Separation...

"....If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father..." (John 14:28)


In children we have labeled it 'separation anxiety'.  Children most often cry when their parents leave them.


Had I walked and talked with Jesus, I have no doubt I would have had separation anxiety too.  The disciples did not find it easy to hear when Jesus was preparing them for what was about to happen. But they needed to hear it, and He needed to say it.

The purpose of His life was not to just live it out.  His purpose was far greater.  In fact, the end of His life was the very reason He was born.

We are never anxious to be separated from those we love and rely on, yet the time comes when we are all separated from each other.  Death comes if nothing else...
Today, people I love are faced with coming separation.  I pray that God will remind each one who struggles with the anxiousness of the moment.....
"....you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." (John 15:19)
We may be apart from each other for some period of time... a very short time in the eternal scope of things....but we can be confident that we are never really separated.  Not when it is the very love of God that binds us together with Him. 
Hallelujah.   


  
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.: (Psalm 116:15)

Self....

Does self come first?  Last? Somewhere in the middle? Who decides?


Self will.
Self love.
Self contempt.
Self righteous.
Self defense.
Self abuse.
Self-admiration.
Self-confidence.
Self-conscience.
Self-sufficient.
Self-preservation.
Self-esteem.
Self-defense.
Selfish.


Me. Me. Me.

Seems quite natural to put self first. Logical really....

But like everything Jesus said and did, He turned all of it around and put self last. And He didn't just issue the order....He didn't just command it, He did it. What might be logical in a human mind matters very little when God is involved.  He acts outside of human wisdom.

He pulled off His deity and put on human flesh. He was First. And He put Himself last. 

 Last.....  After my needs, and yours.

.

Jesus has an uncanny way of cutting right to the heart of a matter.  The Jews had six hundred thirteen laws recorded in the Old Testament.  Jesus summed it all up..... 
" Jesus answered...'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;  
AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'  "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31)God is first.
Neighbor is next.


Following Jesus does not mean being a doormat. It doesn't mean that we become unimportant or of little value. In fact, it means we are of great value !

Following Jesus means HE is first. No need looking any further until we get a grasp of that truth.

Tutor....

Webster says "One who has the care of instructing another in various branches or in any branch of human learning."

 

When I was a student, I never had one.  I took a few piano and voice lessons, maybe that counts....

 

I paid a tutor once, an algebra tutor....(shudder....)   I certainly couldn't help our son with his algebra, so we paid someone to step in.

 

I've done some tutoring I guess....certainly not algebra!, but  I've taught the law of color to hairdressers, and the  principles of shape. 

 

 

  

 

As I read thru scripture and see Jesus' most intimate followers still not 'getting it', my first response is always one of impatience.  Why did they not get it?   How could they still misunderstand? How plain did it have to be?
 

"Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later. Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You."(John 13:36-37) 

 

"Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" (John 14:5)

 

"Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." (John 14:8)

 

"Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?" (John 14:11) 
 

It is easy to read the account recorded in scripture and be impatient with these people.  After all Jesus had taught, after all he had done....they still didn't get it.  It just didn't make sense, didn't match up to anything they were expecting.

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;...that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you"(John 14:16-18 emphasis mine)

 

"....the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you."(John 14:26)

 



This morning, I purpose to give them a break.
This morning, I praise Him for giving me a break.

Not until these intimate followers of Jesus had recieved the Holy Spirit did they really 'get it'.
Not until these disciples of our God in flesh were sent the Holy Tutor did they 'get it'.

And so it was with me. So it is with you. Jesus knew we would need tutoring just as those intimate few did. After that Holy Tutor came to them, they were forever changed. Scripture from Genesis forward totally clicked.  They 'got it'.  Beginning to end.

I continue to be amazed with each new thing that I 'get'. 

Day after day.

Page after page.

Life situation after life situation. 

I have a Tutor in it all.  And He is incredible.