"This is my command, love each other"...

 

John 15:17 “The command I give you is this, that you love one another.” (NAB)

“This I command you, love one another.” (Phillips)

“…But remember the root command: Love one another.” (MSG)

“This is my command, love each other.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus repeats his command: “Love each other”. By repeating this command, Jesus puts emphasis on it. Throughout Jesus' teaching, love is a key word. Everything we do in Jesus’ name is to follow the commandments to love God first and foremost and completely, and then to love everyone else as well. 

I like the NIV translation of “each other” rather then the “one another” in the other translations. Each means all. We aren’t to pick and choose who we love. Each person is a potential child of God. Where Jesus has loved, we too must love. Jesus talked about loving our enemies. It is easy to love our friends and family. As he pointed out…even sinners do that. Jesus’ love went beyond the natural boundaries of love and embraced the whole world. 

We have all met people who are not easy to love…unkind people, people full of hatred, cruel people, crazy people, dirty people, repulsive people, people with serious problems, boring people, selfish people, mean-spirited people, ugly people, imperfect people. Like it or not we fit on that same list in someone else’s mind. It’s hard to think of ourselves in that “unacceptable” class of people, but we belong there, too.

 Jesus saw beyond all that. Jesus saw the perfect children that God the Father created. Jesus sees our potential. Jesus sees us washed clean and dressed in fine clothes to be presented to the Father….redeemed. 

Many times during a movie, I have shut my eyes to avoid seeing a terrible or repulsive scene. But You, Father see it all….all the dirt, all the filth, all the evil, all the misery with eyes wide open. Jesus saw it all and took it upon himself for us. Every bit of human filth went on the cross with Jesus. Every dirty sin. Every evil. What a weight to bear! 

If Jesus can do this for us, how can we refuse to love “each” other. Forgive me, Father, for killing your Son with my sins! Thank you, Jesus, for your love and grace. Help me love each other person that I meet. Amen.

Repent, turn around...

 

Mark 1:14-15  "...Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God.  "The time has come", he said, "the kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news."

The gospel of Mark doesn't begin with any of the parts of the traditional Christmas story.  The first verse says, :The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."  The gospel, the good news, dominates the first chapter of Mark.

It begins with the beginnings of Jesus' ministry and the heralding of John the Baptist.  The good news is that God is now near us.  He has come to us in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  This is news we need to hear.  This is a man we need to know because he is God in a human form we can see and listen to.  This is God near us, God with us, Immanuel.  Repent and believe!

"Repent" always sounds like such a harsh, negative, strict, chastising word.  It is and it isn't.  It is a call to turn around like the prodigal son and come home to God.  It's a chance at new life.  It's an opportunity to find salvation and be near God as his children.  It's not so negative and critical sounding when you look at the reward when the opportunity is accepted.  Repent! and find your Father waiting with open arms and a heart full of mercy and love.

Thank you Father God, for sending your Son with an offer for us to repent and find your kingdom.  Thank you for bringing us home through him.  amen

"I have come as a light..."

 

John 12:46  "I have come as a light to shine in the dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark."  (NLT)

We don't actually know what time of year Christ was born.  His birthday is not actually Dec. 25th.  But winter, with its cold gloomy days is the perfect time to celebrate the birth of the Light of the world.  

We get depressed easily in winter.  The landscape is dreary, the conditions often hazardous, and we long for light and warmth and the green of a new year.  Celebrating Christ's birth gives us a reason to focus on this light, to have hope for a newer brighter year to come.

We hold onto that light and the joys of the Christmas celebration and look forward with expectation to something better, something brighter, something full of his 
God-light, his love-light, his life-light. 

We know the darkness has an ending because Christ has come.  The darkness can never be complete, because Christ now inhabits it with his shining light.  Thank you, Lord of Light for coming to shine into our darkness!  amen

Dec. 25: God so loved the world...

“God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in him will live forever.” John 3:16

 Heavenly Father, 

I wondered how the Advent Book would end the story on Christmas Day. John 3:16......how appropriate! Not usually thought of as a Christmas scripture, but surely the most important in the Bible. 

The Good News all summed up in one sentence. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life.” This is what the Christmas story is all about. Your love for us. Your plan of salvation. Your presence in our lives. Your solution to the problem of human sin. Your eternally wide open arms welcoming the prodigal sons home. Our “second chance”.....our only chance, but made so simple. Just believe on the One who came and lived for us and died for us. Just trust his grace and let all the rest go.

Peace on earth!

Hallelujah! 

amen

Dec. 24: I have seen the Savior...

“Simeon said, “I have seen the Savior you have given to the world. He is the Light that will show God to the nations. And he will be the glory of your people.”

Heavenly Father, 

Tonight the wait is over in our yearly celebration. Tonight we go to our churches and sing the Christmas songs and light the candles, and hear the scriptures read. The music swells and so do our hearts! We are full of good cheer and great joy and “peace on earth, good will to men”! A night to celebrate! 

A night to look to heaven and wish we too could see the angels and hear them sing. In our hearts, we do hear them. In our hearts the child has arrived and is settling in snugly.

 Simeon says, “I have seen the Savior you have given the world”! I’m sure the shepherds were spreading the same message after their visit to the manager. The wise men carried the message to far lands. Now our turn has come. Have we seen the Christ? Who will we tell? where will we spread the light that has come into the world? The “good news” is for all and we must help send the light everywhere there is darkness. 

Something to think about now that Christmas is almost over for another year. Do we put Christ away with the mangers and trees and trimmings, or do we keep him close by and let his light shine through us? Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this greatest of gifts and for once again challenging me to help spread the Good News whenever I can and especially to those who are closest to my heart. amen

Dec. 23: Simeon took Jesus in his arms...

“That day a godly man named Simeon was in the temple. The Holy Spirit had told him he would see the Messiah before he died. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God for keeping his promise.” Luke 2:27-28

 Heavenly Father, 

The scriptures of advent are almost done. The journey has been interesting and once again new and different. Tonight we meet a “godly man”, Simeon. 

Simeon represents all the faithful who waited and hoped and obeyed. Simeon was promised that he would see the Christ child before he died. Did he spend his whole life in eager anticipation wondering.....”is this going to be the day?” He waited in your presence, in the temple. We all should wait in your presence for the Christ, the one who comes to save. 

In my youth I memorized Simeon’s song, that he sang when he saw the baby: “Now let Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.” 

Simeon knew he needed no more than this baby. His salvation had come and he could leave this world behind. Jesus, the one who saves! Jesus, a light to the Gentiles and the Jews and all the earth! A Light shining in the darkness and dispelling the gloom. Peace on earth and peace in heaven. 

Time to depart and go “home”, home in heaven with you.....complete, forgiven, accepted, fulfilled, made righteous! All in that tiny baby that he had waited for, for so long. Our wait can be over, too! The Christ child is here! Welcome him!

Dec. 22: They presented Jesus at the temple...

“Soon after his birth, Joseph and Mary presented Jesus to the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem, in keeping with the Jewish law.” Luke 2:22

Heavenly Father, 

Today’s scripture is one that we tend to skip over at Christmas. Mary and Joseph follow the law and take Jesus to the temple and “present him to the Lord”......they take him and dedicate him to you, his Father! You gave him to them and they give him back, like all good Jewish parents. He is to be one of your people. 

How strange and convoluted it all is when you try to analyze it. You came to earth as a baby. You are both father and son. You are the giver and the given. You are the giver and the gift! You came to save us, but had to use Mary and Joseph to save yourself as an infant from Herod. How to imagine the Eternal God of the Universe as a helpless baby!?? 

It seems so crazy and yet it seems so right. I’ve been listening to a Christmas CD that has a song with the line, “What a strange way to save the world!” To us very strange and incomprehensible. To us a mystery, a paradox, a puzzle. but once the puzzle is accepted and believed it doesn’t seem to matter any more if we understand it. 

We accept the baby, we accept the man/Savior, we accept the gift of grace and our hearts swell with thanks and love. Jesus is ours now. Jesus is here in our hearts. We are his temple and he has been “presented” there to you, Lord. He is the lifeblood running through us. He is our connection to you forever more. The “man” in him is forever connected to our humanity. The Lord and Savior in him is forever connected to his Father and to our hearts and minds and souls. 

Thank you, Lord, that you are all wise and powerful and knew how to reach us and connect with us to make us new! Praise and thanks forever more. amen