Epiphany 7 / Ordinary Time 7
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Object:
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
-- Luke 6:27-28
These commandments of our Lord appear especially impossible to those who are accustomed to living with some measure of power and possessions in this world. We would be glad to counsel terrorists that their violent behavior is self-defeating, but we resist accepting that these verses could make for good foreign policy. We are quick to suggest all sorts of circumstances in which it is impractical for us to "give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again." Yet consider what it means if we reject such admonitions in light of practical considerations. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same." If we are guided by the pragmatic wisdom of the world, is there any significant difference between those who believe and those who do not? Perhaps we need to focus on exactly what the difference is between those who claim Christ as Lord and those who do not make such an affirmation.
The Christian faith offers us the challenge of an alternate worldview that seems to be contradicted by worldly pragmatism. What would be the impact on church life if we chose to focus our energies on demonstrating the wisdom of the Christian faith within the body of Christ? Would we suffer as Christ suffered, if instead of judging others we lived out the grace that Jesus taught? Could financially strong churches give to financially weaker churches without expecting anything in return? Could a church trust as a practical truth for its life as a community the admonition "for the measure you give will be the measure you get back"? Would the willingness to turn the other cheek and bless those who curse you have a significant impact on the witness of the whole body of Christ? Would we then have a stronger testimony to offer the world as a practical alternative to the violence that threatens to engulf us?
-- Luke 6:27-28
These commandments of our Lord appear especially impossible to those who are accustomed to living with some measure of power and possessions in this world. We would be glad to counsel terrorists that their violent behavior is self-defeating, but we resist accepting that these verses could make for good foreign policy. We are quick to suggest all sorts of circumstances in which it is impractical for us to "give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again." Yet consider what it means if we reject such admonitions in light of practical considerations. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same." If we are guided by the pragmatic wisdom of the world, is there any significant difference between those who believe and those who do not? Perhaps we need to focus on exactly what the difference is between those who claim Christ as Lord and those who do not make such an affirmation.
The Christian faith offers us the challenge of an alternate worldview that seems to be contradicted by worldly pragmatism. What would be the impact on church life if we chose to focus our energies on demonstrating the wisdom of the Christian faith within the body of Christ? Would we suffer as Christ suffered, if instead of judging others we lived out the grace that Jesus taught? Could financially strong churches give to financially weaker churches without expecting anything in return? Could a church trust as a practical truth for its life as a community the admonition "for the measure you give will be the measure you get back"? Would the willingness to turn the other cheek and bless those who curse you have a significant impact on the witness of the whole body of Christ? Would we then have a stronger testimony to offer the world as a practical alternative to the violence that threatens to engulf us?
