Making room

 

John 8:31-38

When I need a discipleship punch, I often go to Dallas Willard. Here's something he said that I'm reflecting on today: Our failure to hear his voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it. Jesus went back and forth with people of faith. They were "Abraham's descendants" and, obviously, proud of it (John 8:33). Now, there's nothing wrong with appreciating your religious heritage. But their feelings went far beyond mere gratitude. They respond to Jesus' assertion of freedom by declaring they had never been slaves to anyone. How could they think that? Their story included exile. They were under Rome's thumb, many of them hoping for a messiah to overthrow Caesar and his government. The Lord knew they were Abraham's descendants. He knew their stories. It was his heritage, too! But the Son now presented a freedom only God could offer. And it was their inability to see past their spiritual inheritance that kept them bound. They didn't just not believe in what God was doing through Christ. They wanted to kill Jesus. "Because," he said, "you have no room for my word" (8:37). Having no room for Jesus is, typically, a Christmas message we hear. That comes from a possible misreading and misunderstanding of what an inn was. Here in John 8 is a more appropriate point to talk about making room for Jesus. The people that misunderstood Jesus had room with Jesus, literally. They were talking to him. What they didn't have was room for him in their faith and understanding of what God was doing. For many of us today, making room for Jesus relates mostly to time. That is, where in my schedule can I learn to make room to pray to Jesus? To read scripture? To serve? Time is important, of course, but Jesus also wants us to make room in other parts of our life. How do we make room for Jesus in our thoughts? In how we practice our life? The true freedom of God includes listening for God's voice more than just when we think we need it. Stay blessed...john