“The disciples were self-appointed bouncers, often restricting access to Jesus. Remember they tried to stop that other exorcist from casting out demons in Jesus’ name. In John, we see some Greeks who had traveled to Jerusalem and they want to see Jesus, but they get stopped by Philip, and then Philip goes to Andrew, and then those two guys go to Jesus. They put these layers of access between seekers and Jesus that Jesus never asked for.
Here’s what’s so frustrating: We only have to go back one chapter where we see Jesus saying specifically to the disciples, “Whoever welcomes a little child welcomes Me!” He told them, “Don’t forbid or exclude these other people who are on our side!” And yet, here they are, doing the exact opposite of what He told them.
It made me wonder: What am I slow to apply from God’s word? Undoubtedly, there are things, probably many things that God has said to me, commanded me again and again as I read His word, yet I just breeze past and do the opposite. May God help us to see where we are acting like these forgetful disciples.“
