“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:9

“In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ ³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” ³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37

“The religion of Jesus makes the love-ethic central. This is no ordinary achievement. It seems clear that Jesus started out with the simple teaching concerning love embodied in the timeless words of Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might,” and “thy neighbour as thyself.” Once the neighbor is defined, then one’s moral obligation is clear. In a memorable story Jesus defined the neighbor by telling of the Good Samaritan. With sure artistry and great power he depicted what happens when a man responds directly to human need across the barriers of class, race, and condition. Every man is potentially every other man’s neighbor. Neighborliness is nonspatial; it is qualitative. A man must love his neighbor directly, clearly, permitting no barriers between.” (Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited (p. 89). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.)

If our love is genuine, then we love all people, not just the ones who love us back. Hopefully someone in your life has told you at some point that it is far better to “Kill someone with kindness” then to seek vengeance. It is amazing how kindness gives your enemy nothing to hang their anger on – while venom toward your enemy just empowers them to hate even more. “Let love be genuine…” Paul says. So what is genuine Love? Genuine love is a love one lives out, demonstrates on all people, shares with everyone they meet – not just with those who love them back. The love the Good Samaritan shows the man who was left for dead is genuine love. Paul will go on to write, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor…” And the Prophet Muhammad said “Anyone who believes in God…should entertain his guest generously” – or like the Good Samaritan, show extravagant hospitality. Yes, it isn’t easy, but where does Jesus ever say that they way of the cross would be easy?

Pastor Dave

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:1ff

“To the man who has found his rest in God, there comes the strength to reduce all the ill-at-easeness to manageable units of control, making for tranquility in the midst of change and upheaval.” (Howard Thurman. Deep Is the Hunger . Ravenio Books. Kindle Edition.)

Grace upon Grace. Grace upon Grace. The Greek word for Grace is “Charis” – and it means grace, favor, kindness, blessing. “In the great proportion of passages in which the word grace is found in the New Testament, it (Grace) signifies the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man (and woman), effected through the agency of the Holy Spirit.” (Robert Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament)

Do you consider that your life has been “graced”? Howard Thurman suggests that there is a Grace, a gift from G-d that comes when we find our rest and our peace in G-d when our lives seem to be well out-of-control. I cannot think of a time like 2020 where so many people have been so restless. Yes there was September 11, 2001 and the terror attacks on our soil; and even the recession of 2008 – both events that struck a lot of terror in people’s lives. But I must say the pandemic of 2020 has lasted so much longer – and affected so many more people – old and young, rich and poor.

Do you believe that you can find rest in G-d? I know it is possible – and it begins with experiencing and truly knowing grace in our lives. The heart of the teachings of the Lutheran faith is “Justification by Grace, through Faith”. We have been made right with G-d not because we have done the “right” things, but only because Jesus came at the “right time” to do for us what we could not do on our own. As we come to some knowledge of this wonderful gift, then the Holy Spirit fills us with the realization that we have received “Grace upon Grace”. This is faith lived through love and service.

Pastor Dave