With the Eye of Faith

Jesus put a great deal of effort into the disciples. They were His trainees. Before He died, He said to Father God, “They were Yours. You gave them to Me . . . Now they have known all things which you have given Me are from You.” (Jn. 17:6b,7 NKJV)

Jesus said that even when He knew the disciples did not understand much of what He was saying to them. He even knew they would scatter at the time of His crucifixion. Yet He invested in the disciples because His Father told Him to—and because He believed His Father. He continued to pray and to work according to His Father’s Word concerning them.

Jesus looked at the disciples with the eye of faith, seeing not only who they were at the time, but who they would become. He believed they would develop into mature apostles. He even believed, in spite of how it seemed, that His time with them was bearing fruit, “Oh righteous Father!” he said, “The world has not known You . . . and these have known that You sent Me.” (v. 25)

Originally published November 30, 1990.