Question

People brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a cot. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man who was paralyzed, “Be encouraged, my child, your sins are forgiven.” Some legal experts said among themselves, “This man is insulting God.” But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you fill your minds with evil things? Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“Get up, take your cot, and go home.” The man got up and went home. When the crowds saw what had happened, they were afraid and praised God, who had given such authority to human beings. (Matthew 9:2-8, CEB)

The religious leaders were questioning Jesus’ authority. So Jesus showed all around that not only is it easy to forgive sin, but he also has the power to heal. But this is not the most interesting thing about this text for me today.

Did the paralyzed man ask to be healed or for his sins to be forgiven? No. Nor did any of those who brought him. Jesus saw the faith of those who brought him because they had faith that Jesus could heal him, and because of that, Jesus forgave him and healed him. It wasn’t the man’s faith but the faith of the community. It is not my faith, but the faith of the community.

Those in power in the community want to keep those who are inferior in places of control. If the community works together then those in power will not have that power anymore and that is a place of fear. When the faith of others builds up the community, those in power will be in a place to possibly lose that power. Because we are all in the body together and no one is greater than another.

Do not be afraid, but build each other up. That is what God wants. Love to be freely shared.

Loving People. Loving God.

glad

Some certainly preach Christ with jealous and competitive motives, but others preach with good motives. They are motivated by love, because they know that I’m put here to give a defense of the gospel; the others preach Christ because of their selfish ambition. They are insincere, hoping to cause me more pain while I’m in prison. What do I think about this? Just this: since Christ is proclaimed in every possible way, whether from dishonest or true motives, I’m glad and I’ll continue to be glad. I’m glad because I know that this will result in my release through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is my expectation and hope that I won’t be put to shame in anything. Rather, I hope with daring courage that Christ’s greatness will be seen in my body, now as always, whether I live or die. Because for me, living serves Christ and dying is even better. (Philippians 1:15-21, CEB)

“Some certainly preach Christ with jealous and competitive motives, but others preach with good motives.” And this makes Paul glad because in all things Christ is preached. Because when people hear about God and the love God has for them, their lives are changed.

But sitting in Texas where people are not allowed to be who they know they are and people tell them until they change they will not be loved by God, I’m not sure just the preaching of Jesus will be enough. Saying God loves you while also saying your lifestyle is not one that God loves is not helpful, but hurtful. The other day I saw a video online that said “if the way you love your neighbor causes your neighbor to want to die, it is not love. I don’t care what Bible verse you quote, I don’t care how many Bible verses you quote, if your definition of love causes the death of others it is not love it is cruel and evil and has no place in the kingdom that Jesus talked about.” Hatred has no place in the kingdom.

The preaching Paul talks about is love that God has for all creation, not just those who agree with him or look like him or act like him. All creation.

So love. And allow those around you to feel that love and see that love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Together

I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers. I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray, and it’s always a prayer full of joy. I’m glad because of the way you have been my partners in the ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now. I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus. I have good reason to think this way about all of you because I keep you in my heart. You are all my partners in God’s grace, both during my time in prison and in the defense and support of the gospel. God is my witness that I feel affection for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight. I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ. I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ, in order to give glory and praise to God. Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the things that have happened to me have actually advanced the gospel. The whole Praetorian Guard and everyone else knows that I’m in prison for Christ. Most of the brothers and sisters have had more confidence through the Lord to speak the word boldly and bravely because of my jail time. (Philippians 1:3-14, CEB)

We do not go through this life alone.

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and people who journey with us.

And God who started a good work in you will bring it to completion. So know you are never alone.

Together we can use our gifts, build each other up, and change the world with God’s love.

Loving People. Loving God.

integrity

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other. Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:

Though he was in the form of God,
        he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself
        by taking the form of a slave
        and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
        he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
        even death on a cross.
Therefore, God highly honored him
        and gave him a name above all names,
    so that at the name of Jesus everyone
        in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow
        and every tongue confess
            that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my loved ones, just as you always obey me, not just when I am present but now even more while I am away, carry out your own salvation with fear and trembling. God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out his good purposes. (Philippians 2:1-13, CEB)

Got to love translations.

‘thinking the same way’, ‘agreeing with each other’, and ‘Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus’ all have the same word in them from the Greek. φρονέω a derivative of φρον which means thoughtful thinking means “to employ one’s faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis upon the underlying disposition or attitude — ‘to have an attitude, to think in a particular manner.’” And the scholars who translated this text where Paul uses the word three times decided to use a different way each time. Be of the same mind is the NRSV and it is close with the second of one mind, and the third is same mind. At least the NRSV always uses mind with a sub of one and same. Which is close. Unlike the CEB above.

All of this is to say what is Paul really getting at here? We need to have an attitude that we will always do what Jesus is guiding us even when people aren’t looking. Even when it won’t get us anything. Even when it is just us we get to impress. We should have the attitude of Jesus, who stepped down from the throne and became just like us. So he could show us how to live. In any moral dilemma, there is a correct answer. And that is what we do regardless of who is watching.

integrity

Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem again. As Jesus was walking around the temple, the chief priests, legal experts, and elders came to him. They asked, “What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I have a question for you. Give me an answer, then I’ll tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.” They argued among themselves, “If we say, ‘It’s of heavenly origin,’ he’ll say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But we can’t say, ‘It’s of earthly origin.’” They said this because they were afraid of the crowd, because they all thought John was a prophet. They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things.” (Mark 11:27-33, CEB)

I love this passage because it shows the leadership speaking to Jesus doesn’t have integrity. Because they are worried what the right answer is for the people and Jesus. Their answer depends on what will keep them in power and in the good light of who they need to be. It isn’t just their answer.

