The Essential Commandments of Jesus Sunday, Feb 18 2007

How many rules, ideas, and rituals have been attributed to Jesus? There are many traditions that are attributed to Jesus that are not from Jesus at all. How difficult we can make his humble and sincere approach to God. Jesus taught many important things. He healed the sick and raised the dead. And He did give specific directions and expectations to his followers. These directions are essential to living the life of the blessed that Jesus taught us.

The Summary of the Law

34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22.34-40 (NRSV)

The Jewish theological tradition had erected laws around the law so as not to violate even the smallest commandment of God. As well intended as this was, the result was a tedious and impossible ideal. Jesus ‘cuts to the chase’ by correctly identifying our highest aspirations: to love God and to love others. These two must go together. To love only God is a distortion of what it means to be alive. We must acknowledge and adore the essence of our being (God) and the recognition of that Source will naturally lead to an expression of that awareness in love.

The Institution of the Eucharist

14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Luke 22.14-20 (NRSV)

The observance of the Passover Meal was (and is) one of the most significant ritual observances in Judaism. It recalled God’s great deliverance of the people of Israel out bondage in the land of Egypt, and the sparing of God’s people when the Angel of Death moved through the land (read the story of the first Passover in Exodus 12). Jesus took this holy meal of remembrance and wove its historical and spiritual significance into the life and mission of the Messiah. The ‘Last Supper’ of Jesus has long been a source of debate among Christians. Did Jesus institute a sacrament that is to find its continuity only by duly ordained ministers set aside by the apostles and their successors? Regardless of the theological reflections and opinions that surround these actions the conclusion is certain that Jesus presided over a meal in which giving thanks (eucharist) was central and Jesus himself tells his disciples to carry on this meal.

The Command to Love One Another

Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13.31-35 (NRSV)

It is curious that John omits any narrative of the Last Supper. Instead, he gives a different perspective on the essential spiritual teachings of Jesus. John tells us about Jesus washing the feet of his friends. This intimate action speaks of service and humility. It speaks of love. Jesus says that the ability to love will be a chief characteristic of His disciples. There is no separation here between ideas and actions. Jesus does not ask us to obtain a mental grasp of God, or to simply learn techniques for inner peace and quiet. Rather, he invites us to be transformed at the very core of our beings. Only such a depth of conversion will allow us to share the divine (unconditional) love that will identify us as a true follower of Jesus.

The Great Commission

Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28.18-20 (NRSV)

These verses are particular to Matthew’s gospel. They words encourage us to share the good news of God in Jesus with all we meet. How can we do anything else? We can only hope to keep what we have by giving it away. The best way to honor Jesus is to experience his forgiveness and love first hand, then eagerly seek to share that same forgiveness and love with others.

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The Essential Teachings of the Lord’s Prayer Sunday, Feb 11 2007

A Meditation on Matthew 6.5-15

“Remember that the Lord’s Prayer covers the whole of the spiritual life. Condensed though the form is, it is nevertheless a complete manual for the development of the soul.” –Emmet Fox

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (KJV)

Prayer is the single most important spiritual tool we have been given. In prayer we find a connection to our inner most being, the depth of our consciousness, and a direct means by which to connect with God. Prayer is communion with God. We can engage in it anywhere, at any time, for any reason. The foundation of the Eucharist itself is prayer through which we enter into holy kyros time, embrace the sacred meal shared by Jesus himself, invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit, and offer ourselves to be healed and transformed by the efficacy of Christ’s mystical sacrifice. All of this is made possible by prayer.

Prayer is the language of spirituality. It is means by which our human minds are synchronized with the mind of Christ. It accelerates our consciousness of what is real and what is an illusion and allows us to participate in the creative presence of God. Prayer is more than asking for something. It is essentially an act of worship. Effective prayer moves well beyond supplication and into the affirmations of truth which are the keys by which the doors of the Kingdom of God are unlocked on earth.

The Lord’s Prayer is the most well known and widely used prayer known to humanity. It is the one essential prayer that Christians of all persuasions can use without rancor. It is also used in other spiritual settings (such as 12 Step groups) where the simplicity and beauty of this prayer is duly appreciated. The Lord’s Prayer can be used as a formal prayer and may also be seen as a complete outline of spiritual instruction. The version of the Lord’s Prayer above from the King James Version of the Bible is the closest to the popular way the Lord’s Prayer is often prayed aloud. It is essentially the same as the traditional version found in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. The prayer book version is used below as we consider the prayer phase-by-phrase:

Our Father – The use of the plural possessive is a statement of the universality of God. This is not my God or your God, but our God. This does not mean that all religions are equally valid as we hear in a post-Christian “New Age” society. There are many substitutes for the truth that sound good but are at odds with the witness of Holy Scripture. God’s grace is still there for the asking and God is the Source of all, whether we acknowledge Him or not. The God to whom Jesus addresses his prayer is the progenitor of all that is, the moving force of the cosmos, and the prime mover of all creation.

Which art in heaven – The advent of the computer age has revealed the existence of realities on more than one plane. We talk about the realm of data and information as “cyber space.” Our bodies occupy the physical world, sometimes called “meat space.” Physicists are suggesting that there may be many dimensions of reality (String Theory) that we have only begun to explore. The prayer of Jesus affirms that God is in heaven, i.e., is transcendent above ordinary time and space and as such cannot be limited to the constrains of this world dimension.

Hallowed be thy Name – The divine Name is holy. When God spoke to Moses He told him the sacred Name of God: “IAM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3.14). Hallowed means “holy, sanctified, blessed, consecrated.” It is a Name to be set apart for sacred invocation and not to be uttered profanely. It is the Name by which we are created, restored, and made whole.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven – This phase has the dual feeling of a petition as well as an affirmation. Jesus was no doubt expressing the tension between the “already” and the “not yet:” the truth has been revealed but it has not become the rule of life or the order of the day.

