Heard me?
Another nonsequitor? When did Jesus say anything to the Father? It’s not in this text. No praying. No kneeling. No quiet time. And that’s just the beginning of problems with this sentence. Is this mission a Jesus idea? Don’t we see in another place that Jesus only does what he sees his father doing? That would mean this sentence is backwards. Jesus should be saying “Father, I’m glad I heard you and now I’m here to do what you told me to do.” Also, Jesus has already laid out the meaning of the mission. Just like the blind man in John 10, this is a God glorifying mission. Jesus never misspoke so we need to look at this clearly. What are our options? A silent prayer we don’t get to hear? Perhaps. But Jesus has already said this is about God’s glory. How will God receive most glory? Another option is that Jesus prays the way we do. That his deep groaning and anger is translated by the Spirit into prayer. His tears like ours. This makes most sense to me. Jesus has to live like us. He shows us an utterly Spirit-led life. We must live this way ourselves, depending upon the Spirit to give us what we can’t put into words. How does the sentence sound if we accept this view? Father I’m glad you hear me…even my tears and my groanings…I know you always hear every sigh, every heart cry, every murmur, all of it. You hear me and know me and answer me even when I don’t have words.
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