Divorce

When Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and came to the area of Judea on the east side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them. Some Pharisees came to him. In order to test him, they said, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the creator made them male and female? And God said, ‘Because of this a man should leave his father and mother and be joined together with his wife, and the two will be one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, humans must not pull apart what God has put together.” The Pharisees said to him, “Then why did Moses command us to give a divorce certificate and divorce her?” Jesus replied, “Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because your hearts are unyielding. But it wasn’t that way from the beginning. I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If that’s the way things are between a man and his wife, then it’s better not to marry.” He replied, “Not everybody can accept this teaching, but only those who have received the ability to accept it. For there are eunuchs who have been eunuchs from birth. And there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by other people. And there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of heaven. Those who can accept it should accept it.” (Matthew 19:1-12, CEB)

Why did Moses command to give a divorce certificate? Because you are hard of heart.

Actually, marriage happens when the relationship is consummated. Meaning some people are married to more people than they think. When 2 flesh become 1 then the marriage is set.

We are humans who think we should get what we want to make us happy, and while God wants us happy, that doesn’t mean we get what we think will make us happy in the moment, because moments are fleeting and our desires are fickle.

Know that God intended those who were joined to be joined forever.

Loving People. Loving God.

favoritism

My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory. Imagine two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags. Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, “Here’s an excellent place. Sit here.” But to the poor person you say, “Stand over there”; or, “Here, sit at my feet.” Wouldn’t you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges? My dear brothers and sisters, listen! Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith? Hasn’t God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the wealthy make life difficult for you? Aren’t they the ones who drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who insult the good name spoken over you at your baptism? You do well when you really fulfill the royal law found in scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself. But when you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, and by that same law you are exposed as a lawbreaker. Anyone who tries to keep all of the Law but fails at one point is guilty of failing to keep all of it. The one who said, Don’t commit adultery, also said, Don’t commit murder. So if you don’t commit adultery but do commit murder, you are a lawbreaker. In every way, then, speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom. There will be no mercy in judgment for anyone who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy overrules judgment. (James 2:1-13, CEB)

Who would you choose? The finely dressed person or the person dressed in rags?

It is easy for us to say that I love everyone the same, but when push comes to shove we are all humans and we judge. We would probably be drawn to the more finely dressed person. Hopefully, though we are trying to follow God and will look with God’s eyes and not judge based on appearance.

Show mercy to all, because we all need it.

Love everyone equally because that is what God does.

Loving People. Loving God.

wisdom

My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind. People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord. They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways. (James 1:2-8, CEB)

If you need wisdom ask God for wisdom and do not doubt you will get it.

Trust is a fickle thing and sometimes is hard, but I know God will always be with me. Even when things are rough and I do not understand. I will always trust God.

That is hard. It takes time to get to this.

Ask. Trust.

Loving People. Loving God.

How?!?!

“You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. If they say to their brother or sister, ‘You idiot,’ they will be in danger of being condemned by the governing council. And if they say, ‘You fool,’ they will be in danger of fiery hell. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift. Be sure to make friends quickly with your opponents while you are with them on the way to court. Otherwise, they will haul you before the judge, the judge will turn you over to the officer of the court, and you will be thrown into prison. I say to you in all seriousness that you won’t get out of there until you’ve paid the very last penny. “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell. “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:21-37, CEB)

Ok, so this is Jesus expanding on the Ten Commandments.

I mean aren’t the Ten Commandments hard enough to keep on their own?

Ok well, not murdering, or is it killing, and yes that makes a difference but that is for another discussion. But wouldn’t killing an animal for food also fall into this?

And I have never committed adultery according to the original commandments…

But if you think bad thoughts about someone, you have killed them in your mind.

If you think thoughts that could lead to adultery about someone then you have committed adultery with them in your mind. And we know a lot more people have done this than there are people walking around with one eye or one hand.

Jesus just made it impossible for any human to ever keep the commandments. And my friends that is the point. You can’t do it. God can. God does it.

You are included because God loves you. You can’t earn it, God just gives it to you.

Now go and love like God loves you.

Loving People. Loving God.

Rules?

Then Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why are your disciples breaking the elders’ rules handed down to us? They don’t ritually purify their hands by washing before they eat.” Jesus replied, “Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you? For God said, Honor your father and your mother, and The person who speaks against father or mother will certainly be put to death. But you say, ‘If you tell your father or mother, “Everything I’m expected to contribute to you I’m giving to God as a gift,”then you don’t have to honor your father.’ So you do away with God’s Law for the sake of the rules that have been handed down to you. Hypocrites! Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you, This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human rules.” (Matthew 15:1-9, CEB)

Rules are for good order, but when they get in the way of love they need to be rethought.

We bend the rules when it meets our needs or it works in our favor. So why do we not expect this to happen with others?

The two commandments we need to keep are love and love. Love God, and love everyone else.

Kepp those rules and see how the world changes.

Loving People. Loving God.

hates a brother

Dear friends, I’m not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the message you heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines. The one who claims to be in the light while hating a brother or sister is in the darkness even now. The person loving a brother and sister stays in the light, and there is nothing in the light that causes a person to stumble. But the person who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and lives in the darkness, and doesn’t know where to go because the darkness blinds the eyes. Little children, I’m writing to you because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus’ name. Parents, I’m writing to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I’m writing to you because you have conquered the evil one. Little children, I write to you because you know the Father. Parents, I write to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I write to you because you are strong, the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one. Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. (1 John 2:7-17, CEB)

So what does it mean to hate a brother or sister? I ask this because as I read this passage I think of those who claim to be followers of Jesus and yet lift up homosexuality as a sin that is not forgiven by Jesus. They tell members of the LGBTQIA+ community that until they stop their evil and sinful ways they can not be loved by God. I see that as hate. Even if you say homosexuality is a sin, how is it as a sin the worst sin ever? Adultery is forgiven. Divorce is forgiven. Lying is forgiven. But Homosexuality is obviously blasphemy of the Holy Spirit because that is the sin Jesus says is unforgivable.

