pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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The Divine Nature

Reading: Leviticus 19:15-18

Leviticus 19:18 – “You must not take revenge or hold a grudge…Instead, you must love your neighbor as yourself.”

Much of what God has to say about living as holy people has to do with our relationships with one another. Today’s verses begin with a call to being just in matters of the law. God sees all people as equal and charges us to do the same: don’t show favoritism or reference to either the poor or to the rich. All people deserve the same justice.

We also read of some prohibitions. We are not to slander our neighbors. This would include gossip and judging – two sins that we easily fall into. We are not to hate our neighbors. This sin has many roots: greed, jealousy, envy… We are not to stand by while our neighbor is assaulted. We are not to stand by while our neighbor sins. We are called to strongly rebuke them. Failure to do so places some responsibility for their sin upon us.

Turning to verse 18 we read the second of the two great commandments. But first we read, “You must not take revenge or hold a grudge.” This is hard because it is woven into our human nature. When someone hits us, our first instinct is to hit back. This action, however, often starts a vicious cycle. Maybe it’s better just to harbor a grudge? No, this causes a deeper, nagging, lasting issue in our hearts. Reading on we come to God’s command: “Instead, you must love your neighbor as yourself.” There it is. Live into the divine nature also within us. May this be the path we choose to walk with all of our neighbors.

Prayer: Lord God, guide us to walk in your ways, loving others as you love us. Keep us free from bias and hateful words and actions. Fill us with empathy and compassion, with love and grace. Lead us to be people who stand for what is holy and just, speaking and acting in ways that promote these things in our lives and in our world. Amen.


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Immense Love

Reading: Mark 6: 14-29

Verse 20: “Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man”.

Sometimes we get ourselves into a situation we regret. We say or do something without giving it much thought. Then in an instant we know we are in a pickle. Jesus’ miracles prompt some chatting at a little party that Herod is hosting. Comparisons with Jesus eventually get around to John the Baptist. This sparks a memory in Herod of a pickle he got himself into.

Herod had an interesting relationship with John. On the one hand, John was enjoyable to listen to and to talk with. On the other hand, John kept pointing out Herod’s sin concerning his brother’s wife, Herodias. It was a love-hate relationship. It was a bit more love, as we read in verse 20: “Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man”. Overall, Herod preferred to keep John around.

Well, we all know how parties can get. Add to that the fact that Herod liked to impress his guests. His wife’s daughter danced and was just awesome. In a moment he forever regrets, Herod promises her almost anything – up to half the kingdom. His boastful offers leads to John losing his life. Herodias had long nursed that grudge against John. Now Herod nurses his guilt.

At times the pickle we get ourselves into involves our relationship with God. We do or say something and we regret it as soon as the Holy Spirit conviction settles in. We know it was a sin. Sometimes the guilt or shame keeps us from confessing it right away. Sometimes we enjoyed it enough to tell ourselves we can hide it from God. Or worse yet, the sin latches on and we tell ourselves ‘just one more time’ as we maybe offer a hollow confession, knowing we will return to that sin. In these cases, our sin creates a guilty conscience that causes a season of separation from God.

Thanks be to God that God is not a God of guilt or a Good that holds onto grudges. Whether we confess and repent right away or after a long season of sin, God’s response is the same: welcome back. Whether the sin was a small unkind thought or something we deem ‘bigger’ that causes us more guilt or shame, God’s response is the same: welcome back. We do not ever need to carry guilt or shame. As soon as we confess and repent, our sin is gone. It is remembered no more by God. It is gone. Thanks be to God for this immense love. A love for even sinners like you and me. Thanks be to God.