Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity (it did not need changing)! Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God! ~ Richard Rohr.
Philosopher and theologian John Duns Scotus (1266-1308) believed the incarnation of God and the redemption of the world was the proactive work of God that was conceived from the very beginning in that we were “chosen in Christ before the world was made” (Ephesians 1:4). He promoted the idea only perfect love and divine self-revelation could inspire God to come in human form.
And Richard Rohr writs, "God never merely reacts, but supremely and freely acts--out of love. Love is the beginning, the way itself, and the final consummation...God does not love us because we are good; God loves us because God is good." Nothing we can do will either decrease or increase God’s eternal and infinite eagerness to love! To me, that's the good news.
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life is
how do you define it? With words. With actions. With creativity. Loudly. Quietly. Somewhere in between. I would like to know your definition. Please leave a comment below. A prayer card from a friend that found a home in my Bible.
This prayer was one her grandmother would say. And she passed it on to me. I love it. And better yet, I love that it still surprises me. There is much we can still learn from our past that will help us in the future. Keep sharing your faith with one another, in the way you live and love. I just got off the phone having just prayed with a nine year old girl who was about to go into eye surgery, which is in Lansing, Michigan! 2,500 miles away from where I am.
There was no human contact in the physical sense, no handholding, no looking each other in the eyes, no sharing the same breath or air. We learn to hear and feel and see in a whole new way, through the invisible and mysterious sound waves of cellular technology. It made me think about the way Jesus healed some people. He never saw them, never touch them, in fact he didn’t even know them. Someone came up and asked for his healing of their slave, their daughter, their loved one...and by their faith they were healed. Jesus' power to heal people transcends time and space, then just as we know it today. It’s amazing how God has cleared the way for us to be connected, transcending through time and space, and to share God’s love, faith, and goodness to friends...both old and new. This is how technology is used in Christ likeness. We can pray with each other, we can worship with each other, we can grieve with each other, we can lay hands on each other with our voice and with our spirit. We can use our commonness and our faith to keep us connected even when we are separated. God is with us always. Just as we are always with God, whose indwelling spirit we received at our birth. Likewise, by thatbsame Spirit we are always with each other. Even if were thousands of miles apart. As I told a friend, “I thanked God for you this morning and for the bridge that was rebuilt.” Or as Paul wrote, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Especially not distance. From a devotional by Henri Nouwen. I’ve added this to the site because I need to be reminded of its importance. So, it’s pretty much for me, but I share it because it might speak to you as well:
“We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn't approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion, and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God's love. Evil does not belong to God. God's unconditional love means that God continues to love us even when we say or think evil things.God continues to wait for us as a loving parent waits for the return of a lost child. It is important for us to hold on to the truth that God never gives up loving us even when God is saddened by what we do. That truth will help us to return to God's ever-present love.”
Having just witnessed what Jesus did across the street at the synagogue, Simon immediately turns to his teacher for help. And immediately Jesus responds with willingness and compassion. He grabs the suffering woman by the hand and raises her up. Immediately she is healed. As Mark writes, “The fever left her, and she began to serve them.” What did you notice about Jesus in these few short verses? What great epiphany did God revealed to us about God’s self? The obvious might be how Jesus makes the most ordinary event, extraordinary. A simple fever, a simple touch, it might seem like a small act but it’s an enormous gesture. When we dig into the story, we see how God uses human compassion for divine revelation. First, notice Jesus’ movement. In the NRSV it says, “As soon as they left the synagogue they entered the house of Simon and Andrew.” In the Greek, the adverb used is εὐθὺς, which is best translated as “Immediately.” Immediately Jesus leaves. Immediately he enters the house. Immediately they ask for help. And immediately Jesus responds. He does not hesitate or chose to do something else. He immediately offers compassion without giving it a second thought. Except for the few occasions when he is praying, or the one time he fell asleep on the boat in the middle of a storm, Jesus is constantly on the go. There is always a sense of urgency that follows him. From proclaiming the good news to casting out demons or curing the common cold, Jesus moves as God does: Immediately. Next, Mark tells us about Jesus’ method. When he sees the ailing woman, Jesus immediately reaches out to touch her with his hand. This ordinary gesture of human kindness and compassion is a reflection of God’s intimate nature with us. Our God is not distant, or hidden away in some celestial realm. Our God becomes incarnate, and comes right up to us in human flesh. With a single touch Jesus transforms our pain and sickness into health and wellbeing. With a single touch Jesus makes us whole and fully alive. With a single touch he saves us, restores us, and redeems us all back to God’s loving arms…even our mothers-in-laws! Without uttering a single word, Jesus heals a sick woman. From there he reaches out his hand to the multitude that come for healing… just as he reaches out his hand to all of us in need today. Jesus loves as God loves: Intimately. And then there’s Jesus’ ministry. Just after she is healed did you notice what Peter’s mother-in-law did? She gets up and begins to serve all the other people in the house. She doesn’t let another second of her life go to waste. Instead she immediately goes to work, praising God in the most basic way – showing hospitality to others. No one tells her to do this. She initiates this action on her own. Instead of falling to her knees and worshiping Jesus like we might expect her to do...she shows her gratitude by doing what Jesus calls all of us to do: To serve one another. God sent Jesus to serve us, and to do so with a purpose. And this woman gets