“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Who else grew up on that misguided little ditty? It denies the truth that hurtful words can cause deeper, longer-lasting wounds – and it suggests that using words to inflict pain doesn’t have real consequences, to perpetrator or victim.
Jesus says otherwise: “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; ...But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool’, you will be liable to the hell of fire."
Whoa, Nellie! Is Jesus really saying that insulting someone is on a par with murder? Invective tossed around in anger is a form of violence? Calling someone an idiot is like killing them? Thank God Jesus isn’t on Facebook!
I think he is saying that, when we insult or libel another person, we are temporarily dehumanizing them, not honoring them as a fellow child of God, created for life, redeemed in love. I know that when I have been the target of scorn or gossip, I have described feeling “un-selfed.” I think that’s what we do when we ridicule or insult another – we un-self them. That is a kind of death-dealing, and it causes deep spiritual injury. It may not be actionable in a court of law, but Jesus wants his followers to go beyond the law to the heart.
Jesus suggests that we too are damaged when we use words as weapons. We usually do that out of a feeling of anxiety or powerlessness – we are temporarily inflated when we run someone else down. But it also diminishes us, and renders us less whole, less fully who God made us to be. Those who would follow Christ cannot be complacent about this area of sin.
If we seek to be reconciled with God (“So when you offer your gift at the altar…”) while in a state of estrangement with people in our lives (“if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you…”), we need to face that and deal with it, restoring them and us to our full humanity in full humility: "leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”
Elsewhere, Jesus offers a process for such reconciliation. Today, let’s keep it simple. Is there anyone in your life who causes you anger, annoyance, anxiety? Sit quietly in prayer and let those names and faces float up to your consciousness. And then pray for them to be blessed beyond measure. Yes, blessed with all the fullness of God’s blessing. Think about it – if they’re blessed, you benefit too. And it’s a way to begin to move toward forgiving them, if that is called for.
And is there anyone whom you have injured with words to or about them? Even words you’ve only thought? They’re toxic enough in our own minds. Can you pray for that person to be blessed and ask them for forgiveness? If that seems impossible, play it out in your imagination first, going to see them with Jesus at your side. What do you say? What do they say? What does Jesus say?
Being critical and sarcastic takes so much energy; loathing another even more. Think what God can do through us and for us when we yield that space to the Holy Spirit. When all our interactions are life-giving, our lives will bear the fruit of such abundant peace, it can only spill over to the people around us.
2-10-14 - When Good News Sounds Bad
This is one of those weeks when I question my “ordering principle” for Water Daily, to reflect on the following Sunday’s appointed Gospel passage. This week's isn’t much fun – it’s more of Jesus’ training talk with his new disciples, and he sets standards for them more stringent even than the Old Testament Law. He looks at the commandments against murder, adultery, divorce and perjury and ratchets up the penalties for merely being in the vicinity of such sins.
Before we tackle all that, let’s explore why Jesus is so hard on his new recruits – and by extension, later followers like us. One factor might be the old drill sergeant tactic, breaking your troops down as you prepare to rebuild them stronger. I don’t know if this is what Jesus was up to – but he did know they would face a lot of suspicion and adversity. They needed to be focused and strong. So do we, facing indifference.
Another way to view this teaching is as pruning. At the end of his time with these disciples, Jesus will say, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2) The teaching Jesus gives here, harsh as it sounds, reflects the work of that Master Gardener, who desires that we bear good fruit.
Jesus is also driving home a point he has already made: that the ways of this world and the ways of God’s Kingdom, or God-Life, are not the same. Those who would be Christ-followers need to learn how God thinks, and what God requires. Remember what Jesus said at end of last week’s passage: “…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
When Jesus talks about entering the “Kingdom of heaven,” he’s not talking about heaven as a place we go when we die. He is talking about the God-Reality that is already around us, here and now, which he came to demonstrate and open a door into. That is what Jesus was about. So he’s not being punitive; he is simply stating a fact: Those who would learn to dwell in the God-Life need to be able to perceive things the way God does. His followers need to go beyond the behavior the Law demands, to reflect a heart yielded to God.
What Jesus is offering is discipline, just like a trainer or a coach does. The question for us is, Do we want to be disciples, those who take on a discipline? Do we want to be trained? Do we want to bear fruit?
Here’s my prayer suggestion for today, before we launch into Jesus’ tough teaching: Let’s get in touch with the love of God that has us reading this reflection on a Monday morning in the first place. Get centered as best you can, and invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with love, to surround you with love. Ease into it, as you would into a hot bath. Let it fill your heart, whatever that feels like or looks like. Say thank you for every reminder of God’s love you can think of. And, if you’re willing, say you’re open to being trained.
Whatever else Jesus is up to, he is also presenting a view of God’s love, the way a loving parent minces no words keeping a child from traffic or a hot stove. Let’s remember we are God’s children, in every sense, and be glad God loves us enough to want to see us thrive.
Before we tackle all that, let’s explore why Jesus is so hard on his new recruits – and by extension, later followers like us. One factor might be the old drill sergeant tactic, breaking your troops down as you prepare to rebuild them stronger. I don’t know if this is what Jesus was up to – but he did know they would face a lot of suspicion and adversity. They needed to be focused and strong. So do we, facing indifference.
Another way to view this teaching is as pruning. At the end of his time with these disciples, Jesus will say, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2) The teaching Jesus gives here, harsh as it sounds, reflects the work of that Master Gardener, who desires that we bear good fruit.
Jesus is also driving home a point he has already made: that the ways of this world and the ways of God’s Kingdom, or God-Life, are not the same. Those who would be Christ-followers need to learn how God thinks, and what God requires. Remember what Jesus said at end of last week’s passage: “…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
When Jesus talks about entering the “Kingdom of heaven,” he’s not talking about heaven as a place we go when we die. He is talking about the God-Reality that is already around us, here and now, which he came to demonstrate and open a door into. That is what Jesus was about. So he’s not being punitive; he is simply stating a fact: Those who would learn to dwell in the God-Life need to be able to perceive things the way God does. His followers need to go beyond the behavior the Law demands, to reflect a heart yielded to God.
What Jesus is offering is discipline, just like a trainer or a coach does. The question for us is, Do we want to be disciples, those who take on a discipline? Do we want to be trained? Do we want to bear fruit?
Here’s my prayer suggestion for today, before we launch into Jesus’ tough teaching: Let’s get in touch with the love of God that has us reading this reflection on a Monday morning in the first place. Get centered as best you can, and invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with love, to surround you with love. Ease into it, as you would into a hot bath. Let it fill your heart, whatever that feels like or looks like. Say thank you for every reminder of God’s love you can think of. And, if you’re willing, say you’re open to being trained.
Whatever else Jesus is up to, he is also presenting a view of God’s love, the way a loving parent minces no words keeping a child from traffic or a hot stove. Let’s remember we are God’s children, in every sense, and be glad God loves us enough to want to see us thrive.
2-7-14 - Best Behavior
In my ten years (today!) as a priest, one of my main themes has been that the Christian life is not about being good; it is about being loved into goodness. It is about relationship with the One who made us and loves us too much to suffer estrangement from us.
And that message – which I believe is supported in the whole of our salvation story – is pretty directly contradicted by the following words of Jesus: "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Hey, wait a minute. What happened to, “Unless you become as a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven?” and “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit?” Didn’t Jesus say those things too? If it all comes down to commandments and righteous behavior… why do we need a savior? If it’s a matter just of gritting our teeth and trying harder, we’re pretty much sunk, most of us.
Thankfully, this isn’t the only thing Jesus says on the subject. Another time, after setting what his disciples think is an impossible standard, he says, “With humankind this is impossible; but with God, all things are possible.” Phew.
Still, I am caught by this remark, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees…” The scribes and Pharisees, the religious elite of Jesus’ time, were known for their uprightness and fidelity to the Law. They also appear to have been arrogant and legalistic, but certainly righteous. What could it mean to exceed their righteousness?
Here’s my guess: it means to go beyond the mere observance of the Law to the intention at its heart. It means to go beyond rules and rituals to relationship, relationship with the living God made possible through His Son. It means to invite the power of the Holy Spirit to be manifest through us for healing and restoration of all things. It means to truly believe that Jesus is who he said he was and to follow his way of living God-life in the world. That is truly going beyond the legalistic righteousness of the scribes.
Yesterday I invited you to reflect on where you might be caught in “rule-following” rather than Jesus-following. If something occurred to you, you might in prayer invite Jesus to transform that part of your life, or to transform you in it.
And if the idea of having a “relationship with Jesus” or “relationship with God” seems abstract or odd to you, there’s something to explore. For me, it developed as I opened myself to prayer that included silence, imagination and listening. The Holy Spirit brings us into the presence of God – and then Jesus often becomes marvelously specific.
