March 21 | John 8:31-32

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DAILY READING

John 8:31-32

REFLECTION

Staying Connected to Jesus

By Todd Marti

The last few days’ readings (John Chapter 7 and most of 8) involved a lot of conflict. Jesus was harshly attacked. His followers must have been dismayed and unsure how to respond.  Jesus told them to draw near to Him amid that controversy. More specifically, He told them to believe, follow Him, and hold to His teaching. John 7:38; 8:12; 8:31-23.

We see similar dynamics in today’s world; Jesus and His gospel are being assaulted in word and deed, from left and right.  We believers are not sure how to respond. My guess is that Jesus would tell us the same thing He told the believers in John 7 and 8: draw close to Him.

Does that mean we are to retreat into a holy huddle in the face of the world’s pushback against Jesus? Not if we follow His instructions. He told His followers to “believe” and “follow” Him. The Greek words underlying those directions referred to, among other things, obedience,  conformity to a leader’s example, and being guided by him.  Jesus unequivocally told His followers to carry out scripture’s mandates to care for the vulnerable. Matthew 25:31-46; Wisdom Principles: Caring for the Weak & Vulnerable. We cannot do that without engaging the world. He confronted the powerful when they were out of line, and the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther, and other believers have followed His example since then. Matthew 21:12-17;  Matthew 23;  Luke 20:9-19; Acts 16:35-40; Acts 22:22-29;  What Role Did The Catholic Church Play In Solidarity?; The Role of Religion in the Civil Rights Movements. That too requires us to engage.  We simply cannot obey Jesus’ clear instructions or follow his example unless we actively engage the world.

But—and this is crucial— we can only effectively engage if we have an intimate and obedient relationship with Jesus. Without that relationship we will either burn out or become infected by the very evils we seek to address.

So how do we do that?

Today’s reading provides important instruction: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” John 8:31-32 (NASB, emphasis added).  The Greek word translated as “continue” meant to “dwell”, “lodge,” “be constantly present,” or “rooted in.”  That tells us that we must spend a lot of time connected to Jesus. That gives us the stamina, wisdom, and discernment to know how to respond to what we face.

We can do that in at least two ways.

One is through spending more dedicated, focused, time reading, studying, and praying with scripture. Some ways to do that are discussed here.

Another way is to connect during other, less focused, times:

[Look] for otherwise empty, unproductive, spaces in [your] day-to-day lives and sow[] seeds of Godliness there. Turn the radio off while you’re driving and pray or think about a scripture passage you recently read/heard.  As you do mindless chores, think about the good things that God has provided you and thank Him.  Ask God to get/keep you on track in your workday by praying every time you wash your hands. Filling in the Spaces. 

The goal is to get, and stay, as close to Jesus as you can. That is how we gain the strength to do the things He call us to do.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, draw us to Jesus amidst the upheavals around us. Bless us with rich times of focused interaction with you and your word. Engage us and help us to respond throughout our days. Get us and keep us close to Jesus in whatever circumstances we are in. We ask this in His Name. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TODD MARTI

I have been connected to UALC since 2000 in various small groups and as a co-manager of the UALC Community Garden. I’m married to Kelly Marti, and the proud father of Sarah Marti. I am happy to be writing these devotions.