Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I want to thank those who were able to gather Sunday evening as we began our discussions on the words of Jesus. We started by looking at some of the values of Jesus we see in the gospels, opening by looking at the friends Jesus assembled around him and with whom he interacted. Foremost of course is God his Father. Jesus was constantly talking with his Father, certainly more than we hear of in scripture. What we find there are those critical moments in his life: his baptism, after hearing of the death of John the Baptist when he wanted to be alone, but the crowds followed him, at his transfiguration, in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus also had the circles of his friends surrounding him; the twelve and others who came in and out of that inner circle, Martha and Mary Magdalene and other women who traveled with him, Justus and Mattias, who would replace Judas as one of the twelve and who had been with Jesus “from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us” (Acts 1:22). And lastly, the “least of these.” Those who were outcasts, many of whom probably never had much if any ongoing relationship with God or Judaism and yet Jesus treated them with respect and friendship.
While most people look at what is often called “upward mobility” with gaining wealth, power and prestige, not so with Jesus. As he would teach his disciple, even he, the lord and master was willing to wash their feet (John 13:13). Each person was treated with respect and dignity, even women and children who were not considered to have any status. We also see that Jesus considered not just generosity, but radical generosity as one of his virtues. We see this probably most clearly in the story of the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit the kingdom of God, to which Jesus replied, follow the commandments. When the rich man replied that he had since his youth, our Lord said you lack one thing, sell all you have, give it to the poor, then come and follow me. It was not just about riding himself of his possessions, but of changing the whole way he looked at the world. It was not just downward mobility, but realizing that to follow Jesus, one’s whole outlook had to change, one had to repent, to turn one-hundred and eighty degrees, and see the world anew.
The last two virtues we discussed were small beginnings and new beginnings that were important to Jesus. Think how often he spoke of small things: mustard seeds, the pinch of yeast that made the whole loaf rise, little children. The amount did not matter, even in faith, it was about what one does with it. And new beginnings, how often did Jesus teach that starting over was not a demerit, but a new chance. The woman caught in adultery who was told that neither did Jesus accuse her, but she should go and sin no more. The Samaritan woman at the well who had been married six times and was living with someone else, she also was offered living water. Peter who offered to forgive seven times, how many of us would be willing to forgive seven times, it was a generous offer, but to whom Jesus said “no, not seven but seventy times seven.” Even the centurion who crucified Jesus would declare, “truly this was God’s son.”
In the coming weeks, we will look at the words of Jesus and explore how his virtues were lived out as he walked the earth and how they are key to being the church Jesus calls us to be. I hope you will journey with us.
Peace,
Bryant+
