How to Live Jesus' Example

Matthew 7:24-25 -- Active Love

Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reiterates an important truth about being his faithful follower: We should act in the way of love that Jesus both models and teaches. Being a disciple is based on this foundation, namely living out the love and self sacrifice that Jesus models. This doesn’t mean that we become homeless, itinerant preachers, sacrificing our lives for the liberation of others. Very few are called to that extreme. But what is our calling? How are we to act on God’s will and Christ’s example in our lives?

When I was eleven, a friend invited me on a weeklong trip to a lakehouse in Maine. We joined his dad, stepmother, grandfather, and aunts and uncles in a cozy four-bedroom house with picturesque views and immediate access to the water. But this trip happened at a difficult time in my life. 

My mom and dad had just gone through a separation and divorce, and the context of that family dissolution was ugly, the experience still raw. As a pre-teen beginning the throws of adolescence, I was in a vulnerable, confusing emotional space. I was volatile and overly sensitive. My behavior on that trip was less than ideal: I was unappreciative, secretive, and withdrawn. That family, however, acted in a way of love, answering my dejection with hospitality and kindness. 

I vividly remember feigning sleep one day instead of going out on the water. I just wanted to stay away from people. My friend did not understand but, in frustration, let me be. Outside of the door, I heard his father in muffled tones say, “He is having a rough time. His parents just divorced and he’s hurting. Cut him some slack and be a friend. Let him sleep.” I will never forget the positive impact of those words, for I am writing about them now, 35 years later. 

It is experiences like the above that convince me of God’s presence in the lives of all who actively love, even in the smallest ways. This family chose to be kind, loving, forgiving, and hospitable -- even when their guest did not reciprocate. 

Jesus reminds us of the opportunity we have in life to follow his example, to be the ensigns of his love in this world. Sometimes it seems impossible, but with God’s grace, all things are possible. 

Loving God, please guide us to love the people you send to us, despite their faults and ours. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Breaking the Cycle of Hate Starts with Me

Matthew 7:1-5 -- Why Can’t I Break the Cycle?

[Jesus said,] “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”

Another day goes by, and I am caught in a slew of condemning thoughts. I tell myself that I will not judge, gossip, or talk about the struggles of others. But what do I do? The opposite. Sure, I try to avoid it, telling myself that I will listen and not contribute. In the end, however, being passive is being permissive. Why can’t I break the cycle of hate?

I am a coward, fearing that I will be hated and judged, too. If I confront the people who tempt me, many of whom I love, then I not only block them out of my life but come off looking like a self-righteous prig.

I despise confrontation. I do everything I can in life to get along and be peaceful with others. I could boldly state, “I don’t want to do this!” However, I am weak and ineffective at confronting others and standing up for how I feel. Instead, I choose to be quiet and permissive.

When I examine my conscience, I can see that I, too, am guilty of the same level of sins and questionable behaviors as those at whom I permissively point the finger. And I thank God he gives me the knowledge and understanding of my faults. It would be worse, clearly, if I were not aware. I am comforted by God’s direction and corrective insight, my feelings of guilt and need for conversion.

How, then, do I become a person of Christ’s acceptance, love, mercy, and forgiveness? How do I stand outside of the circle of hate? It starts with grace. There is nothing I can do without it. And when God offers his grace, I must cooperate, change, and act upon it. Those last three are the challenge, however.

Loving God, I pray to be a more loving person. I pray to be a person who, like your Son, does not judge but instead loves, accepts, heals, and forgives all people no matter their sins and circumstances. In Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Have a blessed week,

Stan

A New Creation?

2 Corinthians 5:17, 19 -- Transformation

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! . . .  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.

To be “in Christ” is to profess our faith in Jesus, to do our best to follow his way, truth, and life which are exemplified by his love. To be “in Christ” is to be redeemed by his loving sacrifice on the cross. To be “in Christ,” moreover, is to know that no matter our faults, sins, personality issues, and failures we are “a new creation.”

