I Thirst

"I thirst". Just two short words spoken by Jesus on the cross, yet they convey so much. Of course Jesus was thirsty - who wouldn't be when crucified in the Palestinian sunshine! But the words surely also convey a spiritual reality - Jesus continues to seek and yearn communion with God his father, even as he feels separation so acutely ('my God, why have you forsaken me?'). That basic spiritual hunger and thirst is there in Jesus throughout his life, until the last gasp and it is finished.

Jesus had used thirst/hunger and water/food imagery many times. His food was to do what he saw his father doing (John 4) - that was what nourished his life and what he hungered for. This was his mode of operation even as he declared himself as the provider of living water so that others might never be thirsty again. He would describe himself as the bread of life, but this went hand in hand with his own spiritual hunger and thirst for the Father's greater work.

The question is - do we spiritually hunger and thirst as Jesus did?

Quite naturally we want to see growth from the fruit of our mission. We may well have both desires and plans for such work to increase, adding capacity for more. All good!

But do we have the underlying spiritual hunger and thirst necessary for such expansion? Is their that innate drive-for-nourishment at work in us spiritually? Our bodies automatically tell us we need food or drink when physically we become depleted, but in spiritual terms this is something we need to pay attention to, to nurture and work at.

If the spiritual hunger or thirst is not there, then surely there would be no point in God answering our prayer for more ministry opportunity ... for we would simply not be ready and able to tackle the bigger meal He could give!

John's gospel leaves us with the expectation that there is much more mission possible for us to join in with ... but let us nurture and develop our spiritual hunger and thirst that would be necessary for taking part in the greater enterprise.