Three Ways Jesus' Love Is Greater Than Entitled Entanglement
Keith Craft divides, “I think the church has done a pretty good job at reaching the 'down and outers' but not a good job at reaching the 'up and outers.'"
This reality gives me yet one more reason to be amazed at the persevering level of Jesus. Let's look at His work in the lives of James and John.
In choosing James and John among His first followers, Jesus was risking His reputation on His ability to root in them a love for Him which was stronger than their habits of entitlement. The habits of entitlement didn't start with 21st century technology, but the grip the flask had on James and John gives us an idea of the idolatry which can easily be set us.
Jesus chose to command obedience from those accustomed to being obeyed.
Mark 1:20, "And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him," shows the visible beginning of an amazing transformation. Jesus calls, and James and John placed themselves at Jesus' service. What, and who, they leave behind is almost as instructive.
They leave behind a ship big enough to require multiple hands. What's more, the text explicitly says that James and John leave behind servants. Even if their father Zebedee was titular head, we can be sure that the boss's sons were not easily crossed. They were accustomed to wielding great influence, to getting instant respect, and yet Jesus takes the challenge of making new birth and new identity evident in them.
Jesus calls for more basic transformation than new management the same will.
As Jesus nears the end of His earthly ministry in Luke 9, James and John no doubt have affection for Him as well as the obligation toward Him. They had been swimming downstream from His approach centered on the Word of God.
We see these aspects of their development Jesus is rejected by a Samaritan village. They are offended for His spurned glory. They give Scriptural cadence to their outrage, offering to instantly remedy the situation. Just as they could command and obey on their boat, in Luke 9:54, they propose after Jesus' rejection, "And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, 'Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?'”
If Jesus were satisfied with surface transformation, this might have gratified Him in the moment. If He were satisfied with a new paint job on the same car, He might have been pleased that zeal for a good catch at a good price had not been replaced with a desire for His honor. But Jesus is about changing their nature and about transforming the source and the timeline of their satisfaction.
Jesus brings to harvest in His time and by many hands.
By the time we reach Acts 8, Jesus has readied a harvest in Samaria on which James and John were ready to give up because of the initial rejection the Lord experienced there. They, the sons of wealth and privilege, the sons of thunder, were accustomed to being noticed and getting results they could be known for. Yet, the Lord used the incident in Samaria to teach them forbearance, and there forbearance to bring forth a harvest by other hands.
Surveying the whole work of the Holy Spirit, as John, by grace, lived long enough to do, instant turnarounds became less important. Christ in His time and by His ways, softened hearts and broke class-conscious habits as He is want to do. He wrought a work more amazing than the bringing down of doors which had been closed to Him. He produced hearts of flesh in place of what had been hearts of stone. He showed His ability to do this in His way and His time.
Although we quickly excuse ourselves because we can point to those richer than we are, we have capabilities and comforts which James and John previous to their call could not have imagined. Our gadgets condition us as indulgent servants to having many of our whims satisfied. Spend a little time with Jesus, and we pick up His language and the way in which we can employ it in service of our indignation. The purpose of John the Baptist, though, is our purpose. He must become greater, and we must become less.
He will prevail in the heart of the true Christian. He predates our entitled habits and will be on His throne long after the trinkets which captivate us have turned to dust. He besieged and besieges our hearts to show His persevering power not only at the last that lasting refuge of the poor but as He Who is more lustrous than diamonds and more splendid than gold, Who grants more worth by our association with Him alone than a whole revenue of followers without Him would impart.
This reality gives me yet one more reason to be amazed at the persevering level of Jesus. Let's look at His work in the lives of James and John.
In choosing James and John among His first followers, Jesus was risking His reputation on His ability to root in them a love for Him which was stronger than their habits of entitlement. The habits of entitlement didn't start with 21st century technology, but the grip the flask had on James and John gives us an idea of the idolatry which can easily be set us.
Jesus chose to command obedience from those accustomed to being obeyed.
Mark 1:20, "And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him," shows the visible beginning of an amazing transformation. Jesus calls, and James and John placed themselves at Jesus' service. What, and who, they leave behind is almost as instructive.
They leave behind a ship big enough to require multiple hands. What's more, the text explicitly says that James and John leave behind servants. Even if their father Zebedee was titular head, we can be sure that the boss's sons were not easily crossed. They were accustomed to wielding great influence, to getting instant respect, and yet Jesus takes the challenge of making new birth and new identity evident in them.
Jesus calls for more basic transformation than new management the same will.
As Jesus nears the end of His earthly ministry in Luke 9, James and John no doubt have affection for Him as well as the obligation toward Him. They had been swimming downstream from His approach centered on the Word of God.
We see these aspects of their development Jesus is rejected by a Samaritan village. They are offended for His spurned glory. They give Scriptural cadence to their outrage, offering to instantly remedy the situation. Just as they could command and obey on their boat, in Luke 9:54, they propose after Jesus' rejection, "And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, 'Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?'”
If Jesus were satisfied with surface transformation, this might have gratified Him in the moment. If He were satisfied with a new paint job on the same car, He might have been pleased that zeal for a good catch at a good price had not been replaced with a desire for His honor. But Jesus is about changing their nature and about transforming the source and the timeline of their satisfaction.
Jesus brings to harvest in His time and by many hands.
By the time we reach Acts 8, Jesus has readied a harvest in Samaria on which James and John were ready to give up because of the initial rejection the Lord experienced there. They, the sons of wealth and privilege, the sons of thunder, were accustomed to being noticed and getting results they could be known for. Yet, the Lord used the incident in Samaria to teach them forbearance, and there forbearance to bring forth a harvest by other hands.
Surveying the whole work of the Holy Spirit, as John, by grace, lived long enough to do, instant turnarounds became less important. Christ in His time and by His ways, softened hearts and broke class-conscious habits as He is want to do. He wrought a work more amazing than the bringing down of doors which had been closed to Him. He produced hearts of flesh in place of what had been hearts of stone. He showed His ability to do this in His way and His time.
Although we quickly excuse ourselves because we can point to those richer than we are, we have capabilities and comforts which James and John previous to their call could not have imagined. Our gadgets condition us as indulgent servants to having many of our whims satisfied. Spend a little time with Jesus, and we pick up His language and the way in which we can employ it in service of our indignation. The purpose of John the Baptist, though, is our purpose. He must become greater, and we must become less.
He will prevail in the heart of the true Christian. He predates our entitled habits and will be on His throne long after the trinkets which captivate us have turned to dust. He besieged and besieges our hearts to show His persevering power not only at the last that lasting refuge of the poor but as He Who is more lustrous than diamonds and more splendid than gold, Who grants more worth by our association with Him alone than a whole revenue of followers without Him would impart.
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