Our brothers lay at our feet as though dead

• "Perhaps no violence would be done this book [Revelation] or any other book in the Bible, if we did not know definitely the identity of the penmen. But we do know from John's own witness that he saw and heard the things which he wrote (Rev 22:8).He lived during the reign of Domitian, under whose firm rule the Christians were severely persecuted. He identifies himself with other of the suffering saints as their "brother and companion in tribulation" (Rev 1:9). He himself was sent in chains as a prisoner to the small and dreary island called Patmos, about twenty-five miles off the coast of Asian Minor, in the Aegean Sea. It was while he was there that God turned his bondage into a blessing. The Patmos of persecution became to John the open door for service. the chains of pagan Rome bound his body but they could not bind  his soul. Shut off from the rest of the world, he entered into a communion with his Lord he had never known before." (Lehman Strauss, Commentary on The Book of the Revelation, 1964)

 John's reaction to Christ's appearing to him there,

• Revelation 1:¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

This is the same John who spent three years with Jesus. John wrote five books of the New Testament. And his reaction to our risen Lord was utter humility. I know that Jesus is our friend, our companion, and intercessor before the father - standing before the Father on our behalf. But I must also take care to know also that he is this fearsome figure brought to us through the penmanship of John, son of Zebedee. There's something good, and emptying in  knowing this about Christ Jesus our Lord. Pride is something that comes and goes from my pallet like every other sin, but its the least likely to be immediately detected, and it's the most embarrassing one. We always see it in others, and others always see it in us.


What should my attitude be toward the one's that cross my path day to day? I am to be Christ to them. Is this the Christ they'll see? The one that causes them to fall down as though dead? 

• ^{Revelation 1:9} I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
  

That's more like it! May I bring the compassion of Jesus that reaches down to the one humbled by their circumstances and says, "Jesus is greater than OUR struggles, lets spend time together and talk it over"


Oh, God, my God, my lord and Father. Empower my life to serve you fearlessly, yet reverently continue to know the perspective of who I'm in the presence of! May I never lose sight of your sovereign majesty! May I never again take my seniority in the faith as an excuse to treat those yet to come in, or recently entered like crap! May I never be a cause for fear and loathing. Its so easy to get caught up, Lord, in the struggle to keep my own life afloat, while clutching all that is mine in mindless fear, thrashing at those around me like a madman telling them to back off what's mine! So many of my choices have led to a man such as me. I'm in debt, and that means my money is already spoken for. My time is not my own. I can't lend myself to your work, without it directly impacting my master the money lender. Heal me here Lord! I'm feeling so fat, so overweight and out of shape. I don't want to die just yet! I want to live on to bless you, and bless your people. I want this life I've led to not end up being in vane. I long to bless others, and give them a shoulder to lean on in their times of suffering. Heal me in this way, also, Lord. Let my next 47 years be one's more to your benefit than my own. Even so Lord Jesus, come, come take me home to be with you forever! Do with my life as you would. But put it firmly in your hands, Amen.