Read with Me

2 John 1-3 (HCSB)
The Elder:
To the elect lady and her children: I love all of you in the truth—and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth—because of the truth that remains in us  and will be with us forever.
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Listen with Me

Scholars have long debated whether John is writing to an individual, styled “the elect lady”, or to the Church as a whole, called figuratively “the elect lady”, based on the image of the Church as the bride of Christ. But the overall tone of the letter, and some specific phrases within it, indicate that this is a personal letter to an individual known to John, “the elder”.

The key theme of these first three verses, and one of the overall themes of the letter as a whole, is truth. The word itself is used four times in these three verses alone.

As John identifies the recipient of this short letter “the elect lady”, he identifies her as one that is loved not only by him, but by all who know the truth. She is truly a Christian woman who lives in the truth of Jesus is the divine Son of God made flesh (verse 7). And she also lives out that truth by being obedient to Jesus’ commands (verse 6). And she is also widely known for her piety.

John identifies that that same truth of who Jesus is resides not just in this woman’s heart, but in the heart of all followers of Jesus. Indeed, Jesus identified himself as not only the Way and the Life, but as the Truth itself (John 14:6). And this truth, held in the heart of all true believers, binds them together and creates a strong resonance between each and all of them.

John greets this woman and her children, and blesses them all with grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus the Messiah, the Son of the Father.

Grace is God’s undeserved favor, not only demonstrated through forgiveness of sins, but by His provision of everything that is needed for life to all humankind, but especially to those who consciously look to Him and follow His will and His commands.

Mercy is closely related to grace, but it speaks more directly to God’s withholding of judgment and punishment from those who legitimately deserve it. That mercy springs from God’s infinite agape love, and it gives everyone space to repent and be forgiven.

And finally, peace, shalom, is not is not merely a lack of strife, but wholeness in every dimension of life: physical, mental, emotional, relational, and even financial.

These three great blessings are not merely abstractions to be prayed for. They are actually the birthright of every believer in Jesus, and they can be prayed for with confidence and with strong assurance of an answer.

Pray with Me

Father, there really is a lot packed into these three verses. Lord, help me to consciously and continually live in Your Truth each day, so that I can also live well in Your grace, Your mercy, and Your peace each day. Amen.