Posts Tagged: safety
“Jesus’ Peace: The Gift that Keeps on Giving”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, https://accordance.bible/link/read/ESVS#John_14:27)
As Jesus faced his arrest later that same night (and crucifixion the next morning), he is recorded as offering peace to his followers. If this is even close to being correct, it is one of the most astonishing offers ever.
And the verbs in the Greek of John’s Gospel (the original language), are all in the present tense. The Greek present tense does not usually mean “right now.” Rather, the Greek present tense often suggests ongoing or continual action. In other words, Jesus is continually giving his peace to his followers. And therefore, Jesus-followers are not to be continually troubled and afraid.
On the other hand, I am often troubled and afraid. Perhaps Jesus was lying.
No, I doubt that. I think that the problem is that I am not following him very closely.
But I am somewhat comforted by the fact that Jesus had to tell his original followers not to allow their hearts to be trouble and afraid. If Jesus had to say that to them, maybe it was because they were, in fact, troubled and afraid.
When I was little, I was really little. I was one of the shortest kids in my class. Only Terry Crawford was slightly shorter than me. We were the front-row-corner kids in all our class pictures. Also, I grew up in the country, and had almost no kids my own age to play with, so being around other kids my own age was intimidating, to say the least. To say the most, it was terrifying. When kids find out that you are easily intimidated, they tend to become even more intimidating. Those who believe that young children are innocent are seriously out of touch with reality.
But when I was with my dad, I was not intimidated by anyone or anything. My dad worked hard with his arms, and it showed. He looked like the anvil at which I often watched him work. Furthermore, he was a golden gloves boxer with a wicked left hook. I could relax when I was close to my dad.
Maybe I should remember that Jesus has a wicked left hook.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- DTEB, “Getting Christ and Ourselves Back in Focus” November 11, 2024“Col. 3:1 ¶ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Col. 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Col. 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden […]
- “Search Me!” October 27, 2024“Psa. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24, English Standard Version) I am participating in a Bible study, and this is a prayer […]
- “Christian Speech” October 26, 2024“Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Foulkes, in his excellent commentary on the Book of Ephesians, writes the following, which I quote at some length: “29. Now the […]
- “God is in the Details” October 11, 2024“The devil is in the details.” (A general saying, often quoted by lawyers, reporters, and negotiators.) “God is in the details.” (Me, almost certainly not original.) “Luke 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Jesus) God does not micromanage, but God […]
- “Grandma’s Pump” October 8, 2024When I was a little critter, I would stay at my grandma’s house for a night or two sometimes. I liked this for a lot for many reasons. One thing I liked about staying with her was that Grandma’s house was much more technologically advanced than ours was. For one thing, she had indoor water—sort […]
- “Wearing the #14 Wrong-Side-Out” October 5, 2024Pete Rose, #14, is dead. Many of the old guys with whom I play softball watched him play and appreciated him greatly. I do as well. He was one of the greatest players who ever played the game. Yes, he admitted (eventually) to betting on baseball. But many of us still regard him as one […]
- “Passing Along the Love (and a Link)” October 4, 2024Several years ago, a friend of mine put me onto a daily meditation by Richard Rohr and friends. I don’t read them all the time, but I probably should. They are good! I thought that today’s writing was especially good, and I also figured that this would be a good way to post something. I […]
- “Witnessing Versus Being Witnesses” September 19, 2024“Acts 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after […]
- “A Bathroom Prayer for Hurting Hands” September 11, 2024A week ago Sunday, my hands were hurting so badly at church that I went to the bathroom to run hot water over my hands. Arthritis perhaps, or carpal tunnel, or general orneriness—I don’t know why my hands hurt, but they do. They have for years. So, while I was running hot water over my […]
- “Waiting and Seeking” September 10, 2024“Lam. 3:19 ¶ Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! Lam. 3:20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. Lam. 3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Lam. 3:22 ¶ The steadfast love of the LORD […]
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