Today's Scripture
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Amos 1-3; John 7:1-27
Seeking God’s will – John 7: 14-27
14 Halfway through the festival, Jesus went up to the temple and started to teach. 15 Astonished, the Jewish leaders asked, “He’s never been taught! How has he mastered the Law?”
16 Jesus responded, “My teaching isn’t mine but comes from the one who sent me. 17 Whoever wants to do God’s will can tell whether my teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Those who speak on their own seek glory for themselves. Those who seek the glory of him who sent me are people of truth; there’s no falsehood in them. 19 Didn’t Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you keep the Law. Why do you want to kill me?”
20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon. Who wants to kill you?”
21 Jesus replied, “I did one work, and you were all astonished. 22 Because Moses gave you the commandment about circumcision (although it wasn’t Moses but the patriarchs), you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man can be circumcised on the Sabbath without breaking Moses’ Law, why are you angry with me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 Don’t judge according to appearances. Judge with right judgment.”
25 Some people from Jerusalem said, “Isn’t he the one they want to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking in public, yet they aren’t saying anything to him. Could it be that our leaders actually think he is the Christ? 27 We know where he is from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
What does this passage mean to me/us?
Recently, as we read through the gospel of John, I have noticed that John appeals that for us to follow God’s will, we need a certain degree of willingness. He uses the word ‘want’ as he describes what Jesus said to the people. ‘Whoever wants to do God’s will’ can see that Jesus is the coming Messia.
Can we really want to do God’s will? I believe that we cannot have the will without the help of the Holy Spirit, but when we reach a certain level, we also see how an appetite to follow God’s will is built up in us, and we do ‘want’ to follow God’s will. It is like my running training. I know I have to run, at this moment of training, but I know further down the road I will want to run.
So let’s continue to ask the Spirit to help us want to follow God’s will. Let us see how that appetite builds up in our life.
Prayer
Lord, help us to actively learn and seek you. Help us to be a follower in this world. In Christ name we pray, Amen.
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