Matthew 18:12-27: Return

If one of a flock wanders off, you go and get them. If someone gets stuck in a sin; you do what it takes to free them from it because you love them. First you try to help them out by yourself like a shepherd would try to help his sheep from a pit and then, if you can’t help them by yourself and you need to go get help from one friend or a whole bunch of friends then that is what you do. You do whatever you can to help them return and if they don’t wish to be a part of you then treat them like you would treat pagans or tax collectors; What does it mean to treat people like tax collectors? Who is a famous tax collector in the Bible? Matthew. Matthew is the one who wrote this text. Matthew is saying, 'treat them as Jesus treated me – with the love –' hoping that they will return to the flock. Peter asks, 'how many times must we forgive someone who sins against us, always?' 'Always times forever', Jesus replies.

Jesus, the Church and Christians aren’t about attacking people with random laws to punish them; we are about loving them so that they can experience God’s salvation. The vulnerable and the little ones’ messengers always see the face of God.

We were in Florida years ago. There were signs everywhere telling you not to go near ditches, lakes, or any still water because it may have an alligator waiting for you. My 7 year old daughter, for whatever reason, just wouldn’t listen. I was getting quite frustrated. Every time I turned around Rebecca would be running to look in another body of water. I kept telling her not to, not because of some arbitrary law that I wanted to enforce but because I love her and I didn’t want her to be eaten by an alligator. Sure enough, the last time Rebecca went unaccompanied by any Floridian water, no sooner had I picked her up and headed up the embankment than an alligator came out of the water right where she was standing.

It is the same with us and God. That is why we are always to forgive and to try to return each other to holiness: not to punish or to be mean to people but to save each other from the alligator of sin that wants to drown us eternally. Just as I never gave up, time and time again, pulling my daughter from the water’s edge, none of us should ever give up on anyone we know; we need to keep pointing them to God’s love and His Salvation.

How can we help point our friends to that salvation?

Originally presented to River Street Cafe, 27 Jan 2017

https://salvogesis.blogspot.ca/

Comments

Psalm 147:7-11: Does God Prohibit the Kilt?

7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. 8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. 10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man [or ‘the warrior’]; 11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:10 : “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man.” I thought this was an appropriate passage to look at on Robbie Burns Day. For Christmas one year Susan bought me some Bible Commentaries on Psalms. In one of these books the author, Peter C. Craigie, from Scotland, writes: …. It was the custom in Scotland for boys to ...

Poor No More! Count me in! (Mt 26:11, Mk 14:7, Jn 12:8, Dt 15:11)

Matthew 26:11 (Mark 14:7, John 12:8) Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 15:11 in saying, “the poor will always be with you” As this is the case, Ignacio Ellacuria says, in essence, the great salvific task is to evangelize the poor so that out of their poverty they may attain the spirit necessary first to escape their indulgence and oppression, second to put an end to oppressive structures, and third to be used to inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth, where sharing trumps accumulating and where there is time to hear and enjoy God’s voice in the heart of the material world and in the heart of human history. [3] I think that is very important. We need to evangelize the poor. We know what the word evangelize means, right? It comes from the Greek word ‘euangelion’, which means ‘good message’ or ‘good news’. [4] We need to share the good news with the poor. Jesus, as recorded in Luke 4:18, in his very early sermon in the synagogue in his very own hometown quoted the prophet Isaia...

Resurrection and Frankenstein's Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17 and Revelation 21 3b-4)

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! We went to see Frankenstein the Ballet last night. If anyone knows that story. The beginning is like the book. Dr. Frankenstein makes a creation out of the parts of corpses who had had terrible things happen in their lives - and then he brings life to the new creation and it becomes whole - with a whole new lease on life. A new chance to live. No matter all the awful stuff that had happened before. Now - the book actually ends poorly after that but the ballet does not. The ballet includes a story of Giselle. This bride, who herself suffered a horrible fate, learned forgiveness and is resurrected. She meets Frankenstein's creation; they fall in love - and start off again, this time living a transformed life. Revelation 21:3b-4: God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or ...

Salvogesis

Search This Blog