Volume 2 Post/Email 7 – John 15:4 (Part 2)
(Picking up from the end of yesterday’s post…)
Lastly, Brodie explains:
"Oneness with the ultimate reality is not an abstract idea; it is a spiritual experience of knowing that the timeless God is at the door inviting you to full union. It is an attentiveness to the present, a readiness, at every moment, to receive reality, to enjoy deeply even the simplest things." (1)
-Didn’t Jesus enjoy deeply even the simplest things?
A list of some simple pleasures he enjoyed:
sharing a meal (There are more than a dozen “table” references in Luke's narrative.)
hosting/providing a meal
celebrating a wedding
greeting strangers (Nathaniel, woman at well, Zachaeus, 2 traveling to Emmaeus, etc.)
walking in/observing nature (birds, lilies, soil, seeds, trees, etc.)
visiting in homes
fishing/boating with friends (disciples)
talking with His Father
attending banquets
playing with children
retreating to a mountain
Who would Jesus not share a meal with? In fact, this is why he told the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son – the Pharisees questioned his social life. *Jesus treated everyone as a treasure!
Jesus enjoyed deeply the simple blessings of life!
-Could we be searching for joy, when we could actually be experiencing it in the moment?
-Shouldn't we be enjoying (and not rushing) the meals we share with others?
-Are we embracing the invitation to full union?
-How is prayer essential to daily union, communion, and joy?
-Brian
1 Thomas L. Brodie, The Gospel According To John (New York: Oxford University Press), 60-61
