Seriously?
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Good morning, Lord V.O.D.: Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.—2 Timothy 1:6-7 M.O.M.: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 10-12 John 6:45-71
Seriously?
Honestly, when you read some of the words of Jesus, do you ever ask, "Seriously?".
Some of the Jews reacted like this. In John 6, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." The Jews grumbled, "“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Before Jesus said this, in John 6:45, " 'And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—
Man has come along with 'procedures' to follow where they say folks eat the flesh and drink the blood. Again, we believe that whatever man adds to what God has done is just that-man-made.
I suggest we look at the scripture-and-listen to the holy Spirit-and-learn from God. Jesus said that if we really belong to Him that God has made it happen-"Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me". In verse 65 of John 6, Jesus says, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
God intiates it all, plants the truth in our hearts-now, it is up to us to hear and believe or reject the truth.
So, we could be like the Jews and reject the truth in such a shallow manner as to say, "Seriously?", or, we are seriuosly truthful and accept what God tells us through the scripture and His Spirit.
Of course we cannot eat the flesh and the blood of Christ, physically. But we must, in listening and learning to God, grasp the gravity of the statement from Jesus, "eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood".
How do we do that? Most agree that communion is where we do that. It is a time of remembering and honoring and obeying and it must be done. But, if we stop there, what do we miss?
Here it is again:Luke 9:23, "...take up your cross daily..." Romans 12:1"...present your bodies a living sacrifice..." 1 Corinthians 15:31-(Paul writes),"I die daily".
These things, the living sacrifice and dying daily, are a the words of Jesus made manifest or become real in our lives. It is in the way our hearts yearn to be like Jesus.
Some may say, "Wait-wo-this is a little too serious or heavy".
Seriously? Too heavy-too deep-too fanatic?
The words of Jesus are all those things and infinitely more. Our job is not to be offended but to up-ended. It is not reckless abandon. There is nothing reckless about following Jesus. There is never any abandon in the family of God.
Seriously? Absolutely. As serious as a living sacrifice and dying daily. We never taste flesh and blood-we live in it and learn by it.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven, I confess I have not tried to grasp this the way You want. Lead me. I am willing. Merciful God and master teacher. In the name of Jesus, Amen