True Discernment

from Alistair Matheson:

Every Christian seems to know Matthew 11:28-29 – you know, the bit where Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weak and heavy laden … My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

But how many could tell you what He said immediately before it (- this one’s had me for weeks now)?:

“… No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

Jesus is still, by the Holy Spirit, revealing the Father to people.

But not just to anyone.

Only to His friends. Yes, only His friends. Ipse dixit (He said it Himself).

But first, what is a friend?

Your friend is the one you disclose things to. We can’t go around sharing our deepest, most tender thoughts with all and sundry. Depending on the thought, we may just be asking for a kicking!

We share our deepest secrets and closest treasures with our best friends. In fact, how deeply we’re willing to go with someone is probably a measure of how close a friend they are.

Jesus was – and is – willing to go all all the way … with His friends. And His friends are those who are willing to go all the way with Him.

This is how He put it:

“… I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (Jn.‬ ‭15:15‬)

“All things.”

Now that’s all the way! Sharing everything the Father had told Him. These night-time walks up the hills, the pre-dawn meetings with the Father – the most powerful and significant things ever heard by Jesus in the deepest, darkest places – all revealed to His friends. Every word of it. Nothing held back. Full disclosure of Heaven’s best.

But then, these were the ones who’d left everything to follow Him. His friends.

It’s impossible to read John chapters 14 and 15, and miss Jesus’ understanding of what constitutes a friend … basically, His friends are those who love him, and demonstrate this love by obeying what He commands. The most obvious ways His friends outwork their love for Him is by doing right and loving each other too, sacrificially – that’s the proof of their friendship.

When Jesus finds friends like that, He tells them everything. Leaves nothing hidden. No riddles wrapped up in enigmas et cetera. No hide and seek. Nothing to do with being mystical or hyper-spiritual; just loving and obeying. (As Jesus put it elsewhere in John, “If anyone is willing to do my will, he will know of the teaching.”)

Are you a friend of Jesus?

Or is He just someone who’s useful?

“If you love Me, you’ll obey My commandments.” And His commands, as John also wrote, “are not burdensome.” He doesn’t ask the impossible; just to show we love Him by doing all to please Him.

I know what some people are thinking, and I’ve thought much about it myself, so let me try and tie all this in with grace …

There is, of course, the general, unconditional love of God – a God who loves simply because love is what He is. Love as a demonstration of His kindness, grace and mercy; no reflection on our merit. Yes, I get it.

But this here is love on another level.

The love that Jesus has for His friends, that we read about in these verses from Matthew and John, is not unconditional. It is very much conditional, and not so many experience it (- even though it’s available to everyone) …

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. … He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him … If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (Jn. 14:15, 21, 23‬)

I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to quote some of these words again. In fact, I’m doubly sorry for ‘shouting’! …

“… HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I WILL LOVE HIM AND WILL DISCLOSE MYSELF TO HIM …”

This is not unconditional love; this is reciprocal love. The special love Jesus – and the Father – has for those who love Him back.

How sad if all we ever experience is the unconditional love of God.

The soul that has truly been touched by the love of Jesus cannot but love Him back.

That’s when we start to become … His friends.

And when we’re His friends, there’s no limit to how far He’s willing to take us, to go with us.

[MY STOP’S COMING UP …!]

Let me end by marvelling once more at the words I meant to begin with …

“… I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

Wow.

Just wow.

Nothing kept secret, nothing Jesus is not willing to share with His friends.