Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

Revenge

Kingdom Building

June 17, 2019

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-7, 8-15a

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. –1 Kings 19:1-7

Revenge and hate eat the people who practice them from the inside out. They may or may not impact their adversary by their actions and feelings, but they will definitely hurt themselves.  This understanding matters because as followers of Christ we are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. When we conjure revenge and hate even in our hearts, we are denigrated out love for ourselves and our neighbors. Often our need to hit back at someone for doing something we perceived as negative toward us is the result of our owning the shame of the accusation whether we should or should not.  While we may need to seek forgiveness for something we have done, we also need to learn to forgive ourselves and we do that best when we confess to God and open our hearts to God’s healing.

Elijah fled from Jezebel after she threatened him. He was cared for and nurtured by the angels. He turned his response to Jezebel’s wrath over to God choosing to use his time more productively in his work as a prophet. Think about how much time we waste stewing over small and great insults or mistreatment. God needs us to have our heads on straight and be ready to serve God than wasting time plotting revenge.

Prayer: Lord, heal our souls, make us whole so we can love like Jesus. 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.

Trust God

Eastertide

May 25, 2019

Scripture Reading: John 14:22b-29
‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

 ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

“Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.” ― Saint Ignatius of Loyola

This quote attributed to St Ignatius has been stated in varying fashions by many faith leaders. I choose his because he uses the word trust. Trust is the verb of faith. Trusting that everything ultimately depends on God is a freeing experience. We are not perfect; we all make mistakes and yet we followers of Christ are entrusted with the most important mission ever assigned: to share the love of God throughout the world and thus create a world ruled by love.

I once heard a lecture regarding childhood development that I think applies here. I am sorry I no longer remember the occasion much less the speaker. She said we do not send children out in a front yard surrounded by streets busy with traffic, leave them alone, and expect them to do the right thing if they throw their ball into the street. We do want our children to explore and develop their minds, bodies, social skills, and spiritual life. To do that we most likely will first place them in a fenced yard with hazards removed and various safe toys and plants and sand boxes to explore as we may play with them or watch as they alone or with their peers discover new and wonderous things. The environment we create for a child is like the trust we place in God to love and protect us as we strive to love God, love ourselves, and love each other. Like a toddler we may fall, even scrape a knee, but our loving Parent is always there to give us comfort and forgiveness while guiding us to try again.

I do not think we can make anyone follow Christ or to live their lives as we interpret is the “correct” way to follow Christ. We certainly cannot legislate our evangelism. We can love them, accept them as they are, and journey with them as they become the persons God created them to be. Christ got the assignment to judge who among us love him and follow him. Our assignment is to introduce Christ to those who may not know him and to love the way he loves.

Prayer: Lord, we have an awesome assignment and sometimes it is hard for us to let you be God and we be your followers. Forgive us and strengthen us to trust you fully. 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.

Thy Kingdom Come

Eastertide

May 23, 2019

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

And in the spirit, he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. –Revelation 21:10, 22-27

I visited northern Sweden during the summer equinox and experienced a day with virtually no night. I must admit it was a little eerie. We, of course, stayed up until after midnight to witness the event. The locals went to bed and pulled down shades. Humans must have their rest. If there is no night is there no need for rest in eternity? The writer of Revelation, attributed to a man named John, is attempting to describe that which is indescribable, and he does a good job of making us think out of the box as we contemplate the possible nature of the Kingdom of God.

We have a taste of the glory of God being with us in the now as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:12, For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

As people called to live in the now as citizens of the Kingdom of God, we might take some clues from the scripture above which talks about what we bring into the Kingdom with us and how we live differently than we might live in the world. The language used to describe these realities is ancient and thus requires us to consider their meaning for today. My guess is that would result in much discussion and many theological perspectives. In the final analysis, my fall back is Jesus’ instruction that we are to love God, placing God first in our lives, a part of which is loving ourselves as God created us in honor of God, and  ultimately loving all of God’s other children as much as we love ourselves. Thus, we only must study the way Jesus loved and follow his model of loving.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for our ancestors in faith who were visionaries of the way your world eventually is melded successfully with the world. Help us to see you more clearly as our role model in the now of your Kingdom coming. 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.

Simple Stuff

Eastertide

May 15, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 148

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
   princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
   old and young together!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
   for his name alone is exalted;
   his glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
   praise for all his faithful,
   for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord! –Psalm 148:11-14

One of the greatest challenges churches face is melding together the rich and the poor, the powerful and the masses, the young and the old combined with racial/ethnic and sexual diversity. How do we become one in such a dynamic environment in what, I think, is a technological/communication revolution that may eventually exceed the challenges of the industrial revolution of the 19th century?

