Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

Loving God by Loving Others

Living in the Spirit

September 5, 2020

Scripture Reading: Romans 13:8-14
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Paul assumes we owe a debt and that debt is owed to God. We are to love one another on God’s behalf. The best way we can show our love for God is to love one another. The commandments are just a list of examples that demonstrate what it means to love another. We in the USA are struggling mightily with this concept. Almost every news program I watch starts with reports on disasters, instances of violence, murders, possible police brutality, and political shenanigans. I am particularly dismayed watching people refusing to wear masks to prevent the spread of the COVID 19 virus because it restricts there Constitutional Rights. No one has the right to cause the death of another person through recklessness. I think reporters and anchors must get weary of reporting bad news. Most have started adding a human interest story showing that there is still goodness in our world.

We owe everything to God. When we love God deeply and ultimately, we are empowered to love all others even when we have been carefully taught that some do not deserve our love. Giving up preconceived notions about others is hard, particularly ideas that were past to us from people we cherish. Thinking someone else’s life is less important than our own is an affront to God in whose image we all were created.

I did not know my great great grandfather. From all reports, he was a good Christian gentleman. He also owned slaves, left them by name to his children in his will. Owning slaves was just the standard way to do business during the 1840s in the USA. That legacy remains with us today. We have to wonder what such “usual ways of doing business” are we passing on to the next generations that are not based on loving God and loving like Jesus. More importantly, what are we doing to change such behavior?

Prayer: God of Hope and Love, show us the ways we can love you better by loving each other better. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Bearing a Cross

Living in the Spirit

August 30, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 16:21-28

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’ –Matthew 16:24-28

My sister and I were reminiscing recently about the small, rural church we attended as children. One of its traditions was to have a more informal evening service where hymns were selected randomly by members of the congregation, calling out a title and page number. Much to my parent’s embarrassment one evening, my sister, brother, and I called out all the songs we sang. New rules were set on the road home. Beyond that, while my sister and brother called out a variety of songs, I almost always requested Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone. It was my favorite song, although it is no longer included in most hymnals. I do not really remember singing all the verses about getting a crown. The first verse was my anthem:

Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for ev’ry one,
And there’s a cross for me.

As a child, I think I intuitively accepted the theology that the Kingdom of God was launched at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. We, as Christ-followers, are called to live into the growth and development of God’s Kingdom in everything we do. I have never thought of it, though, as working toward a prize. It is more like living in a big family where each person, based on their age and skills, has tasks to complete for the good of the whole family. I still believe that today. Jesus taught us to love God and love one another as the foundation of that Kingdom. It is an old, old story but much needed today.

Prayer: Lord, we sometimes need to remember and return to the faith of a child to clear the cobwebs of the world from interfering with our loving one another. Clean our hearts, oh Lord, and help us find and bear any cross you have for us. Amen.

*First verse of Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone, by Thomas Shepherd at https://hymnary.org/text/must_jesus_bear_the_cross_alone

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Christ, Our Model

Living in The Spirit

August 27, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 26:1-8

Vindicate me, O Lord,
   for I have walked in my integrity,
   and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
   test my heart and mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
   and I walk in faithfulness to you.

I do not sit with the worthless,
   nor do I consort with hypocrites;
I hate the company of evildoers,
   and will not sit with the wicked. –Psalm 26:1-5

And then came Jesus Christ.

We are wise to call on the Lord to test our hearts for our integrity. We are foolish when we set the standards for righteousness by our own measure or the norms of our culture.

Who do you think Jesus would have dubbed worthless? Would he not have said Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore*? I think he could have and might have added let me know what difference a little love can mean for them.

Jesus was hard on hypocrites, but he did not shy away from dialogue with them. The four gospels record 16 times when Jesus chastised the self-righteous for their hypocrisy. Learning to speak to others about difficult issues is an art that must be supported by love.

Evildoers and the wicked could be what we classify as criminals today. In Matthew 25, Jesus states that we are to visit prisoners, and that suggests to me that the purpose of those visits was not only to bring them food for their bodies but to work with them toward the restoration of their souls.

In general, evildoers and the wicked are those who do harm to others for their own gain, are dangerous to society, and are often skilled at never getting caught. Their cunning can be attractive, and they are often the merchants of the idols we worship today like greed and lust for power. These people, too, must be confronted as Elijah confronted the priest of idols in his day. And, yes, they also need soul restoration.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for you to search us, help us see our shortcomings, and correct them. Help us also to not claim our righteousness based on our judging others. Amen.

