04/16/2024
Understanding God's Unconditional Love
Sunday, I talked about how Jacob was someone who couldn’t take "Yes" for an answer. The question that came out of that observation, which we didn’t have time to talk about it in the sermon, is this: Why do we insist on earning and deserving what is freely given us?
The best I can figure, is that I want to earn and deserve and create my own opportunities because when I do that, it allows me to beg, borrow, and steal as I try to manipulate the world around me to work toward my greater good. I become the arbiter of what I should and should not be doing, rather than God.
God offers this incredible promise to Jacob. It is unconditional, it lays out some real personal benefits, and it even has a decidedly altruistic purpose—Jacob and his descendants will bless all the other people of the world.
But rather than taking what God is offering, Jacob wants to renegotiate those blessings. Jacob wants a guarantee that if he isn’t happy with what God is giving him, and when God is giving it to him, then he should be able to opt out.
Deep down I think we just don’t believe, truly believe, that anyone could, or would, give us so much grace without us first having to jump through hoops. I heard a wise man say that the only question which will ultimately matter in the end, is whether or not we can get our minds and hearts around the truth that we are loved completely by God through Jesus. And there is real wisdom in that. I think we try to earn and deserve what God wants to freely give us because we don’t believe that the world works that way. We don’t believe that love works that way. We’ve been so conditioned to IF you do this, THEN I’ll do that - that we don’t have a frame of reference to understand unconditional love.
If you want something to chew on this week, then let it be this: Can you get used to the idea that you are loved because you are God’s child? There is no other reason than that. Can you accept the acceptance God offers in Jesus? Can you receive forgiveness that you did nothing to deserve? Are you open to being loved for who you are rather than what you’ve done lately?
If we can’t begin to say "Yes" to these things, then it will be awfully hard to go on to become the women and men God created us to be. It will be close to impossible to become more like Jesus without them.
Archived Posts
The Gift of Ourselves As A Gift of Love
The more the giving of myself costs me something, the greater the power of the gift. You know I love quotes, so after a little research, let me share a few of my favorites on this very subject:
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!