Not Like Me

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:27-32

Accepting invitations can be complex. Some people are quick to say “yes” to everything but end up over-booking themselves or struggle to actually show up. Some people are better at extending an invitation than accepting one. Others may feel too busy, too stressed, or too out of place to say “yes.” For all of us, it’s a little more complicated with COVID-19 and the necessary safety precautions. Why is it such a big deal to say “yes” to an invitation, even a kingdom-advancing step, in this busy world?

If we look to Jesus as our model for accepting invitations, we see he had a reputation for it! He accepted an invitation to the wedding in Cana and did his first miracle (John 2:1-11). He accepted an invitation to eat dinner at Levi’s house and demonstrated the heart of God toward people typically overlooked (Luke 5:27-32). Jesus accepted so many invitations. Many people had unexpected encounters with the kingdom because Jesus said “yes” to invitations, even invitations from people most others would have turned down.

Think about the invitations you’ve declined in the last few months. Why did you say “no”? In some cases you may have had legitimate reasons to say “no,” but were there times you could have, and probably should have said “yes”? Be honest with yourself about the opportunities you turned down because of selfish reasons or fear. Be ready to accept the next invitation you receive going forward. It may help to think of what kind of invitation is safe for you to accept during COVID-19. Or, if you’re finding yourself worn out and without energy to say “yes” to things, ask yourself how you can recharge so you will be able to be in community with others.

By Jessica Rust

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12-14

Growing up, I remember mom and dad’s friends sharing meals with us. On Sunday afternoons, people visited with no kids, or kids my age, or older. We didn’t live close to the church, so our being at their house or they at ours involved a road trip. But that didn’t defray our spending time with people. There were times where either mom and dad reciprocated their invitation or they had us over. But this wasn’t why mom and dad invited folks over. There wasn’t an expectation of a meal at their home in return. Visiting and sharing life were the only expectations.

My wife and I have noticed over the years that having people over, at least to us, is a much rarer occurrence than when we were younger. We recall spending time, as a married couple, sharing homes and life just like mom and dad did. It didn’t happen too often before the COVID-19 outbreak, and my fear is it will occur even less after. If this is what happens to our society, I’ll be very sad. Sharing meals, as my former neighbor used to tell us, has a deep meaning, especially in his Middle Eastern culture. You see, according to what he told us (and I believe it), sharing a meal in someone’s home is akin to becoming family.

There are times for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), and it seems soon, when things ‘open up,’ the time may be for rejoining each other at church and, yes, in our homes. This outbreak has separated us. Perhaps, with the appropriate level of caution should you be vulnerable, inviting people into your home, whether you’re used to it or not, would be a wonderful way of reestablishing community. As these restrictions continue to loosen up, perhaps consider inviting those you normally wouldn’t. I’m sure the motivation in the past has been to just have fellowship one with another, so let’s continue that now. However, if you find perhaps you hoped for people to invite you over, step outside this thinking, and invite people without any expectations and discover that there’s more joy in the experience! It might even be fun to start now and come up with a unique way to get together using recommended methods to keep safe!

By Rich Obrecht

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:9-21

In the style of Forrest Gump, I think there is a truth we need to consider, “People are like a box of chocolates…ya don’t get to choose who you’re gonna love.” God calls us to love ALL people…even the difficult to swallow ones.

All of us have that one person who just gets under our skin. They are hard to love. They certainly haven’t shown love to us. But in God’s strength, we can push past human emotions and extend love for two reasons. First, ALL of us are made in God’s image and therefore we ALL deserve to be treated with love, respect and kindness.Second, if God, the greatest being in the universe, can show love to us who trample His heart daily, then isn’t it fitting that we, too, can try to love others? If the tables were turned in our situations, wouldn’t we want to be shown love, grace and compassion?

This doesn’t mean we are doormats and allow abuse in our lives. Sometimes we have to separate from unhealthy people for a season. It just means that we act in a peaceable manner toward all, and show the love of Christ always—even if the most loving thing is to set appropriate boundaries.

As a kid in high school, I had a teacher who was just awful. It was difficult to be in her class. At the end of the year, it was my family’s practice to give gifts to teachers to say thank you. I ran into a dilemma with this teacher. Why give a gift to someone so hard and calloused? However, I decided to give love as freely as it had been given to me by Christ. I gave my gift the last day of school. The look on her face was stunned. I am not sure if my gift changed anything in her, but it changed something in me. It helped me see the love of Christ for all people more clearly.

This week, engage in a creative practice. Think of that person who irritates you. Write their name on several 3×5 cards, and place them in your car, on your fridge, or on your desk. Each time you see this person’s name, stop and pray for them. Usher in the peace and love of Christ in their lives. They truly do not need our judgement, but they do need our love.

By Sheila Rennau

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37 NIV

In the last two months, we have seen examples of people reaching out and displaying love to neighbors, friends, loved ones and strangers amid this worldwide pandemic. We have also seen people acting selfishly, recklessly, and with a total disregard for others’ lives and safety. If we are believers in Christ, then we have to look to Jesus, his teachings, and strive to act accordingly.