it. Her eyes have been opened. This is her epiphany. Instantly she begins to fill glasses with wine; puts out plates of cheese and bread on the table; sets out bowls of figs, olives and dates, humus and tabouli. What she does...might not sound like a big deal, but have you ever tried to make tabouli? It’s not easy. The obvious lesson in this story might be that when God gives grace, it’s immediate. When God gives love, it is intimate. And by sending Christ to be with us, God initiates the first step in our healing and restoration. But I believe there’s more to this simple story. As I thought about Jesus holding the hand of this woman, and the transfer of power that healed her and caused her to react the way she did, it dawned on me… Christianity began not with the Apostles…but with this woman. And it was affirmed, not in the sacred space of a grand synagogue but rather in everyday life; in an ordinary house just like this one. She is the first Christian, just as the house is the original church. This unnamed woman was the first to truly understand what Jesus’ radical new ministry was about. She is the first to recognize that serving others is the key to our call and pursuit of Christ. We might be tempted to write off this act as nothing more than woman’s work, but that would be a mistake. Having seen the divine presence of God in Christ, this remarkable woman is awake, alive and renewed. And she moves with a great purpose and intention. She transforms her kitchen into a new kind of worship space; making the table an altar where Christ would truly be present. In this new sanctuary people will gather to break bread. And a new kind of family will be born… Race, social class, gender roles and all our other demons are powerless to the incarnate power of Christ Jesus whose hands reach out to bless our meals, to bless our hearts, our homes, and all that is in the world. Simon Peter and the other disciples won’t understand the power behind this event until after the Easter resurrection. Only then will it be made clear to them what Jesus meant when he said, “The Son of God came to serve and to give his life for all.” Yet this wonderful woman saw it immediately. Through her, we receive this epiphany that nothing in life is too big or too small for God to handle. But if we don’t reach out and ask God for help, then the little stuff in our life will eventually become major headaches that cripple us and keep us from doing what we are called to do. Although this first Christian is nameless to us, she will be forever remembered as the one who showed us how God can take the ordinary and make extraordinary…all we have to do is reached out and take his hand.
It wasn't much. Just the flu. It wasn't anything exotic like the delay strains of influenza we are reading today. There were not trips to the ER, or even the DR. As far as we knew, all we needed was a little soup, water, sleep...and the promise to be there for each other "in sickness or in health."
I'm embarrassed to admit, I don't recall praying for relief. One might think it would be the first thing a minister might do. But for some reason it wasn't. And in looking back I continue to wonder why? Did I believe my sickness was not good enough for God to care for? Did I need to pray, or could I take care it myself, with the help and care of my spouse? Does the flu or a fever need God's divine intervention? Did I doubt God would even listen to my request for something so small as a fever and some chills? Then I read Mark's gospel story for this week's sermon. It's about Jesus healing Simon Peter's mother-in-law. She has a fever, and was so weak that she couldn't get out of bed or do anything. Okay, I'm not a doctor but sounds like the flu. It might not warrant much concern to my wife, but to the disciples it was a pretty big deal. One doesn't have to be a doctor to know that catching the lightest strain of influenza in first century Palestine was much more lethal than today the stains that we are fighting today. It seems Jesus agrees. He goes into her bedroom and touches her with his hand. With no great dramatic monologue or thematic music or fanfare to mark this as a special occasion, this nameless woman rises up and immediately the fever leaves her. The power of Jesus; in sickness or in health. There is so much to this story that I love. The simplest one is the Disciples did not think twice about asking Jesus to heal this woman. They did not seem to think that a problem was too small or insignificant for God’s attention. And yet, praying for myself seemed to be the last thing on my mind. After all, my prayer list is already long enough. Why should I bother God with something trivial when there are kids dying from malnutrition or dehydration? Certainly God has something better to do then to enter into my sickness to heal me. Isn't that why we Theraflu? Certainly there are bigger things in life that need God’s attention and my little problem isn’t one of them! Have you ever felt that your problem is just not worthy of God’s great power? The gospels record story after story that clearly demonstrate that Jesus believes there are no problems "too small" or "too big" for God to handle. And for good reason. The simplest problems, if not taken care of, can become major headaches. God knows this, and sent Jesus to us to heal us of ALL our infirmities; diseases, demons, addictions, anxieties, fears, worries, etc. Whether we are healthy or sick Jesus is there for us, ready to meet us where we are, to carry our burdens, and to heal our wounds, no matter how big or small. All we have to do is "ask and it shall be given unto you" (Mt. 7:7). Jesus says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mk. 11:24). His love is a one-size fits all problems kind of love. One dose of it, and you're good to go! I'm not sure everyone will see this as "faith" healing, but in healing our pains and sufferings, Jesus is also healing and restoring our faith. And that is important because when our faith is healthy, we are able to get up and put it to work, serving others as Peter's mother-in-law taught us to do. It's hard to answer our call if we can't get out of bed to do it. Whatever is stopping you from doing the will of God, pray to God for strength and relief. Whatever is ailing you, possessing you, scaring you, or terrorizing you, pray to God for help that you will overcome the difficulties, pain and suffering. Whatever is keeping you from being an answered prayer in the world for someone, remember the words of Jesus who said: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." - John 15:7 |
Ian MacdonaldAn ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. "that they all might be one" ~John 17:21“Prius vita quam doctrina.”
~ St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) * “Life is more important than doctrine.”
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