The With-God Life:
The Dynamics of Scripture for Christian Spiritual Transformation
June 19-22, 2005
Adams Mark Hotel
Denver Colorado
Featuring
Richard J. Foster
David deSilva
Dallas Willard
Michelle Lee
Virginia Stem Owens
Information &
Registration
|
A Selection from the profile:
"John: Simple Love"
by Brenda Quinn
In the forthcoming
Renovaré
Spiritual Formation Bible |
Pre-order today
On sale now
|
John: Simple Love
John is perhaps best known as the "disciple whom
Jesus loved." He is also considered by many to be the "John" named
at the opening of the fantastic vision that makes up Revelation. Yet early
in his career as a disciple, Jesus nicknamed John and his brother James the "Sons
of Thunder." We're told that one day John wanted to stop a man from
driving out demons in Jesus' name because "he does not follow with us" (Luke
9:50). Another time, as they traveled through Samaria and the people refused
to give shelter to Jesus and the disciples, John and James asked if they
should command fire to come from heaven and consume the villagers (Luke 9:51-55).
And later, the brothers had their mother ask Jesus to grant them special
places of authority next to him in his coming kingdom (Matt 20:20-28).
John claimed great love for Jesus early on; yet these three scenes don't
reflect a deep understanding of the kind of love Jesus taught and lived.
John seemed to view Jesus as an earthly ruler. Yet, when we jump ahead to
John's leadership at the church of Ephesus, where he spent his final years,
his perspective had changed greatly. Now he spoke mostly of love--simple
and selfless Christ-like love. An early tradition reports that in old age
John eventually became too weak to walk and was carried to church meetings
on a pallet, where he would whisper again and again, "Little children,
love one another."
After much time spent with Jesus on earth, many years as a leader of the
early church, and many issues to address in instructing these early Christians,
John's message only became more basic. "Love one another," he pleaded
over and over. He had come to understand the essence of Jesus and of God
the Father. He understood why Jesus came, why he died and rose, and why he
promised a fantastic future for his own. Jesus possesses a love like no other,
a love that only God can supply, and those who know Jesus can do nothing
else but reflect that same love. Truly, the gospel message remains this simple:
Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-40) . . .
John's understanding of Jesus began with his comprehension of Christ's
love. His epistles keep circling back to that love and pleading with Christians
to let the same love be true of them. "Believe" he had pressed
in his Gospel. "Walk just as he walked" (2:6), he exhorts in his
first epistle. "Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters
also" (4:21). And at last John writes in Revelation, as he encounters
the King of the ages and of all eternity, "blessed are those who hear
and who keep what is written" (1:3). John's will had been turned fully
to Christ and he cared only that he and his fellow believers followed faithfully
in the way of Christ, the way of love toward God and one another. . .
Personal Reflection
· Does your love for God ever resemble John's
early character - aggressive, quick to point a finger at others, concerned
about your place in the spiritual
pecking order? In what ways does Jesus pull you apart as a "favorite" anyway?
 
|
E-newsletter Archive
November/December 2004
