One of the daily devotional guides to which I subscribe, Living Faith, has a piece about graduation. This is certainly the time of year for graduations. My daughter graduate from college last spring! Webster University's ceremony is is this coming Saturday, and my wife, the university president, will be front and center. If I know that a former student of mine is graduating, I’ll send a card to him or her.
The Living Faith devotion noted that the word “gradual” is related to “graduation,” which I hadn’t thought about. Getting a degree is certainly a gradual process: so many papers and tests, so many classes until finally the whole degree is completed.
The devotion writer noted that Jesus taught his disciples gradually. He led them along, instructing them about the kingdom (sometimes over and over until they got it). We see examples in the synoptic gospels, and also in John’s gospel, where he tells his disciples, “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now” (16:12)
We, too (writes the author) understand life and faith gradually. We don’t “get” everything all at once but rather we grow in insight and wisdom, often in response to life’s unpredictability. But eventually, we will graduate to eternity!
I like to connect passages, and I connected this John 16:12 verse with Luke 14:25-33, where Jesus cautions about the sacrifices and priorities of discipleship. He urges people to count the cost and know what they’re getting into. But I wondered: how do you know what you’re getting into? How will you meet the challenges of discipleship until you see what they are? As the saying goes: unlike school, life gives you the test first and then the lesson. To me, the life of faith is like that, too.
But it’s helpful to realize that Jesus is a gradual teacher! Not just a character on a Bible page, he is a gradual teacher for us, too, not giving up on us---and actively helping us---if we don’t “get” things the first time or if our faith is insufficient in the face of some difficult.
No comments:
Post a Comment