Jerusalem--built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks in the name of the Lord. There thrones for the judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. (Verses 3-5)
"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me, I have given them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one." Jesus John 17
The heart of God is that we are a united family, bound together by the Holy Spirit indwelling us, living in harmony. Not automatons without original thought or devoid of specific personalities. But kids with the same Father and His spiritual genes creating a new, unique person with a singular place in the larger family. That we sit at the table together conversing from the same place of heart. We all are one. Bear the family name. Protect the family ideals. Love each other for our similarities and for our differences. Born this time of spirit, our fleshly heritage now controlled by the life of our Father, not by the whims of our earthly desires. One.
It's always an adventure to have dinner with the Farish clan when we all get together. Bill and I purposed even before we had children that we would allow them to express themselves as long as they weren't sassing us or trying to simply get their way. I remember growing up wishing I could ask pertinent questions about God without looking like I didn't believe in Him any more. My Mother was horrified and my father didn't have any answers, so I just shut up. We wanted our children to ask. And we wanted to find the answers with them if we didn't know. Turns out our kids are three very distinct individuals with very diverse opinions. They love to argue. They're smart enough to spend hours doing so. I know to some, our dinner parties look like they need a referee (sometimes they actually do), but generally speaking, iron sharpens iron when they get together. It's okay that they don't always agree on everything. They have room to be individuals. God's family is no different. What happens so often in the church is dogma kills the home. You can just get out if you don't agree with me! kinda thing. It's certainly not what Jesus died for.
I love the last chapter of the book of John. Several of the disciples had been out on the Sea of Tiberias all night, fishing. Catching nothing. At daybreak, they saw a man standing on the shore. They didn't know it was Jesus at the time. "Children!" the man yelled, "did you catch anything last night?" "No!" they called back. "Throw your nets out into the water from the right side of the boat, and you'll find some!" So they did. Filled the nets so full they couldn't get all the fish back into the boat. "It's the Lord!" John understood the moment best. Peter couldn't wait to see him. Had denied three times that He even knew Jesus. Loved Him so much, though. Jumped from the boat and swam to embrace the man on the shore. Who'd called them--children.
They all sat down to eat a breakfast of fish grilled over a charcoal fire. Together. The Father of reborn sons eating with His kids. John, the one who'd stayed by the cross--the only one who didn't fail Jesus. Peter, the zealot who'd promised he'd die for Jesus, yet denied he knew Jesus before his own life was even threatened. Thomas who doubted Jesus had risen. Argued that he'd have to see the scars in His hands before he'd believe such a thing. James, the fiery brother of John. Quick to speak. It's what I like about the family dynamic of their new relationship. They weren't one in their personalities. They were united because they loved the same Jesus with all their hearts. And Jesus picks this moment to address Peter's denial. Breakfast with the family. Really? They all knew what Peter had done. They all knew what they had done. "Peter, do you love Me more than these brothers do, who sit here with us?" What a question. Talk about stirring up controversy. But, remember, Peter had said, "I don't know what these other guys will do, but I love you enough to die for you!" That last night at dinner. In front of them all. So once again at a meal, a proclamation is demanded. "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." Head down, heart thumping. Peter could've lived forever without having to address the issue of his denial. "Then feed my lambs." Jesus wouldn't let it drop. Three denials. Three times the question. "Peter, do you love Me?" Finally Peter answers, "Lord, You know everything. You know I love You!"
The next thing Jesus does, however, is prophesy how Peter will die. "When you are old, you will stretch out your hands and another will take you where you don't want to go." Suddenly Peter's heart seized up. "Follow Me," Jesus commanded next. Still love Me now? Peter was no doubt feeling singled out, vulnerable. The only death Jesus predicted was his. How fair was that? "What about John?" asked Peter as he looked over at the brother who'd done it right. The one who'd leaned on Jesus at Passover meal and asked, "Who is it that will betray You?" That one. The good one. What about him?
Jesus allowed this question. Brothers finding themselves in different places in the family dynamic. Jesus didn't say, "How dare you asked such a question after what you did?" Didn't condemn. Answered the question with the authority of the head of the family. "If I let John live until I come again, what's that to you. You follow Me." Because that's the only way the family is going to stay together. If we each follow Him. Peter's walk didn't look like John's. John's didn't look like his brother's. What binds us together is the Spirit of Christ, Jesus actually living in each of us as individuals with varied personalities revealing Himself to us as we need it for His glory and for our good. Each with different gifts that are given to us to create unity of body. Not supposed to be jealous of your gift, leaving me less time to use my own. We are supposed to rejoice in the place each of our brothers and sisters has in our family. And take any infighting (which there probably will be) to the Father, together.
Our family is one--Farishes. We are divergent, though. Oh, man. We are. But we are bound together by our intense love for each other and by our deep love for the same Father. There is room for us to disagree. There isn't room for us to judge or condemn. Ask questions. Go ahead. The Father isn't intimidated by them. But since the new Jerusalem--heaven--is where our larger spiritual family is bound, we need to be intentional about keeping together as the church.
"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me, I have given them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one." Jesus John 17
The heart of God is that we are a united family, bound together by the Holy Spirit indwelling us, living in harmony. Not automatons without original thought or devoid of specific personalities. But kids with the same Father and His spiritual genes creating a new, unique person with a singular place in the larger family. That we sit at the table together conversing from the same place of heart. We all are one. Bear the family name. Protect the family ideals. Love each other for our similarities and for our differences. Born this time of spirit, our fleshly heritage now controlled by the life of our Father, not by the whims of our earthly desires. One.
It's always an adventure to have dinner with the Farish clan when we all get together. Bill and I purposed even before we had children that we would allow them to express themselves as long as they weren't sassing us or trying to simply get their way. I remember growing up wishing I could ask pertinent questions about God without looking like I didn't believe in Him any more. My Mother was horrified and my father didn't have any answers, so I just shut up. We wanted our children to ask. And we wanted to find the answers with them if we didn't know. Turns out our kids are three very distinct individuals with very diverse opinions. They love to argue. They're smart enough to spend hours doing so. I know to some, our dinner parties look like they need a referee (sometimes they actually do), but generally speaking, iron sharpens iron when they get together. It's okay that they don't always agree on everything. They have room to be individuals. God's family is no different. What happens so often in the church is dogma kills the home. You can just get out if you don't agree with me! kinda thing. It's certainly not what Jesus died for.
I love the last chapter of the book of John. Several of the disciples had been out on the Sea of Tiberias all night, fishing. Catching nothing. At daybreak, they saw a man standing on the shore. They didn't know it was Jesus at the time. "Children!" the man yelled, "did you catch anything last night?" "No!" they called back. "Throw your nets out into the water from the right side of the boat, and you'll find some!" So they did. Filled the nets so full they couldn't get all the fish back into the boat. "It's the Lord!" John understood the moment best. Peter couldn't wait to see him. Had denied three times that He even knew Jesus. Loved Him so much, though. Jumped from the boat and swam to embrace the man on the shore. Who'd called them--children.
They all sat down to eat a breakfast of fish grilled over a charcoal fire. Together. The Father of reborn sons eating with His kids. John, the one who'd stayed by the cross--the only one who didn't fail Jesus. Peter, the zealot who'd promised he'd die for Jesus, yet denied he knew Jesus before his own life was even threatened. Thomas who doubted Jesus had risen. Argued that he'd have to see the scars in His hands before he'd believe such a thing. James, the fiery brother of John. Quick to speak. It's what I like about the family dynamic of their new relationship. They weren't one in their personalities. They were united because they loved the same Jesus with all their hearts. And Jesus picks this moment to address Peter's denial. Breakfast with the family. Really? They all knew what Peter had done. They all knew what they had done. "Peter, do you love Me more than these brothers do, who sit here with us?" What a question. Talk about stirring up controversy. But, remember, Peter had said, "I don't know what these other guys will do, but I love you enough to die for you!" That last night at dinner. In front of them all. So once again at a meal, a proclamation is demanded. "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." Head down, heart thumping. Peter could've lived forever without having to address the issue of his denial. "Then feed my lambs." Jesus wouldn't let it drop. Three denials. Three times the question. "Peter, do you love Me?" Finally Peter answers, "Lord, You know everything. You know I love You!"
The next thing Jesus does, however, is prophesy how Peter will die. "When you are old, you will stretch out your hands and another will take you where you don't want to go." Suddenly Peter's heart seized up. "Follow Me," Jesus commanded next. Still love Me now? Peter was no doubt feeling singled out, vulnerable. The only death Jesus predicted was his. How fair was that? "What about John?" asked Peter as he looked over at the brother who'd done it right. The one who'd leaned on Jesus at Passover meal and asked, "Who is it that will betray You?" That one. The good one. What about him?
Jesus allowed this question. Brothers finding themselves in different places in the family dynamic. Jesus didn't say, "How dare you asked such a question after what you did?" Didn't condemn. Answered the question with the authority of the head of the family. "If I let John live until I come again, what's that to you. You follow Me." Because that's the only way the family is going to stay together. If we each follow Him. Peter's walk didn't look like John's. John's didn't look like his brother's. What binds us together is the Spirit of Christ, Jesus actually living in each of us as individuals with varied personalities revealing Himself to us as we need it for His glory and for our good. Each with different gifts that are given to us to create unity of body. Not supposed to be jealous of your gift, leaving me less time to use my own. We are supposed to rejoice in the place each of our brothers and sisters has in our family. And take any infighting (which there probably will be) to the Father, together.
Our family is one--Farishes. We are divergent, though. Oh, man. We are. But we are bound together by our intense love for each other and by our deep love for the same Father. There is room for us to disagree. There isn't room for us to judge or condemn. Ask questions. Go ahead. The Father isn't intimidated by them. But since the new Jerusalem--heaven--is where our larger spiritual family is bound, we need to be intentional about keeping together as the church.
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