Give us this day our daily bread – One of the most important steps in living a spiritual life is the ability to live but one day a time. This may be simple but it is not easy! In fact, it is possible only by grace and giving the unruly will of the mind over to the care of God. Jesus teaches us to pray for the providence of today. This is reminiscent of the manna (Exodus 16) by which God fed the people of Israel in the wilderness. They were not to hoard more than was needed nor eat from yesterday’s gatherings. God provided for them on a daily basis and God provided for us in the same way.

And forgive us our trespasses (debts), as we forgive those who trespass against us (our debtors) – Forgiveness. This is the key to so much of life. In order to be healed we must forgive and be forgiven. God has forgiven us. Have we forgiven ourselves? How much energy do we expend on hanging on to hurts and disappointments that others have inflicted on us? The role of the victim does not work so well in living the victorious life of the spirit.

And lead us not into temptation – This may be the most difficult phase of the Lord’s Prayer. In what sense do we understand God to lead us into temptation? Is it fair to pray this phase “keep us away from that which is tempting”? The more develop the soul the greater the rewards, but alas – the greater the risks and dangers as well! Jesus knew the landscape of spiritual conflict and warfare. He knew that such times would come but should not be sought out. When the time of trial is present we have recourse to God alone for strength.

But deliver us from evil – Be not deceived, there is real evil in this world. Most people have no problem agreeing with this statement, but many academics and professional theologians have taught that a doctrine of evil, Satan, and the demonic world is superstition and folk tales. Jesus taught that evil was real, that is was powerful, and the human beings could be caught in its grip. The only antidote to evil is the Good that is God. The Lord is our strength and our salvation. The Lord is our mighty deliverer from Satan and all spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God.

For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen. – This phase is called the “doxology” portion of the prayer and is treated as optional by many. Some Christian liturgies omit it. It has long been loved and used by Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox Christians. It summarizes the preceding petitions and affirmations and gives all praise and glory to God and God alone.

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The Healing Actions of Jesus: Taking Infirmities and Bearing Diseases Saturday, Feb 10 2007

The ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ may be seen in a three-fold work of teaching, preaching, and healing. As important as teaching and preaching were, it was healing that seems to be at the very core of what Jesus was about. More than any other great spiritual or religious Master, Jesus was concerned with the health and well-being of men and women he met. There are many references to healing in the life and work of Jesus. Nearly one-fifth of the canonical gospels are occupied by the healings of Jesus. Of all the miraculous activities attributed to him, healings are by far and away the most numerous. Forty-one distinct instances of both physical and mental healings are documented in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. There are seventy-two accounts in all, some of which summarize healing events of a large number of people. Being healed of sickness was seen as one of the prophetic signs of the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 33.24). The following three examples of healing from Matthew 8 give us a glimpse of Jesus the Divine Healer.

Cleansing of a Leper (Matthew 8.1-4)
1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them (KJV).

As soon as Jesus came down from the mountain he was met by this man in need of healing. After a mountain top experience comes a most difficult challenge for Jesus. This is a good lesson in spiritual warfare. A profound experience of affirmation is often followed by an equally intense challenge. Another way to look at this is that in order to meet the most difficult challenges of life we must take time to seek the higher plane. This was no routine or ordinary healing occasion. Leprosy was (and is) a most difficult disease. It can take as long as 20 years to manifest after a person has been infected. It is curable, but only treatment in its earliest stages prevents disability. The leper was an “untouchable” of society. The fact that Jesus was willing to touch this person shows that he was more interested in the humanity of the suffering one rather than in distancing himself because of a social taboo. The healing of the leper was not only to offer this man the grace and mercy of God, but to reveal Jesus as the divinely anointed Messiah of God.

Healing of the Centurion’s Servant (Matthew 8.5-13)
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour (KJV).

The Centurion (Roman army officer in charge of 100 men) and his servant were non-Jewish aliens who were political outsiders. They were intruders who represented the oppression of God’s people by an occupying force. Jesus looked beyond superficial political differences and saw human beings made by God, loved by God, and waiting to be healed by God. The words of the Centurion, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof…” have found their way into the hearts of devoted Christians for generations. This prayer is often used in preparation for the reception of holy communion. What was so profound about this man’s statement of faith? The Centurion recognized his own brokenness and the ability of a Higher Power to intervene.

Healings at Peter’s House (Matthew 8.14-17)
And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses (KJV).

Jesus placed a healing hand on Peter’s mother-in-law and the fever left her. This healing appears to have occurred rather quickly, possibly because she wasn’t severely ill or because the spiritual conditions for Jesus to work were optimal. The care extended to this woman by Jesus reminds those of us in ministry not to forget to care for those closest to us. Too often the demands of ministry are such that family and friends become sacrificed to the demands of ministerial life. Later that night there were many brought to Jesus for healing. Some were ill with various and sundry ailments, while others were oppressed by demonic forces. Spiritual healing raises lots of questions to the scientifically trained mind, but what then of demonic deliverance? The gospel writers simple assume the presence of evil forces in the world and the belief that such forces can infect human being, making them sick. In all cases Jesus used “the word” to heal and deliver. The detailed of his particular techniques and methodology are not given here. And maybe the most important statement in this section: (Jesus) himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Jesus was much more than a detached clinical practitioner. More than addressing the presenting symptoms of human misery, Jesus got to the root of the problem by taking our sin, sickness, and brokenness to the cross of Calvary. His atoning death and victorious resurrection provided the ultimate healing for body, mind, and soul.

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