Receive The Joy Of Obedience

Receive the Joy of Teaching Obedience

Matthew 28:18-20 - “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.”

Earlier in our Easter journey, I noted that the word ‘teaching’ here means something like to cause someone to be a learner. Jesus tells us that his desire for us is that we will cause others to learn obedience. What is obedience in the Bible? Does Jesus mean that we teach people all of the rules and make sure that we police them? Well, not exactly. The word in Greek means to attend, to willingly stand under, to order or sort something or to hear something with such power that it causes one to act on what is heard.

So I hope you can see from these nuances that obedience is not simply about accepting the rules and doggedly keeping them, or else. Rather, obedience is about radical transformation of life and priorities such that one hears God’s word, agrees to stand beneath the comfort of it, and attend to it constantly. Sometimes we associate obedience more with our failures than our protection. We look at the many times we haven’t lived up to even our own standards, much less God’s. When we think like that, we can see the word obedience as a sword hanging over our heads. While there are certainly consequences for our failures, the New Testament image of obedience is one of attention and comfort.

We can think of God’s values as a great oak tree with branches that, if we stand beneath, close to the trunk, we will receive protection from rain and sun. Under those branches we can take a nap and then awaken, look up and attend to the beauty of each leaf. We can listen to the wind rustle through the leaves and recognize what is good and powerful and true. If we choose to leave from beneath the tree we have little protection from the elements and, I would submit, no rest at all. This is the winsome truth that Jesus asks us to teach the world. So today, I invite you to receive the Joy of obedience and the call to share it with others.

Prayer: God of Joy, we thank you for the protection and rest we find in following your ways. Alleluia! Amen.