peace

In Matthew 25:31-46, we are told about the sheep and goats. What does it mean to be in the flock of Christ? What should the life of a sheep look like? Sunday we will look at the radical life of service we are called to and how that translates to our modern world.

Easter Sunday was a tide change event. Jesus’ death and resurrection forever changed our relationship with God. Part of the impact of it was also who’s relationship changed with God because of those events. Jesus’ ministry culminated in his death and resurrection, which was meant to be a gift and sacrifice to many people, and the hope of that message grounds us, and gives us both joy and hope even today.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus’ ministry moved into the limelight for many in Jerusalem that day. The traveling teacher who had impacted so many, was not center stage as crowds greeted him as many had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. That day many in the crowd had a variety of expectations and hopes of what this traveling rabbi might mean for Jewish people going forward.

Early in adulthood I learned a hard lesson. Every choice (even the ones that feel like we are refusing to make a choice) has consequences and impact. Jesus wants to remind his followers that being a disciple is a wonderful and impactful way to live, that leads us to the most fulfilling life we are designed to live. Following Jesus also comes with commands to live a life that is unlike others and calls us to a higher standard.

Growing up I had a narrow picture of fasting: don’t eat food for some period, which as a student sounded challenging. In Matthew 6 and all over scripture we get a rich picture of fasting as an opportunity to grow closer to God, to challenge the status quo in our lives, and dig deeper into prayer.

It feels like prayer and reading the bible are two of the most common things that we are told are important as Christians. Jesus lays out in Matthew 6 a picture of the heart and posture for prayer that we can model in our own lives.

Churches often talk about the importance of reading the bible, which is good, and needed. In Psalm 1 though we hear about loving and meditating on God’s Word. That God’s Word would be interwoven throughout our lives, that what the bible says would leak into every aspect of our lives. That God’s Word would give us a foundation to lean on in all seasons of life and in all circumstances.

The main focus is letting go of what we love (or think we love) in order to hold on to Jesus (or rather, find that he is holding onto us!).

 Jesus names it in the Sermon on Mount, loving people who love us is not hard.  Yet we are not just called to love those who are like us, or who love us.  We are called to bring God’s love to those who God places in our lives.

Helping someone be self-sufficient is a goal that parents aim for as their children age.  We want our kids to be able to care for themselves and not need to lean on us for everything. Yet scripture makes clear that we are designed for relationship, for leaning on each other, for trusting and loving others.