallels the offering Jesus made of his own life on the cross. Jesus says, “If any man would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me; for whoever wants to save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)

To lose one’s life for the gospel–what can that mean but, first, to speak to secular friends lovingly and boldly about the life offered by Jesus? When we share our faith with non-believers and when we face their disinterest or anger, we learn truly to die to ourselves and to love unconditionally. Paul the apostle later speaks about his friend Timothy who has learned what it means to love self-sacrificially for the sake of the gospel. He writes, “I have no one else like him [Timothy], who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone else looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” In this passage, Timothy’s gospel-driven service is not only pointed toward the testimony of the gospel to unbelievers, but also to the strengthening of the message in the established community of God. Timothy looks out for the ‘welfare’ of the believers at Philippi and holds their interests and needs over his own interests. That is an incredibly challenging example of loving others as Christ first loved!

Lord Jesus, we call out to You. Give us a revelation of understanding, so that we may know what your sacrificial death signifies for us. Help us again to become lost in wonder at this astonishing act of love. As your students, we come before You longing to know what it means to love others in this same kind of love. We know that You looked to our interests over your own, and so now we entrust our lives to your care. Speak to us about the places in our lives that are not fully given over to you and help us to surrender those strongholds to you. Help us to look to your interests and not to our own. We love you and worship you, not only for your sacrificial giving, but also for your place in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father, ever living to speak to Him on our behalf.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

“My command is this…” John 15:12

Are God’s commands just too difficult to follow? Sometimes it seems that way. When we consider the laws that God gave to Moses in the Old Testament, we can imagine that the Israelites may have been overwhelmed by the expectations of God. According to traditional divisions of the laws, there are altogether 613 commandments! As if remembering all of those laws were not difficult enough, consider this: the hardest part of God’s commandments is not the memorization of them, but obedience to them. Sometimes I find myself in circumstances where it seems to me that I can barely tolerate to submit to the command that God has given me. This often happens when my own desires and ambitions lead me in a different direction from his command; they seem to promise me more than the desires and expectations of God promise. In those times, I have found it difficult to walk in obedience with Jesus.

Yet, at the very end of the books of law, Moses writes, “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” (Deuteronomy 30:11) How can he dare to say this without cracking a smile? Is he being serious? Does he really think that these 613 commandments are not too difficult? Consider this verse in the context of a promise made a little earlier. Moses says, “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.” (Deut. 30:6). Here is the major condition that makes the laws easy to follow: God promises that he will renovate the hearts of his people, so that they may follow him freely and wholeheartedly.

Now we, as followers of Jesus, as new creations in Christ, as partakers in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, begin to walk in the strength of One living inside of us; we begin to see that his commandments are hardly burdensome for those that live according to the Spirit. Paul writes, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” In living daily with Jesus, the things that God expects us to do are usually quite clear; they are prepared in advance. We just walk the road already made straight for us! Even when choices seem difficult, let’s say by faith now that God’s expectations are not to difficult to follow, that we will obey his commands with joy, completing his tasks with ease because we are God’s beloved children, chosen to do the works that Jesus did, and even greater works too, destined to love each other and the world with the loved that Jesus has shown first to us.

Lord, your yoke is easy and your burden is light. I come to you with my fear of failure and the weight of consciousness. I affirm now that every task You have prepared for me has been fashioned for the purpose of my succeeding, to the praise of your glory. By faith I believe that I will be obedient to You and follow You with my whole heart.