Yada Jesus

While talking with Porky (my friend) yesterday he asks, “Jon, when’s your next blog and what’s it about?” I answered and said, “Oh, I don’t know, I’m thinking ‘Yada Jesus.’” He smiles and says, “Yada, yada, yada?” I paused and said, “No-no-no, it’s much more than that, it’s Yada Jesus.”

Folks; stop, think, and read that little dialog with my friend again… it speaks volumes of where many are right now, and this is the very reason my heart aches. This is why I speak up in church trying to “wake us up in our faith.”   This is why I am longing for true discipling fellowship, and this is why I study and prayerfully write my blogs.

‘I long to yada Jesus.’

Let me start by acting like a strong, well educated, theologian and ask; What is the greatest commandment of all? You know the answer, Jesus told us. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 22:37-40) Wow, we are all very familiar with this scripture and yet many read it like; ‘yada, yada, yada.’ But wait a minute, what’s it mean to love the LORD with all your heart, soul, and mind, what’s the difference of these three?  

Let’s see… 1) the heart represents the center of emotions, the center of desire and will; 2) the soul signifies your conscious self, your individual life-who you really are; and 3) the mind refers to your intellect, mental focus and understanding, thinking and reasoning, and brings us to determination. And what about ‘Love’? First and foremost, I believe we wouldn’t even know love, how to love, if it hadn’t been for God’s love toward us. “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 ESV) Or let’s look at 1 John 4:10 KJV, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He first loved us,…”   I asked my father one time; “Dad, How do you really love someone?” His answer was one powerful word, “Self-Less-Ness.” You see, God so loved the world that He gave … (John 3:16), God gave His all, He gave Himself.

This is how we love.

So, this ‘first and great commandment’, how are we doing, how do you measure up? Just the other day I was telling my wife how much I hated her coffee mug which reads; “Weekends are made for Jesus, coffee, and football.”  Now I’m glad Jesus is listed first…, but Really??? Are we really satisfied with this? I fear so many are satisfied with even much less, like feeling they know Jesus, because they spend one hour a week, in their comfort zone, on a Sunday morning in church; and even there, if the preacher goes a little too long it becomes: ‘yada, yada, yada.’

Folks, we need to wake up! If we fail at this ‘first and great commandment’, then it’s our greatest sin.

Ok, I can hear the argument, there is no sin greater than another. Really? I understand what you’re saying, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10) Therefore we could say that there is not one law greater than another, or one commandment greater than another, for if we break one, we are guilty of all. Yet read again what Jesus said, “This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it:” In fact, Jesus gives these greatest commandments a godly perspective saying; “On these two commandments hang ALL the law and the prophets.”

Wow, wow, wow, and WOW!  If we can’t keep this ‘first and great commandment’ then ALL of the Bible; the Law, and every word of the prophets and our preachers, become nothing more than ‘Yada, yada, yada.’

Please friend, keep this ‘first and great commandment’ and ‘Yada’ Jesus.

Definitions:                                                                                                                                               “Yada yada yada” means: And so on; and so forth, filler, boring, or predictable talk.

“Yada,” commonly refers to the Hebrew word for “to know,” implying deep, intimate knowledge, especially regarding spiritual context. Represents experiential knowledge, often “to know and to be known intimately by God.”

Yes, Amen, and Amen; so which is it for you…?

…“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, ‘Yada., yada, yada.’ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt 7:21-23 paraphrase)  -OR- “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and ‘Yada’ him with me.” (Rev 3:19,20 paraphrase)

Folks, ‘Yada’ Jesus!