Living in the Spirit
July 29, 2018
Scripture Reading: John 6:1-21
Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’—John 6:10-14
For some reason, the phrase ‘Make the people sit down’ bothers me when I imagine it coming from Jesus’ mouth. The polite thing to say in English would be something like ‘Have the people be seated’. I looked up the word in the Greek and it seems to imply something more mechanical than what I at first perceived as an order. Jesus was not heavy into giving orders to anyone. He drove out the money changers from the temple, I suppose that embodies making someone do something. He gave instructions to disciples to go and do certain things, but he did so as if he were speaking to people already willing and able to help. Go into all the world. . .* One also would not think it necessary to make hungry people eat. Perhaps it was a way of assuring order in serving the food.
How do we best gain people’s attention today to share with them the nourishing Good News of Jesus Christ? How do we spread the love of God without being authoritarian, condescending, or patronizing? How do we interact with others whose previous encounters regarding God were very negative? How do we love like Jesus loves?
It is paradoxical, but I think it is true we must first love ourselves like Jesus loves us before we can love others. Jesus said it in Mark 12:30-31, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ When we are full of self-loathing we cannot help but project that on others particularly when we are unaware of our self-assessments. Our self-assessments probably were passed to use from others trying to love us the best way they could. If we only see hurtful negatives in others rather than the image of God in which they were created, we cannot love them as Jesus does.
Accepting the love of Jesus Christ is the starting point of healing broken souls and enabling us to love in the same way he does.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for making me whole each day and always. Amen.
*Mark 16:15, Luke 14:23, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:7-8