13 March 2015 - can we handle the truth?

Which is the first of all the commandments?

Jesus, you call us to love God with our heart, mind, and strength. You call us to love our neighbor as ourselves. But we need your help to accept these commandments. We don't ask what is the most important because we actually want to know. We already know that you should come first. We already know that we should love our neighbor. We hear you remind us, and we agree, "You are right in saying" so. We know it is "worth more than all burnt offerings". But perhaps we hope to hear something different. We wish you would give permission to worry more about the details, about the burnt offerings and sacrifices, about the tithing on "mint, dill, and cumin", about "the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze." We wish you would let us worry about anything else, really. Anything would be less challenging than the call to love. These other things keep us busy. They let us get lost in the details. And they don't run in to resistance in our hearts. But love does. Love runs into the resistance of sin and concupiscence within us.

We know the truth, and so you say "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." But help us, LORD. That response frightens us. We aren't able to embrace it.

And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

We don't want to have our fears confirmed. We don't want to find out that we need to change. But we must.

If we can embrace this we will take with us words and say to you, "Forgive all iniquity and receive what is good." The idols that we serve instead of loving you and our neighbor are revealed. But they are revealed only to be healed.

We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”

I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;

It is a fair trade. We acknowledge that we are not yet where we should be so that you can get us there. You have big plans for us. Don't leave us in fear and silence. We bring our words, "Forgive all iniquity" because that forgiveness is the door to life:

I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

You want to relieve our should of the burden and to free our hands from the basket. You want to rescue us from distress. But you will only do this if we call to you and ask. Yet, this is the longing of your heart. So don't let fear keep us where we are, Jesus. We welcome your truth this morning. Even if it challenges us we welcome it because we known that the truth can set us free (cf. Joh. 8:32).

If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them.