5 comments (Add your own)

1. Harold Steindam wrote:

The analogy of Jesus in today's chapter (Matthew 7:7-11) has always been very meaningful for me--that we want to give good things to our children (bread, a fish), and as much as God is greater than and more loving than we are, that much more God wants to give good to us and we can trust in that. Today, though, we ask whether this can be so--whether we can believe that this is so.
Today we have learned of an act of horrific violence that occurred not far from here--and that affects us right here very much--as a man in Hocking County murdered three of his family members and then took his own life. One of the victims was the man's son, a beloved teacher at Westerville North High School since 1998.
There are times when events shake us to the core, that go against all that we know is good. In such times we ask ourselves, "What's the use?" Whatever good we can do seems so small in comparison to this tragedy. It is in these very times that whatever good we can do is most important of all.
Tonight our church committees will gather for their first meetings of the year, and in my devotion this is what I hope to say to them--that going forward to do the good work they can do through their committees, through our church mission activities, and through their individual lives--matters more than ever.
May we each continue to "Ask, search, and knock at the door"--appealing to the love of God, as Jesus teaches us to do. We do this trusting that--even "much more our Father in heaven will contine to give good things to all who ask."

Tue, January 10, 2012 @ 4:58 PM

2. chris skudder wrote:

Matt 5-6-7 seems to be a really concise, sharp summary of Jesus' teaching, and Christian values. What hits me about it, is that so much of it is so harsh, so black+white. The core of this being 5:23-31... you're pretty much thrown into hell for a long list of things, that's pretty demanding.

That, combined with 7:21, seems to be a very strident statement of "saved by works." This whole collection of readings, in my mind, brings me right back face to face with the age old question of "saved by grace, by faith, or by works."

While Paul in Romans argues that we're saved by grace ... it seems Jesus' own words here are pretty clear, pretty demanding, and pretty unforgiving.

thoughts?

Wed, January 11, 2012 @ 9:38 AM

3. chris skudder wrote:

Maggy sent me this link to a video on youtube and I enjoyed it, and found it pretty relevant to Jesus' message in these chapters.

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY

(copy the link line and paste it into your browser, if this posting doesn't make it into a clickable link.)

Fri, January 13, 2012 @ 9:47 AM

4. Sheila Fox wrote:

I saw a link to that video on Facebook and watched it after seeing your post Chris. I think my biggest take away from it was the line, "If Jesus came to your church, would you let him in?" I often think about if Jesus walked among us today, how would He be portrayed in the media, etc. and would we be willing to follow Him?

Fri, January 13, 2012 @ 2:36 PM

5. Phil Mallott wrote:

Video is good thought starter--does our religion get in the way of following Jesus? Certainly, it's right in the fact that Jesus challenged the religious leaders of the day...but mostly their heart for God. Often suggesting that they were doing what they were doing to get the praise and honor from men--not to please God or give God glory.

Matthew 9: 10-13--similar to what the young man in the video had to say about the church should be a hospital for sinners and not a hotel for saints (didn't he say something like that?).

In the five chapters we read this week--I get the most "direction" from Chap 6-7.
Seek first the Kingdom of God
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
Enter through the narrow gate (90% of life is "showing up"; the 80/20 rule, etc.)--
I want to be part of the group entering through the narrow gate--that "hears these words of mine and acts on them..will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The stuff in Chapter 5--seems more like Chris said--more "law". However, I think Jesus might, in some cases, have been getting to a person's heart (which he often does)--take responsibility for your own actions....you're in charge of where your eyes go and what they see, you're in charge of what your hands do (almost sarcastically telling us to pluck out our eye or cut off our hand if they are really the offending parties).

Fri, January 13, 2012 @ 4:04 PM

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