Image: Azaleas, North Garden, Virginia, May 2018
Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on John 9:26-38.
John 9:26 Then said
they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? 27 He
answered them, I have told you already and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye
hear it again? will we also be his disciples?
When the Pharisees asked the man born blind what Jesus had
done to him and how he had opened his eyes (v. 26), he responded, in part, by
asking them: “wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?”
(v. 27b).
There is great irony in this. Of course, they do not want to
be his disciples. They want to accuse the Lord Jesus Christ as had been their
motivation with brining to him the woman taken in adultery (see 8:6).
There is also an interesting truth in these questions:
Disciples are indeed those who rejoice in repeated hearings of accounts from
the life and ministry of Jesus. This is why we love to read our Bible
(especially the Gospels) and why we love to hear the preaching and teaching of
the Word.
The text of the old gospel hymn reflects this sentiment:
Tell me the story of
Jesus, write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most
precious, sweetest that every was heard.
We love to hear the story of Jesus, of his parables and his
miracles, but especially to hear of his death, burial, and resurrection. One
mark of a genuine disciple is the desire to hear the old, old story again and
again.
If you are a professed believer and do not have that desire,
this should bring you grave concern for your spiritual state.
May we show that we are Christ’s disciples by virtue of our
desire to read the inspired accounts of Christ’s ministry and to drink in
teaching and preaching on his life.
Grace and peace, Pastor
Jeffrey T. Riddle
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