January 7: Accepting His Love.
HIS INFLUENCE.
This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.--John 21:24
Don Quixote, the seventeenth-century classic of Miguel de Cervantes, and the Broadway musical, Man of La Mancha, showcase a woman of shady reputation named Aldonza. In the novel, the mad knight sees her through the eyes of grace, and calls her Dulcinea, which means sweet. Yet, she rejects this new identity, because she is more than aware of who she really is. However, in the end, the influence of his love, and the way he views her, completely changes her into a sweet and reputable woman. Many believe that Cervantes wrote this work during the time of the Inquisition as a veiled spiritual allegory of the gospel.
John, the disciple, was not known for his sweetness. He had such a bad temper that Jesus nicknamed him and his brother James, Boanerges, which means "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). I don't think I would have chosen him...but Jesus did. The "thunder" brothers wanted the best place in the upcoming kingdom (see Mark 10:35-45) and came up with the idea of sending fire from heaven on a Samaritan village that didn't show Jesus hospitality (see Luke 9:51-55). But John, along with the other disciples, were ordinary people who were exposed to Jesus' extraordinary grace. * Jesus treated them with love, and His grace changed them. This selfish and angry disciple became known as the disciple of love. He doesn't even use his own name in his Gospel but identifies himself as "the disciple Jesus loved" (John 13:23; 19:26; 21:7; 21:20). In their last dinner together, John was reclining on Jesus' bosom, as close to Him as possible (John 13:23, 25). Jesus' love had influenced and captured him. John chose to accept the extraordinary love of Jesus, and this became the guiding principle in his ministry. John uses the word love fifty-seven times in his Gospel, and fifty-two times in his letters; one hundred nine times in total! (compare Matthew's seventeen times, Mark's eight times and Luke's nineteen times). If you are struggling with a character trait that God needs to work on, bask in the grace of Jesus, and let His love and grace influence you from inside out.
My Response:_______________________________________________
* For an Additional study of the twelve disciples, see Elizabeth Talbot and Aivare Ozolins, Jesus 101: Radical Discipleship (Nappa, ID: Pacific Press, 2016
HIS INFLUENCE.
This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.--John 21:24
Don Quixote, the seventeenth-century classic of Miguel de Cervantes, and the Broadway musical, Man of La Mancha, showcase a woman of shady reputation named Aldonza. In the novel, the mad knight sees her through the eyes of grace, and calls her Dulcinea, which means sweet. Yet, she rejects this new identity, because she is more than aware of who she really is. However, in the end, the influence of his love, and the way he views her, completely changes her into a sweet and reputable woman. Many believe that Cervantes wrote this work during the time of the Inquisition as a veiled spiritual allegory of the gospel.
John, the disciple, was not known for his sweetness. He had such a bad temper that Jesus nicknamed him and his brother James, Boanerges, which means "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). I don't think I would have chosen him...but Jesus did. The "thunder" brothers wanted the best place in the upcoming kingdom (see Mark 10:35-45) and came up with the idea of sending fire from heaven on a Samaritan village that didn't show Jesus hospitality (see Luke 9:51-55). But John, along with the other disciples, were ordinary people who were exposed to Jesus' extraordinary grace. * Jesus treated them with love, and His grace changed them. This selfish and angry disciple became known as the disciple of love. He doesn't even use his own name in his Gospel but identifies himself as "the disciple Jesus loved" (John 13:23; 19:26; 21:7; 21:20). In their last dinner together, John was reclining on Jesus' bosom, as close to Him as possible (John 13:23, 25). Jesus' love had influenced and captured him. John chose to accept the extraordinary love of Jesus, and this became the guiding principle in his ministry. John uses the word love fifty-seven times in his Gospel, and fifty-two times in his letters; one hundred nine times in total! (compare Matthew's seventeen times, Mark's eight times and Luke's nineteen times). If you are struggling with a character trait that God needs to work on, bask in the grace of Jesus, and let His love and grace influence you from inside out.
My Response:_______________________________________________
* For an Additional study of the twelve disciples, see Elizabeth Talbot and Aivare Ozolins, Jesus 101: Radical Discipleship (Nappa, ID: Pacific Press, 2016
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