Body

Devotions

Go Tell the Brethren

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden by the tomb, she supposed that he was the gardener. Her heart was heavy and she cried out, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away” (John 20:15, NKJV).

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is to say, Teacher)” (John 20:16). Jesus knows the names of those who love him, and he called Mary by her name.

Jesus then told her, “Do not cling to me” (John 20:17). Jesus knew Mary was not going to let go of him. Her heart was crying, “I lost you once, but I’m never going to lose you again!”

It must have taken a lot of courage for Mary to heed Jesus’s words to her. You see, he told her he was going to be gone for awhile, and she should go to the others and “…say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father’” (John 20:17).

Mary quickly returned to the disciples who had returned home after seeing that Jesus was no longer in the tomb. These simple fishermen were gathered together in one room, perhaps cleaning their old fishing gear. They were not theologians, but they had been trained for three years at the Master’s feet.

It was Mary, however, who had the revelation! These men had to sit and listen to a woman who had heard from Jesus. Can you imagine the scene? “What did he say? What did he look like?” Mary answered simply, “All I know is I saw him, and he told me to come here and tell you something!”

I love to hear devoted men and women of God say the words Mary said: “I’ve heard from him, and I have something to say!” The cry of my heart every time I prepare to preach is “Lord, if you are not going to talk to me, I am not going to talk to them.” Like Mary Magdalene, we should all have a heart so given to the Lord that he gives us his mind and says, “Go tell the brethren!”

Unity in the Body

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

I believe when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, he was teaching a profound lesson on how to achieve unity in the body of Christ.

As Jesus approached Peter to wash his feet, the disciple drew back and asked in astonishment, “Lord, you aren’t going to wash my feet, are you? Never, never!” (see John 13:6). Jesus answered, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8, NKJV). Jesus was saying, in essence, “Peter, if I wash your feet, we have grounds for precious fellowship, a basis for true unity.”

After Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he asked them, “Do you understand what I have done?” If they had understood the spiritual significance of what he had just done in taking away the stain and guilt of their sin, it would have produced profound gratitude in them.

What did Jesus do to you when he cleansed you? He wiped away all your guilt and made you clean and whole. He put joy in your soul and filled you with such love for him that you would follow him anywhere and do anything for him.

Beloved, that is the secret of unity. When you take up the towel of mercy for a hurting, fallen brother, you encourage him by embracing him in his hurt. By washing that person’s feet, you construct a firm foundation for true unity and glorious fellowship. You are made one by your common experience.

This message is for me as much as for anyone else. I have just recently come into this convicting knowledge of what foot washing is truly about. By God’s grace, I will take up the towel of mercy along with others and seek out those hurting ones whose feet need cleansing.

Jesus said, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. …If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:14,17). Now that we “know these things,” as Jesus said, we can do them. Are you willing and ready to take up your towel in love?

Gentle and Patient

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

“And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, NKJV).

If you want to be kindhearted and take up the towel to restore a brother or sister, you do not need to know the details of how that person got dirty. Jesus did not ask his disciples, “How did you get such filthy feet?” He wanted only to get the dust off of them. His love for them was unconditional.

Likewise, those who walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ must have this attitude of love toward those with dirty feet. We are not to ask for details. Instead, we are to say, “Let me wash your feet.”

Too often Christians want to delve into all the gory details of a situation. They come to a believer who has dirty feet, saying, “I want to wash your feet. But first tell me, what happened? How’d you get so dirty?”

At some point in the story of failure, the curious comforter realizes, “Oh my, this is worse than I thought. I can’t get involved in this.” After a few more details, he comes to the end of his puny human mercy. He judges the person as too evil or beyond help, and he drops his towel and goes his way.

Beloved, you cannot wash feet in a judge’s robes. You have to take off your self-righteous garments before you can do any cleansing. Paul says we are to be gentle and patient with all people. “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

Paul is saying, “You must be tenderhearted with everyone, willing to wash their feet. God will have mercy on them and deliver them from their sin.”

Devoted to Jesus

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

Let me give you what I call “the devoted life for commuters and subway straphangers.” It is a simple way for busy Christians to lead a practical, deeply devoted life with nothing mystical about it.

Devotion to Jesus means trusting him alone to meet every need of your body, soul and spirit. It means giving up looking to any other person or source to meet those needs. Many single people say, “I’m sick of being lonely. I need a mate. If only God would give me someone!”  

No, a mate would never be able to meet such a need. In fact, a mate could possibly make you twice as miserable because you would have not only your own headaches but his or hers as well. Until Jesus is your focus, until you see him as your only true satisfaction, you will sink deeper and deeper into despair.

At one point, Jesus wanted to prove to his disciples that he was on top of any situation, so he called Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water to meet him. Peter obeyed; and as long as he remained focused on Jesus, he was above everything, actually walking on water. However, when the disciple began to focus on his surroundings, he started to sink (see Matthew 14:28-31).

The lesson here is elementary. What do you do when you get that sinking feeling? Do you call out to a friend for help? Or do you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and cry out, “Lord, save me”?

The bride of Christ will be comprised of those who have given up trying to find help, comfort or satisfaction from anything on this earth. They have learned to depend wholly on the one they love to fully satisfy their every hunger and thirst.

Do you have this kind of walk with Jesus? I urge you to keep your eyes focused on your bridegroom. Expect his return at any moment and do not look to anyone or anything else to fulfill you.

The Ever-Present Jesus

Gary Wilkerson

Not long ago, I was sitting outside my house, reading my Bible, and I suddenly felt this intense longing. I found myself saying, “Jesus, I wish you were physically here. I wish you would sit next to me on my porch, open my Bible, and talk to me about it. I wish I could see your eyes and hear your voice.”

In that moment, I was reminded of the scriptures where Jesus said, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away…” (John 16:7, ESV). How many of you have heard that scripture? I’ve heard it since I was a little boy. The problem is that I’m not sure I ever believed it. I’ve honestly often thought that it would be better if Jesus was with me right now. I get on a plane and think, “I wish he was sitting next to me on this plane.” It'd be a perfect world to have Jesus sitting on one side of me and my wife sitting on the other!

Here's what Jesus said to me, though, that time on my porch. “Gary, if I was here on earth, at best, you’d get five minutes of my time per year because there’d be a big line.” 

If Jesus was physically here on earth, he would be limited to the capacity of humanity. There would be only so much that he could do or say to each one of us before it’d be like “Okay, next. Next person. Next.” 

Now that his Spirit and truth is living in us, he is with you all the time! He never has to leave you to eat or sleep or see someone else. I thought that when the Bible says, “He will never leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6), it meant kind of doctrinally. God won’t allow me to ever not be a Christian; he’ll hold me in my faith. 

Now I see that verse as promising that Christ will never leave me. He’s right here with me. He’ll be on the airplane with me. Anytime I’m in my car and I want to talk to him, he’s right there. That actually is much better than him being physically here, isn’t it?