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“About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice: ‘Eli, Eli lema sabachthani ?’, which means, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?'” Matthew 27:46
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God. John 1:1
Pondering the aspects of this post is enough to make my head and my spirit hurt. In my 60+ years, I will admit for many of those years, the via dolorosa, the trail of tears through Old Jerusalem which Jesus trudged to hill of Golgotha was depicted rather meekly. Then came Mel Gibson’s movie the Passion of Christ. And although the depiction of Christ’s suffering was extremely more graphic, no dramatization could adequately capture the utter brutality and physical suffering Jesus endured.
Yet since that movie came out, I’ve have experienced in many churches a desire to focus in a very primary way on the human suffering of Christ. That in some way, the stressing of the physical horrors is bringing about some greater honesty and primary truth to Jesus’s sacrifice.
I find that my spirit is troubled in seeing Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross primarily or even majorly focused on through the lens of physical suffering to be potentially misplaced. In the discussion that follows, words truly fail to adequately express the wonder, awe and outright ignorant confusion as well as total lack of complete understanding of Jesus’s sacrifice.
Let’s start with John and the beginning. And from the beginning Jesus, the Word, was with His Father God and indeed was God. Jesus, Himself stated no one knows the Father except the Son and Jesus certainly knew the Father. Jesus knew (and knows) the Father so well and trusts so completely, that He humbled Himself to leave the Father and come to us to fulfill His Father’s plan for our salvation.
Jesus is carrying out the Father’s plan. Yet Jesus is also completely God, thus He is perfect and knows no sin. Jesus being human is tempted but being God is able to resist that temptation perfectly. While here on this planet, experiencing our existence, Jesus is still communicating with, praying to and being with the Father.
The Father, being perfect cannot abide sin. Jesus Christ is God and does not sin. We humans are not God. We humans are broken, are fallen and we do sin. We humans cannot exist in the presence of God in our sinful nature. But our Heavenly Father, in His perfect mercy and grace, will not allow us to be separated from Him, by our own devices. God has a device, a plan, to cleanse us of our sin by having the perfect sacrifice take our sins upon Him, to pay our debt.
A quick sidetrack here to say that in writing this post I did research through the writings of the likes of Billy Graham, Joseph Prince, John Hagee and others.
Thus Jesus must take upon Himself, who knew no sin, all our sins. Don’t ask me how or at what point or anything like that. I can type the words but not truly grasp the gravity. Taking upon Himself our sins, Jesus became sin and thus must pay the price for sin. Pay our price for sin. Jesus must die. AND in that death have the Father, Son relationship broken.
Jesus takes on our sin and in doing so, willingly, mercifully, as sin sacrifices Himself for us and in that instant for whatever instant that might be, experiences the braking of the relationship with the Father. This was (and is today) a relationship from the beginning of time. There would not have been an instant up to that point where Jesus and the Father would not have known that intimate perfect relationship! Take a moment to try, just try and imagine that loss, that separation. Again I must admit, my mind, my spirit cannot fathom it.
I believe that separation, is the greatest sacrifice, even with the tremendous physical suffering. What we can at least attempt to grasp or at least acknowledge is the immeasurable love that it took from the Father to have the plan that would allow the sacrifice of His Son and the unfathomable humility, obedience and love for both the Father and for us His creation, to carry out the Father’s plan for our salvation by Jesus Christ.
As I say, I find that my spirit can become truly troubled, shouldn’t I be riddled with guilt, shouldn’t I run away in shame, there must be some terrible price that I must pay because of this sacrifice. Praise God for the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit testifies that what is desired from this sacrifice is LOVE. Love, plain and simple. Love for the Father, who first loves us. Love for the Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us and our salvation. Love for the Holy Spirit who resides in us and guides us. Love for ourselves who are His creation as well as equal love for others who are also His creation. Love is the response. Love is the answer. His love and abiding in Christ’s love is what can lead us away from sin to the glorious life our Father intended for us. A life now and eternal, our Father planned our salvation for. A life that Jesus Christ gave His life to save. May you have a blessed Good Friday.
Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, as we ponder the height and depth of Your love and the lengths You will go to bring about our salvation; we are left totally in awe, totally dumbfounded. We thank and praise You for Your Son Jesus Christ and the perfect and immeasurable sacrifice He made for us and our salvation. Forgive us Father when we narrow the sacrifice to earthly realms in some misguided attempt to understand that which cannot be understood. Thank you for the Holy Spirit which testifies to the all powerful, all sustaining love You have for us. Help us to live into the Jesus’s sacrifice and abide in Him that we might live lives that bring glory to Your Most Holy Name. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
What do we do? How should I respond? Why can’t we or they stop this? Here’s a start. Today, find someone. Actively seek someone who needs an act of kindness AND ACT. That’s what we all can do. We can start to build or strengthen a culture where caring about vs. fighting with becomes the norm. Yes there may be a place for more legislation or more physical protection for locations. BUT DON’T WAIT OR COUNT ON THAT TO HAPPEN. Your and mine act of kindness just may be the connection a disturbed, distraught person needs. Our act of kindness may be the reason a trigger doesn’t get pulled, that a person may see some light in their present world of darkness. Strive to start with one act and build from there. And God will be with you in your attempt. Pray for Uvalde. Pray for Buffalo.
