Thursday, June 7, 2018

7 June 2018 - handling the truth



You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

The scribe knows Jesus is right. Yet it makes him afraid to hear him say it.

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The scribe answers with understanding. But he really wishes Jesus had something else to offer in place of what he already knew about love of God and neighbor. No one asks any more questions after this. They are afraid because they know it is the truth. They know the truth calls for more from them than they are currently giving. They aren't even sure they could if they wanted to. Jesus would tell them, 'For man this is impossible, but not for God.' Unfortunately, though they are afraid to ask. The standard is indeed impossibly high. But grace makes the impossible possible.

What is being asked of us is ultimately a death to self. But there is no way that this death can be meaningful unless it is joined to new life. Only Jesus can offer this grace.

If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with him.

We can ask Jesus the questions even for which the answers seem difficult. Those answers, like suffering and imprisonment, ask more of us than is possible without grace. It is as if Paul were asked to spread a message while being chained in prison apart from grace. That couldn't happen. His own words would be chained. But not so in the order of grace. Not so with the word of God.

such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.

The temptation is to hear the hard stuff and turn away. The temptation is to not dare to speak about the Kingdom once we hear what it entails. But grace shows us that we can keep asking and proclaiming. Indeed, we must.

Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory.

Let's be all in for Jesus and his Kingdom. Let us ask him to teach us his ways and be truly open to the response he gives. If the answers sound difficult perhaps what we need is a new way of hearing.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.


No comments:

Post a Comment