Learning to Lovewell: W4 - MON
Crosswalk will be relevant in living out the ways of Jesus in our time and place.
WIth and Then
Mark 3:13-15, ESV 13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.
I fully admit, I’m a doer. I like to get things done, be on the move. In fact, I’m one of those kinesthetic learners, which means that I learn best while I’m moving. It tends to drive my wife, who already struggles from time to time with motion sickness, a little crazy because if I’m not moving, I’m bouncing my leg or doing something.
I’ll share on week six that I’ve always identified more with Martha at the end of Luke 10, than with Mary. Martha was busy cooking and cleaning and being hospitable, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, in the posture of a disciple, listening to what he had to say. Both Martha and Mary are needed, but the order in which they are needed is important. Let me explain.
I believe the order of our end statements at Crosswalk was Spirit-led, in part because of End Statement 3 following End Statement 2. For in order to live out the ways of Jesus, we must first spend time being WITH Jesus.
My former mentor, the late Dr Jon Dybdahl, was the one that taught me this critical lesson.
Early on in our journey together, he opened up the Word to me and we walked through today’s passage. He read it through once and asked me what Jesus appointed the disciples to do. Naturally, I replied, “preach and cast out demons,” though admittedly I was nervous to affirm the command to cast out demons.
Jon replied, “Yes, but what were they appointed to do first?”
I looked again at the verse, read it through in my head a couple times, then with a tone of questioning myself I said, “be with him?”
“You got it,” Jon said. “Our first job is to be with him. Out of that, grows everything else.” He then connected these words to Jesus’ in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
If you and I are going to be “relevant in living out the ways of Jesus in our time and place,” that starts by living with Jesus. As author, Leonard Sweet, once preached, “God cares more about our with-ness, than our witness, because everything comes from our withness.”
I’m still a doer, but I try my best to make sure I spend time with Jesus, before I start doing things for Jesus. When I do, he makes me more open to the needs around me, ready to listen to him and to others, and then he shows me where to put my foot next as I seek to live out my life in service of his kingdom.
WIth and Then
Mark 3:13-15, ESV 13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.
I fully admit, I’m a doer. I like to get things done, be on the move. In fact, I’m one of those kinesthetic learners, which means that I learn best while I’m moving. It tends to drive my wife, who already struggles from time to time with motion sickness, a little crazy because if I’m not moving, I’m bouncing my leg or doing something.
I’ll share on week six that I’ve always identified more with Martha at the end of Luke 10, than with Mary. Martha was busy cooking and cleaning and being hospitable, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, in the posture of a disciple, listening to what he had to say. Both Martha and Mary are needed, but the order in which they are needed is important. Let me explain.
I believe the order of our end statements at Crosswalk was Spirit-led, in part because of End Statement 3 following End Statement 2. For in order to live out the ways of Jesus, we must first spend time being WITH Jesus.
My former mentor, the late Dr Jon Dybdahl, was the one that taught me this critical lesson.
Early on in our journey together, he opened up the Word to me and we walked through today’s passage. He read it through once and asked me what Jesus appointed the disciples to do. Naturally, I replied, “preach and cast out demons,” though admittedly I was nervous to affirm the command to cast out demons.
Jon replied, “Yes, but what were they appointed to do first?”
I looked again at the verse, read it through in my head a couple times, then with a tone of questioning myself I said, “be with him?”
“You got it,” Jon said. “Our first job is to be with him. Out of that, grows everything else.” He then connected these words to Jesus’ in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
If you and I are going to be “relevant in living out the ways of Jesus in our time and place,” that starts by living with Jesus. As author, Leonard Sweet, once preached, “God cares more about our with-ness, than our witness, because everything comes from our withness.”
I’m still a doer, but I try my best to make sure I spend time with Jesus, before I start doing things for Jesus. When I do, he makes me more open to the needs around me, ready to listen to him and to others, and then he shows me where to put my foot next as I seek to live out my life in service of his kingdom.
- What are some of your favorite ways, or best practices, of spending time with Jesus?
- What spiritual practices are harder for you or do you have more questions about?
- Do you find it easier for you to be a listener, a doer, or are you able to balance both? If balance is hard, what helps you reset when you feel off balance?
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