In Luke 10:27 Jesus asks the expert in the law to tell him what the scripture says we must do to inherit eternal life. “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’” was the answer the expert in the law gave. He quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, which were viewed as the two commandments that summarized the whole law. The questioner knew this answer and didn’t need to ask the question. But in Luke 10:29 he asks Jesus for clarification, “And who is my neighbor?”

Actually, this was the real question that expert in the law wanted answered. In this parable, Jesus tells us a Samaritan, someone who was considered to be a half-breed, a pagan, and an enemy of the Jewish people – displayed kindness, compassion, generosity, and selflessness toward a Jewish man. The Samaritan on the Jericho road had no obligation to help the injured man, but he interrupted his own schedule, inconvenienced himself, gave his own money, wine, and oil to help the injured man, and didn’t expect any repayment.

In Luke 10:36-37 Jesus asks the expert in the law to tell him which of the people in the parable acted as a neighbor? The expert replies, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus concludes this parable with, “Go and do likewise.” I believe we, as believers in Christ, are also called to go and do likewise.

Here are some ideas of ways you can show compassion and love to neighbors, and strangers alike. Write a letter, email, text or call someone needing encouragement, perhaps a person currently isolated in a nursing home. Pick up food from the food bank to share with neighbors or someone who is currently unemployed. Offer to grocery shop for someone who is over 65 or immunocompromised. Put another’s needs above your own – be a neighbor, go and do likewise.

By Grace Hunter

Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:13-16 (the Message paraphrase from the Sermon on the Mount)

Jesus asks us to be to the world what salt is to food and light is to darkness – elements both very much needed and distinctly different. His followers act as a preservative in a morally decaying world with light to show the way. Why should we be salt and light? Because he wants all people to know him and because he is the example for us to follow. What we do and how we do it is associated with being like him and sharing his love.

When a religious scholar asked Jesus which is the most important of all the commandments, he answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 ESV) The religious scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!” When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, “You’re almost there, right on the border of God’s kingdom.” (Mark 12: 32-34 The Message paraphrase)

The rest of the Sermon on the Mount explains how to love your neighbor and your enemy. Following Jesus means loving what God loves, like God loves, and hating what God hates. The gospel message, we have to realize, means we are all destined to an eternity without God apart from the powerful work of Christ’s love on the cross to forgive our sins. Jesus loved us by giving his life for us. We love our neighbors by sacrificing to reach out to them. This week memorize/meditate on the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31), Write them out and keep them in places you’ll see often. Ask God to give you ways you can love him and love your neighbor as yourself.

By Donna Burns

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)

These thoughts are the Message’s paraphrase of Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount. It was like an electric shock about the rules of morality in the disciples’ time, and perhaps this translation still sounds shocking to you today. People problems are inevitable, there are troubles around us and in us. The world is watching how we deal with them. If our heart is not right with God, we won’t deal rightly with people.

It cost Jesus to love us. Jesus gave his life. We have his example and others to watch and follow. Paul wrote very practical help in his letters to the Romans, Corinthians and Philippians. We, like Paul, have the choice every day to promote God’s love and his kingdom or not, to start a conflict, keep a conflict going, or end one. We, like Paul, can say as far as it depends on me, I will make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification (Romans 12:18). Whether we are the offender or the offended, we can take the initiative to make peace (Romans 14:19). Keep on loving others unconditionally like God loves you. Keep on heaping on kindness (Romans 12:20).

These moral teachings from Jesus are so lofty that we in our humanness find it impossible to attain them. They make us realize we need him. With our heart in the hands of the Holy Savior we are able to live in his way with the help of the Holy Spirit. We must depend on his grace and mercy to live out our God-created, God-given identities. Meditate on the words of this prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about where and with whom these requests could apply.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy
O Divine Master, grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it’s in dying that we are born to Eternal Life
Amen
Prayer by St Francis of Assisi

By Donna Burns

“Let us, therefore, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” Romans 14:18

Our brothers and sisters in Christ will wrong us. We will wrong them. Our brokenness, the enemy’s schemes, and the temptations of this world will always pose a threat to kingdom testimony. Yet tomorrow’s testimony depends on our ability to remain unified today and push toward maturity when church family conflict arises.

The way we fight for kingdom testimony is to put Jesus‘ practical words from Matthew 18:15-17 into action.

1. We must fight face-to-face versus knife-to-back. Instead of running around venting the wrongs that have been done against us or spilling the latest gossip, we must cut sin off at the pass and go straight to the source first.
2. If that doesn’t work, we fight arm-in-arm not us-versus-them. We bring a wise and mature person with us to help settle the matter recognizing the real enemy and creating solutions for reconciliation.

Yet often unifying efforts come with a cost. Are we willing to count the cost to preserve Jesus’ testimony? Jude 22-23 called us to fight with perseverance, while risking getting wounded ourselves. He says, “Be merciful to those who doubt, save others by snatching them from the fire, to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

Take this opportunity today to ask God how he would have you take a step of love toward someone you know is disrupting the unity and testimony of Christ. Ask God with a posture to obey whatever God asks you to do. Then obey in courage if God does ask you to step out.

