Nuggets

A fellow blogger, Jon from Missionary Sojourn, recently posted an article that got my attention, titled Mansions Above are not Real Estate.  This of course was a reference to John 14:2:

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

John 14:2

Jon was noting a conversation he had with Jesus that centered on the Greek word(s) μονή, ῆς, ἡ, or “mone”, which I guess in certain contexts could be used for “mansion”, but the actual definition is… AN ABIDING, or ABODE.  Jon is right, the revelation that Jesus is not building actual mansions for each one of us is delightful, because the idea behind preparing a place then reveals it is more about family rather than stuff, and I like that!

Of course I had to continue reading John 14 because it is such a wonderful chapter and it had been a while.  Reading now with this new little interpretation nugget in mind, imagine my surprise as I noticed this same root word is also used in John 14:23, which says

“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him”.

John 14:23

Even better, because the symbolism of abiding paints a picture of this beautiful symbiotic dance between us: Jesus and the Father are One. We are One with Jesus and the Father. We know there is unity and an unbrokenness in abiding. 

Like a friend of mine said recently, I love these little nuggets the Lord gives us when we read His word, which makes me think of THIS verse from that same chapter:

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 14:21

Did you catch that? He manifests Himself to those who love Him.  This confirms another of my favorite verses, and I especially like it in the Passion Translation:

“There’s a private place reserved for the devoted lovers of Yahweh, where they sit near him and receive the revelation-secrets of his promises”.

Psalm 25:14

Jesus may not have favorites, but He does have intimates – and the good news is, anyone can choose to know Him – it’s not exclusive!  Anyone can abide.  Anyone can dwell.  Anyone can be hidden in Christ.  Amen, and thanks Jon!

Be blessed.