Being “a new creation” does not mean we are instantaneously made perfect. It means, instead, that we are given the grace to gradually transform. This transformation is a lifetime endeavor, stretching over a different trajectory for each individual. Paul, however, reminds us that no matter our “tresspasses,” God loves, redeems, and calls each of us into union with him through his Son.

As we go forward this week, let us recall the new creation we are through our faith in Jesus Christ, praying that God’s grace transform each of us in his love. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

What it Means to Be Saved

[God] saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. . .

2 Timothy 1:9 (NRSV)

In The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity: How the Modern Culture Is Robbing Billions of People of Happiness, Michael Kelly's thesis is that the "biggest lie" is a culturally-influenced spiritual deadening: Modern culture says we cannot be people of kindness and love. Kelly calls these kind, loving actions "Holy Moments," (his capitalization; not mine) which becomes a cliché phrase throughout this short book.

Yes, I agree that many people, including yours truly, could be more loving and self giving. As a Christian, I try my best to model my thinking and actions after Jesus' teachings and example, but I am a flawed human being (in Christian-speak, a "sinner"). So I get it wrong most of the time. Kelly says that this is "the lie," and the lie becomes the excuse that robs people of their journey to holiness. Although in certain instances, this can be true, I do not wholeheartedly agree.

When we lay the responsibility of holiness on everyone as if it were something we must earn and work toward, we make a life of faith competitive one upmanship begging the question: Are we good enough for God? This brings stress, confusion, anxiety, and discouragement to the faithful. It, too, is what drives people away from much of the hypocrisy in the Christian church. And it is not the message found in the New Testament books. We are not a people of self-manufactured grace and do-it-yourself salvation. That's why, in the story of Christianity, God became human to live, love, suffer, and die for us. Because since "the fall," mankind gets it wrong. And yes, God loves us that much -- so much that through this incomprehensible love, he lived a life of love among us and died for each of us. Now we can't sit around, hate, cause chaos, and ignore our neighbor all of our lives. It is our responsibility as human beings to do our best to love the person in front of us, and I mean an active, self-giving kind of love. This isn't just a Christian concept either; all of the five major religions espouse a love for neighbor.

But Kelly's argument implies a traditionalist view -- one that is a salvation based on what we do or works righteousness. Again, don't get me wrong, I believe that we should be more like Jesus and love all people, despite our shortcomings. But as I get older, I see that many of us -- especially me -- struggle in this area.

This circles back to most of what Paul says in the New Testament letters; God’s grace is a free, unmerited gift. It costs nothing but our faith in Jesus Christ. And it is through that faith that God’s grace reaches into us, transforms us, and guides us to live lives of kindness and love.

Have a loving, blessed week!

Stan

What is the Truth?

John 17:17-20 (GNT): Living the Truth

Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you.

I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message.

In his high priestly prayer, Jesus prays that the apostles and all believers be sanctified in truth.  What is this truth? How do we define it? Many churches belief statements claim to solely purvey this truth, but Jesus is not talking about that. His truth is the teachings, healings, commandments of love, unity with the Father, and self-giving example throughout the gospels. Jesus' truth, therefore, is his love for all, self-giving, service, and ultimate sacrifice all the way to the cross.

There is a beautiful show on Netflix called The Kindness Diaries, a show that depicts the love and self-giving present in the common person across the globe. Throughout the show, Leon Logothesis travels the world banking on the kindness of strangers. In watching this show, I am amazed in the everyday kindness of people. With all of the horror presented in the news, which focuses on the destructive capacity of humanity, it is a fresh change of pace to see that our world is still full of loving, self-giving people. These people, whether they know it or not, are living Jesus’ truth: They are giving themselves away to others in love.

Heavenly Father, I pray that we all learn to give away a little of ourselves to the person in front of us so that we, too, can be purveyors of your truth. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan