WHOSE LAW IS IT?

Then he asked them, “Is it right to do good or to do evil on the day of worship, to give a person back his health or to let him die?” But they were silent. [Mark 3:4 (GW)]

“You’ll go to Hell if you do that,” was the judgmental pronouncement given to my friend because she would be the witness at her son’s wedding to an atheist. Whose law was that, God’s or man’s?

In Exodus 20, God commanded that the seventh day was supposed to be a day of worship and rest. By the time of Jesus, however, the religious leaders had made many additions to that law with complicated designations of what was considered “work” and what was “rest”. Except in an emergency, healing was considered “work” and unlawful on the Sabbath. Of course, there were more explanations of what defined an “emergency”.

Although Jesus knew the law, he healed on the Sabbath at least seven times. Which honored God more: giving sight to a blind man or ignoring his need? Which brought someone closer to God: healing a lame man or walking away from him?

Those two questions can continue to guide our behavior today. Which honors God more: being loving or judgmental? Which might bring someone closer to God: seeing His love in an accepting mother-in law or starting a marriage with discord, strife and disapproval? Demonstrating God’s love and grace is the best witnessing we can ever do. Jesus gave us the only two commandments we really need: love God and love our neighbor. They should always be our guide in every action; if we follow these two mandates, we can’t go wrong!

Jesus answered him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” [Matthew 22:37-39 (GW)]

 

SHEEP OR GOATS?

sheep or goatWEBThen those ‘goats’ are going to say, “Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?” He will answer them, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.” Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward. [Matthew 25:44-46 (MSG)]

It’s easy to feel self-righteous when we confess. After all, we haven’t murdered anyone nor do we steal from the bank or our employer. Our lives are quite comfortable so most of us haven’t coveted anything of our neighbors. We don’t worship (or make) any idols, we regularly call our parents, and rarely even swear. Moreover, we keep the Sabbath day by attending church (more or less regularly). Granted, we could be holding a bit of a grudge and might gossip a little over coffee, but all in all, we think we behave pretty well. But, do we?

We must ask ourselves how well we cared for those in need, the neglected and impoverished, the defenseless and broken. That’s the question God will ask us. When that final judgment comes, and it will, where will we go? Will we go with the sheep, those who loved and cared for their brothers and sisters, or with the goats, those who ignored their need?

Listen to this, you who walk all over the weak, you who treat poor people as less than nothing, who say, “When’s my next paycheck coming so I can go out and live it up? How long till the weekend when I can go out and have a good time?” Who give little and take much, and never do an honest day’s work. You exploit the poor, using them—and then, when they’re used up, you discard them. … “On Judgment Day, watch out!” These are the words of God, my Master. [Amos 8:4-6,9a (MSG)]

 

HE WANTS ALL

Jesus answered him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment.” [Matthew 22:37-38 (GW)]

O Lord, I love you but I’m not sure it is with all of my being. You want all of me and I’m hesitant about surrendering completely to you. A part of me still wants to be in control. My apprehension keeps me from heeding your command. Don’t let my fear keep me from answering your call and living the life you have planned for me.

Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father’s love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them. [John 14:21 (GW)]

A BOY’S LIFE

          His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
          “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he meant.
          Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. [Luke 2:48-52 (NLT)]

Do you suppose Mary and Joseph “grounded” Jesus (or the 1st century equivalent of grounding) once they got back to Nazareth?

In the gospels, Jesus seems to jump from babyhood to manhood in one fell swoop so we rarely think of Jesus as a boy. Except for this story of his staying behind in Jerusalem at the age of twelve, we know nothing of his youth. Since he was a boy, however, it is quite likely that he had skinned knees, bloody noses, bumps and bruises. He probably had stomach upsets and fevers; he knew what it was to be hungry and tired. He played and laughed and cried and experienced the full range of human emotions. In spite of being the Son of God, he was obedient to his earthly parents. In spite of being the Prince of Peace, he lived in obscurity in a humble home in a small village. His tears were dried by Mary as she held him in her arms and he learned the art of carpentry at Joseph’s side. And, through the years, he “grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.”

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. [Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT)]

CREATE IN ME A PURE HEART

6-28-14daisy (blue-eyed)Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. [Psalm 51:10 (NCV)

Lord, help me examine my heart; make it right and pure. Help me remove a prideful spirit. At times, I take pleasure in other people’s failures, a scornful attitude replaces a compassionate heart, and pride creeps in where humility should be. Remind me daily that I’m nowhere near as righteous, important, or intelligent as I often think I am! Father, forgive me and cleanse my heart of arrogance, condescension, pretension, and conceit.

They are blessed whose thoughts are pure for they will see God. [Matthew 5:8 (NCV)]

‘TIS EASIER SAID THAN DONE

Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us. [Matthew 6:12 (NCV)]

Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins. [Matthew 6:14-15 (NCV)]

“All I want is an apology,” he said, “and then I’ll forgive him.” But that’s not how it works! Jesus said nothing about requiring an apology or waiting for amends to be made before granting forgiveness. In fact, God’s forgiveness is offered with a unique proviso: we have to extend forgiveness to others if we expect to receive it from God.

We have a god who loves us unconditionally and forgives us endlessly, but we also have a god who demands that we love others as much as ourselves and forgive them as ceaselessly as we are forgiven. We can’t have one without the other.

Lord, it’s so much easier to accept your forgiveness than to extend our own. Please, give us obedient, loving and forgiving hearts.

Forgiveness always seems so easy, when we need it, and so hard when we need to give it. [Dr. Jim L. Wilson, from “Fresh Start Devotionals”]

Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love.Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. [Colossians 3:3-4 (NCV)]