*From the poem, The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus engraved on Statue Of Liberty National Monument

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Being a Rock

Living in the Spirit

August 22, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

What do we think of when we hear the word “church?” The image that comes immediately to my mind is the church I currently attend. I then consider the churches I had participated in when I lived in various places. Finally, I flashed back to everything from a little one-room wooden structure I discovered on a hill in Austria to the Washington Cathedral and watching in horror Notre Dame Cathedral burn. My idea of a church is tied to buildings. I guess Jesus recognized that tendency in humans when he said and on this rock I will build my church in response to Peter confession of faith, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ That all too human reaction probably comes from the fact that food, clothing, and shelter are considered the necessities of life. Perhaps that is why Jesus chose the Last Supper as the symbol of his continuing presence with us.

Of course, the church is so much more than a building. The Greek word ekklésia translated here as “church” refers to an assembly of people. I like to speak of it as the Body of Christ in the world today. Strong’s* describes it as the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.

We face grave consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic, over which we have little control, as it roars through our land. Some are doing the best they can to prevent and mitigate its impact while others are frozen in fear or are in denial. Climate change has picked up its pace as it produces more and more dangerous weather and its resulting repercussions. Some are realizing we have done too little, too late to curb its destruction. Not having the world operate the way we think it should causes us to turn on one another, forgetting to be the one Body of Christ in the world today.  Bigotry and violence abound.

Loving God and loving like Jesus are the two responses we know work. Doing that together as the Body of Christ works the best. Depending on what translation one uses, the command “Fear Not” appears 365 times in the Bible.

Prayer: Lord, you have called us to be your Body active and engaged in loving the world into your eternal care. Help us renew our strength, so that we shall mount up with wings like eagles, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint** as you reignite our works of love. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/1577.htm
**Derives from Isaiah 40:31

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Overcoming Evil with Love

Living in the Spirit

August 8, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

My hope, my prayer, is that I do not read something into scripture that is not there. That said, when I read the scripture above today, I could not help wondering if the “wind” translation used here is the same as the “wind” that can also be translated as breath or spirit. I am not a Greek scholar and thus am dependent on what I consider to be a good source, Strong’s Concordance. I was surprised in a totally different way when I read the following definition of the Greek word translated as wind in this scripture:

417 ánemos – properly, a gust of air (wind); (figuratively) something with gusting, storm-like force, like someone bent in a particular direction–applied to empty doctrines*

In my part of the world, the word “windy” can describe one who tells tall tales. Most of that is done with a sense of fun. Being blown around by empty doctrines is a much more severe situation. I feel blown about by empty doctrines every time I listen to the news or read the paper. My sense is that others think the same thing when they hear what is coming out of my mouth. We are all asking the question, how those others, how can they possibly believe something like they are supporting? We are all being tossed about by evil winds seeking to destroy our faith by bending us all in the particular direction of its empty doctrines.

Peter wanted some proof that the apparition he was seeing was indeed Jesus. He stepped out with great courage and walked a few steps but became aware of the mighty winds blowing about him and began to sink. Jesus caught him and saved him.

We do not need to get caught up in the whirlwind of evil that is storming through our world. We need to recognize it for its emptiness. In my experience, evil increases when it sees the threat of love overtaking it. We need to increase our love for one another to overcome evil.

Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’ John 16:30-33

Prayer: Lover of our souls, help us love one another as we plumb more deeply into understanding our differences and build on our common ground. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/417.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Salvation is a Beginning

Living in the Spirit

August 7, 2020

Scripture Reading: Romans 10:5-15

But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
   on your lips and in your heart’

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’’ –Romans 10: 8-15

Accepting Jesus as Lord is not a final act, it marks the beginning of a new life in service to God. Accepting Jesus as Lord does not immediately result in perfection but institutes our journey toward Christ’s wisdom and truth.  Accepting Jesus as Lord casts out exclusion and demands the inclusion of all of God’s children as all are created in God’s image.

Think about a person in your history that routinely drove you to distraction. The one you moved across to the other side of the room in avoidance when they entered. This is the one you must love. Consider what in your life caused you to shun them. Consider what in their being created the behavior you want to avoid as you learn to love them. As people of God, we must consider what made us the way we are and compare that to the way God calls us to be allowing God to create in us clean hearts and right spirits*, as we work together to build the Kingdom of God. These are the ones with whom we must seek common ground for the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, our world in chaos and needs the power of your love to save it. Let your love flow through us as we strive to love like you. Amen.

