Despite How Things Look At the Moment

The first part of today’s blog is a devotional I wrote for my church’s Lenten series. 

What follows is, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story. Well, the rest of our stories. 

John’s, mine . . . and maybe yours.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” – John 19:26-27 ESV

Before we can unpack these verses, we need to back up. Set the scene. Sense the mood. Feel the tension. The emotions of the chief priests and the crowd swiftly reach a rapid boil. The air is a dull roar of near hysteria. Mob mentality. And here in the middle of it all, in the midst of the very worst human nature has to offer, Jesus hangs on a cross.

Picture the scene. Now take two fingers as you would on your phone or tablet’s screen, place them on the picture, and pinch outward until you’ve magnified Jesus and the two to whom He speaks in our verses. His mother and John, the recorder of these events.

Zoom in here and focus. In the stillness, allow the accusations of the chief priests and the din of the crowd to fade away until you’re dialed in to Jesus. And these two trembling souls beneath the cross. Mary and John, freeze-framed in the most difficult, emotional, uncertain moment of their lives. You might choose to forget such times in your own life, but John doesn’t. Instead he records every detail. Because in Jesus’ directions to take His mother as his own, John peers up to see Jesus looking at him. Deeply. And absorbs the heart of His message. “Despite how things look at the moment . . . I see you. I love you. I’ve got you.”

Instead of inserting his own name, John refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Why? Scholars disagree, but I picture John answering with a grin . . . 

“Because this, this, is what I want you to see. I didn’t write my gospel for me. I wrote for the reader. For you. You are that disciple whom Jesus loves. My words are an invitation to step into my shoes in your own difficult, emotional, or uncertain times. Insert your name. And hear what I heard.”

Despite how things look at the moment . . .

I see you. I love you. I’ve got you.

My devotional ends here. 

On to the rest of our stories . . .

John penned his gospel in later years.

There’s beauty in hindsight.

Treating Jesus’ mom as his own may have felt awkward initially.

Yet I imagine the two of them later.

Deeper into years.

Deeply sharing life. 

A relationship neither saw coming. 

This is howthat played out, he must’ve grinned as he wrote. 

A picture of God’s hand in my life. 

Evidence of His love.

My house is surrounded by woods on three sides. 

One of those woodsy sides is actually a buildable lot.

Where a house would have to sit kind of in my front yard.

For years we tried to purchase that property.

No dice.

In October surveyors showed up.

Plans for a spec home.

I tried again to purchase.

No dice.

Again.

The situation shot to the top of my prayer list.

In hindsight I see God’s hand in the process of His answer.

Evidence of His love.

A random moment by my mailbox, a surprising phone call, a sudden offer.

Astonishingly, in January I became the owner of the lot.

An ending God always had in mind.

Despite how things looked along the way.

John never got over the wonder of being the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Maybe we shouldn’t either. 

___________ is the disciple whom Jesus loves.

(Insert your name)

Despite how things look at the moment . . .

I see you. I love you. I’ve got you.

See you in a couple weeks.

Love,