April 5, 2024
Friday, April 5, 2024:
Pause. Pray. Read. Be still. Write. Pray. Go about your day or turn in for the night.
Read: John 13:3-5, The Power of Knowing
3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God, [therefore he]
4got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
(John 13:3-5, NRSVUE)
I know that I’m backing up a week for a story we read last Thursday, but I discovered a truth in this passage that I previously blew past without a thought: the power of knowing. Between verses 3 and 4 lies an unspoken but implied “therefore,” revealing Jesus’ source of boldness and humility.
Jesus knew without doubt that the Father entrusted all things to him, that he came from God and was returning to Him. He knew his Father’s love, his divine purpose, and his ultimate victory over death. This deep knowing empowered Christ’s every action and word. This certainty freed Jesus from the need to prove, explain, or ingratiate himself to anyone else. He knew the Father’s plan and could confidently move to complete his work. It’s why with his last breath on the cross Jesus could declare, It is finished.
Likewise, as we reflect on Lent and Easter, let’s pause and ask: What do we know? What enables us to serve confidently, without seeking approval from others while we do the work to which He calls us?
Be still and Reflect: What do you know about your relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that will enable you to move forward with the same confidence as Christ?
Pray: Father God, Allow the same profound knowing that guided Jesus to guide me. Enable me boldly and confidently to fulfill the work You send me to do with all people and things that You entrust to my care. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus, I pray, Amen.
By His Grace,
Gloria