Ministry, Intimacy and a Disrobed Disco

I don’t like to admit this, but when the red letters go on for a couple pages in the Gospels, my mind tends to wander. I know--they’re the very words of Jesus. I’m a bad Christian, I get that. My right brain dominance deals better with the stories and quick pace of Mark versus the conversations and teachings contained in John. Fortunately today I found one of my better angels at the helm while reading John 5. The latter half of the chapter finds Jesus dressing down the “Jews” – most likely meaning the Pharisees and their followers. They had been giving him crap for healing on the Sabbath. At one point in the rebuke he said this to them:

³⁹ You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰ yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

You refuse to come to me to have life.


You refuse to come to me to have life.

Usually I skim over those hammerings that Jesus gives the Pharisees – I mean, sure I have my moments, but those guys were head-of-the-class hypocrites. But verse 40 cut me. I kept re-reading and knew that was standing among those Pharisees being indicted.

For the Pharisees it was studying the scripture and keeping the law. For me, it’s doing ministry. I wrap myself in the robe of pastor and musician instead of the arms of Jesus.

I do ministry instead of intimacy.

It’s not even 10AM and I go from that reading that scripture to Mark Batterson’s new book, Soul Print.* In Scene IV “Alter Ego” Mark’s writing about David’s loin cloth disco. Aside from the story of Michal’s disgust and sarcasm, he points out a subplot in this scene that we often miss:

Royal robes double as his status symbol...David doesn’t find his identity or security in his royalty. David finds his true identity and true security as a worshiper of God Almighty.

Disrobing symbolizes his naked dependence on God.

(Soul Print, by Mark Batterson Kindle Location 1261-70)

I think Jesus is trying to tell me something.



* Not an affiliate link - just making it easy to buy a great book.