January 14, 2021
I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! – John 16:33
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? If we were to look to the scriptures we might pick a verse like Luke 9:23 – “If anyone wants to be my disciples, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Or we might say that being a displace of Jesus is following him. We might look to the commands like in John 13:34 – “I give you a new command: Love one another; just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” We might, in this, believe and say that being a disciple means to love others as Jesus first loved us.
However, if there is something I have learned from my hears of striving to be a disciple of Jesus, is that in this endeavor I am a failure. I have failed to be a disciple over and over and over; more than I would care to admit. I fail to be as accepting, loving, forgiving, peaceful as Christ. I fail to be a disciple. So, does my failure mean I am not faithful? Does it mean I should give up and step away from the pulpit? Some might think so, but in recognizing how I have failed, I also get to see through the darkness of my own making, and see the light of Christ lifting me up, offering forgiveness (again) and showing me a pathway of peace, and allowing the opportunity to share with others on this lifetime journey towards the heavenly kingdom.
Jesus has always called and walked with those who failed. Jesus calls those who realize their failure disciples, because they know they need to follow the One who is the word of peace and love. And Jesus reminds us that while in this world, there will be suffering, there will be anguish, there will be failure. but be courageous! I have overcome the world. We all have to recognize, that we will not overcome our failure to be an example of Christ, I know I won’t, but every step of the way, I also know there is grace enough for you and for me. I know that through Christ, there is forgiveness, mercy, and love that will help us overcome each failure. I believe that God’s Holy Spirit will teach us, lead us, and one day we will no longer fail, but move on towards perfection, truly learning to love one another as a disciple of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Grace & Peace,
Sam