Absent Autonomy
Soul Snack 102 .... Absent Autonomy
Jn 5:19 ... Jesus gave this answer, 'I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself, he can do only what He sees the father doing.'
Eyes carelessly met across struggling trolleys, as they deftly negotiated the aisles. The polite gloss of goodwill delivered a quick smile between them. Pleasantries were not on these shoppers mind, only choice. In fact, abundant choice assailed their senses. The autonomy of their decisions self consuming. Their actual dis-interest in the other, mentally pre-eminent.
As we scour the shelves and canvass the endless stacks of boxes, placed so inconveniently in these sanitary white aisles, self interest really is the guiding principle to decisions. Maybe in the supermarket this is appropriate.
Yet in the aisles of life, self interest claims our decision making processes too.
Jesus' choices in life are always governed by a higher relationship. His choice processes so deliberately consider the spiritual, seek the spiritual and indulge the spiritual for all His activity. (NB God the Father is spirit). He bluntly refuses to make a choice, or enter a work that is not of His Father.
This Father never robbed a bank, chose to swear or entertained immorality. He makes no choices out of self-interest. 'Copy this Father', Jesus lives out.
The absence of autonomy surely leads me to correct life choices, as I too now copy His Son.