Believe in him whom he has sent.
John 6:29
My brother once asked me if I played the National Lottery. I replied that I did not believe in the lottery. He was quiet for a second and then replied. "Sorry John. It does exist." Laugh? I thought I would never start! However, it was a good line to use and I have now used it myself on more than one occasion. Smart Alec brothers do have their uses! Clearly there are two ways of believing in someone or something. You can believe that they exist, as I do with the lottery, or you can believe in them meaning that you agree with and align yourself with their purposes. In today's reading, Jesus is asking us to do both.
The majority of people believe in the historical fact of the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact there is so much evidence that it would be absurd not to. Less people believe in the claims of Jesus, but it has been estimated that a third of the world's population is Christian and so, if this is to be believed, one in three of us believe that Jesus is the Son of God and more than a mere historical figure. But how many of us believe in Jesus in the way that Jesus is asking for here? Not merely giving a creedal assent to his existence and claims, but actually really aligning ourselves with his purposes and mission.
In our reading from John's gospel today, Jesus describes believing in him as doing the work of God. The belief that Jesus is asking for here is not just a mental "Amen" to who he is. No. He is looking for a belief that will change our lives; that will result in action. When, because of our belief in Jesus, we align ourselves with Christ and his purposes our lives will be changed by him.
Now, at the risk of being ministered to next Sunday, I will admit that too often my belief in Jesus is mental and I do not allow that belief to change me and my life. I don't think that I am the only one guilty of this.
Pray with me… Jesus help me not just to believe that you are the Son of God, but to do the will of your Father by living out my belief in you and having my life changed by you. Please help me, dear Lord. Amen
John Martin-Jones
Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 59:1-8, Judges 10:1-11&28, John 6:25-59
No comments:
Post a Comment