The one whom Jesus loved

A popular Christian song in the 1990s that was a favorite, especially with youth, is called “I Found Jesus.” Although very catchy and a fun song to both play and sing, it’s not very theologically sound.

Many people give testimonies about their searches for the Lord and they usually end with someone saying he or she found Jesus. However, the very essence of the Christian faith is that Jesus is chasing after us. The last time I checked, Jesus wasn’t lost and needing to be found.

One verse in particular states that true love doesn’t rest in the fact that we love God, but that he loves us and gave himself for us. So, it’s very important that we realize that God’s love for us is unconditional, unending and extends to all people.

If God loves all people unconditionally, and if he doesn’t play favorites, then why does the Bible refer to one of Jesus’ disciples as “the disciple whom he loved?” Didn’t he love all of his disciples equally?

The best way I can describe this phrase that happens five different times in the book of John is to relate the 12 disciples once again to a business. If you read my column in previous weeks, you may remember we talked about the importance of having a group of leaders you can pour your life into. We also talked about the three disciples who were very close to Jesus and traveled with him into places the other nine were not invited to.

There is yet another principle Jesus used with his disciples that works extremely well in the business realm. It’s the principle of the one. This principle is the simplest in theory, yet the hardest for a leader to implement.

For Jesus, the disciple who stood out above the rest was a commercial fisherman named John. The remarkable thing about this man was not his college diploma, his wealthy family or his fancy boat. It was a pliable and teachable heart.

Although the Bible refers to him as the one whom Jesus loved, it didn’t mean Jesus loved him more than the rest; rather, it means John was willing to press into Jesus and get all that he could from his Savior. He was willing to go above and beyond the rest.

The last thing Jesus said to John is found in John 19:26-27: “Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

Of all the disciples, John was a man who could be trusted by Jesus. Every leader of every corporation in the world needs a person like John standing by his or her side — one who can be trusted. Sadly, many companies will close their doors this year because the leader was too prideful to let anyone else get close to the top. It could be for fear of a takeover or that the leader is too naïve to realize the need to be constantly training a replacement.

As a youth pastor, I am doing my best to train the youth of the church to run the sound, pray, study the Bible and help out around the church. I also constantly look at the students to see who is emerging as a person who really wants to go after God with all his or her heart. When I find them, I pour my heart into them. I do it because I want to see the work go on after I die or change jobs or retire.

If you work for a boss, then make up your mind to be that person your boss loves. If you are the boss, look for an employee you can trust implicitly. Every day I go to work at my church seeking to bring joy to my pastor.

The principle of the one works flawlessly when it’s in place, but it requires a strong commitment from the employee and the employer to be effective.

Jesse Miller is the youth pastor at Family Christian Center in Palmer and can be reached at silverhonda84-@hotmail.com.