Call it poetic justice or slapstick comedy, but it is dead serious with the emphasis on "dead." When we throw too many darts, they boomerang. God is not necessarily singling us out; it is simply the divine law of sowing and reaping.
Haman ended up on the gallows he built for Mordecai.
It is not a pretty story, but it is life and a good warning to us not to throw stones or to be vindictive.
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."
No Rinky-Dink Clause
Colossians 2:16-3:1
I will call this Paul's "No Rinky Dink Clause."
Paul is up against a version of Christian teaching that is seeking synthesis with a form of aestheticism that he is saying robs the believer of their liberty in Christ and puts the emphasis of faith in the wrong place.
He counters it with this instruction: Set your hearts on things above.
That is where Christ is and Christ is seated at God's right hand.
If we adjust our focus, it will solve a lot of our religious problems:
There is something in us that wants to be on the winning side. There is another drive that sometimes competes. That is the desire to be rightfully aligned with God. That is, in other words, our conscience,
Alignment with God's kingdom and will is a basis for hope that we can have both realized.
However, sometimes, we must proceed without hope and with only the conviction that we are taking the stand that is right and righteous.
There have always been edicts from systems that have raised issues and choices of conscience. These edicts have been presented as nonnegotiable, and lack of compliance has come with negative consequences.
There have always been those who have resisted based upon conscience.
Mordecai, the Jew, could not and would not offer worship to a human being. Nor could he pledge his loyalty to an imposter or a pretender. This was a matter of conscience for him.
Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.
So, torn between conflicting nonnegotiable demands on his loyalty, without the book even mentioning God by name, Mordecai chose to reserve his loyalty for God.
This would bring a viable threat on Mordecai's life and the life of all the Jews in Persia.
Ultimately, it would lead to a divine victory and reversal, because God always wins.
Amos
8:1-12 Psalm 52, Colossians
1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42
Dear Martha
“…Martha,
Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is
needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away
from her.” -Luke 10:41b-42
There has been
so much said about Martha, but Jesus was not criticizing her. Martha started
the criticism with her complaint that Mary was not helping with the
entertaining duties.
She was joining
the men.
She was soaking
up the presence and the words of Jesus. She was investing in things that were
intangible.
Jesus did not
invalidate Martha or her work. He observed that she was busy and frantic and
occupied with many things.
These things
could have occupied Mary as well. There is always something to occupy us, busy,
us, and worry us in this life.
The Greek word,
“chronos” is time you can measure with a clock or a calendar. “Kairos,”
however, is time that can be measured only in encounter, impact, and
significance. Mary was living the moment in kairos time. Martha was stuck in
chronos time.
Luke says it
was Martha’s house. Can we surmise that Mary was the younger sister?
When Jesus
came, she positioned herself and Jesus’ feet in what seemed to Martha to be
laziness and irresponsibility. But Jesus called it the choice of the better
way.
She did the
needful thing. She chose the better part. She invested in what she could never
lose, a kairos moment with Jesus.
“Now it came to
pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman
named Martha received him into her house.”
Martha asks
Jesus if he cares that she is bearing the burden of the household alone and he
responds with a caring invitation for her to join her sister.
Who cares if
the bread burns? Who cares if the table settings are not perfect? Who cares
about the niceties that have us in a frenzy? One thing is needful: the kairos
moment of turning and encounter.
“Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. “ — Luke 10:36–37
We all know the story. It was prompted by a question and occasioned by a teaching in response to a greater question. What we have here is the application: Go and do likewise.
One question led to another, then to a story, and then to the lesson Jesus desired to imprint upon every heart: that everyone is our neighbor and that loving our neighbor is about making a practical and active decision to do so and following through regardless of our feelings.
A legal expert who sought to trap Jesus in His own words asked Him what was necessary to inherit eternal life. He turned the question back to him and to his knowledge and interpretation of the law.
“Love God and love your neighbor” was both the answer he gave and the one that Jesus Himself gave on another occasion when asked what the greatest commandment was. Jesus commended him and told him to go and do likewise.
That wasn’t enough for the lawyer. He needed an escape clause, something that limited his liability and reduced his responsibility.
“Define neighbor,” was his retort. So, Jesus told him the story of the Good Samaritan and put him in a real bind. He made the hero of the story an outcast from the social and religious life of the Jews. He told the story in such a way as to make the answer to the question obvious.
“Who was the neighbor? Was he one of those who left the poor man stranded by the road or the Samaritan who gave of himself and his means to help him?”
The lawyer answered generically, and Jesus responded specifically, “Go and do likewise.”
Go; live like an outcast among outcasts if you must, but practice love as you go. Love is not revealed in the words we speak or the sentiments we feel, but in the actions, we take in being neighbors to our neighbors.
Go forth and live it.
Recap
SUMMARY
We focused on the themes of mercy, justice, and love, particularly in the context of Christian teachings. The discussion centered around the biblical story of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing the importance of showing mercy to those in need, regardless of their background or perceived worthiness. Sims highlighted that justice and mercy are intertwined, with true justice being defined by acts of mercy and compassion. He urged participants to embody the love of God through actions towards their neighbors, stressing that living mercifully is essential for experiencing eternal life and being part of God’s kingdom. The meeting concluded with a call to practice love and mercy actively in daily life, reflecting the core Christian values of empathy and grace.
DISCUSSION
Mercy and Justice in Christian Teachings The speaker emphasizes the intertwined nature of mercy and justice, arguing that true justice involves showing mercy to the oppressed and needy. He references biblical passages, such as Psalm 82 and the story of the Good Samaritan, to illustrate that justice is not about punishment but about doing right by those deprived of fairness. The speaker stresses that mercy is not deserved but needed, and it is a fundamental aspect of Christian life.
The Good Samaritan and Neighborly Love
The speaker discusses the parable of the Good Samaritan to highlight the importance of showing mercy and love to all, regardless of their background. He explains that the Samaritan, despite being an outcast, exemplified true neighborly love by helping a stranger in need. The speaker urges listeners to emulate this behavior, emphasizing that love for God is demonstrated through love for one’s neighbor.
Practical Application of Mercy
The speaker encourages practical application of mercy in daily life, suggesting that love and mercy should be active decisions. He criticizes the lack of mercy in the world, even among Christians, and calls for compassion and empathy towards those who are suffering. The speaker highlights that showing mercy brings joy and a sense of God’s love, and it is essential for experiencing eternal life and being part of God’s kingdom.
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Luke 10:1-20
“Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves” – Luke 10:3The costly commission to follow Jesus and to go forth as His ambassadors is so controversial as to appear adversarial. Jesus warns us to expect hostility and opposition. He does not say this to discourage us, but to encourage us. He does not intend to frighten us away, but to have us brace ourselves in the embrace of His grace and power.“Go your ways,” He says this, knowing that each of us has a path that is uniquely and wondrously ours. No two paths are exactly the same though they often intersect and frequently follow parallel courses. We may hesitate to go our ways because it is less risky to continue as we have been, sitting at the feet of Jesus in the cloistered environs of our religious retreats. But we must go. It is His commission.“I send you,”He says this and that gives us courage to go forth, knowing that we have been authorized and mandated we bear his Name and represent His kingdom. It gives us confidence and joy to know that we are not staggering through the darkness of meaningless humdrum. We have been sent.“I send you forth as lambs,” He says this with caution and affirmation. We are like baby sheep. We still need our shepherd. As we are sent from him, we develop a new relationship with him. We discover that he has come along in a new way. “Lo, I am with you always,” He assures us of this continuing companionship.“… as lambs among wolves.” This is the scary part. It is dangerous out there to the extent that we really could lose some things along the way. And if the things we can potentially lose are dearer to us than the commission, we could lose everything. However, if we have relinquished our hold on the things of earth so that they “grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace,” then we have absolutely nothing to lose. We have died, as the scriptures say, and our lives are hidden with Christ in God.Don’t be afraid of the wolves. Beware of them, but don’t let them stop you. Whatever you do, don’t miss the mission.They returned again with joy.Have you ever had this experience? Have you ever answered the call to get out of your "safe place" and move out on faith? Perhaps it was to cross the street and speak with a neighbor. Perhaps it was to help serve food to the needy or sit with an elderly person. You were apprehensive and unsure of yourself, but as you answered the call and moved out at the command of Christ, you sensed His presence with you and were exhilarated by His power flowing through you.There is an energy that is created whenever we venture forth in obedience to Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. Once we get the taste of personal ministry, evangelism, and proclamation of the good news, we want to do it more and more. We return to the place from which we have been sent with rejoicing and enthusiasm to report all that God has done through the likes of us.If you have never ventured forth in ministry, now is the time to do so.Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven – Luke 10:20The disciples on an early Kingdom mission had not only survived hostility, but had thrived in the process. To their delight and surprise, God had come along with them and had wrought miracles of healing and deliverance. Even demons had been subjected to them and they were excited. It was at that moment that Jesus had to remind them of an important lesson. It is in our moments of intense religious exhilaration and enthusiasm that we must learn the same lesson.It is great to enjoy the frills and thrills of practical discipleship and divine manifestations, but that kind of rejoicing pales in comparison to the joy of redemption. A stirring worship service inspires us to face a week of temptations and challenges, but it is not the main impetus to our spiritual success. Inclusion in God’s purpose is the greatest cause of rejoicing of all.It is true that spirits are subject to the believer as he or she prays in the name and authority of Jesus Christ. It is a reality that when the Holy Spirit chooses to work through us, He can leave us as breathless as a roller coaster ride – and more so. All of this is true, but it is not our cause for real rejoicing.We rejoice, no matter what is happening around us, that God has inscribed our names on the rolls of Heaven. No earthly joy and no spiritual fulfillment come close to the felicitous flame that glows in the heart of a redeemed soul. In the darkest night, it burns bright and warms the heart of the child of God.It is why we rejoice now and rejoice evermore. Our names are written in heaven.
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