Today's scripture: John 20:24-29
Oh, poor Thomas. We give him such a hard time. "Doubting Thomas," we
call him. How could he not believe what the disciples said? How impertinent of
him to require proof!
I have to wonder ... wouldn't I have done the same? Wouldn't you? We tend to
want proof, something tangible to hold on to. We want to touch, to see, to hear
... So are we all that different from Thomas? One of my favorite Christian
musicians is Nichole Nordeman. In a song I love, she also wonders if she's
more like Thomas than she'd like:
Thomas needed
Proof that You had really risen
Undefeated.
When he placed his fingers
Where the nails once broke Your skin
Did his faith finally begin?
I've lied if I've denied
The common ground I've shared with him.
And I, I really want to know You.
I want to make each day
A different way that I can show You how.
I really want to love You.
Be patient with my doubt;
I'm just tryin' to figure out Your will.
And I really want to know You still. (To Know You, 1998)
We all doubt sometimes. Even those of us who follow Christ sometimes ask for
the proverbial fleece. We need that tangible proof. How blessed we are that
Jesus is "patient with [our] doubts."
Just as He came to Thomas to let His disciple see Him and touch Him, He'll come
to us and help us with our own doubts.
Don't be afraid to share your heart with Jesus. Let Him know where you're
struggling. He'll meet you exactly where you are.
Today's scripture: John 13:31-38
Jesus made it very clear: We are to love one another. Even more, we are to love
others as He loves us.
How does He love us? Completely. Unconditionally. With grace and mercy. Even to
the point of dying for us.
Jesus' love isn't based on what we do for Him. It isn't fickle or changeable.
It doesn't wonder if it will be returned. No. Jesus' love is ... well, it's
love. He looks at us, and He just loves us. And how does He demonstrate that
love?
Not long ago, we read about Lazarus' death and the compassion Jesus showed for
Martha and Mary. He grieved with them and shared their broken hearts. We've
seen how, each time He came across a hurting person, He showed care and a
desire to help them. Then, a couple of days ago we looked at the scene where
Jesus washed His disciples' feet. He washed every single foot, even Judas', the
one who was going momentarily betray Him. So, we know that Jesus loves with a compassionate,
caring, and humble servant's heart.
We aren't quite there yet in our study of John, but we know how He ultimately demonstrated His love
for us: He gave His very life for us.
This is how we're to love. We're to show compassion and caring for others.
We're to be willing to humbly serve even those who might hurt us or betray us.
We're to be willing to lay down our lives for them. Just as Jesus did.
And why are we to love like this? Because, as Jesus said, "By this all men
will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Nothing
is quite as detrimental to the cause of Christ as when those who call
themselves by His name treat other Christians with disdain. Even worse, when
they show outright hate for those outside the faith.
If we truly loved as Jesus does, people would be attracted to us—and to Him. If
we showed compassion and caring for others, no matter who they are and what
they've done, it would truly change this world. If we figuratively (or perhaps
literally) washed the feet of even those who might betray us ... oh, imagine how beautiful that would be.
Today's scripture: John 13:21-30
When I think of what Jesus did for me, my heart breaks. I'm not just talking
about His death. Throughout His ministry, Jesus was challenged and ridiculed.
His life was threatened.
Yet I think one of the most heartbreaking things that Jesus experienced on His
journey to the cross was the betrayal by Judas Iscariot. Judas was one of
Jesus' chosen twelve. He had walked with the Master for three years. He had
listened to words of truth. He had seen the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame
walk. He had watched as Lazarus walked out of the grave.
And just moments ago, Jesus had knelt at his feet and washed them. I imagine
that moment. Jesus kneeling at the feet of the man who would betray Him. Can
you imagine what might have been going through each man's mind? Jesus, knowing
what Judas was about to do, still gazed at him with love. I imagine His heart
broke. He loved this man, yet He knew Judas' heart was open to the lies of the
enemy.
It's harder for me to imagine Judas' mind, though. I have to believe he cared
for Jesus. I don't think Judas betrayed Jesus because he hated Him; I think he
was just really greedy. We already read of his response when Mary anointed Jesus'
feet. We know from John's words that Judas lined his own pockets with offerings
given to Jesus. I honestly believe Judas thought Jesus would be imprisoned, but
I don't think he thought the Master would be killed.
In any case, no matter Judas' motives, he did indeed betray Jesus for 30 pieces
of silver. And Jesus watched one of His closest friends leave
"immediately" to hand Him over to the chief priests and Pharisees.
Jesus understands us. He knows us. He knows our hearts. And He completely,
totally understands betrayal. If you've been betrayed by a friend or a spouse
or a family member, He knows what you're going through. You can go to Him and
open your heart to Him. Give Him your pain. Give Him your sorrow. He knows what
you're feeling.
Today's
scripture: John 11:17-37
We continue with the familiar story of Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead,
and we see Jesus' love and compassion. We also see a wonderful example of trust
even through the most painful of circumstances.
I love how the Bible depicts scenes of Jesus interacting with women. Many say
the Bible—and therefore Christianity—is anti-women. Perhaps that's true in the
Old Testament although many strong women are depicted, such as Sarah, Ruth, and
Deborah. Certainly by the time Jesus came to earth, women were treated as
second-class. However, Jesus' message was one of equality in the eyes of the
Father. And He demonstrated this with how He compassionately and lovingly dealt
with women.
Today's verses offer another glimpse into this side of Jesus. When Martha came
to greet Him, she was understandably distraught. Her brother had died, and
Jesus wasn't there to heal Him. She'd seen Jesus heal others; why hadn't He
healed her brother? Jesus didn't rebuke her or immediately begin a sermon. He
just promised her Lazarus would live again. Then when He met with Mary, He felt
so much compassion for her pain, He wept. Even though He already knew the outcome,
He grieved with this woman whom He loved.
Jesus already knows the end of each of our stories. He already knows who will
be healed on earth, who will have the joy of going to heaven. He knows what
jobs we'll have, where we'll live, what we'll do. Yet, He knows our humanity
and our lack of understanding. So He grieves when we do. He loves us through
our moments of doubt, and He gently reminds us of whom He is.
Just as He did with Martha and Mary.
These verses also illustrate faith and trust even when one doesn't understand.
Martha often gets a bad rap. We're all familiar with the story of when Jesus
came to visit. Martha's running around trying to prepare the meal; Mary's
sitting at Jesus' feet. "Make Mary come and help," Martha cries.
Jesus responds, "Martha, you're worrying about things that don't really
matter. Mary has chosen to learn of things that have eternal value." (See Luke 10:38-42.)
Study upon study seems to tell us we should be Marys instead of Marthas. Yet,
in today's passage, Martha seems to be the more trusting of the sisters. She
had clearly listened to Jesus' teaching. She knew about the "resurrection
on the last day." She knew those who followed Jesus would live again. Jesus
said some key words to the Christian faith: "I am the
resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone
who lives and believes in Me will never die." He then asked a critical
question: "Do you believe this?” Martha answered
rightly, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”
Her dearly loved brother had died. She was in pain. But even in that pain, she
trusted that Jesus was exactly who He said He was.
We'll all experience pain in some way. The question we have to ask ourselves is
whether we believe in Jesus in spite of the pain. Will we be like Martha? Or
will we turn away. Jesus often works in a way contrary to our wants, but we can
always trust Him. No matter the circumstance.
