No Wiggle Room

Psalm 133:1-3

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!   It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!  It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!  For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

In Mark’s gospel we have in chapter 12:28, a scribe asking Jesus “Which command is the most important “ and Jesus reply is found in 29-31.  Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

Those words leave no wiggle room, many have asked but who is my neighbor, and to my best  understanding of that truth you look at your life and compare it to the words of Jesus?  As my pastor often reminds us, we are all messed up, we all need grace and forgiveness.  At the ripe age of 78, I often remind myself that Scripture tells us we will be judged in the same manner we judge others, ouch!

I would like to think a brother was one in Christ, are my own blood, but Jesus has a way of not agreeing with my logic.  Do you recall Jesus telling us that if you look on a woman with lust in your heart you have committed the sin of adultery.  But let’s go with human logic and how are you doing loving all those who claim to be Christian’s, and remember many of them have very different views of Gods written word than you do?

Are you in total unity with them?  We are experiencing a nation that has so few values on right and wrong, and we may not talk about our beliefs in our church, but if we did how many would agree with what Jesus says about when life begins, about greed and lust, about lying and telling the truth, about marriage?

Yes, it would be wonderful if brothers dwell in unity, it must begin with you, with me, showing grace, for without grace it is impossible for us broken, messed up people to find God’s love.  All Jesus is asking of you and me is to allow Him to do it all for us, but that requires us taking our broken lives to him.   I want to close this paper with a word from Os Hillman; “when God does things outside your paradigm of experience. Don't jump to conclusions about the ways of God if they don't fit your paradigm.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice