Blessed are the poor. (not me)
Blessed are those that hunger now. (not me)
Blessed are you when men hate you. (not me)
But woe to you who are rich. (In comparison to the rest of the world - me)
Woe to you who are well fed now. (me)
Woe to you when men speak well of you. (usually, me)
My guess is that you would fit these statements similar to me. Did anybody else notice that none of the blessing statements referred to me, but all of the woe statements did? This leaves me unsettled...
Then Jesus goes into teaching about loving our enemies. This once again convicts me. I typically consider myself to be very loving, but like Jesus said, everybody loves those who love them. How often do I show love to my "enemies?" How often am I merciful, as God is merciful?
Then Jesus moves into talking about not judging others, and teaching His disciples that as they judge others, they will be judged likewise. If the church were to live this one truth out, our efforts to reveal the goodness of God to those who don't know Him would be so much easier!
Finally, Jesus sums this bit of teaching up by comparing believers to fruit trees. If the "tree" bears good fruit, it's obviously a good tree, if it bears bad fruit, it's a bad tree. Jesus is talking about our actions, and if the tree analogy isn't clear, He makes sure we get the message in verse 46, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and not do what I say?"
May we be a church that truly follows Jesus. Not our ideals about Jesus, not our self-projections of Jesus, but the Jesus who was a "man of sorrows," the Jesus who was hated because He was so different and because His righteousness was intimidating to those who lived in darkness. May our lives reflect His light so much that the world takes note and seeks to figure out Who it is that we reflect.
Casey thank you for your insight. I also found myself left unsettled...wondering if we really get it or more accurately if I really get it.....
ReplyDeleteLoving my enemies is something that God has been tangibly working out in my life....there was one person in my life who i considered an "enemy" and yet God kept driving me to love them and to forgive them. Man it was a hard year but I am grateful for the pruning and proding He did in me through it.
Lastly something that I have been thinking about and praying alot lately was that we as God's people would be an accurate representation of who God is to the world. I am also in awe that God uses us to be that representation even though we are broken and are bound to mess up.
Unsettled..........
After reading what Casey has to say and what you Cherish are saying,I find I have to double check myself to make sure I am not being haughty or act as if I am better than others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Cherish, I think God puts us in places and situations allowing us the blessing to be exactly what He wants us to be.
I am always concerned that I will mis represent God.
What a privilege we have to be Gods hands Gods voice... when is all reality He doesnt need us as all.
If we are the body
Why aren't His (my) arms reaching
Why aren't His (my) hands healing
Why aren't His (my) words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His (my) feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
We need to pray for one another so that we first do not let God down and 2nd. we allow Him to work through us.