February 12, 2009

On the Journey

                            Jesus says—“where I am, my servant will be also”

              The Bible is the most engaging and mysterious book I read. The Bible possesses a power. I believe it is alive with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit continues to teach us the way of Jesus through the words of the Bible. Through the illuminating power of the Spirit, even the most familiar passage erupts with new meanings and insights.

              Recently, I have begun to read the Bible from a new perspective. I have sought to follow a path to the scriptures blazed by the desert fathers. Following this path, followers of Jesus allow the Biblical text to search their hearts and lives. We do not seek to be masters of the scriptures, but, rather, we allow the scriptures to be our masters in developing our spiritual life. When we read the Bible this way, we allow the text to teach, confront, convict, and transform our lives of faith shaping us into the image of Christ.

              Last week, I was reading John’s gospel and these words of Jesus captured my spirit and mind—“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”[John 12:26] In this verse, Jesus confronted me with his assertion that to serve him I must follow him to the place of service he has chosen.  While engaging this verse in prayer, I came to realize that I have often separated following and serving. I am possessed with a desire to serve Christ. Yet, I am always searching for where that place of service might be. I am always scanning our community for groups of people that have been overlooked or human needs that are not being served by anyone. I want Immanuel to be engaged in serving others as Jesus served. I confess I may be missing the mark. Jesus reminds me that to be his servant I must be where he is—“where I am my servant will be.”

              This verse challenges me. Jesus tells me that to serve him I must follow him. He reminds me that when I am serving others I am in reality serving him. Jesus is saying again, “If you have done it (offered a drink to the thirsty, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, welcomed the stranger, or visited the prisoner) unto the least of these my brothers and sisters, you have done unto me.” He complicates this question of serving by saying in this verse that to serve him I must go where he goes. If I am his servant, if we are his servants, we will go where Jesus goes. Now honesty before Jesus requires me to confess, that I—we—don’t often go to the places where Jesus went. Not many of us are accused of eating with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. I—we—are more likely to be found in more respectable places among a better sort of people far from the people Jesus embraced as brothers and sisters.

              Honesty before Jesus would also require that we acknowledge that we often express an aversion to following Jesus to the places where he goes. How often have we heard ourselves say, “I just can’t go to the nursing home.” Yet, I suspect we will find Jesus there among the lonely. We say, “I just can’t go to the hospital.” Yet, Jesus, in his time, was known primarily as a healer, which means he was always stopping where the sick and diseased were being tended.

              We faced a unique challenge to follow Jesus to a place where we might serve him with our mission meal last month. For more than a decade now, we have invited the residents of River City Mission to come to our church and enjoy a meal we prepare for them. We engage strangers in the comfort and security of our own building. We venture beyond our comfort zone, but not very far. In January, because of the displacement the fire has caused us, we had to go to the mission and serve the meal. Perhaps our going away from the church expressed best what Jesus is saying. We follow him to serve him in the places where he goes.

              Following Jesus to the places where he goes presents a serious challenge to our ideas of serving Jesus. Too often we decide where we want to go. We assume Jesus will meet us there. We assume his presence because we are doing the things he commands us to do. This all sounds good and feels right, but it doesn’t seem to capture the spirit of this saying of Jesus. I continue to wrestle with “where I am, my servant will be.” To give life to this teaching, I must begin to go where Jesus goes, to meet the people he meets, to serve him by serving them. I think I have captured this idea with my mind, but I am waiting for my mind and heart to connect. When my mind and heart connect, then I will be following Jesus to places of service rather than choosing my own places to serve.

              I would encourage you to read the Bible in this way. When your heart or mind are captured by a verse or passage of scripture, write it down on a 3 by 5 card and carry it around for a few days. Reflect on the words every opportunity you have. Engage other believers in a conversation about the text. Offer the verse to your Sunday School class for discussion. I am going to put up a bulletin board where we can post these verses. Then I can encounter a verse that captured you and share the in your reflections. I invite you to begin this discipline with me and let’s see where Jesus takes us. We are together on this journey of faith.jamie