John 8:31-36 (NRSV)
Read John 8:31-36 on biblegateway.com
Verse 31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; Verse 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Verse 33They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be made free'?" Verse 34Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. Verse 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. Verse 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
Devotion
Where are you staying? Andrew and his friend had asked Jesus (John 1:38). They could not help but be drawn to where Jesus was, to where he was abiding. "When you abide my word, when you dwell, when you stop and rest with me — and you will, by the Spirit — you cannot help but behold the goodness of God! You are my disciples. I draw you to myself. You abide in my word," Jesus reassures them and us, and in so dwelling we see that we belong to Christ. But this grace is a hard saying. Our bondage to sin has us frantically hurrying to prove ourselves to the Resurrection and the Life. "But where else can we go?" says Peter. "You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). So Jesus puts us in his midst where he welcomes us, washes our feet, and feeds us with his very body and blood.
Prayer
Abide with us, O Christ, and make us your own that we may dwell with you always. Then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. Amen.