Jesus on the Imperative

 

Jesus on the Imperative

John 15:14

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

     Now that’s a little heavy duty.  At first glance, that ain’t the kind of friendship relationship that I know.  Sounds more like a codependent-type thing going on, but when we look deeper we find the heart of Jesus.

     The problem with Jesus is that He cared and that got Him into a whole lot of trouble.  Maybe He warned us to not have worthless lives as detailed in Ecclesiastes 6.  A good name is sought after.  More precious than gold.  He didn’t want us to be worthless.

     Oh, but no one is worthless – so harsh!  No, God says there are worthless people out there.  Not worthless souls; worthless characters.

     “Bear much fruit and thus glorify My Father in Heaven.”  That is a commandment.  He gives us His indwelling Power and it is up to us to coordinate.  Then up the sprouts!  Again, God does not force Himself.  The potential is there.  The field is wide open.  It is entirely up to us from the word, “Go!”  Will we work with Him and grab the handles of the plow or will we like children fall back and play in the dirt?

     I got hitched in 1990.  I told the world that I needed someone to help me be better.  It is God’s marriage to smooth us off, to finish us.  See, we are not to enter marriage as bastard children expecting the engine to run.  We’ve got to do our homework first.  Moms! Dads! Prepare them for the nuclear reaction!  Do you realize they enter into the baby-making process?  They create beings that can last forever.  Responsibility, more than a one-night-stand.

     Off the soap box.  When the seed meets the egg, wonderful things happen and it is a shame to waste  creative energy on worthless parents.  If you indeed are married by declaring committal to one another. If you have drawn up that covenant ratified by Christ’s blood. Do you treat the binding greater than your iPhone agreement?

That was the preaching box.

     Jesus cares about us.  When we make dumb decisions and suffer consequences, He hurts to see us through it.  My God!  What people we have become to drag Your heart through the dirt?  When I struck my wife, I struck my God!  Thankfully, that was just once.  My faithful son Isaac held my arms back, so I did not land a second blow.  Thank you very much son.  It could have turned ugly.

     So, Jesus doesn’t want us to be worthless.  Yes, yes He died for us sinners.  Still, it is worthless to see potential spilled on the ground as Onan.  And him, Jesus killed.

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