“…a man who sowed good seed in his field…..his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat…” Matthew 13:24,25
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?'” Matthew 13:28
“No, he answered, “Because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. …I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” Matthew 13:29,30
The why referenced in the title is the “why?” of evil. Now this subject has been covered by brilliant theologians and philosophers down through the ages and I do not count myself anywhere close to their wisdom. However, the Good Lord has put it in my heart to write this and I hope there might be some comfort in its reading.
Jesus taught in parables. Jesus had many reasons for this but one of the declarations that He made was that: “No one knows the Father but the Son”. (Matthew 11:27) Jesus also stated that He wanted to reveal His Father to those whom He wished to. Thus the parable of the weeds is the second parable that Jesus uses and it comes write after the parable of the sower and the different soils (See The Servant Sower and the Soils Parts 1-3 March 2021).
While there were different lessons and motives for different parables, several Jesus started off with: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like……”. So again we see that Jesus is looking to reveal as best as our limited capacity to understand would allow, insights into Our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom. In this case, there is a man, a landowner who desires to grow a crop and starts the process by sowing good seed. Now to begin with it is vital that we understand that the only seed the landowner has is good. In no way shape or form do the weeds come from the landowner. If there was only the landowner, then only a wonderful crop would be produced by his efforts.
Yet, sadly, the landowner is not the only person with seeds. You see the landowner has an enemy. The enemy is going to attack the landowner by going after his crop that comes from the good seeds. The enemy seeds weeds into the landowner’s good crop. I don’t want to dwell on the enemy but notice that, in the parable, Jesus states, after sowing the weeds by night, the enemy leaves. You see the enemy has no care for the weeds. He has no desire to help the weeds grow or flourish. The only motive the enemy has is destruction; destruction of everything, the landowner, the landowner’s crop, even the weeds, no matter. The enemy is truly evil and sows evil.
Suddenly, in this field of good grain, sprouts weeds. Now the enemy may have worked in secret but his fruits, the weeds, are they for all to see; and they’re growing. Both the landowner and the landowner’s servants see the weeds. However, the servants don’t know how the weeds came to be in the field. Is it possible that there was some defect in the landowner’s seed or plan? No, the landowner explains the work of the evil one.
It is clear that the servants are not happy that the weeds are in the fields, find them harmful and want to get rid of them right then and there. In a way, they are as focused on the weeds and wanting to stop their growth and infiltration in the field, because they ask whether they should go and pull them up.
However, and please don’t miss the landowner’s focus and love, the landowner has a different focus. The landowner sees the weeds out in his good soil and in and amongst his good grain as well. He knows the weeds are feasting off the fine fertilized soil and will drink in the water that is provided. The landowner knows for a time, that the weeds will grow and survive.
Why wouldn’t the landowner order is servants to go out and rid his precious field of these horrible, evil weeds by yanking them out, complete roots and all? Because the landowner is focused on every single stalk of his precious good grain. The landowner is not willing to sacrifice a single precious plant of grain to the process of removing the weeds. The landowner is keenly aware how closely the weeds and grain are together with the weeds attempting to intertwine their roots with the grain.
The landowner loves the grain. Note this in the story; the grain continues to grow. The landowner deeply cares for the grain, will ensure that it is fertilized, watered and grows to its destined glorious maturity. While the landowner, for a time to keep from damaging in the slightest his grain, will tolerate the weeds, the landowner will not let the weeds takeover and destroy any of his good crop.
Finally, and don’t miss this, the end is not good for the weeds. Harvest time is coming. The landowner is in charge and his harvesters are talented enough to separate out every last weed, bundle them together and cast them out to be burned. Also, note where the power is. The enemy does not come back to fight for his weeds. The enemy has no control over the harvest time or the destruction of his weeds. The power for mercy and judgement rests completely with the landowner.
Why does evil exist? Well it doesn’t come from God in any way, shape or form. There is an enemy who is evil and wants to sow his evil against God and His creation at any moment he can. God knows this. Notice that it is only the good grain that is allowed in the landowner’s barn. God will not tolerate evil in His Kingdom in Heaven. Why does He tolerate it at all and not just purge it the instant the enemy tries to sow it?
Jesus Christ gives us an insight into the Father’s mercy, patience and love. The Father knows of our fallenness and how intertwined we can let evil be with us because of sin. The Father didn’t plant us so that we could be ruthlessly ripped out and destroyed when we allow evil to get close to us. We sometimes want to be hasty and judgmental when we see evil, wanting to strike out against it. How often do we look at the bigger picture of how our attack against evil might have unintended, destructive consequences to the good. If God’s focus was simply the immediate ridding of evil, would you be comfortable accepting the risk of being the collateral damage of God’s purge of evil?
Dear Sisters and Brothers, Jesus Christ makes it very clear. God planted us, God loves us. God is not willing to see us harmed in the process of rooting out evil. You may feel surrounded by evil weeds, but know this. You are the grain of God and He will nourish and strengthen you in His word, protect You by His power and water and sustain you with His love. Also, evil’s day of judgement is coming. God will not let evil slide. Evil will be thwarted, gathered up, tossed away and burned in an eternal fire. Our Heavenly Father went so far as to sacrifice His only Son that you and I would be rooted in the soil of His salvation. Take heart, be at peace and grow in the light and warmth of His all-encompassing love.
Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we see that this world has much evil in it. We confess, Father, that we, at times are tempted to become intertwined in that evil. Forgive us and protect us from the evil, most Merciful Father, keeping it from taking root in us and turning us to weed. By Your Spirit, remind us that we are Your creation, planted by You, nurtured by You, to be harvested by You and to dwell in Your Kingdom forever. Also restrain us, when we impatiently strike out against evil on our own, risking damaging others of Your crop with our impatience. Creator God, may it be that we would stand firmly rooted in the soil of love and salvation laid down by the sacrifice of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may grow to be the harvest that praises and brings praise to Your Most Holy Name. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
“Jesus answered: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life’. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6
“Then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32
“Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?” John 19:10
“‘What is truth’, retorted Pilate'” John 18:38
Truth – a judgement, proposition or idea that is true or accepted as true. Merriam-Webster
I was watching a news/commentary show the other day and several people were discussing aspects of current events and utilizing the words truth and facts and interjecting them into the discourse synonymously. Even as the discussion was taking place, it was clear that the panel engaged in the discussion believed that they were making their points on the basis of truth. In addition the “truths” they were basing their points on were not shared or in agreement.
It got me to thinking about how much conflict there is these days over our differing truths. The truth is this happened during the 2020 election or this did not. The truth is this vaccine will end the pandemic and the truth is the vaccine is dangerous and doesn’t work. On and on we, not only have different truths, but we are willing to go to the greatest lengths to defend our truths and destroy any truth we find in conflict. So I wondered; just what is expected of us when we come up against “other truths”, especially those truths which are demonstrably false?
Let’s look at Jesus. While Jesus was on earth, He certainly dealt with disparate truths. Pontius Pilate had a truth that the Empire of Rome was the greatest power in the world. There is nothing in scripture concerning Pilate’s faith in Roman gods but he certainly had faith in the power of Rome and how that power translated to his power to deal with Jesus. The Jewish leadership had a truth that Jesus could not be the promised Messiah. Jesus was a self serving fraud from Nazareth who was trying to steal power and lead the people astray. A Samaritan woman had a truth that a Jewish man would never talk to a Samaritan women, especially one unaccompanied and ask her for a drink. There were many other “truths” during the time of Jesus and about Jesus.
Yet Jesus was the only One to have the real, total truth. Jesus knew the total truth about the Father because Jesus was the Only Begotten Son. Jesus was the only One who knew the truth about Father’s plan for salvation. Jesus was the only One to know that complete truth that would set the captive free. Jesus knew that He was the truth.
So Jesus is God on Earth and is the only one who has the real, accurate truth. How does he handle all these false-truths and those who are purveying them? You might think, as God, He would completely wipe away any false-truth and utterly destroy they who were spreading that false-truth. Jesus certainly had the power to do just that. However, Jesus didn’t. Jesus confronted the false-truths wherever He came across them. Jesus did not change His truth to make it more palatable, less confrontational for people.
But really notice what Jesus did and instructed should be done. When Jesus sent His disciples out to teach the truth, if a place didn’t accept the truth or wanted to espouse a different truth, Jesus instructed His disciples to simply, walk away. Jesus, Himself, confronted and refuted the false-truths but took no revenge on those who were spreading them.
It is probable that Pilate went to his death continuing to believe that Rome was the highest power that existed. We know that the Jewish leadership continued to believe that Jesus was not the Messiah and that they were more powerful than Jesus’s believers.
So what did Jesus command? He commanded to go forth and preach the truth; tell the Good News. That’s it. Don’t change the truth if it’s not received. However, also don’t attack those who don’t accept the News and are living by a different truth. Just walk on and continue to spread the Good News in other places. If Jesus, Himself was not going to destroy those who had a different truth and purveyed it to others; why are we so angry and feel so justified in attacking and wanting to destroy those whom we feel have a false truth?
Boy I can hear some gnashing of teeth as this is being read. Where’s the accountability? Some might be screaming. These people of the other, false-truth are getting away scott-free for all the damage they’re doing. Dear Sisters and Brothers please understand, Jesus declares that there is a terrible day of judgement coming and those who believe in and spread false-truths will have an extremely horrific judgement against them. Yet Jesus is also clear, that judgment comes from and is based on the timing of our Heavenly Father and is not something we are to be concerned with. Instead we are to be free from that anger, frustration and pain because we’re living in the Truth of Jesus Christ.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and by our Father’s grace, we are allowed to know The Truth. Then let us be about spreading that truth. Understand, God needs no defense from us. He wants us to live in peace and love, forgiving those of a false-truth and not being concerned with their judgement. It is in living and spreading the truth of Jesus Christ in a calm strength and leaving the judgement and conflict to God, that we bring glory to His most Holy Name and live the lives of peace and blessing He intends for us.
Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we proclaim that there is only One Truth and that Truth resides in and comes from You. We are so thankful that You chose not to hide or keep secret that Truth from us but shared that Truth, sending it in the Person of Your Son Jesus Christ, to share it with us. Forgive us Father when we are tempted to and even sometimes do turn from Your Truth, seeking or composing false-truths of our own. Also forgive us, when we seethe in anger and strike out against others and their false-truths instead of leaving that judgement and consequence to You. Let Your Truth shine in us Dear Father that through Jesus Christ we might also shine that Truth in peace and confidence to such a false-truth torn world. That in living into and sharing Your Truth, we may bring glory to Your Most Holy Name. We pray in the name of the Truth, the Way and the Life; Jesus Christ. Amen
“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest” Luke 12:16
“This is what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink and be merry.” Luke 12:18,19
“But God said to him: ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.” Luke 12:20
So as we look at the final installment of the Servant Sower and Soil, I ask your indulgence. For in the past two posts, I’ve used the parable of the Sower in the Gospels of Mark and Luke (Matthew also chronicles the parable). However to finish our reflection I’ve brought in another parable which I think is also particularly applicable; the parable called the The Rich Fool.
