Intimacy and Action

 

The Christian’s walk with Jesus has to be one of intimacy and action. These attributes must occur together. Where there is closeness with Jesus there must also be activity for Him. Ours is an active faith. In the great invitation of Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus calls us to discard our heavy burden of effort in exchange for His requirements which are easy and light. Notice we are still expected to act – but on Jesus’s terms, not our own.

What we are supposed to do is summed up in the Great Commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel which states: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

Unfortunately, history has many examples of those who have tried to go and do what they thought was good for God in rash and inappropriate ways. Most times, it is because these people have forgotten their first love (Jesus) and acted based on their understanding rather than God’s.

A wonderful example of this picture of intimacy and action that we are supposed to emulate, occurs in the 21^st chapter of John’s Gospel. Some days after Jesus’s resurrection, several disciples, including Peter and John, decided to go fishing. They fished through the night and caught nothing. Then this person on the shore calls out and tells them to put their nets down one more time on the right side of their boats. Immediately, in a repeat of what happened to Peter and John years before (Luke 5:1-11), their nets are so full they cannot pull them into the boats.

John, who refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, recognizes the person on the shore as Jesus. When Peter hears this, he jumps in the water and swims to Jesus leaving his companions and the fish behind. John’s intimate relationship with Jesus recognized the Savior’s hand and Peter’s nature made him immediately act and go to Jesus.

Jesus had everything prepared and did not need the fish the disciples had caught – just as He has done everything for salvation and we cannot add anything to it. However, Jesus wanted the disciples to bring the fruits of their labor to Him as well. 

After breakfast, Jesus confronts His impetuous friend who could have great insight (“You are the Christ” Mark 8:29) and great faults (denying Jesus three time). Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves Him. Each time Peter answers emphatically that he loves Jesus. To which, Jesus replies with some variation of “Feed my sheep”.

After the third exchange, Jesus tells Peter to follow Him. They get up and leave the group. As they proceed, Peter looks back and sees John following them. Peter asks Jesus about John and Jesus replies: “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:22)

Peter, the doer, needed more depth and intimacy with Jesus. John, the feeler, needed to do more. But what Jesus had in store for John was not necessary for Peter to know. As Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) Peter needed to focus on knowing Jesus and not worry about how other people were focusing on Jesus – as long as they were.

Jesus has a wonderful plan for each of us because we are all unique. However, to know what that plan is, we need to search for Him with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13). In other words, be on very intimate terms with Him so we can know where we are in relation to Him (John recognizing Jesus from the boat) and what He wants us to do (follow Him).

Then, we must do. We cannot be passive. Peter was never passive. We need to be more like Peter while seeking the intimacy John had with Jesus.

When we balance these two qualities (mixing in necessary amounts of prudence and zeal), we will truly become the salt of the earth who accomplish great things in His name. We will be God’s instruments to change lives and whole cultures. We will be living the Great Commission, showing people they can experience God’s Kingdom now and not have to wait for Heaven.