Jesus’ Ride or Die

I attended a women’s conference for church this past weekend, which focused on cultivating friendships, and which reminded me of a journal entry I had written while taking the FLOW class at my church (First Street Church). FLOW was an 8-week class that focused on hearing God and being receptive to the Holy Spirit. We were tasked with different practices each week. One week we focused on Scripture mediation—namely, reading, pondering, and responding to one verse or a set of verses. The original journal entry below, combined with a few present reflections, are my thoughts on John 15.15.

8/3/2019 – John 15:15

“I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” (NRSV)

My first thought is that we greatly misunderstand this verse; that “friendship” becomes the exclusive lens through which we view, and relate to, Jesus. Truthfully, it reminds me of Buddy Christ in Dogma. My second thought is that we project our 21st c. understanding of friendship onto the 1st c. understanding of friendship. Our present world is so flippant about friendship. I’ve witnessed this in my stepdaughter’s experience. It's so easy to “friend” or “unfriend” someone on Facebook; to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to everything, including people. This is not what Jesus had in mind when he called his disciples “friends.”

To really understand John 15:15, it must be read in context. We need to look at what comes before and after. In verses 12-14, Jesus says exactly what being a “friend” looks like—love and laying down one’s life.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (NRSV)

Jesus’ explanation is in sync with a Greco-Roman view of friendship—a relationship defined by duties and obligations. For Jesus (and the cultural context both he and the disciples lived in), friendship was a committed, reciprocal, sacrificial relationship. A friend wasn’t just a feel-good person to hang out with when they needed diversion, or someone they dropped when they no longer needed them. In verse 14, Jesus says we’re only his friends if we do what he commands. If we’re willing to love others with a Christ-like love, if we’re willing to follow Jesus to the cross, then we can be his friends. This long-lasting, committed, sacrificial love is what Jesus is talking about. And this is an honor. It’s a privilege to be in Jesus’ immediate inner circle; to have the same level of connection and intimacy with Jesus that only Abraham and Moses had with God in the Old Testament. However, we need to remember that this privilege is contingent upon being an obedient believer—the part we often miss.

Friends, philos, φίλος, means to be friendly with someone, to wish him well, a companion. And we are all these things to Jesus (and Jesus to us). However, in John 15, there is no friendship without the foot washing (John 13). Our friendship with Jesus is contingent upon service, sacrifice, and love.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.  I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” (NRSV, John 15:16-17)

In our 21st c., friendship is defined and interpreted in many ways. For example, a “ride or die” is an expression of extreme loyalty to someone or something. Essentially, it’s when you’re willing to do anything for someone you love or someone you really appreciate in your life[1] (I had no idea this was a phrase until I read Shonda Rhimes’ book, Year of Yes, a quick, fun, inspiring read, which I recommend).

This “ride or die” friendship is what Jesus calls us to in John 15. It’s a friendship built on extreme loyalty and love, where we’re willing to lay down our lives for Jesus (and others).

Jesus is no doubt our “ride or die,” but the question is, are we his?

[1] Thank you, Urban Dictionary. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ride%20or%20die

“There’s No Storm You Won’t Run Through…”

“Reckless Love” is one of my favorite songs. It’s the song I immediately thought of when my best friends’ 3- ½-year-old ran through the rain to give me a hug the other day.

A little background. The 3-½-year-old is a top-notch hugger. Part of our goodbye routine is that he will give me several hugs, which leads to one semi-final hug at the front door, which then crescendos in one final hug, after he chases me down as I’m walking to my car.

This is what happened the other day.  I dashed through the rain to get to my car, and because the rain was coming down so strongly, I didn’t hear the little feet behind me. I got in my car, saw a flash behind me, and then saw the 3-½- year-old running to me with arms wide open, insisting, “One more hug Auntie Jess!”

This scene is a perfect embodiment of “Reckless Love.” The song speaks to how God tirelessly, shamelessly, and wildly pursues us. The lyrics remind us that God’s love finds us wherever we are; that it can traverse any barrier. And like the 3-½-year-old, God chases us down in the storms of our lives to reveal just “how wide and long and high and deep” his love is (NIV, Ephesians 3:18).

Six Degrees of Bodybuilding

My husband and I use bodybuilding as a frequent analogy (he’s a CPA by day and a bodybuilder by night). We believe every work issue, relationship problem, emotional trouble, etc. can be linked to (and potentially solved by) some bodybuilding concept (if you look hard enough for the connections). Not unlike the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

Recently, we were discussing how God is most often found in our daily pursuit, rather than in one-off mountaintop moments. God does reveal himself in huge, momentous ways. However, these big, sweeping experiences with the divine aren’t what characterize our spiritual journey.  The Christian life isn’t a one-time, momentary thing. It’s a consistent, repetitive, daily practice.

Just like bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding is monotonous. It’s a daily grind. From the food to the workout protocol. Consistency is key. Working the process is what produces the desired outcome. It’s a daily choice. It’s a dedicated practice.

Just like the Christian life.

The Christian life can also be monotonous. It’s a daily grind. Consistency is key. It’s a committed practice that we daily devote ourselves to. Amos Yong reminds us that “…it’s the regularized practice of devotional piety that cultivates spiritual openness and makes possible spiritual encounter.”[i] It’s the spiritual routines, rhythms, and practices that we engage in which prepare us to encounter the living God. It’s our everyday dedication, and posture of devotion, that opens us to God’s very self, to God’s revelation.

