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The Journey | 8.23.26 – 8.28.26
I am no plant mom. Even easy-to-grow plants suffer under my care. Yet I can appreciate the miracle of a seed. How can something start out so small, be buried in the earth, and transform into something new above ground? It’s inspiring to think about the end result – the crop, flower, or tree that the seed ultimately becomes. But it’s sobering to consider what’s required of the seed to grow. It must first be buried and broken in the darkness.
No wonder Jesus chose a seed as a metaphor in this passage. Upon hearing that some Greeks had asked to see him, Jesus knows that this small group of Gentiles represents all people groups outside Israel who are beginning to be drawn to him. And so it is time for Jesus to do what he came to do. It’s time to die and reveal who he is. Jesus’ death is the only way for his glory to be displayed. It is the only way for sinful men and women to be transformed into sanctified sons and daughters of God. And it’s the only way to be a Christian who is actively following Jesus.
Following Jesus means we have a death to die as well. We have to let him transform us. We must give him our plans for our lives and follow where he leads. We have to look toward heaven while living on earth. And we have to hold on to faith in God, even when we don’t see anything changing in us or around us. Remember that it’s not possible to see what’s happening to the seed when you’re looking at it above ground. But out of sight, the seed will grow, and God knows what he is doing with it.
So as you go about your life this week, remember what Jesus said about seeds. Listen for God’s voice and look for his light. Spend time in Scripture and prayer so that your spiritual senses will sharpen. Surrender your inner self to death, particularly the parts of you that want to stay in sin or be in charge of your life. Obey God and follow him so that you may grow in your love for him and others. You never know who might admire your growth and be drawn to the Gardener who nurtured it all.
By Allison Antrim
Monday, August 24
Signs abound to show Jesus is Messiah, and yet not many believe in him. Even the leaders who believe keep it to themselves rather than lose their position in the synagogue. To all who are spiritually blinded and stumbling about in sin, Jesus is the light. He will illuminate the darkness for those who see him and trust him.
REFLECT: In verse 39, John quotes Isaiah, who says that God blinded the eyes of the people. Yet in verses 44 and 45, Jesus exhorts the crowd to see him and trust him. What does this suggest about unbelief and belief, agency and culpability?
PRAYER: Jesus, you have revealed yourself to be the Messiah. Help me to see you as you are, and trust you in all things.
Tuesday, August 25
Hundreds of years before Jesus, Isaiah saw the living God on his throne. And when he asked for a messenger, Isaiah volunteered immediately. Yet the message was dismaying. It would echo into the future, when only those with eyes to see would see the son of God living among them.
REFLECT: What is the relationship between seeing, hearing, and believing?
ACTION STEP: Make a list of everything you know about Jesus. Read over it and mark what’s easy for you to believe about him. Then mark what’s hard for you to believe about him. Ask God to help you see, hear, and believe that Jesus is who he says he is.
Wednesday, August 26
Healing wasn’t all that Jesus would provide for the formerly blind man. He would also restore light to the darkness of his soul. Jesus’ judgment is not for the blind who discover their blindness and turn toward him. It is for those who claim to see, though they are blind.
REFLECT: What makes the Pharisees blind? What would they need to do to see fully?
PRAYER: Father, you heal our hearts and give us the ability to see you. Please soften my heart so I can recognize you at work in my life and the world around me.
Thursday, August 27
REFLECT: Christians have both individual and communal responsibility regarding belief. First, we have to pay attention to our own hearts. But we also remind each other to pay attention. This will help us recognize the deception of sin and renew our trust in God.
ACTION ITEM: Pray for God to show you where sin has recently tricked you and hardened your heart. Then ask him to show you one or two Christians you know that you can encourage to examine their own hearts this week.
Friday, August 28
REFLECT: God alone knows this man’s name, yet his heartfelt prayer can be found in the heart of all believers. We want to believe Jesus fully, but we can’t. We believe some things about him, but not all. Though the desperate father’s faith is imperfect, his declaration is enough for him to see Jesus work the miracle of healing his son.
PRAYER: God, I echo the man from Mark 9: I do believe; help my unbelief. Help me to accept who you are, all that makes sense to me and all that doesn’t. Soften my heart and grow my faith.
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