The church is one of the places, if not the primary place, where all these groups come together with what should be a common cause.  Therein, may lie the solution.  People who are truly dedicated to a common cause are people who get things done despite differences. I watch on TV as diverse people rush to rescue those threatened with floods, parents of children killed in school shootings cluster in advocacy for change, saving boys stranded in a cave. Do we have to wait for life and death situations to create a world ruled by love? Where do we look to find our common cause?

Perhaps in all the complexity in which we find ourselves, it is time for us to keep it simple. Loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves is the best place to start. I think limiting ourselves to working on the list Jesus is quoted as saying in Matthew 25 about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, restoring those in prison, and welcoming the stranger are our common cause. Anything that distracts us from those actions is not a priority of God’s.

Prayer: Lord, help us find you simple service that means life for so many. 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.

Living Love

Eastertide

May 10, 2019

Scripture Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
   and worship him day and night within his temple,
  and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
   the sun will not strike them,
   nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
   and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ –Revelation 7:13-17

Made white in the blood of the lamb is, I suppose, an oxymoron. Blood is one of the hardest stains to remove. The idea that anything could be made white by laundering it in blood is not feasible.  Sun-bleached bones were most likely once drenched in blood. Yet time, heat, and wind can make them very white. Of course, death had to have occurred for that to happen. Crucifixion was a horrid way of death and marked the onset of resurrection for all.

Jesus taught through word and deed that living love was the only way to salvation. Living love in a world filled with hate and selfishness would be impossible without the power of the greatest love enabling and sustaining us. Jesus gifted that to us through the Holy Spirit. He never said living love would be easy. He did say we would never have to do it alone.

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30)

The point at which all God’s children live love to the fullest will be the full realization of the Kingdom of God.

Prayer: Let your love so impower us that we move the whole world a little closer to the fulfillment of your Kingdom. 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.

Loving like Jesus

Eastertide

May 5, 2019

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-19

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.” John 21:15-17

I have always wondered what Jesus meant by the first question in the above scripture. Is he asking Simon if Simon loves Jesus more than Simon loves any of the disciples or is, he asking if Simon loves Jesus more than the other disciples love Jesus? I do not know what difference it makes but the statement’s ambiguity has always bothered me. Perhaps Jesus is asking both questions at once. Perhaps John, like me occasionally, writes a tongue twisted sentence that does not clearly get at what was intended or the translator missed the intent.

In either case, the question creates consideration of how we set priorities of love in our journey of faith as Christ follower. If we love Jesus, we are to love him, all his followers, and all his potential followers which eliminates any possibility of establishing priorities regarding who we love. Our culture values competition and hierarchies of worth, both of which are alien to Jesus’ way of being. We cannot interpret Jesus only through our cultural lenses. We must learn to differentiate that which is of God and that which is of the world and turn away from those things within the world that are not supportive of our loving God and loving one another.

Prayer: Lord, clear away the film in my minds eye that keeps me from seeing and doing your ways. 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.

Finding Time to Love Our Neighbors

Eastertide

April 28, 2019

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ –John 20:24-29

We are a part of those who have not seen and yet have come to believe. At least we have not seen the wounds in his side and hand. Do we see Jesus in the work that we do? Do we see the Risen Christ in small and great changes in people’s lives? Do we still cling to the hope of the coming of a Kingdom ruled by God?

I must admit I have my ups and downs. I can get discouraged and need to be refueled by the Spirit of God. I am so glad that Paul included these words in his letter to the Romans (8:26-27):  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. I think he wrote them just for me.

There are so many problems in our world for which there seems to be no answer and yet they need to be addressed. People invest most of their time in just doing the daily acts of living. It takes extraordinary steps at times to deal with issues that are beyond our limited scope. Yet I believe God calls us to oneness which, of necessity, requires us to move beyond our comfort zones to love like Jesus loves.

Prayer: Lord, slow our lives down to a speed that allows us to complete our routine life works while finding the time to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. 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.

Judged by Our Love

Eastertide

April 27, 2019

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ –John 20:19-23

When we think of sin what is the first thing that comes to mind? Doing right or wrong? Obeying laws? Sin is the translation of the Greek word Hamartia, which is defined as missing the mark, a failure, an ethical failure*. The NIB Commentary explains it this way: To have sin is to be blind to the revelation of God in Jesus. Jesus brings people to judgment by his revealing work and presence in the world**. Matthew 25 is explicit in describing this judgment when it talks about taking care of the least of these. Christ judgment is based on how well we love our neighbors as we love ourselves, how well we carry on Jesus’ work throughout the world, how well we let his gift of the Spirit work within us. Any ultimate judgment is reserved for Jesus according to John 5:22, The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son

So, what is Jesus saying in the above scripture about forgiving the sins of others and retaining the sins of others? He is not saying that we are sent into the world to judge the behavior of others. Such judgments are often based on cultural norms even as they apply to the laws set forth in the Hebrew Bible. For example, we now have fact checkers assigning degrees of lying. Since lying is so common place, it seems not to matter anymore at least to humans. Some laws like the Ten Commandments stand the test of time and, if followed, can contribute to the development of the Kingdom of God.