We’ve looked at the need for, the responsibilities of, along with as well as the blessings associated with being the sower. Next we contemplated the states of the four soils and how they may change over time. Yet a sower sowers and when a soil accepts the seed, there is an expectation of produce. We saw how we can play the role of the sower, also that we may find ourselves in the state of one of the soils, additionally we’ll discuss here how we interact with the produce that comes with the process. For remember the “good” soil does produce, some thirty, some sixty and some a hundred fold.
Thus Jesus tells a parable concerning a person whose soil has produced abundantly and how important it is that we handle that abundance appropriately. Forgive me as I mix the parables somewhat. For in this case, Jesus is not starting out by saying that this particular abundance was produced by the seed which is the Word of God. However, Jesus makes clear in his teaching that all blessed abundance is a gift from God.
In this case, the person receiving the abundant harvest is already rich. The fact that this rich man already has barns to store his harvest shows us that this is not his first time sowing, growing and harvesting. Seemingly, he has already done well in this regard. Yet still he receives an even greater abundance in a harvest. He thinks, I have not enough room to store this greater abundant harvest; what should I do? I already have barns. Those barns already have a capacity to store, but not enough. His answer; I will tear down those existing barns which have been adequate for me to become as rich as I am so I can build even bigger ones to become that much richer. Then I can use all that wealth for myself to have a life of self indulgent leisure. What the man doesn’t know about, what none of us know about is the timing of God calling us to leave this life. For all his effort, the rich man never gets to experience the fruits of his inward focused plan. Jesus declares that God calls this man “You Fool!”
But wait! What was the man to do? After all he was already successful and knew how to become that way. This was his land, his soil. He had decided to sow the seed. He had seen to the harvest. Wasn’t he entitled to keep the harvest? What if “someday” a famine came? In the telling of the parable, Jesus doesn’t seem to imply that the man cheated in getting the harvest or treated those who would do the demolition and rebuilding of the new barns wickedly. Wouldn’t we want to keep the abundance that God might be so gracious to bless us with? Wouldn’t we want to enjoy it perhaps believing we deserved the “better” life the abundance provided? The world would have a retort to God. The world would say the man was not a fool but was wise. The world would say God was in the wrong for having this man’s life end. The fault is not with the man, but with God would be the claim.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, going back to the Parable of the Sower, we may indeed find ourselves blessed in the sowing. We may also find ourselves, by the Grace of God, being able to receive the seed of His Word and finding that it brings about an abundant produce in us, thirty, sixty or even a hundred fold. We may find that abundance in an aspect of being able to love with great abundance, to forgive unconditionally, we may have abundant talents of speaking, writing and/or listening. The grace of our soil may even allow material abundance of money or certain possessions. The question for us, as it was for the rich man in the parable, is what to do with that abundance? Is the abundance just for us to use as we see fit?
Am I anti-saving? No. When God warned of a devastating famine that was going to affect much of the middle eastern world, He had raised Joseph to the exalted position of high advisor to the Pharaoh of Egypt just so that Joseph could store the God given abundance of harvests in advance of the harvest. When the famine struck, God’s chosen people traveled to Egypt and were saved by God’s plan. Later, when the Jews left Egypt and were crossing the wilderness, God gave them mana and quail to eat. God required that the people collect enough mana and quail on the day before the Sabbath for two days, so they could rest from their labor on Sabbath and keep it holy. It might be wise to note that some tried to store up several days of mana and quail on other days than God commanded and that extra mana rotted before it could be consumed. When God says save; he supplies the abundance to be able to save with.
Yet in the above parable, there was no warning of impending famine. The man was already rich. Yet when faced with even greater abundance; his first thought, his only thought was that of his own selfish, greedy pleasure. Isn’t it very possible, that there were others that were not as fortunate where that excess grain could have gone? Is there any indication that the man thought beyond himself and his own comfort?
Again Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, let us go back to the Parable of the Sower. Remember, out of the four soils, three of them are hindered in producing with two probably not producing at all. That’s a tremendous amount of non production. In the so oft quoted and wonderfully supportive statement of Jesus Christ in John 3:16, Jesus doesn’t say: for God so loved only the Jews, or for God so loved only those who first love Him, or for God so loved the righteous, that He sent His Only Begotten Son. No, Jesus proclaims: “For God so loved THE WORLD.. If so much of the world is not, can not produce; how might God be able to still show His love for them, provide in some way for them. Maybe, just maybe, God will be looking for that “good soil” producing such an abundance that not only is there enough for that “good soil” but plenty left over to share with those who are struggling and trying to find their way to God. Perhaps by God using this good soil to spread His abundance in a nonjudgmental manner, He can show them how His Grace and Welcoming love works.
As we sow, let us remember it is by the Grace of God that we are called to do so and it is His Word which we are spreading. Let us pray for His Generous Grace that we might find ourselves in the position of being a “good soil” of abundant produce. Finally, let us look beyond ourselves, looking especially to Him, that should we come into abundance, whatever it might be, that we look to others, especially the lost and down trodden as a place to spread that abundance. That in the Spirit of Christ, we look out, not in some hesitant, guilt driven way, but in the joy and desire in helping way. That being the selfless, generous sharers of abundance, we would feel His declaration of “well done by good and faithful servant”, bringing praise to His Most Holy Name.
Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we proclaim and are thankful for that all blessed abundance comes from Your wonderful Grace. We thank you for the many frequent times You have seen fit to allow Your Seed to produce fruitfully in us. Forgive us when we stray into the prideful, selfish realm of believing the abundance is based on our talents and should only be used for us as we see fit. Pour out Your Spirit upon us allowing us to have a generous, joyous giving nature, that we would seek out those in need to share our God given abundance with. That abiding in Your Son Jesus Christ, we would be sowers, be the good soil which produces and sharers of Your abundant love bringing glory to Your Most Holy Name. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
This is an apolitical or universally political post; it applies to all. If you read in some leaning toward one position/candidate; that is your perception, not my intent. I write this today so we might contemplate our reaction ahead of next week’s (or how ever long it takes) results. First, there is only One Savior and that doesn’t change next week. Jesus is clear in Mark 10:18, there is only one who is good and that is God. The winner next week never has been, isn’t nor will ever become a or your savior. DO NOT put that expectation/responsibility/faith on them. Additionally, how should we respond to the other side whether we win or not; take up arms, plan our revenge? In some other post we can consider the wisdom of, but what if you see the opposing side as your enemy. Jesus, our true Savior, our Ultimate Commander; warns us, there is only one appropriate response. LOVE! Really? Yes, Jesus teaches us; we are to love our enemies. Can we be ready to do that? Finally, your side loses. You look out and perhaps find yourself despondent, fearful and depressed. Why? Next week God will be on His throne just as He is today. Both and Old Testament are crystal clear; evil doesn’t win. Evil will never be triumphant. So if you’ve put your faith in anything/one other than God; stop and return your faith to the One and Only One who truly deserves it. Take a deep breath; pray for peace and may the Spirit of God and His peace and joy guide and sustain you through this time. Also, if you haven’t done so, vote.
“And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39
“to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4: 22-24
Finally, Brothers and Sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Jesus Christ was unambiguous in His reply. This question was being posed by, in the day and time when Jesus walked the earth, a learned man, a man considered wise and perhaps holy; a scribe. This question came at the height of Jesus’s popularity during His time on earth. He had come humbly but triumphantly into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The crowds had cheered Him and the leadership had jeered Him. The religious leadership had been peppering Jesus with question after question trying to trick or confuse Him. Jesus confounded them at every turn. In Matthew it was an evil question meant to hopefully trap Jesus in some faulty answer. In Mark the scribe asked the question to Jesus after hearing Him clearly outwit a gathering of religious leaders. Either way, Jesus was and His message for us today is very clear. Which is the greatest commandment?
Now, for a moment, it might add some clarity to understand the scope of the question. Was the scribe talking about which of the 10 Commandments, given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai? Was the scribe asking concerning the greatest commandment of the roughly 613 commandments which were passed down, derived through the 10 Commandments? There were a tremendous amount of commandments to choose from. Which one or two would Jesus choose?
Understand this, neither the question nor the answer were new. Loving God with all that you have; heart, body, soul and mind was the first commandment that Moses gave to the people in Deuteronomy when the people of Israel thought they were about to cross over into the promised land. Moses was explaining, how it was that they would be able to stay in the favor of God Almighty if they lived by these precious precepts and did not turn away from them or forget them. Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, a man answered a question posed by Jesus by quoting these two same commandments. The man went on to ask Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” , and Jesus proceeded to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan.
They lived in a fractured world back in the time of Jesus’s walk on this earth. Jew and gentile, Pharisee and Sadducee, freeman and slave, Roman and the rest of the world; were only some of divisions which existed in the land of that time.
Now fast forward some 2020 years later. Ho Boy, do we have divisions. As this blog is read around the world, I would mention just some in my country; conservatives and liberals, migrants and native citizens, man and woman, gender specific and gender flexible, and..and…and. We have a lot of division in our country and our world. So here’s the challenge; not so much that those differences exist, but the way we treat those who believe differently; as wrong, as evil, as hated, that drives differences into divisions, which destroys groups as small as families and as large as nations.
Notice, neither in the Old Testament or with Jesus, Himself, was it declared, you will love those who believe like you do, who look or act like you do or who vote like you do. Jesus Christ makes it clear, both in His teaching and His living, talking with a Samaritan – a woman no less – or healing a Roman Centurion’s servant, that neighbor has a very broad and universal meeting. A neighbor can be a person who has lived next to you for 30 years or a stranger standing next to you in a shopping line.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, Jesus makes it clear, love; love toward our neighbor, whomever they might be should be our default position. There is only one greater commandment; to Love our Heavenly Father. Why? The power of love. As we love our neighbor, we’re not likely trying to harm them. Our blood pressure or anger doesn’t go through the roof as we love our neighbor. A loving neighbor carries no brick, no molatov cocktail, no semi-automatic weapon to use against their neighbor. Love is the Power of God. Loving like Him allows us to share in that power.
Okay, okay, you say, then I’m going to go out and do it. Today I’m going to start loving all my neighbors, just you wait. In some cases it may be tough love, maybe, I’m going to be loving them while I smack some sense into them but I can do this, I’m going to love them.
If we’re going to have a shot at this at all, we have to understand a few things. First to become this way takes a transformation. The world and those of the world will never be able to find it within themselves to love thy neighbor as Jesus describes. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus it takes being born again. It takes taking off the old self and putting on the new self. The only way to truly accomplish that is to be in Christ Jesus.
Abiding in Christ, experiencing Christ’s love and His power to change us allows us then, to exemplify Christ in our love for our neighbor. As written in Ephesians, only by putting on the whole armor of God can we combat the evil of this world to see clearly a better, more loving path forward.
