My husband enjoys watching elite basketball players because he played basketball in junior college. He can appreciate, much more than I, the superior ability of these well-paid superstars. Athletics isn’t the only skill we measure. We evaluate and rank intelligence, strength, musical talent, artistic skill, and hundreds of other specialties. We all understand no one person possesses superior talents in multiple fields. We are human, limited, finite.
One criteria for basketball players is their vertical jump, measured in inches. Pro scouts and fans ooh and aah over such heights. I find it actually laughable when compared to what God can do. He defies our lowly systems of measuring, scoring, and evaluating. His ability is of course infinite, unlimited, and beyond comprehension.
Rather than showing us mind boggling moves, God explains His supernatural ability with compassionate actions and offers of help to us severely limited ones. “He is able,” God explains. In this verse that we should all memorize, Jesus is described as “always making intercession for them,” meaning He prays for me! And you. And everyone who calls upon Him! That’s a prayer list millions of names long. It’s a stunning truth I simply cannot grasp. And even more than that He reminds me He can save those who draw near to God. He asks the Father that I might be drawn near. When I come, asking for saving help, He has the ability to give, rescue, and restore. Any spiritual ability to come to Him and receive help from Jesus comes from Him, too. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
-What does “to the uttermost” mean? What synonyms would substitute for this word and help you understand it?
-Initiate a fun conversation with your children about what God could do if He played basketball or chess or another skill we admire.
-Talk and think about what it means to draw near to God. It’s the one qualifier or prerequisite in this verse.
We learn from scripture that Jesus made himself nothing to rescue us to the outermost. I never considered that God the Father, like His Son, chooses to use his great power not as men who brag, but rather to create beauty, bring life, and restore– for we who can do nothing without him. Such love brings tears to my eyes! Only our God! Praise Him forever!