There should be no going back and forth over the answer. it should be what the answer is.

Have integrity and do what is right even when no one is looking.

Loving People. Loving God.

put right

“We proclaim to you the good news. What God promised to our ancestors, he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it was written in the second psalm, You are my son; today I have become your father. “God raised Jesus from the dead, never again to be subjected to death’s decay. Therefore, God said, I will give to you the holy and firm promises I made to David. In another place it is said, You will not let your holy one experience death’s decay. David served God’s purpose in his own generation, then he died and was buried with his ancestors. He experienced death’s decay, but the one whom God has raised up didn’t experience death’s decay. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, know this: Through Jesus we proclaim forgiveness of sins to you. From all those sins from which you couldn’t be put in right relationship with God through Moses’ Law, through Jesus everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God. Take care that the prophets’ words don’t apply to you: Look, you scoffers, marvel and die. I’m going to do work in your day — a work you won’t believe even if someone told you.” (Acts 13:32-41, CEB)

Through Jesus, everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God.

Who believes. Do you always believe? Did the thief on the cross believe in Jesus?

We could probably go back and forth on if the thief believed, and to what extent he believed in Jesus. He believed Jesus was innocent. And that brings up a good point to what extent do we have to believe in Jesus?

And isn’t belief in Jesus a work we do? And would we believe if someone told us?

Is it about belief or is it about grace and God doing something miraculous? The reading says everyone who believes in Jesus, but before that it says Through Jesus we proclaim forgiveness of sins to you. Nothing about belief.

If it depends on me, I will always fail, but it doesn’t. It depends on God and in God we can have faith.

Loving People. Loving God.

and the creek don’t rise…

Brothers and sisters, don’t say evil things about each other. Whoever insults or criticizes a brother or sister insults and criticizes the Law. If you find fault with the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge over it. There is only one lawgiver and judge, and he is able to save and to destroy. But you who judge your neighbor, who are you? Pay attention, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a town. We will stay there a year, buying and selling, and making a profit.” You don’t really know about tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for only a short while before it vanishes. Here’s what you ought to say: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But now you boast and brag, and all such boasting is evil. (James 4:11-16, CEB)

Basically, this passage says don’t make plans unless you say that it is the Lord’s will. Because saying you will do something is boasting in yourself.

I always heard we will be there if the lord wills it and the creek don’t rise. Sometimes things are out of our control and how we deal with that shows as much about who we are.

Know you aren’t really in control. God is.

Love and let everything else fall into place.

Loving People. Loving God.

Greatest?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then he called a little child over to sit among the disciples, and said, “I assure you that if you don’t turn your lives around and become like this little child, you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:1-5, CEB)

We as humans always want to be in the place of honor. We want to sit at the end of the table and be the center of attention. And yet, Jesus says to be great you have to be like a child. And why a child?

Children while they can do some things on their own still need guidance and help. They are dependent on a caregiver. So we too should be dependent on God.

We should not worry about who is the greatest, and focus on following where God is leading us. Knowing we are all equal, and none of us is greater than the other.

Loving People. Loving God.

Watch out

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to watch out for people who create divisions and problems against the teaching that you learned. Keep away from them. People like that aren’t serving the Lord. They are serving their own feelings. They deceive the hearts of innocent people with smooth talk and flattery. The news of your obedience has reached everybody, so I’m happy for you. But I want you to be wise about what’s good, and innocent about what’s evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you (Romans 16:17-20, CEB)

People who create division are not doing what God has called us to do.

We are called to love and live in unity and division doesn’t show love or unity.

So follow after God and Love all.

Loving People. Loving God.

Who?

I’m introducing our sister Phoebe to you, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. Welcome her in the Lord in a way that is worthy of God’s people, and give her whatever she needs from you, because she herself has been a sponsor of many people, myself included. Say hello to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life. I’m not the only one who thanks God for them, but all the churches of the Gentiles do the same. Also say hello to the church that meets in their house. Say hello to Epaenetus, my dear friend, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Say hello to Mary, who has worked very hard for you. Say hello to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners. They are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Say hello to Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Say hello to Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Say hello to Apelles, who is tried and true in Christ. Say hello to the members of the household of Aristobulus. Say hello to my relative Herodion. Say hello to the members of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Say hello to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who are workers for the Lord. Say hello to my dear friend Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Say hello to Rufus, who is an outstanding believer, along with his mother and mine. Say hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. Say hello to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Say hello to each other with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ say hello to you. (Romans 16:1-16, CEB)

Here Paul is closing the letter to Rome and is giving his hellos. There are a lot of people named here, and over half of them are women. Women who led churches, who were leaders of those gatherings.

Paul acknowledges these women and lifts them up. He did not say they needed to back away and let men do this work, because Paul knew that God calls all people and all people are equal in the body of Christ.

So let’s return to the time of Paul and lift up the women who are leaders and help the whole body of Christ become what God intends for it to be.

Loving People. Loving God.