Living in Jesus, Abiding in Him (23)

 

As we consider prayer in John 15:7 – 8, I am drawn to some insights from George MacDonald as recorded by C. S. Lewis in, George MacDonald – An Anthology – 365 Readings. In his preface, Lewis makes the point concerning MacDonald, “The Divine Sonship is the key conception which unites all the different elements of his thought.” I think we see this in the excerpts below. I also think that we can say that Divine Sonship unites the Gospel of John, and certainly the Upper Room. We see the Divine Sonship of Jesus Christ in the Father, and we see our Divine Sonship in Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Good News of the Father calling His sons and daughters Home.

 

From Day 91: Why Should It Be Necessary?

 

“But if God is so good as you represent Him, and if He knows all that we need, and better far than we do ourselves, why should it be necessary to ask Him for anything?” I answer, What if He knows Prayer to be the thing we need first and most? What if the main object in God’s idea of prayer be the supplying of our great, our endless need – the need of Himself?...

 

Hunger may drive the runaway child home, and he may or may not be fed at once, but he needs his mother more than his dinner. Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other need: prayer is the beginning of that communion, and some need is the motive of prayer…

 

So begins a communion, a talking with God, a coming-to-one with Him, which is the sole end of prayer, yea, of existence itself in its infinite phases. We must ask that we may receive: but that we should receive what we ask in respect of our lower needs, is not God’s end in making us pray, for He could give us everything without that: to bring His child to his knee, God withholds that man may ask.

 

Do you think this passage is appropriate in our consideration of John 15:7 – 8? Can we see its emphasis on relationship? Our dear heavenly Father wants to draw us into deep relationship with Himself, He wants to set us on His knee, He wants us to know joy and peace and security in Him, in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the blessed Holy Spirit.

 

The Gospel of John begins with the Father calling His sons and daughters home (1:12 – 13) and we see this theme unfolding throughout the Gospel; we also see the Sonship of Jesus Christ attacked again and again (for example see John 10:33). Just as the Sonship of Jesus Christ was attacked 2,000 years ago, His Sonship in us and our Sonship in Him is attacked today – the enemy is always attempting to rob us of our identity in Jesus Christ, if the enemy cannot stop us from coming home to the Father, he will attempt to rob us to our inheritance, blind us to our identity, and do his worst to have us arrive at that City beaten and bruised and bleeding and disoriented – arriving as paupers when we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ in our Father.

 

Can we hear Jesus saying, “…go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’”? (John 20:17b).

 

Can we hear Jesus saying, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love”? (15:9).

 

Can we hear Jesus saying, “…that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me”? (17:23b).

 

O dear reader, see how God loves you!

 

The Father truly does want you on His knee.