By Yvonne Biel

 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:21-26

Something I’m certain we’ve all experienced is conflict. Conflict can happen at any moment, over anything. It can appear justified by hurt feelings, differences of opinion, or just about any other thing we’re involved with. I’m also pretty certain we’ve all experienced conflict wounding, hopefully not physical, marking us and leaving dark shadows of fear within us. Conflict has been, and continues to be, unavoidable. There’s no way to escape it. Fortunately for Jesus followers, we’ve been given a means at conflict resolution that perhaps cuts across our culture’s grain.

In our passage, we find instructions to reconcile our differences, or conflicts, with each other before they get out of hand. Jesus says reconciliation should be accomplished before things progress to where it would be nearly impossible to experience. This is such wonderful advice, and it sounds very similar to what our parents tried to teach us, and, if we’re parents, we try to convey to our children. But there’s something deeper to learn here. Certainly, reconciliation is key to restoration in conflict. But, rather than someone outside our relational sphere settling our disputes, it’s ours to settle. To do this, however, requires something of a sacrifice from us. It requires a humble spirit.

Someone needs to approach those they’re in conflict with and seek restoration. Whether you were wronged, or they were, matters not. Moving towards someone with a humble and contrite spirit can be the Balm of Gilead to heal wounds inflicted by conflict (Jeremiah 8:22). Our passage indicates this reconciliation occurs before we worship. The offering of gifts at an altar was an act of worship during the time these words were spoken. While we don’t ‘offer gifts at an altar’ as such, we do worship God in a variety of ways. As you move towards God for worship, and you remember someone needing reconciliation, celebrate the words of Jesus and go to them! It’s very likely your worship will be sweeter and deeper once relational reconciliation is a reality!

By Rich Obrecht

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.   II Corinthians 5:17-21

The ministry of reconciliation – this is the major theme of the Bible. God provided a means for us to be reconciled to himself through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus, the Son of God came to earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross as the perfect Passover lamb so that all of our sins were forgiven, so that we all have the opportunity to be reconciled, to come into right relationship with the almighty God of the universe.

I don’t know about you, but for me, sometimes this is too awesome for words and can be beyond my understanding. Sometimes a human illustration of this kind of forgiveness, compassion, and love can help to give me a clearer vision of God and his desire to reconcile us to himself. In fact, there are countless ministry online courses now so more people can commit to reconciliation.

In Lancaster County PA, October 2006 Charles Roberts entered an Amish one room schoolhouse, sent the boys out, shot 10 Amish girls, killing 5 of them, and then killed himself. The families of the injured and killed girls forgave the shooter, attended his private funeral service, shielded the family from reporters, came and offered condolences and offered friendship to various members of the shooter’s family. The Amish community and individual families grieved over the loss of these girls, over the trauma all of the students experienced and for some of the students – continue to experience. But these Amish families reached out immediately to the shooter’s family in love, in forgiveness, and in friendship, in the midst of their grief, and they continue today.

Paul calls us ambassadors for Christ, we are to give the world around us the message of ministry of reconciliation. God offers us forgiveness; He asks us to forgive others. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on us, live at peace with everyone,” Romans 12:18. I remember how amazed the news reporters were at how the Amish families were so compassionate and caring toward the Roberts family. I am sure each of them had hearts full of grief, and hurt, but they were able to look beyond their own pain to see another family who also lost a son, a father, a husband that day. God has forgiven each of us, a great deal, we need to look beyond our own hurt, our own fears so that we can show compassion and love to others.

By Grace Hunter

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4: 1-12

The older we get, the more we see the truth that conflict is inevitable. It is a problem that is just about as old as time itself. No place sees that truth more so than a child care center. Working as a teacher in this setting has taught me that even the smallest among us face conflicts in every area: from children not getting their own way, to fighting over a toy.

We expect these temper tantrums in small children—they are, after all, still learning the social norms. But when we look around in our families, among our friends, in our neighborhoods, or even in our churches, we can often find the same behaviors. What is it that causes these quarrels and fights among us? James would tell us it is the battle with our own evil desires—our selfishness and pride.

We all know that conflict is a part of life. Jesus did promise in John 16:33 that in this world we would have trouble, and boy was He right! None of us are exempt from trouble, but how we deal with it is important because the eyes of those all around us—Christian and non-Christian- are watching for our response. It is our response to conflict that tells a hurting and hungry world what God is like.

We can learn from the way Paul handled conflict. In Galatians 2:11-14 he has a conflict with Peter over the way Peter acted like a Jew sometimes and a Gentile other times. Paul was direct with Peter, and bold in his statements, yet handled the conflict with grace and poise. He did not belittle or berate, but lovingly restored Peter to fellowship and right living.

There is a popular song amongst preschoolers called “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.” Part of the chorus says,

Can’t go over it.

Can’t go under it.

Gotta go through it.

This should be our response to conflict. Far too often we want to avoid it, bypass it, cover it, or somehow pretend it isn’t there, but Jesus and Paul call us to be bold and unafraid, and walk through the process of conflict with firmness, love and grace.

This week take some time to get alone to pray, think and journal how you tend to deal with conflict. What do you want others to see in you during these times?

By Sheila Rennau