Thursday, 3/5/2015

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

NUMBERS 34-36

God gives Moses the specific boundaries for the promised land.  He designates certain towns and cities as refuge cities.

13These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

MARK 10:32-52

James and John ask if they can sit at Jesus' right and left in glory.  They in essence are trying to jockey for validation.

41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

JOURNAL

Over and over Jesus communicates that following him has nothing to do with position or status.  Following him has everything to do with loving others.  I read again 1 Corinthians 13...here is my assessment of my track record in loving others.

1. Patient: Fail, people never change and they get on my nerves.
2. Kind: Fail, I need time for me and being kind is too much work sometimes.
3. Without Envy: Fail, why do others get more than I do?
4. Without arrogance: Fail, I am not near as wicked as most.
5. Without rudeness: Fail, some people just don't deserve my politeness
6. No record of wrongs: Fail, my life would be so much better if not for others failures
7. No delight in evil: Fail, they got what they deserved
8. Rejoices in truth: Fail, who really wants or can handle the truth all the time???
9. Always protects: Fail, tired of taking up for others...let them fight their own battles.
10. Always hopes: Fail, people suck, things never seem to work out like I want.
11. Always perseveres: Fail, what is the point?
12. Never Fails: FAIL, FAIL, FAIL

I realize that I have no basis to ever judge, criticize or be consumed with anyone else's failures.  I have a great gapping log sticking out of both eyes.  And yet God loves me.  

This is the true tension of the Gospel and this is Jesus' constant message...we are broken and messed up and have failed to even keep one law and yet we walk around with arrogance pointing out how others have failed.  I promise that if I was God, I would have tossed my sorry excuse for a human being into the raging fires of Hell, a loong time ago.

Yet, this is the confounding beauty of the Gospel!! God doesn't..instead he suffers and dies and all he asks me to do is to love others the way he loves me.

12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)