Each day we’re likely to come in contact with many neighbors. Some of those neighbors will be in person, some virtually. Some will be neighbors we’ve known for decades, some will be strangers who cross our paths. Let us not look to world power; the power of distrusting and hating those neighbors who seem different, wanting for and maybe taking part in their destruction. Instead let us embrace the Power of God Almighty and His second most important commandment to love that neighbor, even if the love is not returned. Knowing that the Power of God and His love can never be defeated and by loving in Him we bring praise to His Holy Name.
Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we proclaim that You are God and along, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, the only True God. Thus You are right and just to have commandments. We thank you Most Merciful Father that Your greatest commandments are to love; first You, then our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us when we neglect these commandments or try and narrow our definition of neighbor to exclude those we decide are not worth our love. Pour out Your Spirit on us that we might resist the worldly definition of love and neighbor to, instead accept Your definition and the power that goes along with that definition. Allow us to be beacons of Your love to all our neighbors that we might be peacemakers and healers to this world and bring praise to Your Most Holy Name. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
“Now, behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.” Luke 24:13
“Simon Peter, Thomas, called the twin, Nathanael of Cana, the sons of Zebedee and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing’. They said to him, ‘We are going with you'”. John 21:2,3
Post Easter life? I’m posting this in late September, about 6 months away from when we last celebrated Easter. What’s up with that? Of course if you consider it, really consider it; while we celebrate and commemorate Easter ever year it’s by many estimates approximately 1,986 years since the actual Easter events took place. Where am I going with this?
On one level, let’s say the historical, 30,000 foot level, there can be little dispute of the impact of Easter and what happened afterward. Not only is the the personal salvation of all who believe in Jesus Christ as the One True Son of God, who died and rose again from the dead, who believe and call upon His name for our salvation a blessed outcome. There was also the spreading of His Word and the starting of faith communities that have become powerful, powerful churches, a process that continues down through this very day.
Yet I think we need to reflect on a different level, in my case about the 6 foot 3 inch level or whatever height you happen to be. What about the personal, life altering, faith affirming, joy living, devil defeating impact of Easter? What about our post Easter life?
In turning to scripture for an example, we might think that all who followed Jesus, upon hearing that He had risen, immediately went out with the mission of spreading His gospel. Yet scripture tells us something different.
In one instance two followers, who although not of the 11 remaining disciples were still close enough to the disciples to have heard about Jesus having risen from the dead about the same time as the disciples, decided to leave Jerusalem on that very day. We’re not sure what business they had in Emmaus, but 7 miles is a significant journey on foot. And while yes, they were discussing the happenings of the past weeks, one gets the sense they were talking about in terms of a tragic memory versus an event that was motivating them to action. They were going on their way.
Okay, but obviously the disciples handled it differently. Obviously upon hearing that Jesus Christ had risen and seeing the empty tomb; they made immediate and profound plans of action. Well scripture does tell us that they did meet together in an upper room. Though again we’re told this was out of fear of what might happen to them. In an another instance in John; many of the group decide to go fishing. Not going fishing to be “fishers of men”; but going fishing to be fishers of fish…..for dinner.
Okay now Doug, you’re forgetting one critical thing, you might be saying to me; you’re forgetting Pentecost. No, not really. I realize that Pentecost had not happened yet and I absolutely agree about the power that filled them when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them in grace and blessing. In fact, it is an important aspect to my thesis here.
You see when Jesus Christ was praying after the “Last Supper” and before He was arrested in the garden; He not only prayed for Himself and then His disciples, but then He prayed for you and I too. He prayed for all us who would hear about Jesus Christ and believe. He prayed that we would be One in Him, just like the disciples. Pentecost happened. The Holy Spirit came and the Word spread.
So now back to the 6 foot 3 inch level. Often there is a glow to Post Easter and Post Christmas for that matter. Especially with Easter and its location in Spring, we see the renewal of the earth and it speaks; nay, it shouts to us of the old becoming new, of God’s promise of abundant life and salvation, of a promise of rejuvenation and restoration. But then the months drag on; Spring becomes Summer and Summer, Fall. And if we’re not careful, Easter becomes a memory, a pleasant one, but a memory all the same.
Why? The world and the prince of this world tries to intervene. The enemy throws worldly life at us; there are careers to be focused on, children to be raised, bills to pay, vacations to take. There are things to buy and things to fix. Alas, even in our houses or worship, the year progresses. There is the current budget to fret over and next year’s budget to plan for. We have to fill all those upcoming committee vacancies and hopefully come up with a “bless their socks off, Christmas pageant.
Are we walking to Emmaus? Are we going fishing? What I love, so totally love is Jesus Christ’s response in these two situations. He doesn’t get angry and berate them for not being focused on Him with grand plans for spreading the kingdom. He doesn’t threaten them with eternal damnation if they don’t get their act together! Instead, He feeds them. In both the two men walking to Emmaus and the disciples fishing; Jesus Christ, Creator come to Earth, God, sits down and feeds them. Jesus Christ not only feeds them physically, taking care of their physical needs; but feeds them spiritually as well.
Jesus Christ longs to fellowship and feed us as well. He knows that we have the grace filled blessing of the Spirit within us. Because of His experience on this earth, He also blessedly knows the temptations we face, the struggles that we hold to ourselves instead of sharing with Him. He knows how hungry, how famished we are; even if we do not.
