Character Development (Luke 9:54)

Character development makes any story compelling. Whether it is in a movie, a book, or play, we are drawn to characters that evolve or devolve. From Luke Skywalker in the “Stars Wars” to Daisy Werthan in “Driving Miss Daisy”, the changes that occur help us to empathize or vilify the characters. It breathes life into the characters making the story more believable.

And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
Luke 9:54

James and John were brothers and Jesus nicknamed them the “Sons of Thunder”, no doubt because of their intense zeal. It was a zeal that would motivate them to ask Jesus to command fire to consume people who did not accept them. They had the audacity to ask Jesus if He would grant them the right to sit at His right and left hands when He is King. And this was immediately after Jesus had just shared the shocking prediction that He would be delivered to the Chief Priests to be put to death. They were driven but it was a zeal without knowledge. But Jesus was patient with them.

As they developed and learned from their Master, they, along with Peter, were privileged to witness the Transfiguration of Jesus, a glimpse of the glory He had in Heaven, before He came to earth. And in the last moments on the Cross, Jesus bestowed upon John the loving responsibility of caring for His own mother after He was gone.

At the end, when he was exiled on the island of Patmos, the Apostle John could reflect upon his life that was dramatically altered by the call to follow Jesus Christ. He began as a fisherman and ended as the author of the Book of Revelation, giving us a glimpse into the promises of eternity. He began as a Son of Thunder but he ended his life as the Apostle of Love.

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:18

Character development. God gives us so many memorable examples in the Bible to inspire us and teach us. All development is only fully realized when it leads to total submission to God. We allow God to develop us by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.