Repeatedly in the psalms and prophets we hear God saying, “I don’t want your rituals and your sacrifices – I want your heart. And don’t worry if your heart is hard – I will break your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put a new heart and a new spirit within you.” We just need to say yes – and then we find we’re in the Life of God already.
And that message – which I believe is supported in the whole of our salvation story – is pretty directly contradicted by the following words of Jesus: "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Hey, wait a minute. What happened to, “Unless you become as a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven?” and “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit?” Didn’t Jesus say those things too? If it all comes down to commandments and righteous behavior… why do we need a savior? If it’s a matter just of gritting our teeth and trying harder, we’re pretty much sunk, most of us.
Thankfully, this isn’t the only thing Jesus says on the subject. Another time, after setting what his disciples think is an impossible standard, he says, “With humankind this is impossible; but with God, all things are possible.” Phew.
Still, I am caught by this remark, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees…” The scribes and Pharisees, the religious elite of Jesus’ time, were known for their uprightness and fidelity to the Law. They also appear to have been arrogant and legalistic, but certainly righteous. What could it mean to exceed their righteousness?
Here’s my guess: it means to go beyond the mere observance of the Law to the intention at its heart. It means to go beyond rules and rituals to relationship, relationship with the living God made possible through His Son. It means to invite the power of the Holy Spirit to be manifest through us for healing and restoration of all things. It means to truly believe that Jesus is who he said he was and to follow his way of living God-life in the world. That is truly going beyond the legalistic righteousness of the scribes.
Yesterday I invited you to reflect on where you might be caught in “rule-following” rather than Jesus-following. If something occurred to you, you might in prayer invite Jesus to transform that part of your life, or to transform you in it.
And if the idea of having a “relationship with Jesus” or “relationship with God” seems abstract or odd to you, there’s something to explore. For me, it developed as I opened myself to prayer that included silence, imagination and listening. The Holy Spirit brings us into the presence of God – and then Jesus often becomes marvelously specific.
Repeatedly in the psalms and prophets we hear God saying, “I don’t want your rituals and your sacrifices – I want your heart. And don’t worry if your heart is hard – I will break your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put a new heart and a new spirit within you.” We just need to say yes – and then we find we’re in the Life of God already.
2-6-14 - The New Old
This Sunday’s gospel puts us front row at one of Jesus’ training sessions for his new disciples. After the "salt and light" chat, he switches gears: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.”
Since Jesus seems often to argue with the standard bearers of the religious Law, we might conclude that he supersedes the old revelation or “Testament.” But I suspect Jesus wouldn’t divide the holy scriptures into “new” and “old” the way we have. He articulates a continuity that frustrates our neat categories. Jesus seems to critique the way the Law has been interpreted, not the Law itself. He accuses the Pharisees and other leaders of being heavy-handed and hypocritical in their expectations of people, emphasizing the letter of nitpicking rules while ignoring the spirit behind the whole of Torah.
Mostly, he pulls back the camera for a big picture view. When religious leaders want to stone a woman caught in adultery, he doesn’t talk about the law that permits her execution. He shows it is wrongly administered; he indicts the accusers for ignoring their own sinfulness. When attacked for healing on the Sabbath, he reminds his detractors how they act when their families or possessions are at risk. Over and over, he seems to suggest that it is in interpretation that the leaders get it wrong. The Law of the Lord was intended as gift, and instead became distorted and extended as an instrument of judgment – often wielded by people who weren’t nearly as compliant as they expected everyone else to be. None of us immune to this – we hope for wiggle room in some areas, while in others we expect people to toe the line.
What are your “good and bad” issues? In what areas do you have high expectations of behavior from others – and from yourself? These may be the same areas in which high standards were expected from you by someone else, a parent or teacher or friend. One way of identifying those areas is by noticing what causes us to become indignant or self- righteous. Are you being called to be more merciful to any person or group?
And what are the issues about which you feel more lenient? What do you think God is saying to you about those areas – has God lowered standards, or do you just more fully understand God’s grace in those places?
We always have to hold in tension God’s righteousness and God’s mercy – we can never fully comprehend how those two irreconcilables go together. But, happily for us, they are both true. Jesus did not seek to abolish the Law – only to show that no one is righteous enough to keep it, let alone hold it against others. Until him.
Jesus’ gift was to fulfill the demands of the Law in such a way that we are set free from its condemnation – and thus we are free to live fully into the Love at its heart. Let's try that today.
