Jesus: The Master of Obedience

Jesus:                                                                                                     Return to Main Menu
   The Master of Obedience

This writing is a bit longer than most and is written in two parts to provide a break in the reading.  Both parts are in this document rather than two documents as I have done in other of my longer writings.

There is something about the word 'obedience' we do not like, yet, down deep in our innermost soul we know the behavior represented by that word is good for us.  

A Young Man Learns Obedience, the hard way.
A young man in my middle school classroom went to the bathroom everyday for the first five days of class understanding my rule about having only five bathroom visits during my class for the whole semester.  Beginning on the third day I reminded Steven that he better manage his bathroom visits or he would not like the way I would manage them.  On the fifth day I told him there would be no more bathroom visits during my class unless he brought a doctor's note indicating he had a medical problem requiring unlimited visits.  The next day, he brought a note from his mother indicating she had given him permission to leave my room anytime he wanted to for a bathroom visit and could disregard my instructions to the contrary.  Containing my laughter, I smiled and asked him, "Is your mother a medical doctor?" and  "No," was his answer.  "Well you cannot go to the bathroom, and if you do so without my permission, I will send you to the control room."  It was amazing to see the power of my few words; he never again had to go to the bathroom.  But in reality, Steven just decided to be obedient to avoid punishment.


The fullness of being obedient was something I learned at home.  And, it became far more than selfishly following directions to avoid punishment.  Now, in my early years, my daddy or mother on rare occasions took a paddle or a switch to me (a small freshly pulled pliable tree limb devoid of leaves), but I do not think I learned real obedience from that. Of course,  as a young child, I did not like the punishment of a spanking and especially not the switching (mother's favorite).  But, as I grew, I came to realize I disliked my inner feeling of failing my father when he had spanked me more so than the spanking as punishment.  As time passed, the bad feeling I felt was my understanding of failure to love my mother and dad enough to do what they asked.   What I came to understand is what they asked of me was good for my overall good and well being.  As children we have to learn to follow directions for our own good, for as adults, in many cases, we do the same, for our own good; in both cases, to avoid punishment.  But, with mother and dad, the desire to follow their directions (their will) came because of their love for me, not in fear of what they might do to me.   I came to truly understand "Father Knows Best".  It is the same with our love for God!   I really came to more fully understand all of this in becoming a parent.

Our Selfishness in Our Obedience

As a parent, when my son was maturing, I wanted him to follow my will for him because he loved me, not because of any punishment that may come from me (*1).  It is the same with God.

Most people understand the importance of being obedient, at least when they know the ramifications and desiring to avoid the bad consequences.  But, in our maturity we come to realize that being obedient more often brings good consequences for us and we become obedient for the positive rewards we receive.  If we follow a supervisor's directions at our work, usually we advance in our job, that is a positive reward, but the behavior has a selfish component in it.  Further, if we take the initiative, and see what needs to be done and do it, we usually are rewarded and recognized for what we have done.  With that comes not only the good feeling of getting the job done but sometimes many other rewards come such as respect of people around you.  But, some of this still contains selfishness and from that, pride too easily slips into our behavior.  The element of "what's in it for me?" attitude can still reside in our behavior.  

========================================
Part 2: What Jesus teaches us in His Example
================================

Now, do you think selfishness is why Jesus was obedient, even unto death?  I hope not!

Jesus was the Master of Obedience, and it was not for selfish reasons.

Real Godly obedience in following God's will in our behavior and our thinking comes from our maturing love for God, and that comes from our Trusting God.   This is the example of Jesus, the Perfect Leader.  In John 4:24 (see below in context) Jesus says, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work."  This means that for Jesus, His very essence, His very basis for living, His fundamental reason to exist was to do the Will of God!   Because God loves us and He know what is best for us, we should want the same!  This is what Jesus desired for his life and doing the Will of God is what Jesus desires for our life!  He is our Perfect Example.  However, for Jesus, Obedience came at an extreme cost, and He understood His cost long before the payment was made, yet He remained and persevered in being obedient!

