Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10b)
I've often considered this one of Jesus' most important teachings, and I've spent years trying to understand it. What does Jesus mean by life? Obviously, life for Jesus means more than physical life, the heart pumping blood through the body and the brain pulsing waves detectable by the sensors of an EEG.
The life Jesus came to give us involves more than adding years to our earthly existence. The fact that the person who reveals to us what our life can be died at age 33 indicates that living involves more than extending the timeline of our days a little further. Life in God, eternal life, involves a deepening, not merely an extending. It is a life of unending depth and meaning rather than of unending [earthly] days. It involves richness, fullness, grace. The flourishing life involves knowing what it means to love and to be loved, to find a sense of meaning and satisfaction from our contribution to others, to discover purpose, connection, community, God. There are people who enjoy a vigorous physical health while missing out on abundant life altogether, just as there are people in hospice care with severely limited prospects physically and certain prognoses who nevertheless live fully, gracefully, and perhaps even joyfully.
What does abundant life mean? What does the gift of life in Christ give us? What makes for eternal life? These are questions stimulated by Jesus' single line, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
-- Robert Schnase, from his blog “The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations”
#5652
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing your comments about a quote or about this ministry. Please include your name and what state or country you live in. If you do not have a registered profile, you can login using the "Anonymous" tag in the "Comment as:" box below.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.