John in Luke's Gospel
The John we see in Luke's Gospel, chapter 9 at least, is not even close to the one who would write the Epistles, Gospel, and Revelation that we know from him.
The younger John (from Luke 9) gets into arguments about who would be greatest, then tries to stop an outsider from performing miracles in Jesus name because he didn't belong to the "club," then he desires to destroy an entire village because they reject Jesus.
Wow.
In 1 John he is known as the Apostle of "Love One Another."
In the Gospel of John he is the "disciple Jesus loved."
And in Revelation, even there we see a contrite man before the Lord.
What happened?
He walked with Jesus for a long time. The John who wrote those books was well into his 80s or 90s by historian accounts. The John in Luke 9 is a teenager.
Good news for me. There's hope. My Mother used to lead Sunday School with a song that went like this:
"He's still working on me. To make me what I ought to be,
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
The Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be.
He's still working on me."
Paul wrote a verse that correlates:
Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV) 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
God is working on me. I have to believe it and I have to participate in it. Even when all evidence of my life can point to the opposite. It takes a long time. We mentioned that before in the parable of the soils. With patience came the good works of fruit.
It's humbling to think God would take me on as such a project.
But then again, never in my life have I wanted to burn down a village... :)
PRAYER:
God, in my worst moments, You are good. Hallelujah. Forgive my weak willed attitude. Help me to will and to act according to your good pleasure! Amen
The younger John (from Luke 9) gets into arguments about who would be greatest, then tries to stop an outsider from performing miracles in Jesus name because he didn't belong to the "club," then he desires to destroy an entire village because they reject Jesus.
Wow.
In 1 John he is known as the Apostle of "Love One Another."
In the Gospel of John he is the "disciple Jesus loved."
And in Revelation, even there we see a contrite man before the Lord.
What happened?
He walked with Jesus for a long time. The John who wrote those books was well into his 80s or 90s by historian accounts. The John in Luke 9 is a teenager.
Good news for me. There's hope. My Mother used to lead Sunday School with a song that went like this:
"He's still working on me. To make me what I ought to be,
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
The Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be.
He's still working on me."
Paul wrote a verse that correlates:
Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV) 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
God is working on me. I have to believe it and I have to participate in it. Even when all evidence of my life can point to the opposite. It takes a long time. We mentioned that before in the parable of the soils. With patience came the good works of fruit.
It's humbling to think God would take me on as such a project.
But then again, never in my life have I wanted to burn down a village... :)
PRAYER:
God, in my worst moments, You are good. Hallelujah. Forgive my weak willed attitude. Help me to will and to act according to your good pleasure! Amen
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