Week 51 Daily Dose of Love
#351 (12/17)
Witnesses
of the Crucifixion
Matthew 27:55-56
Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee
and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and
the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Mark 15:40-41
There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow
him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Luke 23:49
But
all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Sometimes we must love from a distance. It is important
to realize that the desire to be with someone is different from love. Love is a deepening connection with
another person where we personally invest in the fulfillment of their potential. As we grow closer to another,
a number of other emotions arise which are often associated with love but are different than love. As the
fragrance of a flower is different from its roots, so are attraction, warmth, and the pleasure of one’s company different
from love. After the heat of summer has caused the petals of a flower to drop and the wind and
cold of autumn shrivel the stem and scatter the leaves, the root, the life of the plant, endures ice, cold, penetrating blizzards,
and incomplete thaws, until its blossoming fragrance once again fills the warm spring air. Even though circumstance may require that we be distant, our hearts can always be in contact
with those we love.
Reflection/Discussion:
What is different about loving from a
distance?
Principles of Love:
Compassion
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your creation
#352
(12/18)
Jesus’ Side is Pierced
John 19:31-37
Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially
because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the
bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified
with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He
who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.)
These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.”
And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”
Blood and water are basic elements of life. Jesus died but new life
flowed out of him in its most basic and elemental form. In John 7:37-39 Jesus tells us that he
is the “living water” and those who take in this water will never thirst. God’s love
is the most basic element of life. People die and relationships change, but love is the living substance
of our universe, the essential thread of all existence that weaves through every life created by God. When
we take in his love and allow it to become basic elements of our being, we too join in the eternal life of love that never
thirsts for more. Reflection/Discussion:
What are the most basic elements of our
lives?
Principles of Love:
Nature
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
#353 (12/19)
The Burial of Jesus
Matthew 27:57-66
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock.
He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were
there, sitting opposite the tomb. The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests
and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive,
‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise
his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last
deception would be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers;
go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing
the stone.
Mark 15:42-47
When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph
of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly
to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning
the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion
that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the
body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against
the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
Luke 23:50-56
Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their
plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen
cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation,
and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the
tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On
the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
John 19:38-42
After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple
of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate
gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night,
also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of
Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there
was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid.
And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Jesus’ death is a sad moment for Christians because we identify with the emotion
of his followers. But we do not mourn the loss of Jesus because we know what comes next. We know
that he has not left us. There are times when, for all practical purposes, loving relationships seem to have
died. What was once alive and vibrant now seems to be a lifeless form, dead weight that calls for a quick
burial. But as Christians who have opened our hearts to God’s love and learned from the teaching
and example of Jesus, we know there is more to the story. Love does not end. It may take a different form. There
may be physical distance even separation and death, but true love that comes from God is only diminished when we bury our
own hearts. Reflection/Discussion:
What happens when we think love is dead?
Principles of Love:
Suffering
Pray Through the Day:
Use our pain
To deepen our love
#354
(12/20)
The Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-4
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the
stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For
fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.
Mark 16:1-4
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the
first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another,
“Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they
saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.
Luke 24:1-3
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they
came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they went in, they did not find the body.
John 20:1
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still
dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
Before the resurrection, everything in the universe eventually died or disappeared. Majestic
trees that reached to the heavens as their roots penetrated deep into the earth for centuries, eventually drop and dissolve
into compost. Ferocious animals and tenacious insects that survive the harshest conditions ultimately die
and decompose into their component elements. Mountains made of solid rock that defined the horizon for
millennia can crumble in a few minutes when a quake splits them apart. Even the sun, which has warmed our
earth since the beginning of time, will eventually run out of fuel and eclipse into darkness. Death has been
a fact of existence throughout all of history. The resurrection changed that. In one deeply profound moment, Jesus showed us that God’s love does not die.
When we embrace his love, death is simply a transition, our lives a set of stairs that lead to the eternal life of
unending love that God has prepared for us.
Reflection/Discussion:
What effect does the resurrection have
on our lives?
Principles of Love:
Nature
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
#355 (12/21)
The Empty Tomb
Matthew 28:5-8
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid;
I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he
said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised
from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.”
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Mark 16:5-8
As they
entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been
raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that
he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out
and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Luke 24:4-12
While
they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were
terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”
Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.
Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.
But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and
ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
John 20:2-10
So
she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken
the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other
disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran
Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but
he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings
lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place
by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Jesus had told his disciples three times that he would suffer, die, and be resurrected
on the third day but they failed to realize the implication of his words. It requires openness and mental
flexibility to recognize revelations and discoveries that are outside our expectations. It
is common for scientific breakthroughs to be initially rejected by experts because they don’t fit within their level
of understanding or frame of reference. Learning to love, like getting to know Jesus, is a process of ever-expanding horizons
and new revelations. When our minds are inflexible and our hearts impenetrable, we miss potential discoveries
that could have a profound impact on the meaning and purpose of our lives. Reflection/Discussion:
How might our expectations limit our capacity for love?
Principles
of Love:
Opening;
Learning
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#356 (12/22)
Jesus Appears to the Women
Matthew
28:9-10
Suddenly Jesus met
them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to
them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Mark 16:9-11
Now
after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
John 20:11-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she
wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus
had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you
weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did
not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking
for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you
have laid him, and I will take him away.”
Jesus said
to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).
Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers
and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary
Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these
things to her.
Jesus appears first to those who stayed with
him until the end. Just as a seed will take root sooner, and a plant develop more quickly, in soil that
is fertile and well prepared, love comes easiest to those who practice it regularly. The women who first saw Jesus resurrected were those who did not turn away from agonizing emotion or give
into the impulse to flee. They accepted and endured the anguish of seeing Jesus suffer and allowed it to
penetrate their hearts and prepare them to receive the risen Christ.
Reflection/Discussion:
What can we learn from Mary Magdalene?
Principles of Love:
Commitment
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
#357 (12/23)
The Report of the Guard
Matthew 28:11-15
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened.
After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’
If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So
they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.
The chief priests were religious leaders, seen as experts in all matters of faith. But
when the most spectacular event in the spiritual history of the world takes place right in their own community, they didn’t
grasp its significance. Self-interest had locked them into a narrow perspective and effectively blocked
any opportunity for new understanding.
Self-interest is like trying to
look outside at night through a lighted window. All we see is a reflection of ourselves in the darkness.
Reflection/Discussion:
Under what conditions might we be tempted to act like the chief priests?
Principles of Love:
Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
