Ego Must Die

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10 NRSV)

Let that ego die! Let it die, now!

Jesus did not exalt himself on earth. He humbled himself. He was willing to even suffer death on the cross for our sakes. Why should we think that we ought to be more exalted that the one who was willing to give his life that we might live?

St. James wrote:
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:8-10)

It is folly to attempt to exalt ourselves. "He (Jesus) sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.'" (Mark 9:35)

In the end, all of our vain attempts to gain recognition for ourselves will fail us. It is only God who can lift us up. We will be lifted up by His own hand. Remember, too, that when Jesus was lifted up, he was lifted up on the cross. He was exalted through death.

Let that ego die so that you might live more fully in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

In The Beginning...

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By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible." Hebrews 11:3 NRSV

Science has provided us with some amazing things: vaccines for diseases that may have long ago destroyed humankind; conveniences to make our lives more pleasant (even if some of them are destructive to the earth); instant communication with people around the world; the list goes on. But, science is not all-knowing. It is ever evolving. There is always something knew to learn.

When it comes to faith, science does not have the last word. God does. He has and is the last word just as He had and was the first word.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people." John 1:1-3

May God grant us all faith to live by faith in His Word, who is Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Flowers or Weeds?

 

"What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."   ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fortune of the Republic, 1878

My husband does not appreciate my flower gardens. Neither he nor I know exactly what species are growing in them during any given season. He considers them mostly weeds. I consider them all flowers. I have to watch him closely when he's busy with the weed-eater in order to make sure all of the flowers in my gardens survive. He came really close this summer to removing all my wild raspberry bushes. Fortunately, for him, me, and the raspberries, I happened to walk outside before he started. The strawberries are gone though.

And... so, let us a take a look at the children of God. Does He not normally call the least to be greatest; the last to be first? God does not discern things as mankind discerns things. He sees the full potential while we look at the short-comings and failings. "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first." Mark 10:30 

Just because we don't have to buy those plants that others often consider weeds; does not mean that they don't have a good and useful purpose in the garden of God. They are indeed very valuable as they are free gifts from God Himself.

Do not consider the children of God to be mere weeds to be cast out of the garden. Only God can know what are true weeds and true flowers.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 22:7-38 Eat at His Table

Luke 22:7-38 NIV
Jesus ate his last meal with his disciples on the night in which he was betrayed by one of them. They discussed many things over this meal just as any normal family might. He gave them direction. He gave them warnings. He gave them hope.

All would not be easy, but no matter what might befall them they (and us) are to remember his promise that all who follow him will eat at His table in the Kingdom conferred upon Him by the Father. We are invited to partake in a foretaste of this feast to come even as we are invited to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion often.

May God open your heart and mind to receiving the Kingdom as you partake of this Holy meal at His table often.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 14:1-14 Place of Importance

Luke 14:1-14 NIV
Jesus associated with everyone. On one Sabbath, he went to eat at the home of a prominent Pharisee. If you recall from our previous readings, the Pharisees were not exactly fans of Jesus. But, he didn't care. He did not have a problem associating with anyone who welcomed him.

Jesus gives us some rules of etiquette for dining that can be used whether you are at someone's home or at a wedding reception. Take the least important place so that you will be honored when asked to move up. Do not sit in a seat of honor or you may be humiliated when the host asks you to move to a place of less importance to make room for another.

The last shall be first and the first last.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 15:33-41 - Kingdom Rushes Forth

Mark 15:33-41 NIV
"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (vs 37-38)

Today we have one of the most beautiful pictures in words that I can think of. It is finished. Jesus breathes his last breath as true man and the temple curtain is torn in two. I see not just a curtain ripped, but the wall being torn down. The gate has been opened between us and the Kingdom of God; between Paradise and us. It is not just that we now have access into the Kingdom, but the door has been opened and the Kingdom rushes forth.

Receive that Kingdom. Live in it, for it is yours through the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Matthew 20 - Last, First; First, Last

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.'” (Matt 20:13-16 NIV)

In the parable of the workers of the vineyard, it appears that the wages are not given out fairly. Those who work for one hour receive the same payment as those who labor all day. In the end, Jesus' response is: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matt 20:16)

We sometimes complain that life is not fair. "I work so hard and receive so much less than those who don't appear to work as hard. Life is not fair." Well, ask yourself this: Was it fair that Jesus died for my sins? He did nothing wrong. He was without sin. Yet, he took our places and our punishment so that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven. Was it fair for one man to receive the penalty for the sins of the whole world?  He put himself last, humbled himself for us, and now is first in the Kingdom of God. He reigns!

God does not think or act like we do. That's probably a really good thing for us. What seems right or just in our eyes, doesn't necessarily make it just in God's eyes. Jesus says the last shall be first and the first will be last. Something about that just doesn't seem right to us. But, it is God's word. It is his plan.

Thanks be to God, it is He who is in charge and not we.

God's Peace - Pr. J