My Father’s House

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. -John 14:1-3 NRSV

Ever think of Heaven as God's house? The imagery is a bit limiting as an earthly house has a finite number of rooms. Even so, when I think of the word house I see it as a place where a family lives. It is a communal setting where life is lived by people who belong to each other. Perhaps this sense of familial connection is why Jesus calls Heaven a house?

I love how Jesus wants believers to be with him. This desire touches me so deeply. Knowing that Jesus has gone to Heaven before me and desires me to be with him calms my troubled heart in trying times. Understanding that I will one day be with family again encourages me so deeply. It is why I long for my Father's house. My home in heaven.

Help me Lord to live a life that understands that heaven is my home.

... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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Will you lay down your life for me?

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. -John 13:36-38 NRSV

Such a sobering passage. After three years of walking at the side of the Son of God, Peter was still looking for an earthly kingdom. One that would overthrow the Romans and declare Jesus king. This is the Messiah that Peter would lay his life down for. Peter was not ready for what would happen in just a few hours. None of the disciples were.

Have you ever denied Jesus? I have. Maybe not in the way that Peter did but by my actions I surely have. I have heard that cock crow and wept tears of repentance. In times like these it is good to remember that Peter would be restored and used mightily by God. But before that happened the cock had to crow and Peter had to die to himself.

Help us Lord. It is only by grace that we stand. Teach us to walk in humility and reject proud assertations.

... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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I give you a new commandment ...

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. -John 13:34-35 NRSV

Ever wonder why Jesus called this a new commandment? Surely Mosaic Law commanded them to love each other as they loved themselves. And perhaps many of them loved in this way? So how was the love that Christ commanded different? Was it just a matter of love being sacrificial and unconditional? Could not Mosaic love be that kind of love?

For sure the love of Christ that his disciples saw, and would see, embraced sacrifice and was without conditions. Yet I wonder if loving like Jesus is not about those things but about selfless love? What if humility was at the core of our loving? What if we all loved and did not care about who knew it? That would be different. That might change the world.

Help me Lord to love in such a way that my ego is not stroked. Teach me to love in a selfless way.

... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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One of you is going to betray me.

“I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture:
‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” -John 13:18,19,21 NRSV

Jesus had just washed the feet of Judas. The feet of the one who would turn against him. The enemy who he loved. Amazing. He could have waited until his betrayer left the room and then washed his friends' feet. I wonder what it was like for Jesus? I wonder if being troubled in spirit meant that he wept over Judas? This is such a gut wrenching moment.

But it is an encouraging moment for anyone who has ever been betrayed. It is a freeing to know that even the One who never sinned had an enemy. To understand that even divine love is sometimes not enough to prevent betrayal. This frees us from guilt over broken relationships and lost friendships. Sometimes we can do everything right and still lose a friend.

Heal our hearts today Lord. Help us as we grieve over lost friendships and broken relationships.

... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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I have set you an example ...

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. -John 13:13-17 NRSV

I wonder if, in the early church, the disciples ever washed each other's feet. There is no record of it in Acts but I wonder if they did? For sure some modern denominations have foot washing ceremonies much in the way that many churches have communion services. Yet it seems that, in making these things ceremonial, we miss what Jesus was teaching.

Could it be that foot washing was simply an example of servanthood and communion a path to deeper relationships? Perhaps Jesus was not instituting a system of sacramental worship but showing us what it means to be his followers - people more concerned about following his examples of service and fellowship than making these things religious.

Awaken my heart Lord. Teach me what it means to wash the feet of your children.

... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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I have come into the world as a light ...

Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ...
Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. -John 12:37,44-46 NRSV

Do you find it odd that faith is the switch that turns on the lamp of God? Before I believed I could not see the truth about God because I was in darkness. Then in a moment something was born inside of me and my life changed. I was blind to many signs and then I bowed my heart and began to see. Faith had given me vision I previously lacked.

One of the things that I could not see was that God looked like Jesus. This is the thing that many of the Jews, and many today, stumble over. It is difficult for some to see a man like Jesus as the Messiah. Many people then, and people today, want Zeus not Jesus. They really want God to look like an avenging warrior and not a loving shepherd.

Open our eyes Lord that we may see the real you - that we may see Jesus.

... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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It was for this very reason I came to this hour.

My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” -John 12:26-28 NRSV

Like Jesus, our soul can be troubled when we consider the difficult path that we are sometimes called to walk. The patient that has received a cancer diagnosis. The mom or the dad who watches their child battle an addiction. There are things in life that trouble our soul so much. Yet in the midst of it we sometimes hear a voice calling us to glory.

As I read these verses I remember that old hymn that refrains, "It is well with my soul". In times of gut-wrenching trouble we can know that all is well when we understand that the name of God is being glorified in our lives. This thought gives me so much courage to meet the challenges of my day. I long to one day hear the Father speak of how we glorified him.

We live our hearts to you dear Father. Help us to know that we are here to reflect your glory in our troubles.

... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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