Can or can’t

John’s disciples and the Pharisees had a habit of fasting. Some people asked Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but yours don’t?” Jesus said, “The wedding guests can’t fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can’t fast. But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. “No one sews a piece of new, unshrunk cloth on old clothes; otherwise, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and makes a worse tear. No one pours new wine into old leather wineskins; otherwise, the wine would burst the wineskins and the wine would be lost and the wineskins destroyed. But new wine is for new wineskins.” (Mark 2:18-22, CEB)

When the groom is with the guests they can not fast. But when the groom is gone, then the fasting can happen.

We put new wine in new wineskins so the wine doesn’t destroy the old worn-out skin and spill the wine.

Some things can not be done without harm and so we avoid them.

But love can be done everywhere and every day.

Love without limit and know that sometimes people expect you to be like them, but be how God made you because that’s the best.

Loving People. Loving God.

lift you up

You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. Or do you suppose that scripture is meaningless? Doesn’t God long for our faithfulness in the life he has given to us? But he gives us more grace. This is why it says, God stands against the proud, but favors the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Cry out in sorrow, mourn, and weep! Let your laughter become mourning and your joy become sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:4-10, CEB)

Humble yourself before the Lord and the lord will lift you up.

Do not be friends with the world and follow where they want you to go. I have heard this so much that progressive Christianity is simply following after the world, but if you look at the current state of affairs in the United States it seems that conservative Christianity is following the nation and not what Christ has called us to.

We need to humble our selves and know that God’s ways are not our ways and to say things can not change from what we have always known is saying that God doesn’t change us. God loves us so much God would never leave us as we are.

Be humble and follow God not your own desires.

Loving People. Loving God.

against the proud

Therefore, I have a request for the elders among you. (I ask this as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and as one who shares in the glory that is about to be revealed.) I urge the elders: Like shepherds, tend the flock of God among you. Watch over it. Don’t shepherd because you must, but do it voluntarily for God. Don’t shepherd greedily, but do it eagerly. Don’t shepherd by ruling over those entrusted to your care, but become examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory. In the same way, I urge you who are younger: accept the authority of the elders. And everyone, clothe yourselves with humility toward each other. God stands against the proud, but he gives favor to the humble. I have written and sent these few lines to you by Silvanus. I consider him to be a faithful brother. In these lines I have urged and affirmed that this is the genuine grace of God. Stand firm in it. The fellow-elect church in Babylon greets you, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with the kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:1-5, 12-14, CEB)

Clothe yourself with humility.

We should be humble and kind in everything.

God stands against the proud, those who claim to do everything on their own.

God gives favor to the humble.

Be humble.

Loving People. Loving God.

One man vs a naiton

Therefore, many of the Jews who came with Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees called together the council and said, “What are we going to do? This man is doing many miraculous signs! If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our people.” One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, “You don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed.” He didn’t say this on his own. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would soon die for the nation— and not only for the nation. Jesus would also die so that God’s children scattered everywhere would be gathered together as one. From that day on they plotted to kill him. Therefore, Jesus was no longer active in public ministry among the Jewish leaders. Instead, he left Jerusalem and went to a place near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. It was almost time for the Jewish Passover, and many people went from the countryside up to Jerusalem to purify themselves through ritual washing before the Passover. They were looking for Jesus. As they spoke to each other in the temple, they said, “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, will he?” The chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where he was should report it, so they could arrest him. (John 11:45-57, CEB)

“You don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed.” Caiaphas was a prophet for sure but did he really know what he was saying?

Jesus had to die so he could rise again. And when Jesus rose, he made a way for all people to be made right with God. One man dying is better than a nation being destroyed.

“The needs of the many, out way the needs of the one.” Spock knew this and so did Jesus.

Show people love and put their needs before yours.

Loving People. Loving God.

New Creation

So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived! All of these new things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who gave us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ, by not counting people’s sins against them. He has trusted us with this message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors who represent Christ. God is negotiating with you through us. We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “Be reconciled to God!” God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, CEB)

God is not holding your old sins against you and has made you new.

Be reconciled to God and know that you will be made new.

We are made right and holy in God’s eyes because of Christ.

That is love.

Share that love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Holy Priesthood

Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed. So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone. This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10, CEB)

You are being made into a holy priesthood.

You are offering sacrifices through Jesus Christ.

You have become this people so you may speak about God and be a witness to the love God has for all of creation.

Know that you are called and gifted to share the story of God’s love in your life. This will help others see the love God has for them.

Loving People. Loving God.

σκύβαλα

though I have good reason to have this kind of confidence. If anyone else has reason to put their confidence in physical advantages, I have even more:
I was circumcised on the eighth day.
I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin.
I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews.
With respect to observing the Law, I’m a Pharisee.
With respect to devotion to the faith, I harassed the church.
With respect to righteousness under the Law, I’m blameless.
These things were my assets, but I wrote them off as a loss for the sake of Christ. But even beyond that, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him, but what I lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ and be found in him. In Christ I have a righteousness that is not my own and that does not come from the Law but rather from the faithfulness of Christ. It is the righteousness of God that is based on faith. The righteousness that I have comes from knowing Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the participation in his sufferings. It includes being conformed to his death so that I may perhaps reach the goal of the resurrection of the dead. It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 3:4b-14, CEB)

Paul uses the word σκύβαλα in this passage and it is not used in any other book in the bible or really in any extra-biblical books either. Above in the CEB it is translated as sewer trash. In the NRSV it is rubbish, in the KJV it is dung.

Paul is talking about his list of things that make him righteous. He has the best lineage and has done everything right according to the law. Yet all of that doesn’t matter because Christ paid the price and made him right with God. All of the stuff he said made him right are sewer trash, rubbish, or dung. The meaning of the word σκύβαλα is slang and most likely today we would say shit. Paul uses a slang street term that is something people would say a good follower of Jesus shouldn’t say to make a point. Everything that was important is shit compared to what I have in Jesus.

Be salty. And share the love.

Loving People. Loving God.

witness

When some in the crowd heard these words, they said, “This man is truly the prophet.” Others said, “He’s the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ can’t come from Galilee, can he? Didn’t the scripture say that the Christ comes from David’s family and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” So the crowd was divided over Jesus. Some wanted to arrest him, but no one grabbed him. The guards returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked, “Why didn’t you bring him?” The guards answered, “No one has ever spoken the way he does.” The Pharisees replied, “Have you too been deceived? Have any of the leaders believed in him? Has any Pharisee? No, only this crowd, which doesn’t know the Law. And they are under God’s curse!” Nicodemus, who was one of them and had come to Jesus earlier, said, “Our Law doesn’t judge someone without first hearing him and learning what he is doing, does it?” They answered him, “You are not from Galilee too, are you? Look it up and you will see that the prophet doesn’t come from Galilee.” (John 7:40-52, CEB)

Who is a witness?

Who is a disciple?

Well, that depends on what we are a witness to and a disciple to. Here I am asking about who is a witness to Jesus and who is a disciple of Jesus?

In this passage, I believe Nicodemus is a witness and a disciple. He is standing up for Jesus in front of the Jewish high council.

They wanted Jesus arrested and brought before them, and it didn’t happen, and Nicodemus says that we can not condemn someone without hearing them first. He is advocating for Jesus.

Do you advocate for Jesus?

Loving People. Loving God.

Without…

Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may be blameless and pure, innocent children of God surrounded by people who are crooked and corrupt. Among these people you shine like stars in the world because you hold on to the word of life. This will allow me to say on the day of Christ that I haven’t run for nothing or worked for nothing. But even if I am poured out like a drink offering upon the altar of service for your faith, I am glad. I’m glad with all of you. You should be glad about this in the same way. Be glad with me! So then, my brothers and sisters, be glad in the Lord. It’s no trouble for me to repeat the same things to you because they will help keep you on track. Watch out for the “dogs.” Watch out for people who do evil things. Watch out for those who insist on circumcision, which is really mutilation. We are the circumcision. We are the ones who serve by God’s Spirit and who boast in Christ Jesus. We don’t put our confidence in rituals performed on the body, though I have good reason to have this kind of confidence. (Philippians 2:14-18; 3:1-4a, CEB)

This is a lesson I need to learn. Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may be blameless and pure, innocent children of God surrounded by people who are crooked and corrupt. The ministry I serve is at a very conservative campus and we are a Reconciling in Christ Ministry, meaning we welcome everyone and everyone belongs as they are. We are on campus almost every Wednesday to pass out popsicles and with our RIC logo on a poster we have we usually get one person ask us about our beliefs, which usually leads to me getting agitated and argumentative. And this doesn’t help anyone or anything. I need to learn to follow my advice from yesterday and “Shake the dust off your feet and walk away…” This would be fruitful for all and help to stay blameless.

Fighting doesn’t help build up the body of Christ. We can not remain silent but at what point do we concede and walk away? We need to watch out for evil, and maybe point it out but if evil is causing arguments, when do we step away? Our hope is in Jesus and Jesus said if they don’t accept you, shake off the dust and walk away. I need to learn to walk away form those who will not engage in conversation.

Love always and share that love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Don’t let anyone judge you…

So don’t let anyone judge you about eating or drinking or about a festival, a new moon observance, or sabbaths. These religious practices are only a shadow of what was coming—the body that cast the shadow is Christ. Don’t let anyone who wants to practice harsh self-denial and worship angels rob you of the prize. They go into detail about what they have seen in visions and have become unjustifiably arrogant by their selfish way of thinking. They don’t stay connected to the head. The head nourishes and supports the whole body through the joints and ligaments, so the body grows with a growth that is from God. If you died with Christ to the way the world thinks and acts, why do you submit to rules and regulations as though you were living in the world? “Don’t handle!” “Don’t taste!” “Don’t touch!” All these things cease to exist when they are used. Such rules are human commandments and teachings. They look like they are wise with this self-made religion and their self-denial by the harsh treatment of the body, but they are no help against indulging in selfish immoral behavior. (Colossians 2:16-23, CEB)

Such rules are human commandments and teachings, but they do not help against indulging in selfish immoral behavior. We need to not allow human conditions to keep us from what Christ has called us to. I love how the author here says do not let anyone who wants to practice harsh sefl-denial and worship angels rob you of the prize. Don’t let those who follow after what society has been taught is right and thus force the world to be to keep you from being who God has called you to be.

Shake the dust off your feet and walk away…

Loving People. Loving God.