It wasn't looking too good for Jesus. Many disciples had left him after his hard teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood in chapter 6. And in the opening verses of chapter 7, even his own brothers didn't believe in him.
But Jesus wasn't dissuaded from his mission one bit... frankly, he wasn't concerned about what people thought of him, because he knew the hearts of men are evil. His brothers may have sarcastically dared him to go to Judea to perform some more miracles (and get the crowds back)... but Jesus only listened to the voice of his Father in heaven. Then, about halfway through the seven day festival, God finally spoke. So Jesus made his way to Jerusalem and began openly teaching at the Temple.
On the last and most important day of the festival - after verbally scuffling with the Pharisees - Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
Rivers of living water... Hmmm... I don't think there are too many things in the world more beautiful than a mighty river of water cascading down in the form of a waterfall. A long time ago, my family and I went camping with some friends. We went hiking and I carried my son on my shoulders (I told you it was a long time ago!). At one point, the trail went directly under a waterfall. We were all mesmerized by the awesome beauty! Whenever I get the chance, I love to go to the observatory at the top of Snoqualmie Falls and watch the immense volume of water fall violently into a mist-covered pool several hundred feet below... for some reason, it never gets old for me.
In my mind that's what Jesus is saying to his disciples here... that his love is a river... an eternal waterfall of living water that flows through our lives when we accept him as Lord. Not a dripping faucet of tap water... not a leaky tub of bath water... not a filtered bottle of mountain water. No way... more like a massive, violent, continual rush of pure living water... an awesome, breathtaking, heavenly river that free falls into, over and through us... and, quite frankly, threatens to overwhelm our senses.
Let's face it, accepting the life of Christ into your own life is a dangerous thing... not for the faint of heart. Just as water from a waterfall is from above, so too is Jesus from above. Just as a waterfall strikes the pool with violent force, so too is His divine presence dangerously and frighteningly powerful to mere humans. Just as a large waterfall is beautiful, so too is God's love heart-poundingly beautiful. But accepting the life he offers is not like standing under a shower as from a cheap motel... no way. The truth is, when we accept Christ, we risk being struck by the sheer force of God's amazing grace... grace that destroys all gods we desperately try to hang on to, grace that confronts all our suspicions of God, and grace that heals us from self-obsession.
Yes, Jesus was gentle to children... and to the broken-hearted. But he was emphatically in-your-face to the Pharisees and other leaders who were too full of themselves to save any room for God in their lives. I constantly have to ask myself... which one am I?
I would like some of this dangerous love in my life now, being Christians I think that we can be both (Pharisees and Followers). I would like to be just like Jesus every time I act or spoke but I fall WAY short. Something to strive to be and most of all ask for God's help.
ReplyDeleteYes, his love is all that and more. I need more of him in my life, I only lack due to ignorance. Continually blocking Gods love and works in my life through lack of response and apathy. When his love pierces my defenses and I observe progress and obedience in my walk, it seems many times to be an afterthought. I seem to wake up one day and find that through a continual willingness to kneel and pray (regardless of seemingly little progress) and belief in Gods cleansing power I am healed. It is as if my sinful habits are washed away through many trips to Gods holy throne. Yes, my sins are forgiven instantly each and every time I fall, but it is this continual washing that changes my heart and my daily action and life.
ReplyDeleteJeff I like the way you described grace as something actively at work in our lives. I think we often view grace as a passive force, something like God overlooking our faults when grace is so much more. Grace heals, restores, forgives, changes, challenges and so much more.
ReplyDeleteI am forever indebted to God's amazing grace!
"Yes, my sins are forgiven instantly each and every time I fall, but it is this continual washing that changes my heart..." K. Jeff, that is really well put. Forgiveness is instant, but the change of heart is a gradual process developed through learning to trust the Lord and His motivations for your life. I want to be Jesus all the time too... but too often it's easier (or more comfortable?) to be religious instead. That's why we need grace from a living, breathing, caring, compassionate God... grace that "heals, restores, forgives, changes, challenges and so much more!"
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