Hi Folks,
So, since we are not having
worship service at HCCUCC today, I thought I would offer you a
little devotional. It's still the Sabbath, after all!
Matthew 5:21-24: “You
have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You
shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable
to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a
brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you
insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and
if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell
of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you
remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled
to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift."
This is the continuation of
Jesus's "Sermon on the Mount". The Sermon on the Mount is a
series of ethical and moral teachings. These teachings were,
for the time, revolutionary. They went beyond the strict
literal interpretation of the law and instead looked to the spirit,
the heart at which the laws were aiming.
In today's scripture, we have
Jesus expanding and enlarging the commandment, "You shall not
murder." It's not just about literally killing someone, but,
goes further into the relationship between people. If we
harbor ill will, if we say things that are rude and unkind, that's
just as serious as literally taking their life. This sounds
pretty severe on Jesus's part, but, I believe that he wants to make
it clear how important good relationships are. We know that
when we are angry at someone or holding a grudge, it really casts a
pall over all our dealings. Anger eats at us. Grudges
sap our energy. Jesus calls us to be in good relationship
with others, and calls us to let go of the negativity. He
goes on to insinuate that when we do not have good relationships
with others, we do not have a good relationship with God. "So
when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that
your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift
there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother
or sister, and then come and offer your gift."
You know I'm all about being one,
one with God and one with one another. If we we cannot get
along with the people we can see, how can we get along with the God
we do not see? We are all interconnected. When one
relationship hurts, all hurt. But,this is not a perfect world
and there are many broken relationships that can never be
restored. Yet, that does not mean we have to harbor the
anger, the grudge, the guilt. Let it go. Allow God to
work healing and reconciliation into our souls. Do not allow
the anger and resentment kill our spirits. Let's take that
deep breath, knowing we are held in God's eternal love. Let go and
let God. Amen.
Let us pray. O God, we live
in a world filled with hatred, violence, and broken
relationships. Help us all to bring some healing and hope by
our own letting go of anger, judgments, and grudges, against others
and ourselves, trusting the power of your love. Amen.
In Christ's love,
Rev. Lucille
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