Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
I frequently remind us that the phrase we read in John as “eternal life” is a misnomer for the modern mind. The phrase, mixed with the evolution of theological concepts like postmillennial dispensationalism leads us to assume it has to be about Heaven, the afterlife, and a reward. But for Jesus, it is something much, much more significant.
The phrase is written in the present tense, meaning it isn’t speaking of a perpetual concept into the future — it is very much about now.
With Jesus, eternal life is something we have now. It is about this life in this moment with these people around us and with this faith in God through him. Following Jesus’s Way of Love means we have a more vibrant life than without him.
I think many of us still want to think of it as a reward for behavior or as a paradigm for obedience: a prescription for living well or “right”. But Jesus keeps pushing us to see it as something we experience. Something that is present. And something that requires two things: sacrifice and other people.
Jesus is showing us what it means to be a disciple right now. How to follow him. Loving, praising, giving, letting go, forgiving, showing mercy, feeding those who hunger, praying, communing, and so much more! Living this one wild and wonderful life generously and with great hope and gratitude for everyone we encounter. Including God.
With love,
Drew