Meditations on Standing Nearby

Meditations on Standing Nearby

John 19: 26-27 depicts a portion of the scene in which Christ hangs on the cross, prepared to pay the eternal price for my sin. We haven’t heard from the disciples, those twelve specially chosen young men who have shadowed his footsteps for the last three years, since Peter’s denial during the trial. Then suddenly, we realize that one of them is present. There is John, perhaps the youngest of the twelve, and clearly the one who considers himself to be the closest friend of Jesus. He is standing with his own mother and Jesus’ mother, for all we know silently observing the death of his dreams.

We can learn from John’s example. When he found himself at the end of the Mission to which he had dedicated the previous three years of his life, where did he go? When everyone in his public world saw the humiliation of the Man who had called him away from a lucrative family business and dragged him around the countryside, living like vagrants, one day chasing down their Leader who had gone alone to pray, and another day watching Him escape those who would put Him to death… where do we find John? He was ‘standing nearby’. He was still in the presence of the Saviour Who had seemingly failed him. John was physically in the same place he had been for the previous three years… near to His beloved Lord.

Sometimes, in our lives, too, we find ourselves at a loss for words. We stand silently to the side as the plans we have built for months or years crumble around us. Inwardly, we question… “But Lord, YOU built this! What good could come of its failure now?” Whether in the loss of a marriage, the rebellion of a child, the failure of some earthly leader, or any other death of a vision, loss hurts. Something in our core is torn apart when it seems that what we’ve done for our Saviour has been a waste.

But more than that, even when we do have the faith to remain physically present in the midst of a crisis, we may hesitate to move forward in our spiritual walks. When we come upon the scene in John 19, it is not a static picture. While John may have been standing still, it would seem it was more with the spirit of one waiting for further instructions. It implies, if you will, ‘waiting’ as a waitperson in a restaurant, or the more archaic term of a ‘lady-in-waiting.’ John was standing ready to receive whatever his Leader instructed next, even though his Leader appeared to others to have been stripped of His authority. When Jesus instructs John to treat Mary as his own mother, the Bible says it was so “from that hour”. Wow! Oh, to be so attentive in the face of earth-shattering trials in my own life!

Whether the question you face is , “Where was God on 9/11?” or “Did your God allow the Newtown school shooting?” or even “My pastor failed our church, so how can God be true?” the answer is the same.  When I am in a personal crisis of faith, or have opportunity to speak into someone else during a crisis, I am challenged from John’s life to continue on with what I do know to be true. Yes. My God is still good. My God is still all-powerful, and He still loves me. I may not be able to tell you how, when it seems all I’ve believed in and worked toward is dying with Him on the cross, but I know what I’m supposed to do next.

Tomorrow, I’ll wake up and spend some quiet time with my Saviour, no matter how I feel.

I’ll care for my family and teach them to know and love God, too.

I’ll honor, obey, and submit to what I know until I receive further instruction. Because what I know of God hasn’t changed.  A crisis in my world need not become a crisis in my faith.

1.         Stand. “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…” (II Chronicles 20:17)
2.         Stand Nearby. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” (Psalm 34:18)
3.         Obey. “Doing the will of God from the heart…” (Ephesians 6:6b)

What do you see from this passage? Do you think John’s faith was misplaced? Leave a comment below about how you deal with personal crises. How do you “keep the faith” when the world around you is crumbling? I’d love to hear from you!

By the way, if this post would be a blessing to someone you know, please pass it along. God is glorified when we share what He has done in our lives with others!

*Loosely based on a devotion found in The Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore