Daily Devotional • December 27
Feast of Saint John
A Reading from John 13:20-35
20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”
21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now no one knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Meditation
Today we celebrate the life of St. John, the disciple the text calls “the one Jesus loved.”
Of course, Jesus loves all his followers — indeed, all his creation. But I don’t think any of us are particularly surprised that John describes himself as beloved. If you’re like I am, you probably have the sense that John is a dreamy soul, maybe a bit artistic, probably someone who would pick up on the fathomless love that is the core of who Jesus is.
John calls himself beloved by Jesus, because he knows Jesus is love itself and that he, John, is best defined as beloved by him.
What if we were to take our cue from John and, instead of introducing ourselves by, say, who we know or what we’ve accomplished, we were to call ourselves “the one Jesus loves?” How would seeing ourselves first and foremost as beloved by Jesus change our point of view? Would we be less fearful? Less fretful? Less prideful? Would we be more courageous? More peaceful? More content?
What if we were to see each person we meet as also “the one Jesus loves?” How might that change our assumptions and prejudices? How might that change the way we interact with the people we meet?
It’s a simple reminder: we are all beloved by Jesus. But when we think of it in John’s terms — this particular person is beloved; I am beloved — it’s not so simple after all. It just might make all the difference.
Elizabeth Hamilton’s writing has appeared in the Dallas Museum of Art, Southern Humanities Review, and Texas Monthly. She has an MFA from Seattle Pacific University. Find her work at elizabethannehamilton.com
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Kurunegala – The Church of Ceylon (Extra Provincial)
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Waco, Texas