So when we hold someone else to our standards of living we are hating them. God calls us to love.

When you continue to think someone needs to change and live differently that is hating them in the darkness.

Step into the light and love as God loves.

Love Out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

*Disclaimer I do not believe Homosexuality is not a sin.

tempted

Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward. No one who is tested should say, “God is tempting me!” This is because God is not tempted by any form of evil, nor does he tempt anyone. Everyone is tempted by their own cravings; they are lured away and enticed by them. Once those cravings conceive, they give birth to sin; and when sin grows up, it gives birth to death. Don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. (James 1:12-16, CEB)

When you stand firm during tempting you are blessed.

When you show the world that you are a child of God and never give into the worlds pleasures you are blessed.

But don’t say God tempts you because you are tempted by your own desires and cravings.

Do not give in but hold fast to God.

Loving People. Loving God.

ἐγώ εἰμι

Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “Because you are testifying about yourself, your testimony isn’t valid.” Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I’m going. You don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You judge according to human standards, but I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I’m not alone. My judgments come from me and from the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the witness of two people is true. I am one witness concerning myself, and the Father who sent me is the other.” They asked him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You don’t know me and you don’t know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area known as the treasury. No one arrested him, because his time hadn’t yet come. Jesus continued, “I’m going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you can’t come.” The Jewish leaders said, “He isn’t going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said, ‘Where I’m going, you can’t come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I’m from above. You are from this world; I’m not from this world. This is why I told you that you would die in your sins. If you don’t believe that I Am, you will die in your sins.” “Who are you?” they asked. Jesus replied, “I’m exactly who I have claimed to be from the beginning. I have many things to say in judgment concerning you. The one who sent me is true, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” They didn’t know he was speaking about his Father. So Jesus said to them, “When the Human One is lifted up, then you will know that I Am. Then you will know that I do nothing on my own, but I say just what the Father has taught me. He who sent me is with me. He doesn’t leave me by myself, because I always do what makes him happy.” While Jesus was saying these things, many people came to believe in him. (John 8:12-30, CEB)

ἐγώ εἰμι. I am.

Jesus said to those questioning him, “If you don’t believe that I Am, you will die in your sins.” If you don’t believe that ἐγώ εἰμι. This is the name of God given to Moses in Exodus.

Jesus just said to the religious leaders If you don’t believe that (name of God) you will die in your sins. Jesus just plainly said in public he is God.

This happens a lot more than we realize in John. It is translated differently or wrong.

For instance in the garden when the guards come to arrest Jesus, usually it is translated as I am he. The temple guards fall on their faces when Jesus says this because he says, “ἐγώ εἰμι” and the guards recognize it as God’s name!

Those who opposed Jesus knew who he was and who he claimed he was.

Do we?

Know that Jesus is God and he came to show us love and to help us love the world.

Loving People. Loving God.

preach

This is why we don’t get discouraged, given that we received this ministry in the same way that we received God’s mercy. Instead, we reject secrecy and shameful actions. We don’t use deception, and we don’t tamper with God’s word. Instead, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God by the public announcement of the truth. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are on the road to destruction. The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who don’t have faith so they couldn’t see the light of the gospel that reveals Christ’s glory. Christ is the image of God. We don’t preach about ourselves. Instead, we preach about Jesus Christ as Lord, and we describe ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. God said that light should shine out of the darkness. He is the same one who shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay pots so that the awesome power belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out. We always carry Jesus’ death around in our bodies so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies. We who are alive are always being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies that are dying. So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. (2 Corinthians 4:1-12, CEB)

We do not preach about ourselves but we preach about Jesus as lord.

The good news is God stepped down and came to show us love and how to live and love others around us. The Good News has had an effect on our lives that is why we share the message, but preaching is never about us, but Jesus.

We might share our story, but preaching is about Jesus.

Preach in the world and tell the story of God’s love through Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

grace wouldn’t be grace

God hasn’t rejected his people, whom he knew in advance. Or don’t you know what the scripture says in the case of Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel? Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars. I’m the only one left, and they are trying to take my life. But what is God’s reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand people who haven’t bowed their knees to Baal. So also in the present time there is a remaining group by the choice of God’s grace. But if it is by grace, it isn’t by what’s done anymore. If it were, God’s grace wouldn’t be grace. So what? Israel didn’t find what it was looking for. Those who were chosen found it, but the others were resistant. As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day. And David says, Their table should become a pitfall and a trap, a stumbling block and payback to them for what they have done. Their eyes should be darkened so they can’t see, and their backs always bent. (Romans 11:2-10, CEB)

If we are accepted by what we have done then God’s grace wouldn’t be grace.

We will always be resistant to doing what God is leading an guiding us to do because what God calls us to do is love everyone and to be frank that is impossible.

There are people in our lives that just rub us the wrong way and do not make us want to love them, but God wants us to love them anyway.

We could never do enough right stuff in God’s eyes to make it. That is why there is grace.

You can’t earn it or do anything to get rid of it.

God’s grace wouldn’t be grace if we could earn it.

Know you are loved and love others.

Loving People. Loving God.