Easter matters. Easter matters in Fall, just as much as it does in Spring. Easter is love. Easter is an expression of love, grace and salvation which surpasses all understanding which we dare not turn away from. Jesus Christ died for You and I that we might have life. Let us turn to, let us fellowship with, let us feast upon the salvation, the grace, the love which is truly meant to be our Post Easter Life. In the Name of Jesus Christ.
Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we can not praise enough, proclaim enough, be thankful enough for Your Plan of Salvation that transpired at Easter. Forgive us when we neglect any effort, any attempt to try. Turn us back through the Holy Spirit to focus on abundant life You have in store by abiding in Jesus Christ. Let it be that we strive to lead lives that tell a distraught and downtrodden world that Easter matters, that their salvation is at hand. That through our lives, the Spirit would beckon those whom You are calling to follow You. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen
“Then Judas, His betrayer,….was remorseful…saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ And they said ‘What is that to us? You see to it!’ Then he departed and went and hanged himself” Matthew 27: 4,5
“Woe to you…For you load men with burdens hard to bear and you, yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” Luke 11:46
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44
You’ve made your bed, now you’re going to have to sleep in it! Those responsible should have to pay! There’s a commercial out from an insurance company that has “rate suckers” that is people who’s bad driving record drives up everyone else’s rates! Over and over again there seems to be a desperate cry in today’s society to differentiate the blamed, separate out the wrong doers, isolate and punish the responsible. There is a moaning and groaning taking place all throughout society concerning the lack of accountability; the lack of condemnation for wrongdoing, the need for harsher judgement. Even in the church, too often we seek to want to divide out the “wicked” based on our definition and cast them from our midst.
I think if I listen hard enough, I can hear the groaning that might be happening as you are reading this post (if you haven’t already clicked off). Yet I’d ask you to understand this; I am not “anti-casting”. That is so say, I believe that there is evil and wickedness and that we should not sugar coat its existence nor try to justify it in some way. Also understand, scripture is very clear; Sodom and Gomorrah, Pharaoh, the priests of Baal, King Saul, Ananias plus Sapphira his wife in the Book of Acts and yes Judas were all held accountable; were all destroyed. However, notice Who destroyed them; Who passed judgement on them; Who it was, Who had the unstoppable judgement of condemnation; Our Heavenly Father.
Yes, the world has much wickedness in it, much hatred and pain. Yet here’s the question for us Dear Sisters and Brothers: What’s that got to do with us? We, who have found a peace and joy, in the midst of trouble, that surpasses all understanding; What have we to do with this unbelieving world? I believe Jesus Christ would answer to us: Everything. You see Dear Sisters and Brothers, one of the things that strikes me about the account in Matthew 27 about Judas, is that Matthew says that Judas was remorseful. Now whether it was true repentance or the attempt of some earthly dodge I can’t say. Yet in some sense Judas was sorry for what he had done. So where was Judas to turn? Where would someone go who wanted to find forgiveness and/or some aspect of redemption? Would they not, at that time had gone to the synagogue? Would they not today come to our church; or at least seek out a believer?
But what if our response is like the response of the leaders of the synagogue: “What is that to us? You see to it.” What if we were to either outright say to them or at the very least imply; you got yourself into this so it’s up to you to get yourself out of it? What if we gave them the impression that we were a group of saved, righteous people who can only be joined by other already saved, righteous people? I don’t believe Jesus Christ would be pleased. I believe He might address us by saying “Woe to you………!” I believe He’d be likely to include us with the Pharisees, Sadducees and lawyers of the time He was on earth, calling them and us hypocrites. Explaining to us that we were piling burdens on the hurting, shutting up the kingdom against them, yet by our own actions not entering in ourselves either.
What has it to do with us? Everything! Why? First because, to any extent that we might call ourselves or be called righteous, it is a gift of Grace from Almighty God. We have not earned our salvation. Our salvation was a gift freely given by Jesus Christ to us while we were yet sinners as well. God’s Grace, not our innate goodness, is the only difference between us and the world. Second, Jesus did it. We must remember that so much of, if not the majority of Jesus’ time on earth was spent in the company of sinners. I imagine that we think that those were rather harmless sinners, maybe a few lies, some petty thefts, but from the intense reaction of revulsion that the Jewish leaders had, I think there were some people we’d put in the “pretty disgusting” category. While we hardly scoff at adultery today as a society, back then it was a capital offense, yet Jesus forgave it; did not trivialize it, but forgave it.
So where are the hurting to turn today? Where are the remorseful to go? How would those who are mad at God or who, today, are against any and all precepts of God ever get any sense that they have not burned all bridges with God? Where might they be able to look to, to see that God still loves them today; still longs to forgive them and have a loving relationship with them? Would it not start with the very people who say they are children of God? Would it not start with you and I, desiring nothing more than to be like Christ, earnestly attempting all we can to bring love and peace into their lives?
Finally, Dear Sisters and Brothers, do not think that this is either easy or able to be accomplished solely (or souly) on our own. Should we try to have the love of Christ, the forgiveness and grace of Christ without abiding in Christ; we will fall back to our worldly judging ways. Yet we have a Heavenly Father who does not want us to fail in this. We have a Heavenly Father who is willing to send us a wise counselor of infinite strength; the Holy Spirit to reside in us and through Jesus Christ accomplish the love, even and especially for our enemies, that He desires us to have. If you have ever had the experience of going on a service mission trip as I have, you’ll experience and witness the pain of people hurting. Yet even then, the joy and peace of being able to share the Love of Jesus Christ with them will so surpass the sense of worldly hurt that you see around you. What has this to do with us? By and in the Grace of our Heavenly Father; everything.
