Monday, July 22, 2013

Honorable service

FATHER'S DAY:
The Father's Willingness (John 12:26; 15:16)
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

Sometimes boys will get in a bragging match over the merits of their respective fathers: "My dad's stronger than your dad. Well, my dad's smarter than your dad." It is good when a child can be proud of his father, although such an exchange is often given to some exaggeration.
An Army kid was boasting about his father to a Navy kid. "My dad is an engineer. He can do everything. Do you know the Alps?" "Yes," said the Navy kid. "My dad built them." Not wanting to be outdone, the Navy kid spoke: "Do you know the Dead Sea?" "Yes," said the Army kid. "Well...my dad's the one who killed it!"
It is good when a child can be proud of his father. This applies to earthly fathers as well as to one's heavenly Father. The difference, of course, is that bragging about your heavenly Father is not given to exaggeration, because however you describe Him does not even come close to how great He is.

It is common in Judaism to refer to God as "Our Father."1 So, when Jesus teaches his disciples a short prayer, he addresses it to "Our Father, who is in heaven" (Matt 6:9).2 Jesus often describes God in ways that give his disciples and us insight into God's character. What does it mean to have God as our Father? As his children, what obligations do we have to Him? Can we expect anything from Him? ...In Jesus' final week before his crucifixion, he answers these questions, explaining the requirements God has for His children and how He will respond when they meet those requirements. Please turn to John 12, where Jesus espouses an important...

Principle: The Father will honor those who are dutiful.

John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
The disciples' life is not as glamorous as some think. Their responsibilities include many mundane tasks, from grocery shopping to crowd control.3 They wait on their teacher, seeing to his needs, so that he can give his attention more fully to such matters as instruction, counseling, and preaching.4 It is a privilege to serve a learned teacher, like Jesus, and there are apparently some who want the distinction of claiming Jesus as their rabbi without rendering the devotion it entails. Here, he disabuses any who might think this way.

I. The requirement for disciples is that they must obey him.

We all know people who claim to be Christians but whose only proof is that that they attend a church or that their parents were allegedly Christians. Their own lifestyle and values are no different from their non-Christian neighbors. They have no real knowledge of God and no particular interest in spiritual matters. Nevertheless, were anyone to ask their religious affiliation, they would claim to be Christians. In a 2008 government survey, the last undertaken before proponents for the separation church and state objected, 78% claimed to be Christian. As Jesus says here, however, the proof of such a claim is in the doing. There is no such thing as Christianity—as discipleship—without service.

Jesus then goes on to explain some of what that service entails....
A. They must follow Jesus.
He says, "Whoever serves me must follow me." That might seem an obvious obligation, but the potential cost can dissuade people. When...5
Luke 9:57 ...a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Many people are willing to serve God as long as it does not inconvenience them. As long as all they have to do is go to church, make an occasional contribution, listen to a sermon—assuming it is not too long or intrusive—they are content.

If you would really follow Jesus, however, it is likely to be inconvenient, even uncomfortable.6 God may not direct you to leave home, but He may want you to use your home for a Bible study or a place to speak to your neighbors, or as a safe (if noisy) playground for kids and their friends to gather. You can avoid it, of course. No one will force you to follow His guidance. You can refuse any assignment He presents and, after a while, He will get the hint. You can simply ignore the prompting of God's Spirit until it becomes silent. If you are serious about discipleship, though, you will be attentive to His guidance, knowing that disciples must follow Jesus.

Moreover, it is not enough for disciples to lag behind, waiting to see where he is heading before deciding if they want to go there.
B. They must accompany Jesus.
He explains that "where I am, my servant also will be." Is there a difference in following Jesus and accompanying him? I think there is, albeit a subtle one. To follow Jesus is to go where he has gone, where he has perhaps already prepared the way. Paul talks about building on another's foundation,7 to continue the work someone else began. Like a chain that consists of several links, you may not know precisely what part you play in another person's life or in a project God is advancing. You did not see the beginning and will leave before seeing the conclusion. You are simply following, heeding God's call to take part. There may come a time, however, when God wants you to be involved at the outset. You may be...
  • The first to visit someone in the hospital,
  • The first to suggest that your coworker consider reading the Bible,
  • The first to start a prayer group among your friends.
You are not following someone else or building on what is already established but charting new territory. You are with Jesus from the start of something new. This was Paul's desire, as he reveals to the Roman Christians,
Rom 15:20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.
This may not sound particularly inviting. The prospect of going "were no one has gone before" can be daunting and unpredictable. It is usually easier to follow than to lead. The initial success or failure of such a venture is on your shoulders...so it seems. You are not alone, though, for God is always with you. If you are serious about discipleship, you will be willing to venture into uncharted territory, knowing that disciples must accompany Jesus.

There is some risk for you to serve. You are not the master of your own destiny but have surrendered control of your life to another. You still make decisions, of course, but tailor those decisions to the goals and directives of the one you serve. As a result, you agree to do what may be uncomfortable or unpredictable. That is the requirement: Disciples must serve him, but service has its benefits, because...

II. The response by God is that He will honor them.

The relationship between disciple and teacher is not entirely one-sided. For his service, the student receives an education and, for those who persevere, there may even come a time of graduation.

At the end of high school, students march across a stage in the presence of their teachers to receive their diplomas, marking their successful completion of a particular course of study, while adoring friends and relatives cheer them on. It is a public ceremony that honors the graduates and recognizes their achievements. Those who continue their education will attend similar ceremonies to mark the completion of college and graduate school. One custom, common in many universities, is for a doctoral student's mentor, his main instructor, to accompany him across the stage as he receives his degree. In so doing, the teacher personally recognizes the achievement of his pupil.

Whether you went to college or never finished high school, there is a graduation ceremony for every disciple who completes the course of his service to the Lord. Jesus tells two parables illustrating the honor that awaits them from God.
  • In "The Watching Servants" from Luke 12, He shows it through recognition...and more than accompanying the disciple across a stage.8
Luke 12:37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.
For the rabbi to attend the disciple in this manner is a great honor.
  • In "The Ten Talents" from Matt 25, He shows it through reward...and more than giving the disciple a diploma.
Matt 25:21 [= v. 23] "His master [will say], 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
For the rabbi to reward the disciple in this manner is also a great honor.
More than accompanying disciples across a stage or granting them a diploma, through the Son, God the Father will honor those who serve well.

In this brief passage, Jesus explains what it means to have God as our Father, and he describes The Father's Willingness to honor those who are dutiful and serve the Lord. Like the relationship of a child to his earthly father, we have obligations to our heavenly Father, and He graciously allows us to have expectations of Him. Are you meeting your obligations? ...He will certainly meet your expectations.

For the Bibliography and the Endnotes see the pdf here.

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Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs