Monday, 2/9/2015

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ~ Charles Dickens 

LEVITICUS 7-9

More details are given for each of the offerings and then instructions are given for the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests.  Once this is completed, Aaron assumes his role and God shows up.

22Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.23Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

MATTHEW 25:31-46

After the two parables Jesus confirms

31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 

35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’41

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’44

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’45“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

JOURNAL

Boom!  Jesus drops the bomb of what following him is all about. Yesterday I realized that the story of the talents was not about how I am supposed to be a better man, but rather that being obedient requires knowing the heart of the Master.  I see now why Jesus told the first two parables, he was gaining agreement in worldly terms.  He set up two examples where the listener would fully agree that being unprepared and lazy deserve punishment.  Yet his twist was that they deserved punishment because their actions were not in alignment with what was important to the Master.

Like a brilliant courtroom attorney, Jesus has me trapped.  I have agreed that knowing and understanding the Master and obediently serving him is the path to righteousness.  So then Jesus reveals what true obedience looks like...serving and loving those less than us.  The movie Les' Miserables brilliantly depicts, what I believe is the heart of this message.

 

25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”26“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”27He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^c ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^d ”28“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28)