Week 26
Daily Dose of Love
#176 (6/25)
Reaching out to Sinners
Matthew 18:15-18
“If another member of the church sins against you,
go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.
But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence
of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender
refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly
I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Luke 17:3
“Be
on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.”
In
Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has just finished the Parable of the Lost Sheep and he continues the lesson by describing specifically
how to deal with a lost sheep within the religious community. Love of God goes far beyond our personal
relationship with our creator. We also have responsibility for others in our community. Viewing this
passage in terms of confrontation, judgment, or legalities dismisses Jesus’ metaphor of the lost sheep.
(Although this passage is most often read separately, it is contained within one set of quotation marks with the Parable
of the Lost Sheep). Immediately following this passage, Jesus talks about forgiveness. We need to
reach out to those in our community who turn away from God with the sense of hope and risk evident in the shepherd searching
for a lost lamb. We also need to be ready to forgive so that reconciliation is possible. Every loving relationship experiences a breakdown at some point (more often at many points...).
It is important to remember at these times that God is love and we were created from his love.
Our true nature is to return to love; but love requires that we take responsibility, not only for ourselves, but also
for our family and community.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can let someone know in a loving way that they have sinned against us?
Principles of Love:
Unity; Acceptance; Compassion
Pray Through the Day:
Bring us together
In your love
#177
(6/26)
Two or Three Gathered...
Matthew 18:19-20
“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on
earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are
gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
To gather in Jesus’ name is to gather in love. Since love is
our origin, nature, and destiny, anything we seek that expands or deepens our love will be granted. That
is God’s nature. The nature of love is to connect, unite, and coalesce
as children of God. Jesus is with us whenever as few as two or three of us gather for that purpose.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we remember to ask for love when
we ask for something in Jesus’ name?
Principles of Love:
Nature; Unity
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
#178 (6/27)
Forgiveness
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I
forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven
times.”
Luke 17:4
“And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back
to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”
A
number of Christian scholars describe forgiveness as the core of our religion. It is also a foundation
for love. Philosopher, Hanna Arendt concluded that forgiveness was the only way to respond to a past that
we can’t change. She wrote, “Without being forgiven, released from the consequences of what
we have done, our capacity to act would be confined to one single deed from which we could never recover.”
Lewis Smede described three aspects of forgiving: Rediscovering the humanity of the offender,
surrendering the right to get even, and changing one’s feelings toward the offender. He said “Forgiveness
begins when the victim begins to see the offender not simply and wholly as a bad creature who did him or her wrong, but as
a weak, flawed, fallible, sinful but nevertheless human being not all that different from himself or herself.” Forgiveness begins when we see others as God sees us.
It requires us to set aside self-centered ideas of revenge or vengeance and to open our hearts in order to release
pain and suffering and find empathy and understanding.
Jesus tells us we need to do this again, and again, and again. It
is an integral part of love. Without forgiveness, love is a shallow puddle that becomes a dried up, cracking
crust of hardened mud whenever we have been wronged. Reflection/Discussion:
How can we improve our ability to forgive?
Principles
of Love:
Forgiveness;
Acceptance
Pray Through the Day:
Lord, Jesus Christ
Have mercy on us
#179 (6/28)
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Matthew 18-23-35
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may
be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who
owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with
his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before
him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him,
the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.
“But
that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the
throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him,
‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would
pay the debt.
“When his fellow slaves saw what had happened,
they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his
lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his
lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also
do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Forgiveness flows through an open
heart. Anyone old enough to read this has already been forgiven innumerable times by our father in heaven.
Refusing to forgive others places our ego above God and stops the flow of his love by closing the gates of our heart. Forgiveness
requires patience. Our first impulse in reaction to pain or injustice is to strike back. But love always looks at the larger picture and recognizes that retaliation only leads to
further acts of revenge. Forgiveness is a conscious decision made with an open heart that has (at least)
begun to heal from whatever injury was inflicted. Holding onto hurt builds frustration and anger, which
feeds the impulse for revenge. In order to forgive, we must let go, first of our own pain, then of the
illusion that we can get even. This helps us open our heart to the offender and realize that we are all
children of God who live in a world where there is a tendency toward weakness and impulsiveness.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we develop the same mercy toward
others that we ask from God?
Principles of Love:
Forgiveness; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Lord, Jesus Christ
Have mercy on us
#180 (6/29)
Decision to Go to Jerusalem
Luke 9:51
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set
his face to go to Jerusalem.
Love always faces up to the realities of life. It recognizes that pain and suffering
can be a consequence of loving action in an unloving world. Jesus knows he will be persecuted in Jerusalem
but his love for us allows him to focus on the task at hand.
Sometimes love requires resolute
determination in the face of fierce opposition. Jesus leads the way in order to show us the depth of his
love and the potential for ours.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we “set our face” to do God’s will when confronted with the likelihood
of pain or persecution?
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Acceptance; Decision;
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
#181 (6/30)
Jesus is Rejected by Samaritans
Luke 9:52-56
And
he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did
not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they
said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But
he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.
Jesus rebuked his disciples for plotting revenge on the Samaritan village that rejects
him because he is on a mission of love. (It is noteworthy that Jesus tells the parable of the
Good Samaratan a few verses
after this) There is no room for revenge in the presence of love. We tend
to think of revenge as “teaching them a lesson” but violent action rarely leads to a positive learning experience.
Even if the victim complies out of fear, respect has been shattered and there is a constant risk they will seize any
sign of weakness as an opportunity to seek revenge against us. Violence is a common impulse that never
works in the long run. Love always works in the long run because it is patient and kind and taps into the very
essence of what we were created to be. Reflection/Discussion:
How can we allow love to undermine our impulse to seek revenge?
Principles of Love:
Acceptance
Pray Through the Day:
Not my will
But yours be done
#182
(7/1)
Return of the Seventy
Luke 10:17-20
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”
He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have
given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Our accomplishments
are less important to Jesus than the fact that we remain open to the love of our heavenly father. Our culture
glorifies accomplishments that can be seen, measured and recorded. Worldly success is defined more by what
we have done than by who we have become. Many people whom the world holds in highest esteem achieved their
status through greed, manipulation, and indifference to the suffering of others. Jesus reminds us that the temporary, superficial satisfaction that accompanies worldly accomplishments is
nothing compared to the deep lasting joy that comes from living the love of our heavenly father.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we maintain focus on what is most
important in life?
Principles of Love:
Vision
Pray
Through the Day:
Open
our eyes
To deepen our love