Since Jesus seems often to argue with the standard bearers of the religious Law, we might conclude that he supersedes the old revelation or “Testament.” But I suspect Jesus wouldn’t divide the holy scriptures into “new” and “old” the way we have. He articulates a continuity that frustrates our neat categories. Jesus seems to critique the way the Law has been interpreted, not the Law itself. He accuses the Pharisees and other leaders of being heavy-handed and hypocritical in their expectations of people, emphasizing the letter of nitpicking rules while ignoring the spirit behind the whole of Torah.
Mostly, he pulls back the camera for a big picture view. When religious leaders want to stone a woman caught in adultery, he doesn’t talk about the law that permits her execution. He shows it is wrongly administered; he indicts the accusers for ignoring their own sinfulness. When attacked for healing on the Sabbath, he reminds his detractors how they act when their families or possessions are at risk. Over and over, he seems to suggest that it is in interpretation that the leaders get it wrong. The Law of the Lord was intended as gift, and instead became distorted and extended as an instrument of judgment – often wielded by people who weren’t nearly as compliant as they expected everyone else to be. None of us immune to this – we hope for wiggle room in some areas, while in others we expect people to toe the line.
What are your “good and bad” issues? In what areas do you have high expectations of behavior from others – and from yourself? These may be the same areas in which high standards were expected from you by someone else, a parent or teacher or friend. One way of identifying those areas is by noticing what causes us to become indignant or self- righteous. Are you being called to be more merciful to any person or group?
And what are the issues about which you feel more lenient? What do you think God is saying to you about those areas – has God lowered standards, or do you just more fully understand God’s grace in those places?
We always have to hold in tension God’s righteousness and God’s mercy – we can never fully comprehend how those two irreconcilables go together. But, happily for us, they are both true. Jesus did not seek to abolish the Law – only to show that no one is righteous enough to keep it, let alone hold it against others. Until him.
Jesus’ gift was to fulfill the demands of the Law in such a way that we are set free from its condemnation – and thus we are free to live fully into the Love at its heart. Let's try that today.
2-5-14 - Light
Someone once asked me if I see better with my contacts than with glasses. I replied, “Actually, not as well. But I don’t wear contacts to see better – I wear them to be seen better.” Vanity, vanity.
Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world.” That can mean many things. Here, Jesus seems to use light less as something that helps you see, than as something that helps you to be seen. “A city built on a hill cannot be hid,” he points out, And, lest they don’t connect cities on hills and lights of the worlds, he elaborates:
“No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Perhaps Jesus original followers were Episcopalians – faithful and devoted, but not wanting anyone around them to know that – "Shhhhh – I go to church… I believe in God… I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but I don't want anybody to know….” Maybe they figured everyone already knew. Maybe they figured modesty was a virtue.
Well, guess what? It’s not a virtue when we’re talking about our faith! When it comes to proclaiming the incredible news that God is on a mission to love the world back into wholeness, we’re invited to be as loud and immodest as we possibly can. There are a lot of people with broken parts who need that news, you and I among them.
I don’t know when so many in Christ’s church became so quiet about the power of God’s life at work in the world. I hope we get over it. The world needs the light we carry, and we need to shine it brightly to give light to “all in the house.” We need to let our good works show, not so we can get the credit, but so we can highlight God's power, and so we can inspire others to join us. Sometimes the “good works” we do – the outreach projects, shelter meals, food pantries, visiting ministries – are the easiest place for people we know to join us in our faith lives. And once they’re working with us, it’s not so hard to talk about how we are fed spiritually.
Where in your life do you most feel you are visible as “the light of the world?” Where are you least? What is it about the first that allows you to be “out” as a Christ-follower, or hope-bearer? What is it about the second that inhibits you?
What are you most proud of in your Christian life? Can you trumpet that, show it off? It glorifies God when we give thanks for what God is doing through us.
Elsewhere in the gospels we read that Jesus is the Light of the world, and here he says we are. That’s a part of his identity we get to share. If he calls us that, we can be sure he will fill us with his light – and his light doesn’t quit. His light conquers the darkness. His light sets up a glow in us that the whole world can see - if we let it shine.
Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world.” That can mean many things. Here, Jesus seems to use light less as something that helps you see, than as something that helps you to be seen. “A city built on a hill cannot be hid,” he points out, And, lest they don’t connect cities on hills and lights of the worlds, he elaborates:
“No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Perhaps Jesus original followers were Episcopalians – faithful and devoted, but not wanting anyone around them to know that – "Shhhhh – I go to church… I believe in God… I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but I don't want anybody to know….” Maybe they figured everyone already knew. Maybe they figured modesty was a virtue.
Well, guess what? It’s not a virtue when we’re talking about our faith! When it comes to proclaiming the incredible news that God is on a mission to love the world back into wholeness, we’re invited to be as loud and immodest as we possibly can. There are a lot of people with broken parts who need that news, you and I among them.
I don’t know when so many in Christ’s church became so quiet about the power of God’s life at work in the world. I hope we get over it. The world needs the light we carry, and we need to shine it brightly to give light to “all in the house.” We need to let our good works show, not so we can get the credit, but so we can highlight God's power, and so we can inspire others to join us. Sometimes the “good works” we do – the outreach projects, shelter meals, food pantries, visiting ministries – are the easiest place for people we know to join us in our faith lives. And once they’re working with us, it’s not so hard to talk about how we are fed spiritually.
Where in your life do you most feel you are visible as “the light of the world?” Where are you least? What is it about the first that allows you to be “out” as a Christ-follower, or hope-bearer? What is it about the second that inhibits you?
What are you most proud of in your Christian life? Can you trumpet that, show it off? It glorifies God when we give thanks for what God is doing through us.
Elsewhere in the gospels we read that Jesus is the Light of the world, and here he says we are. That’s a part of his identity we get to share. If he calls us that, we can be sure he will fill us with his light – and his light doesn’t quit. His light conquers the darkness. His light sets up a glow in us that the whole world can see - if we let it shine.
2-4-14 - Salt
Salt and light. Jesus turns to these metaphors to explain what his followers are to be:
“You are the salt of the earth…”
As we know, salt has many functions – flavor-enhancer, food-preserver, fluid-retainer are a few that come to mind. Jesus appears here to refer chiefly to the first – an agent that adds flavor to food, and brings out the flavors in other ingredients. I think he is suggesting that this is a critical function of religious communities – that they both add and elicit flavor. And if they’re bland or watered down… forget it.
Jesus sounds pretty harsh about the consequences of salt having lost its flavor.
“…but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot." Is he talking about the lukewarm, semi-corrupt religious leadership of Israel in his day? Is he warning his followers to maintain their character no matter what comes at them?
How do we interpret this call to be “salt” in our spiritual lives and communities?
First, we might think about where we add flavor and zest. What sectors of your life do you enliven because of who you are, and because of your connection to God? Work, school, family, ministry, play, church – these are a couple of spheres; you might name more. Are there any you can think of that need pepping up? You might ask God to show you how God can work through you in those spheres.
And how about this second function of salt, to bring out the natural flavors of other ingredients.
How do you elicit the gifts and enthusiasms and generosity of the people with whom you interact in those spheres? How does – or doesn’t – your faith community do that within its larger context?
If you want to play with this metaphor, write out a recipe for a stew, including all the “ingredients” that are around you in one or more of those spheres. Who is adding salt to your life? Who is bringing forth your natural flavors? Does the interaction work to make something greater than the parts?
At its most basic level, I believe this teaching of Jesus reminds us that our spiritual engagements need to be full of life and flavor, not rote, dull, lukewarm, complacent, or tired. I’d go further: I think God wants our whole lives to reflect the savory flavor of God’s love and mercy, justice and peace - and we're how that flavor gets in to what God is cooking up.
So into the shaker we go - get ready to be sprinkled.
“You are the salt of the earth…”
As we know, salt has many functions – flavor-enhancer, food-preserver, fluid-retainer are a few that come to mind. Jesus appears here to refer chiefly to the first – an agent that adds flavor to food, and brings out the flavors in other ingredients. I think he is suggesting that this is a critical function of religious communities – that they both add and elicit flavor. And if they’re bland or watered down… forget it.
Jesus sounds pretty harsh about the consequences of salt having lost its flavor.
“…but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot." Is he talking about the lukewarm, semi-corrupt religious leadership of Israel in his day? Is he warning his followers to maintain their character no matter what comes at them?
How do we interpret this call to be “salt” in our spiritual lives and communities?
First, we might think about where we add flavor and zest. What sectors of your life do you enliven because of who you are, and because of your connection to God? Work, school, family, ministry, play, church – these are a couple of spheres; you might name more. Are there any you can think of that need pepping up? You might ask God to show you how God can work through you in those spheres.
