Yesterday we saw Jesus saying the way we treat a hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned person says something about our desire to join his kingdom.  What is the consequence of this story?

The story makes it clear that Jesus’ kingdom is based on generous sacrifice.  Our motivation for compassion and care is not to be someone else noticing, or that we’ll get thanked, paid back or will otherwise benefit.  It’s not even entirely about the other person’s benefit.

It’s simply the right thing to do, and it’s the overflow of a relationship with God in Jesus.

The deck-building neighbour I described on Monday was also married to a great neighbour.  She was a nurse, and one day she came over to check on my wife, who’d fallen asleep laying on the grass resting from gardening.  This was part of that nurse’s vocation, it’s not just a job to help people in need, it’s actually part of who she is, and what she is called to do.

Christians have the same kind of vocation to love our neighbours, with friendship, words, and also our actions not because there’s something in it for us, but because it is who we are as citizens of the kingdom of God.

Sometimes this isn’t as easy as checking on a friendly neighbour – not everyone finds visiting prisoners easy, it can be scary.  Serving the thirsty can mean travelling places we’d rather not see.  Helping those with no clothes can be awkward!

But this is how Jesus challenges us to dispay kingdomliness.  He calls us to overcome our fears, prejudices, anxiety  for the sake of his kingdom and its values.

Q: List the six needs Jesus wants his followers to meet:

  • The hungry
  • The thirsty
  • The stranger
  • The naked
  • The sick
  • The imprisoned.

Who do you naturally have the most compassion for?  Who do you find most challenging to show compassion for?  Why?

Remember, we meet for coffee every Wednesday night at Starbucks in the Chapters Store in Ajax, in Durham Region just East of Toronto.  Maybe we’ll see you there?

Ryan Sim - May 14, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Forgiveness

Today’s passage follows right after the Lord’s Prayer – a prayer Jesus prayed that asked his Father to, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” It’s so important, he wants to say it again in the verses that follow: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15 ESV) What motivates you? Encouragements and rewards? Or fear and necessity? Jesus’ statement here is so important, he says it both ways for both kinds of people, in addition to including it in his prayer. Forgiveness is at the core of what Jesus is about. He came to a world of broken sinful people, and died for us. Here’s what he said he was going to bleed for: Matthew 26:28 - This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. And later, one of his followers, Paul, said in Ephesians 1:7 - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace We’ve been studying the Sermon on the Mount for some time now, and keep warning you away from seeing it as a list of formulaic rules. Jesus wants his followers’ hearts to be changed so they don’t even need external rules, but are instead in tune with his character, living as God created them to live, in relationship with him. But this is the most direct and formulaic he’s been so far – if this, then that, and if not this, then not that. Forgiveness is such a part of God’s character, that if we claim to be followers of his son, we show it with this characteristic more than any other. All the others flow from it. We can only control our anger if we forgive those who hurt us. We can only avoid adultery if we forgive our spouse when they let us down. Question: What was your first reaction to these words? Were they encouraging, or challenging? What does this say about you?

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