Good Morning Friends,
I asked my three-year-old grandsons to tell me about God. One said, “God made everything. God understands pain. My pain. He wants us to pray and go to church.” The younger of the two simply said. “God is in me.” They did not say that God is love but somehow it was implied in their countenance while answering. The thing is that the love of God, if we truly love God, becomes so universal and permeating in a way that it is transformative. We begin to love the person we are with.It is a filing of the Spirit even for three-year-old boys.And it is a power like that which happened in Nazareth for Jesus when he read scripture in the synagogue and more so at his baptism which is remembered in the liturgy this time of year. So, we have stories of baptisms with water and stories of baptisms with fire and how the Spirit alters our reality casting out fear. And we have the wisdom of young children. So, When Did You First Feel An Anointing With God’s Leadership Of Love?
Scripture: We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.
1 John 4:19-5:4 (NRSV)
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
Luke 4:14-22a (NRSV)
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children— “My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.” Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.
Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15 (NRSV)
He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.
Mark 6:1-6 (NRSV)
but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Matthew 19:14 (NRSV)
for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Galatians 3:26-27 (NRSV)
Message: Ok, there are all sorts of reasons to be discerning and sometimes cautious, and certainly we need to count the costs, but we also need to risk enough to step out in a faith that love especially when it comes to training up the children in our lives but also with whomever we are talking to. Leadership is so critical here and being led by the Spirit. And so are our beliefs about that leadership. But sometimes even the best charismatic leadership is ignored or worse yet feared as happened to Jesus in Nazareth. Still, leadership in the Spirit seems to be critical to salvation and the Christian life. But what we learn today from our Gospel passage is that prejudice need not be external; it can be embedded in a people without their knowledge. False judgement can occur if we take our focus off God and fail to realize that the world has changed when it comes to our prejudices. The reason why the people of Nazareth reject Jesus in Mark 6:1-6 has never been entirely clear to me, but I think it is related to this problem of prejudices. I am more familiar with instances where a small town celebrates, even exaggerates, the success stories of locals who have made it big. Still, Jesus did heal some despite society’s ingrained bias against anything good coming out of Nazareth. Maybe the people there thought him crazy smart or just crazy. Maybe they decided his authority was demonic. Maybe they had fixed his status and questioned the legitimacy of his father and the limits of his low status as a laborer. Maybe they had too much baggage and fear of the Romans. But what I think is happening is the formation of new allegiances that supersede traditional allegiance to countries and family values. So, in reflecting on today’s scripture I think it is calling us to believe in the possibility of a faith that leads to hope and abides in love without fear but even despite the risk embraces a truth in abundance to humble us. Ultimately, we will interpret what happens in retrospect. A miracle in our lives and in the scripture today is not just an event, but it is an interpreted event. But we need to understand what is driving the changes happening. Perhaps like our own baptism and sanctification our reflection on what we believe about the power of the Holy Spirit in the experience guides our belief in God’s ultimate sovereign hand in history. For if Jesus is not regarded to be capable of healing, any healing that does happen will not be attributed to him. But if we do attribute the possibility of peace to God’s love then we can truly rejoice. This insight about God’s love and leadership guides us to believe in the one who changes everything and is at work in our midst even now. Jesus’ whole ministry calls us to live a life victorious, to experience with optimism and share the more excellent way, to bear the fruits of the Spirit, to be filled with the fullness of God through the eyes of love guided by the Spirit. Our motivation must start with a vital connection with God and be a response to the simple fact that Jesus is worthy whether we are doubting or acting out of compassionate faith or whether the Spirit is convicting us or comforting us. Love is the chief motivator for the Christian and sometimes it is tough love and sometimes gentile but it all should move us in the direction of glorifying God. Doubt about Jesus or any leader for that matter is not the opposite of faith here. Friends, unbelief is the reality that Christ’s faith Is not fully in us. God does not condemn us for inner uncertainty but nudges us to believe. Those struggling with God are demonstrating a sure sign that faith, no matter how little, can grow. Believing is hard work and is sometimes filled with discipline, training and trials. John the Baptist had doubts. Peter had doubts but then he did walk on water for a time. Doubt can be the prelude to a growing faith. Prejudices can be a prelude to an epiphany and the beauty of it is that God can and will use it all.
And So, even if we have been anointed even at an early age it does not mean those around us have been as well. Our enthusiasm does not mean it will spill over to others. Still, people need to believe in the power of love and continue to mature. To give us a better shot at how this is to be done, even at the risk of failure, Jesus gives us a seven-fold anointing about love we are to share. Friends we are to discern wisely rejoicing in the supernatural power source that creates God’s thoughts in our hearts. We are to rejoice in the wisdom and inner beauty of the thoughts themselves. We are to gain a personal understanding of the thoughts and how they apply to our lives. We are to seek counsel of this illumination as it instructs us in making Godly choices. We are to gain strength in the Spirit to perform the Godly thoughts in our lives. We are to see these Godly thoughts manifested in our life actions and we, fearfully and wonderfully made, need to walk in God’s love and truth, fleeing from anything that would quench His Spirit in us. Sure, sometimes we put too much emphasis on numbers and what we have done, when the focus needs to be on love and the Spirit and what God has done and is doing. God gave it all to us and frankly when we count all the good stuff we do and what we might consider the bad stuff of others, we may be misjudging God and making false assumptions about what best should drive us into a place of God’s favor. We have a choice in how we will approach God and others if our eyes are open and our mind aware to the possibility of peace and the surety of love. So, know this, it requires character, perspective that is focused, and courage, but also the strategic favor of God to love effectively in a way that glorifies God.
Pray we learn to trust God. Pray that we receive and share a perfect love that casts out fear. Pray that we realize that acts of control stifle the work of the Spirit but that trials might be the prelude to spiritual growth. Pray we realize that without some faith it is impossible to please God. Pray we realize that success is having a relationship with God. Pray therefore that we act to restore proper relationships with God and others as an act of faith. Pray we not just respond to the problems of the world but help to prevent them. Pray that we stop being so prejudiced. Pray we do not count on our strength so much but look to God for strength. Pray we welcome Jesus into our lives and homes and communities. Pray we believe and belong to a fellowship that believes. Pray we appreciate God’s undeniable leadership in freeing us and forgiving us. Pray that we realize that both faith and forgiveness are miracles. Pray that we get ready for a new season that will change our lives forever. Pray that we walk through life’s transitions with grace. Pray we risk enough to forgive. Pray that we become more holy each day. Pray that we have received grace so that we might bestow it. Pray we cross over into new thinking that realizes that God’s plan is for spiritual victory. Pray we are transformed. Pray we live a victorious Christian life. Pray our motivation is to glorify God. Pray we too preach the Good News to the poor. Pray that we too help to heal the brokenhearted. Pray to proclaim liberty to those enslaved. Pray to comfort those who mourn. Pray we too see beauty in people even if they have been rejected. Pray we connect people who are hurting to the joy of Jesus. Pray we overcome the funk of our existence and learn to praise God in all things. Pray we too encounter the pleasure of Christ and his divine acceptance of us. Pray we are instilled with a deep desire to please God because Jesus loves us. Pray we are moved by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray we are crowned victorious in the love of Christ. Pray we train up the little children so when they are older, they will not depart from the Way of Christ.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 