Personally Yours

We have reserved today’s receiving for the third fact of our three-fact receiving on the attention of Jesus. Yesterday, we focussed on the attention Jesus gave to the people, then to the place. We hurry on to now spent a bit of intimacy with Jesus. I described it as a time where we would spread out, as it was to be personal, very dear and super comforting to us, as Jesus’ disciples, following Him.

The final focus takes us to the kind of attention Jesus gives to His partners. After feeding His Word to the Religious leaders and the masses before Him, Jesus comes away from the crowd, and enters a house, a chosen place, His chosen place, with His chosen people. His chosen are His disciples whom He has made partners or friends with Him in His Father’s work on earth. Are we correct in looking at the disciples as His partners, or co-workers in Ministry and Mission?

The word, partner, carries in itself the word part, indicating that there is partnership. I found it curiously interesting, when in the literature, I read that there were types of partners. There were listed as, active partners, sleeping or dormant partners, secret partners and nominal partners. Seeing them listed out, spread out so openly, set me thinking of my own relationship, my partnership with Jesus. Does Jesus have such? Can Jesus have such? When Jesus chose His disciples, it was for them to be His students, to learn and work with Him as He went from place to place. These were people who left all to be with Jesus. Some of you, no doubt, will recall the occasion when Peter, speaking on behalf of himself and all Jesus’ Twelve, pleads their love, loyalty and sacrificial living with Jesus when he said,  See, we have left all and followed You. Mark 10: 28b. Peter shows by their actions, their seriousness in answering Jesus’ call to follow Him.

Have we denounced everything of self to be Jesus’ disciples? Can we boldly, honestly, truthfully and honestly lift our voice to Jesus, like Peter and say, Jesus, look at me, see me, I have given up all to follow You? Be it known that Jesus is not a volunteer taker, when it comes to His Father’s Work. He calls people to Him, He does not accept volunteers. He called the disciples to Him. If it is that we are His disciples, then it is because He chose us to be His partners. Listen to Jesus on this matter.

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have from My Father I have made known to

you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My Name He may give you. John 15: 14 – 16. O yes! There we have it all. It is Jesus’ desire and expressed will that we be His friends, His partners, one with Him in His Father’s work.

Even now, as we follow our Lord, Master, and Friend on this Lenten walk, what sacrifices have we made and still continue to make? Whatever sacrifices we have made to follow Jesus and whatever we continue to make daily, please know that Jesus is not unmindful of all that you have done and continue to do.

Jesus is very mindful of His friends, His partners, His disciples, and in a very simple, unsound way, we are made to see how Jesus leaves all to pay attention to His partners.  Here again is the main text. And when He had entered a house, away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. Note, Jesus’ disciples are able to ask Him about the parable He spoke to the multitude, only because Jesus had left all the people, entered into a house and took His partners with Him. Think of it! The disciples are with Him as they listen to Him tell that parable. They hear Him clearly and loudly pronounce, If anyone has ears to hear let them hear Mark 7: 16. They all had ears to hear and they all heard, but not one of them understood. They did not have spiritual hearing and they were not free to seek Jesus’ assistance before the massive crowd.

Think of it! The crowd was their block, their barrier to Jesus. Like the example given earlier this week, of you, and your need for more food, not asking because of the crowd, so too with the disciples. They want more from Jesus. They need Spiritual wisdom from Him, but the crowd keeps them quiet. Is Jesus sensitive to His partners? Does He know what’s happening in their hearts and minds? Can He see their uneasiness and want, to receive more and to understand more? That same Jesus is our Jesus too. Does Jesus know His partners so intimately, so well that He knows even their unspoken needs and wants? Of course He does! He is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent. He is personally theirs and He knows when to lovingly turn His attention to them.

In this Lenten walk with Jesus, we must give our full attention to Him, who never fails to give us His full, dedicated, loving attention, so that we are never lost or in want where He is concerned. We need to be mindful of His loving, caring attention to us, so that we can respond to Him openly and sincerely. In so doing, God our heavenly Father will be pleased with us, and grant us sweet, personal, intimate, privileged fellowship with His Son?