Other laws and rules are needed to add order to our world. They change as society progresses. New laws were needed when horse and buggies were replaced by cars and they will change again as car no longer require a driver.

Here John is saying that our judgment of others is based on their acceptance of a role in being the Body of Christ fed by the Holy Spirit in the world today. As the conduits of love to reach all the peoples of the world, we have a grave responsibility to fulfill, before we could ever decide to retain the sins of anyone.

Prayer: Lord, strengthen us in letting he Holy Spirit work through us toward building a better world. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/266.htm

**The New Interpreter’s Bible, A Commentary in Twelve Volume’s Volume IX, Abingdon Press,  1995, Page 847

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.

Called to Break the Silence

Lent
April 14, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:28-40

As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king
   who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
   and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’ –Luke 19:36-40

What happens when the stones seem silent? Prophets warned the Israelite of pending doom and few if any paid attention. Exile resulted. For many years, experts have warned of the impact of climate change and are ridiculed by political leaders, while coastal areas deal with rising water and we all deal with unusual weather. A policy of reducing taxes for the wealthiest with the idea that wealth would trickle down to the poor failed in the 1920’s resulting in the Great Depression, failed again in the 1980’s leading to a recession, failed again at the beginning of the 21st Century resulting in another recession, and was implemented once more in 2017. The result is the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the stabilizing middle class shrinks. People with diabetes are dying because they cannot afford insulin. A patient with Type 1 diabetes incurred annual insulin costs of $5,705, on average, in 2016. The average cost was roughly half that, at $2,864 per patient, in 2012, according to a report released on Tuesday by the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute*. This essentially is the same insulin produced a hundred years ago.

Greed lies at the heart of all these major problems we face. As followers of Christ made in the image of God, we are called to emulate Christ in loving God and loving one another. In the simplest of terms, love means wanting the very best for another. Greed is the antitheses of love.

Are we destined to find ourselves in exile because we have failed to listen to the prophets of today?  Are we unwilling to turn around from the greed that seeps into our every day life? Are we willing to speak for the voiceless? Is God waiting for a signal from us that we are ready to deal with the realities of our world? Christ followers in our story above raised their voices in celebration of this One sent by God. It is in that context that Christ said if you do not listen to these you will hear from God on their behalf.

God made the earth and all that is within it including us. God calls us into partnership to build a better world. When God sees we are ready to act God can and will bring the entire weight of and earth to complement our efforts evening to having those stones shout.

Prayer: Lord, empower our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees** as we step forward in faith to love away greed. Amen.

*https://www.nbcnews.com/health/diabetes/u-s-insulin-costs-patient-nearly-doubled-2012-2016-study-n961296
**Derived from Hebrews 12:12

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.

Loving Like Jesus

Lent
April 6, 2019

Scripture Reading: John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. –John 12:1-3

I do not spring for a massage very often, but I will confess a good massage is good for my soul as well as my body. I had known that for some time before I made my first visit to Ghost Ranch and discovered that it make massages available as a routine part of its wholeness ministry. I prefer a complete body massage, but a good foot massage can soothe one’s soul. Of course, the washing of feet in Judah was a routine practice on entering a home in an arid land full of sand where most people wore sandals or no shoes at all. Mary apparently took this routine practice to a higher level of perhaps veneration.

A story somewhat like the one above is told in Luke 7:36-50 only the woman washing Jesus feet is not the righteous Mary, but one described as sinful, thus not worthy to touch Jesus’ feet. Jesus allowed her to express her thanksgiving in this most humbling way.

The receiving and giving of any act of comfort is intimate requiring a high degree of trust. Ministers are now required to attend classes training them in understanding how to meet the need for comfort among those they serve without breaking their trust. We even practice safe hugs. We must be sensitive to the cultural and life experiences that have shaped the way the people we serve gain comfort often without knowing their backgrounds. Some welcome a hearty hug, others may not even be able to make eye contact. Some have primarily related to others in sexual ways and will need to learn that such behavior is not the only way to relate.

The great challenge is that the people attempting to give comfort often must rise above their own cultural and life experiences to comfort others. Comforters are required to be emphatic to determine what will comfort and what might make matters worse.  This is particularly important regarding abused and neglected children and persons who have been sexually abuse. In most instances, we may never know the background of person we serve particularly if there is great shame connected to their life experiences.

Jesus modeled loving individuals just as they were but in such a way that they experienced love without hurt or pain or self-degradation. We are called to love like Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, help us rise above our own limitations and see the reality of persons we are trying to love as you 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.