Day 14: catch up

Q: How does one simultaneously catch up on a few extra chapters of Bible reading and burn off thanksgiving turkey dinner?
A: the treadmill and a pair of headphones. Thankfully it is Acts and the concentration level of Romans isn't required.

Day 7: Luke 6:27-36

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Expect Nothing in Return

How much of what I do is because I expect a wage for it?  And I'm not just talking about my job, I'm talking about everything I do in life.  How about the dishes?  Do I do them purely for in the joy of service, or because Rebecca's uncle told me that the kitchen and bedroom are mystically joined somehow?  (He's in the kitchen all the time, btw.)  Point is: I am always on my mind; and payback has far too much of a bearing of what I'm willing and not willing to do.

How do we stand brothers and sisters?  Have we turned our good deeds into another form of currency, one where we expect kindnesses in return?  What then is good?  How often do we wonder why others haven't done the nice things for us that we have done for them?

When was the last time we prayed for someone who hurt us?  Someone who outright dislikes us?  Are we willing to do good to others in secret and to the point of our own hurt?  Maybe love is measured by the risk of getting nothing in return or worse, being hurt.

Your Reward will be Great

And yet there is a reward, but is is the promise of faith and not works.  It is the promise of son-ship that God offers graciously to those who love others.  And that is far greater motivation to love others than any reward we could possibly expect for our meagre service to others.

If anything we could model our great hero,
Always give 100 percent and expect zero.
Sho Baraka

Simeon

I like the part of Luke where it talks about Simeon waiting for a Saviour.  Once he sees Jesus, he basically says, "Now I can die."  He instantly knew Jesus was the Messiah.  We can't help but recognize the Saviour.

How to add your own post

These are instructions on how to make your own post, not comment on the posts of others.

The first thing you'll need is to be a contributor.  If you haven't already been invited to be a contributor, message or email me your email address and I'll send you an invite.

Once you are a contributor, you'll see your name on the list of contributors on the main blog page.  So far, so good.

To make a post, don't go to scntc.blogspot.ca; instead, go to blogger.com (or, if you are already at the blog, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link where in says: powered by Blogger.  Once you have signed in, you should see Salem Church NT Challenge in the list of your blogs.

Simply click on the create new post button beside that that looks like a pencil.  When you are done writing click Publish, or Save to come back and finish it later.  You can always edit/delete your post if you want to make a change.

Day 6: Mark

Why is it that no matter how much I read of the gospels, Jesus always surprises me?  I feel like I know him and yet there is so much I don't understand about his thoughts and his ways.  He leads a revolutionary lifestyle, and then right at the end commits the most anti-revolutionary act of all: he submits himself to the judgement of this world, the very system he came to free us from.  His own disciples draw swords and are ready to die in rebellion, but he tells them to put their swords away.  What!?  If I'm Peter, I am so utterly confused at this point.  Of all his revolutionary deeds, not rebelling is the ultimate.

So what does this mean for us?  How do we mix the two oft-competing priorities of living our lives for the heavenly kingdom and yet doing that as part of this earthly one?  At what points do we take part in this system and at what points do we live so counter-culturally that we earn the disgust of this world?  Navigating this terrain must be Spirit led exercise; like Paul's life (sorry for skipping ahead).

So, on that note Lord, I pray you would give us the wisdom to discern which avenue is the right one to take in any given situation.  When is it right to boldly clear a temple and when is it right to speak gently?  May we be like you in all our ways: pursuing truth and justice, but always with grace and mercy, for the sake of love.

Day 5 ToDo: Mark 1-8

Day 4: Matthew

One of the things I'm looking forward to in reading through the NT in a month is grasping the big picture themes of the books.  Usually, I'll read 2 or 3 chapters of a book at a time and often just focus in on a passage.  I don't take the time often enough to read letters through in their entirety.

My first thought after reading through Matthew was how impossible the Christian life is without God.  In the Sermon on the Mount alone Jesus sets the bar so amazingly high that no one reading it should have any doubt of how far short we fall.  Be meek, merciful and pure in heart.  Be ready to be persecuted and slandered.  Don't hate, don't lust; but love, even to the point of your hurt, even toward your enemies.  Finally, be perfect.  You'll search in vain for a 'try your hardest.'  There is simply no compromise whatsoever.  It is all utterly impossible without God.

Unless you are a self righteous Pharisee.  Then you should have no problem justifying yourself.  Just be sure to ignore the rest of Matthew.

I just finished reading the Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer which, to me anyway, felt like a pastoral exposition of Jesus' teaching in Matthew, so I enjoyed getting a birds-eye view after having gone through so much of it in depth.  I highly recommend Bonhoeffer's book.  It is highly motivating.

In regards to the person of Jesus, Matthew read like the biography of the greatest revolutionary of all time.  A revolutionary calling others to join him in the revolution: to give up this earthly kingdom in pursuit of something far, far greater.  A kingdom which he brought to earth and which we, the prostitutes and tax collectors, have the unbelievable honour of helping build.  Don't expect to make it through without injury; I'd be surprised if you have both your hands and eyes when it's all said and done if you are anything like me.

Lord, make our lives like that of the alabaster jar of perfume poured out for no other reason than to honour you.  We are nothing in and of ourselves.  May we resist the temptation to be blinded to you by our own self-righteousness; but rather to humbly serve you, though we are fallen and desperate.

May we respond to your call of discipleship, leaving all else behind to follow you and you alone.  May we hack off anything that stands in our way.  May your kingdom be to us the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price for which we gladly sell all else; your beauty such that we pursue you with a hot passion.