Our most Gracious Heavenly Father, we humbly proclaim that it is only through Your Grace that we are saved and have come to know You. Forgive us when we believe in our own righteousness and turn our backs on those we deem to be less worthy. Pour out Your Spirit upon us that we would have the strength to love our enemies, help those who are hurting even if they do not follow you, risking persecution and ridicule in this world. Bless us with Your Favor as we try to be beacons of Your Light, shining on this dark world. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
“Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.” Matthew 17:26,27
“But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak.” “And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 1 Corinthians 8:9,11
“Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17
I want to start out with a statement about the intent of this post. For this is not a post about all human actions are acceptable to those who believe or that Jesus Christ in some way has changed the Word or Commandments of God. Nothing could be further from my intent. I definitely believe in the statement that Jesus made in Matthew 5:17.
Yet here is the amazing thing to me. You have God, come to earth. You have He, who was at creation and through whom all things were created. This is who Jesus Christ was and is. Thus if anyone should have cared little about being offensive, of causing any angst in anyone else, Jesus Christ was deserved of that right. Though deserved or not, He did not partake of that right. Jesus demonstrated for us an amazing level of humility as example, I believe for us to follow.
Now what is happening in Matthew 17 at this point is a recounting of question posed to Peter by those who received the temple tax. According to the Interpreter’s Bible, this was not a tax from the Romans as a tribute to Caesar but a tax started back in the time of Exodus. The Interpreter’s Bible makes the point that Jesus is not saying that the temple should not be supported, far from it. What He was saying was that as son’s, which believers become, through Jesus Christ, they are free from the law that has been fulfilled in Christ. The desire to support the temple or church for that matter should not be a “have to” but should be a holy and joyful “desire to”.
However, that is not to me the most astounding thing. Jesus Christ does not want to cause offense over this issue to the Jewish faithful. Jesus knows that they would not understand His discussion of son’s being free because they did not see Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. So to keep from causing an offense on this point, He has Peter pay the tax. Yet this was not unusual for Jesus. Jesus, time and time again showed great restraint, especially given who He knew He was (is), when confronted with misunderstandings and misapplications of His creation, human kind. He did not utterly destroy the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to dispute with Him. As they talked and hurled accusations at Him, He did not raise His voice and talk over them and shut them up. When the crowds picked up stones to stone Him, Jesus did not raise a hand against them but walked unharmed, both to Himself and the crowd, right through them.
Please understand this, I am not saying Jesus Christ was not bold; far from it. He did boldly declare, right there in the temple about the kingdom of heaven, His Father’s Kingdom and that He was the Son. Yet His boldness was not primarily designed as a judgemental attack as it was the truthful pronouncement of the way of God. Jesus lived into the blessings that He stated that blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth and blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.
Paul picks up that same theme when he writes to the Corinthians who are having terrible troubles with division in their church. Paul warns and admonishes those who would use their God given freedom, to cause those who are new or weak to the Way, to stumble. He tells us we need to look to others to see if and to what extent our actions are causing offense and perhaps driving away the very persons we are desperately trying to lead into and onto the Path of Christ.
Yet we find ourselves in a society today ever more acrimonious when it comes to our interactions with each other. We often come to a point where, so certain of our rightness (not necessarily righteousness), that we declare if anyone has a problem with us it is their problem only and there is no reason for us to change our actions in any way. To take into account another person’s perspective, even though more inaccurate, and modify our approach to help instruct or lead them is looked at as totally unnecessary and worse yet a sign of weakness. Thus in ever louder volume and ever shriller tone, we come off as judgemental and totally closed to the suffering and plight of others. Jesus Christ would not have it so.
Again, please Dear Sisters and Brothers, I am not saying at all that we should do something like live as the world lives, sin so that we would seem to fit in; nothing of the kind. What I’m extolling is the virtue of abiding in Christ and thus taking on His example of speaking, of living our lives around those who may not yet be on the path to Christ, are newly on that path, or may be on the path yet have a different perception than we do. That we deal with them out of Christian love. Yes, being bold in our proclamation of Christ and Our Heavenly Father, yet humble as a servant in our status in that relationship. It would do us well to remember the admonition of Jesus Christ, Himself, when He told His disciples not to be concerned ahead of time what to say when called to witness for the Kingdom; that the Holy Spirit would give us what to say at the time needed.
We must ask ourselves; does our speech to others, the way we treat others in and out of the faith, reflect what the Holy Spirit would want us to say and do about the kingdom? I am asking that we at least consider our actions and what the Holy Spirit would have us do. There are those in the world who, no matter what will take offense at us and that is the plain truth of it. What we don’t want to happen is to give those whom are seeking after Christ as well as our Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ a reason to take offense if we can avoid it. In doing so, we will live lives of praise and glory to God and not to ourselves.
Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father by Your Son Jesus Christ we are called to be sent into the world but we are not of the world. We also understand that as the world has hated You and Your Son, it will hate us. Yet we ask Most Merciful Father that You would give us a spirit of grace and humility as we deal with the world. That as Your Son, Jesus Christ gave us an example, we will be patient, kind, loving and healing to our fellow person. That some of the world would take offense at us, we would not make that our goal or aim. That in being true to You and living in humility and meekness, we would be the peacemakers that You are asking us to be and will bless our attempts. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Example. Amen
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