S - “"Truly,
truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do;
and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified
in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. … Whoever has my
commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be
loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. … If anyone
loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come
to him and make our home with him.” John 14:12-14, 21, 23 ESV
O - The
openhanded and openhearted dynamics of these words of Jesus are amazing.
Whoever, anyone, ask anything, greater works, manifest, make our home, love and
being loved. The subject and verbs primarily belong to Jesus and his Father.
The object is whoever and anyone. The solitary response for all anyones is to
believe and love back. Contrary to religious teaching, believing in Jesus is
much less about theological truths concerning his identity and much, much more
about confidence in his person; confidence based on relational footings not
religious ones.
A -
Confidence in a person manifests itself differently than assent to accurate
information about a person . Trust and love are not the result of agreeing on
facts but the result of relational experience. I am tragically capable of
holding to theological conclusions about Jesus while putting no confidence in
his person and activity. Heaven calls me to trust (fierce personal loyalty) a
person not data; and to love that person. The result will be a confidence that
asks anything.
P - Lord of all,
Thank you for giving us yourself, not just
your CV. You were amazing two thousand years ago and remain amazing to and in
this very day. I will respond to you in confidence and in asking big today. Am
so grateful for you and your relentless love.
I love you back,
Steve
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