*This book is worth the read: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. It has nothing to do with bodybuilding, but rather, the daily rhythms of the Christian life.

 [i] Amos Yong. Revelation: A Theological Commentary on the Bible. 2021, p. 36.

Funny Things My Students Write…

In my almost 9 years of teaching, I’ve graded hundreds (maybe thousands?) of papers. These are some one-liners that made me chuckle.

“In his times, Jesus was someone that many looked up to. King Herron was one of many that did not want Jesus to live, as he would become the new King.”

“The angel Gabriel lets Mary know that the Son of God will be the King of the Jewels, that he will be the savior of mankind.”

“His ministry of Christian life begins with his baptism in the countryside of Roman Judea and ends in Jerusalem, followed by the Last Super with his disciples.”

“The meaning of being a church is to learn and accept that by faith in Christ they partake in the death and resurrection of Christ and that they now lived as God’s children and hairs of God’s promise.”

“Temptations also come at a person’s weakest moment, much like Satan tempting Jesus in the forest.”

“Although a slave master could eat their slave, moral and cultural laws prevented the use of excessive force against them.”

“Esther was a female, Jewish, orphan, who God used to deliver his people from inhalation at the hand of Haman.”

”For me Jesus has many rolls.”

“Matthew describes Johns appearance as wearing clothing made from a Camels hair and wearing a leather belt eating lotuses.”

“I think that this reveals a huge deal of God’s character, specifically regarding those who have transcribed against them.”

“King Harold was great at taxation and execution.”

Homeless Encounter

Two months ago, while my husband and I were checking our PO Box, we saw a homeless man sleeping in the main hallway of the post office. It was night and it was cold, and I immediately felt/sensed/heard, “Go buy a blanket and bring it back to him.” I didn’t though. It was night and it was cold, and I wanted to return to my warm house without being inconvenienced. 

I felt: Disobedient. Disappointed.

Two weeks later, I sold my old espresso machine. As I was walking up to Starbucks to meet the buyer, I noticed a homeless man sitting in front of the store. I immediately felt/sensed/heard, “Give him the money. You don’t need it.” The buyer handed me the $40 and I walked past the homeless man to my car. I’m frugal, I felt like I’d worked hard for that money, and therefore, I didn’t share my spoils.

I felt: Disobedient. Disappointed.

After Starbucks, I headed to Costco to run errands. On the way there, I felt/sensed/heard, “Remember the homeless man in the post office? Buy a blanket at Costco and give it to a homeless person.” So, I bought a blanket and left it in my car.

I felt: Obedient. Victorious.

Two nights later, as I pulled into the parking lot at FPU’s North Fresno Center, I immediately felt/sensed/heard, “You’ll drive right by the post office on your way home from teaching. It’s going to be cold tonight. Stop and see if there’s a homeless man sleeping inside.” So, after class, I stopped at the post office, went in, and saw a homeless man sleeping. I went back to my car, got the blanket, and left it next to him.

I felt: Obedient. Victorious.

I believe that God allows us to revisit our failures; that he recreates moments for us to reflect and learn from our experiences. For our character development, but ultimately, for his glory.

My homeless encounter is one such example.

In the New Testament, the Greek word πειράζω (meaning tempt, test, try) is often used in adversarial contexts like when the devil tempts Jesus in the wilderness, when the Pharisees and Sadducees test Jesus regarding the interpretation of the Torah, when the early churches are tempted by the practices of the surrounding culture, or when God’s very character is on trial.

While πειράζω carries an antagonistic connotation, it can also mean “to try, make trial of, test: for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave.”[i] We see this in 2 Corinthians 13:5, where πειράζω is translated as examine.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!” (NRSVUE)

In this verse (and chapter), Paul is calling out the Corinthian’s rebellious behavior via an exhortation to self-reflection. It’s equal parts admonition and invitation. Paul wants them to inspect their behaviors to see if they align with their professed faith; to determine whether their actions reflect the Jesus they claim to follow. It’s also a call to remember that Jesus lives in them and therefore they are capable of making right choices (unless they fail to examine themselves, or in examining themselves, realize they are not in the faith, and therefore Jesus does not live in them).

In both the chaos and comfort of life, we can easily delude ourselves into thinking we’re in the faith, when we’re not. If we don’t examine ourselves, we risk remaining blind to our spiritual incongruence—what we proclaim versus how we act (like my homeless encounter). Paul’s encouragement and admonition should resound just as loudly in our ears today as it did for the Corinthians. So too should his rhetorical question.

In moments of disobedience or rebelliousness (like my homeless encounter), God invites us to self-reflection. He encourages us to mine our souls, to discern our spiritual breaches, to access whether Jesus is truly in us. And, like my homeless encounter, I think this is why God allows us to revisit our rebellious or disobedient moments; why he asks us to revisit the “tests” we previously failed.  These tests are invitations to examine ourselves to see whether we’re genuine followers of Jesus or just cheap replicas.

 [i] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3985/kjv/tr/0-1/

*Caveat: this isn’t a thorough study of 2 Corinthians 13, namely the connection between examining and Paul’s authority as an apostle.