missed out
Today I walked up to Jimmy John's subs to grab a sandwhich for lunch. What a beautiful late fall day in central Ohio! On the way back, the story of Jesus meeting the unnamed woman at the well came to mind (John 4). The disciples that day long ago left Jesus to walk into town to get lunch, while Jesus stayed at the well. Along came this woman alone, in the heat of the day, to draw water from the well. During the conversation that ensued, Jesus was able to show the woman his identity as Messiah and reminded her that she was deeply loved by God unconditionally. The encounter transformed the woman. But the disciples missed out on a great God moment because they were hungry. They had to hear, after the fact, what happened at the well.
As I walked I wondered, "Do my cravings or drives in life (ambitions, hungers, desires) that I choose to respond to take me away from God moments? I don't think I'll ever know. When have my desires, ambitions, and/or hungers taken me away from my relationship with Jesus, if only momentary? The disciples were going to come back to Jesus once their hunger was satisfied...but responding to their hunger took them away from Jesus. Why didn't at least one of the eleven stay with Jesus? If Jesus is that important of a guy, wouldn't one of them want to stay close to their rabbi? Why would they leave him alone in the heat of the day? Couldn't they have persuaded Jesus, "Come on Jesus. Just come with us. Come on." And yet, why didn't Jesus persuade them to stay? Things happen when Jesus is around. Why did they leave his side?
What about me? What about you? How much do we miss because we take Jesus for granted or get distracted by the stuff of life? Isn't it interesting that Jesus allows the disciples complete freedom to move away from him. God allows us freedom to come and go as we please. He doesn't demand our attention at all times nor reprimand us for walking away. Not at all. God displays infinite patience with us. Why? Because for Jesus, it's a matter of the heart. He knows we get distracted and come and go. The question still remains however,
"Do we want to be around Jesus or is there something else pulling at our hearts?"
Thanks for reading.
As I walked I wondered, "Do my cravings or drives in life (ambitions, hungers, desires) that I choose to respond to take me away from God moments? I don't think I'll ever know. When have my desires, ambitions, and/or hungers taken me away from my relationship with Jesus, if only momentary? The disciples were going to come back to Jesus once their hunger was satisfied...but responding to their hunger took them away from Jesus. Why didn't at least one of the eleven stay with Jesus? If Jesus is that important of a guy, wouldn't one of them want to stay close to their rabbi? Why would they leave him alone in the heat of the day? Couldn't they have persuaded Jesus, "Come on Jesus. Just come with us. Come on." And yet, why didn't Jesus persuade them to stay? Things happen when Jesus is around. Why did they leave his side?
What about me? What about you? How much do we miss because we take Jesus for granted or get distracted by the stuff of life? Isn't it interesting that Jesus allows the disciples complete freedom to move away from him. God allows us freedom to come and go as we please. He doesn't demand our attention at all times nor reprimand us for walking away. Not at all. God displays infinite patience with us. Why? Because for Jesus, it's a matter of the heart. He knows we get distracted and come and go. The question still remains however,
"Do we want to be around Jesus or is there something else pulling at our hearts?"
Thanks for reading.
posted by Mike Weaver at 2:55 PM
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