And how about this second function of salt, to bring out the natural flavors of other ingredients.
How do you elicit the gifts and enthusiasms and generosity of the people with whom you interact in those spheres? How does – or doesn’t – your faith community do that within its larger context?
If you want to play with this metaphor, write out a recipe for a stew, including all the “ingredients” that are around you in one or more of those spheres. Who is adding salt to your life? Who is bringing forth your natural flavors? Does the interaction work to make something greater than the parts?
At its most basic level, I believe this teaching of Jesus reminds us that our spiritual engagements need to be full of life and flavor, not rote, dull, lukewarm, complacent, or tired. I’d go further: I think God wants our whole lives to reflect the savory flavor of God’s love and mercy, justice and peace - and we're how that flavor gets in to what God is cooking up.
So into the shaker we go - get ready to be sprinkled.
2-3-14 - Blessed Are You
Recruitment phase has ended for the moment; now we’re deep into training.
Jesus settles with his disciples on a mountain in Galilee and begins to teach them. And teach them. And teach them. This has become known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” and if we had to boil it down to a phrase, Jesus’ message is: “The way God thinks is not the way humans think; and the way things work in the Kingdom of God is different than the ways you’re used to the world working. Way different.”
Jesus’ discourse begins with the Beatitudes, a series of “blessed are yous” which reverse the normal order of things. The last “blessed are you” is, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Jesus is giving his new recruits a dose of reality – "It’s not going to be fun being my disciple. No prophet worth his salt is popular – too much popularity can be a clue that you’re telling people what they want to hear, not what God wants to tell them." So he’s saying they’re in good company… and look out. More than look out – rejoice and be glad!
We will unpack some of Jesus’ teaching this week, but today, let’s think about blessedness.When do you feel most blessed – and by blessed I don’t just mean fortunate. I mean, having a sense that God has gifted you in some way. When are you aware of feeling blessed?
That’s important to know – because that’s one of your connection points with God’s love and God’s power. We all feel those connections differently – for some blessedness comes through relationships, and for others through ministry or work of some kind, or feeling led to give a gift to someone else. Name your connection point - and pray for God to send you more of those opportunities.
And can you think of a time when you took some flak for being a Christ-follower, or standing up for something in Jesus’ name? Or are there times you wish you had?
I believe Jesus wanted his followers to know that he was going to teach them a whole new way to live, how to rely on Spirit power instead of the world’s version. That was, and remains, a hard lesson for us, because we are wired to respond as earth-dwellers, not citizens of heaven. Part of growing into the full stature and likeness of Christ is allowing God to rewire us.
That means there may be sparks at times… and blessing. Amazing blessing.
Jesus settles with his disciples on a mountain in Galilee and begins to teach them. And teach them. And teach them. This has become known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” and if we had to boil it down to a phrase, Jesus’ message is: “The way God thinks is not the way humans think; and the way things work in the Kingdom of God is different than the ways you’re used to the world working. Way different.”
Jesus’ discourse begins with the Beatitudes, a series of “blessed are yous” which reverse the normal order of things. The last “blessed are you” is, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Jesus is giving his new recruits a dose of reality – "It’s not going to be fun being my disciple. No prophet worth his salt is popular – too much popularity can be a clue that you’re telling people what they want to hear, not what God wants to tell them." So he’s saying they’re in good company… and look out. More than look out – rejoice and be glad!
We will unpack some of Jesus’ teaching this week, but today, let’s think about blessedness.When do you feel most blessed – and by blessed I don’t just mean fortunate. I mean, having a sense that God has gifted you in some way. When are you aware of feeling blessed?
That’s important to know – because that’s one of your connection points with God’s love and God’s power. We all feel those connections differently – for some blessedness comes through relationships, and for others through ministry or work of some kind, or feeling led to give a gift to someone else. Name your connection point - and pray for God to send you more of those opportunities.
And can you think of a time when you took some flak for being a Christ-follower, or standing up for something in Jesus’ name? Or are there times you wish you had?
I believe Jesus wanted his followers to know that he was going to teach them a whole new way to live, how to rely on Spirit power instead of the world’s version. That was, and remains, a hard lesson for us, because we are wired to respond as earth-dwellers, not citizens of heaven. Part of growing into the full stature and likeness of Christ is allowing God to rewire us.
That means there may be sparks at times… and blessing. Amazing blessing.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)