enough.” Jesus said to him, “What! I have been with you so long and you still do not know
me, Philip? Whoever sees me sees the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
All that I say to you, I do not say of myself. The Father who dwells in me is doing his
own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; at
least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do. Truly, I say to you, the one
who believes in me will do the same works that I do; and he will even do greater
than these, for I am going to the Father. Everything you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Indeed, anything you ask, calling
upon my name, I will do it.
Reflect
Some people just seem to enjoy stirring things up and causing division. Sometimes, they are
acting from principles, expressing real disagreements. But in other cases, they just want
to make trouble. They may claim that they are acting as a “devil’s advocate” to help others
hone their logic. But in too many cases, they are just looking for attention or trying to hurt
others.
In such situations, the example of Paul and Barnabas is instructive. Rather than
engage in the back-and-forth of petty arguments or join in the insults, they simply stated
their case and walked away, de-escalating the situation. In a world where even political
and media figures seem to thrive by throwing oil on raging fires, disciples of Christ can
stand out by refusing to engage in such behaviors. Walking away from the nasty and
shallow conflicts that rage, particularly on social media, is not a sign of weakness.
Those who know Jesus and the Father can rest secure in that knowledge, doing the
works to which the Father calls them.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023