Obedience 
      Without the Threat of Punishment

Perhaps the most amazing behavior of Jesus is His Obedience and in His obedience He persevered in His Self-Control (*2).  Imagine the Self-Control as He had to live with the human limitations of choice and at the same time limit His use of His power to affect, change, and directly control anything earthly He desired.  In His Self-Control, He chose to be Obedient to what God sent Him to earth to do- Set the Example to us on how to live, and be the Perfect Sacrifice for us to live in Grace, despite our sin!  In that Obedience He chose to never once, not one time to ever use His power to selfishly affect himself.  He never used his power to get Himself out of situations dangerous to Himself.  Jesus never used His power for any self gratification or self advancement.  Imagine the power to change anything He wanted and never used it for Himself.  He was always sacrificially living in God's will for His life void of any and all selfishness, even when others presented Him great temptations.  It is no wonder He prayed often.  

To achieve His Father's goals for His life He depended on His relationship with God and the gained strength He found therein.  To keep and develop the obedient relationship with His Father, He prayed often and without distractions in being alone.  In His desires came the Loving Obedience to do God's Will, He wanted to complete the mission God had for Him, and to do this, in His love of and for God He continued His prayers through His close personal relationship with His Father.

Learning to Love God

We live daily but survive eternally because of God.  God gives us the air to breathe, grows our food, causes the rain to replenish our water supply, the earth to revolve and rotate giving us seasons; all this supplying our needs and then adds to our basic needs His Saving Grace through Jesus Christ.   My parents saw to my needs in my early years, taught me how to live, and taught me how to have Righteous goals in life.  In these gifts of my parents I learned to obey first because of the fear of punishment, then love them because they loved me, and finally to be obedient because I loved them.  Even after leaving home, I desired to have a personal relationship with them, just as Jesus did with His heavenly Father.  I learned to live in part, not to disappoint my parents following the example of Jesus in living not to disappoint His Father.

In the same manner we should learn to love God.  In the beginning we may fear God, and that is not a bad thing, but when we see God for the ultimate provider He really is, we come to love Him just as Jesus did!  Our love for God builds because of a developed personal relationship with Him; and just as with Jesus, it takes communication through our prayers to achieve that relationship and in that relationship we come to be obedient to Him BECAUSE we love HIM.  We love God Not because of any threats, we love both God and Jesus because of what they did and do for us, out of their love for us!  In that, we should desire and seek to be obedient.  

In Jesus Christ, we have the Perfect Example of obedience.  We will never be perfect in our Obedience, but with a prayerful relationship with Jesus and God we can have the same desire as Jesus, the desire to love God, the desire for a personal relationship with God, and the great desire to be obedient to Him in that loving relationship.  Through that relationship of love, our repentance and His forgiveness, we then have eternal life with God, beginning now.

As we seek God for our lives, we do learn out of our love for Him, "Father Really Does Know Best".

Thanks be to God.

© Lonnie Coggins        
                            Return to Main Menu

    

                                                                   

==============================

Sharing these messages

You are welcome to share these messages.  You can send the links to your friends,  copy and insert the link on FB or Christian.com or you can print the message and share it with your friends.

You can print the message including this sharing message only for your friends and for non-profit.  You will have to copy and paste the message to a word processing document.   After you copy and paste add the following at the end of the message:

© Lonnie Coggins

ldcoggins@gmail.com

If you desire to use any of these messages in a For-Profit manner you must contact me (email) for permission.  Typically, I will most likely give permission.

Please email me if you find any broken links in this message.

lonnie 

Publication  0116

John 4:
29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ ?"30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.35Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true.38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

Many Samaritans Believe

39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."
REFERENCES
*1  My son was a great kid, never once did I ever have to spank him, mother only once.  He is a greater father, three times.  I do not know how he and his wife do it....But, the do depend on God, that really is the answer.
*2  'Self-Control', part of the Gift of the Spirit, Galatians 5:23