*See Psalm 51:10

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Idols of our Own Making

Living in the Spirit

August 4, 2020

Scripture Reading: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

The man said, ‘They have gone away, for I heard them say, “Let us go to Dothan.” ’ So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, ‘Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.’ But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, ‘Let us not take his life.’ Reuben said to them, ‘Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him’—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.’ And his brothers agreed. When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. Genesis 37:17-28

Being born into a family results in having to deal with one another, whether we like each other, or we do not. Clearly, Joseph’s brothers were not fond of the one they saw as their father’s pet. Their reaction took them to the extreme, selling him into slavery. I guess that was better than killing him. I am a member of a family, have worked with troubled families, and have observed all manner of families as they interacted. My father’s family was a yours, mine, and our family as were most of the families in the time of Jacob. In that case, they had the same father but several different mothers. The thing about families is that their intrinsic connectedness can never be changed. We must learn to co-exist in love or face the consequences.

The Greek language has at least three descriptions of love: eros, which is erotic love, Philadelphia –sibling love (also the source word of philanthropy), and agape—divine love, which is Godlike love goodwill for all.  Agape love is what Jesus calls us to practices, which I believe is woven into every kind of love when we accept the ways of Christ. It requires us to invest ourselves in learning to love our spouses, siblings, and our neighbors as God loves us. That requires an investment of time and energy and self-examination, helping us to understand our relationships and ourselves better. Once we can love ourselves as God loves us, we can more easily learn to love others.

Prayer: Lord, teach us to love like you as we work to build a world ruled by your love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Thriving among the Weeds

Living in the Spirit

July 19, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

He put before them another parable: ‘The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ –Matthew 13:24-30

Raised on a farm, I have pulled my fair share of weeds. Pulling older weeds with robust root systems can indeed be harmful to more delicate plants. Removing weeds when they first appear can prevent them from reaching that more mature stage. In that case, one must know the difference between a weed and a fruitful plant. Life is never as straightforward as we desire.

Evil is a paradox. It appears to be simpler than its alternative, more attractive, and readily available. When evil entangles us, our lives spiral deeper and deeper into an ugly complexity that we cannot shed. Yet in the world, evil is all about us. We must learn to grow in wisdom and truth in its midst. Our challenge is discerning evil from righteousness, producing God’s good fruit among those smothering weeds. Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

We live in trying times full of divisiveness, even hate. Getting up every day in a world where loving God and doing our best to love like Jesus is challenged in every direction is hard work. It sometimes seems hopeless. But God is not finished yet, and thus our work goes on weeds or no weeds.

Prayer: Lord, strengthen us for the facing of this day and every day until your Kingdom comes in its fullness. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Nurturing Love

Living in the Spirit

July 11, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’ –Matthew 13:1-9

The first thing we must note from this scripture is that no farmer would just toss good seed around and let it land where it lands and expect to reap a bumper crop. A seed is valuable, not something to waste. One seed planted in good soil and cared for correctly can reproduce itself many times over.

Jesus came into a world composed of a mixed bag of people some rich some poor, some healthy some sick, some old and some young, some wise and some foolish. Yet he readily shared God’s love and vision for a better world with all he encountered. Why? I think it is because Jesus understood that all people are made in the image of God, and thus all people have the potential to be a productive, contributing part of the Kingdom God desires for all. We are now called to see that potential and nurture it in ourselves and all others.

Some time back, I saw a story on the news about a prison that started a program with prisoners serving sentences of life without parole. The prison brought in rescued dogs, probably targeted for euthanasia, and taught the prisoners how to train them to be service dogs. The prisoners were incredibly good at the task, enjoyed being outside in the prison yard in the sunshine. Some of them experienced, for the first time, unconditional love at which dogs are excellent. The prisoners also passed on unconditional love by providing a service dog for a stranger enabling them to participate more fully in life.

Prayer: During these times of trial, help us to look for the image of God in each person we encounter and God, help us to be a source of nurture to them. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Emulating the Ways of God

Living in the Spirit

July 2, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 145:8-14

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
   and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down. –Psalm 145:8-9, 13b-14

Why aren’t we? Why do we not choose to emulate God’s graciousness and mercy, God’s anger control, and particularly God’s steadfast love? Watching the news during COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd, with its aftermath, is a study in the best of us and the worst of us. Many are taking sides. In some instances, people play their ideologies against common sense to their own health detriment and the detriment of others who may cross their paths. Others seem to have seen the light about the existence of racial injustice in our world. They struggle to understand themselves as they strive to deal with a new self-awareness that is uncomfortable and demands self-examination and change.  Many want to snap our fingers and make it all go away. We are coming to the realization that neither the COVID-19 virus nor racism is going away without our sowing better habits of the heart, loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, and realizing that all people are our neighbors. Perhaps it is good for us to shelter at home and face our selves.

The above scripture ends in hope. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. All we must do is seek the Lord.

Prayer: God of Grace and Mercy, let your light open our hearts and minds to following you more nearly.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.