Understanding is Not Doing

"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him  If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it" (Jn. 13:16-17).

What is the "it" that Jesus is referring to?  Something very important happened in the preceding verses.  Jesus washed the disciples' feet.  He gave them a model of loving service.  Jesus wants us to know that it is not enough just to understand and know intellectually the model of loving service.   

We actually need to live it out.  We can't just know what we ought to do.  We must do it.  Perhaps we all know what the "right" thing to do is.  But do we do it?  If not, why not?  Let us reflect on that and bring it to prayer.  Father, I know and feel that I should do ....., but why am I not motivated to do it?  Let Him speak to you.

Comments

  1. A beloved sonJune 25, 2019 at 5:59 PM

    The part of the Confiteor in the Latin, "quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione," is translated as "that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do." And the Chinese, "承認我在思、言、行爲上的過失" translates roughly into "I admit the wrongs/omissions I have committed through my thoughts, words, and actions." All that we think, say, and do should reflect the glory of God, which is man fully alive, living as God created us to be - in His image and likeness. In other words, if all that we think, say, and do does not come out of love then we are not doing it right. Love is at the core. That's my take on it.

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