December 30, 2022
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Reading along with us in our Advent readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 30 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.25 through 4.28 (pages 88-92)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Forgiveness can be such a hard thing for us to do. Hard to keep the perspective of all God has forgiven us for and continuously forgives us for when we are feeling personally hurt by someone. We lose sight sight of our own shortcomings and focus on the thing that was done to us. God wants us to forgive not for the other person but that we can’t have a true heart to love and serve others when we are filled with anger and hurt. We need to let go of that stuff and be filled with His peace and love.
Funny how much the people struggled with who Jesus was. They saw His miracles and heard His teachings and yet were confused on who He really was. Pharisees wanted Him dead because they were threatened by Him, those Jews from His home figured He couldn’t be anyone special, and yet those of faith knew and followed!
We have been forgiven for all our wrong doings so with that in mind forgive others. As many times as it takes. Hard to believe Jesus brothers did not believe in him. Like Joseph and his brothers. They certainly believed after his death and resurrection. We know James did. Jesus stayed away from the feast of festivals. The Pharisees hated him so he went in private. They threatened anyone who followed him to be thrown out of the synagogue. Jesus calls out these men. They spend their days trying to obey rules that they’ve added to the law. Of Moses. Well what about murder!! They had murder on their minds! Circumcised on the 8th day. Whether it was the sabbath. Jesus once again stifles these religious leaders. How is it that herods scholars immediately quote Micah 5:2. But all these people say Nazareth. They didn’t want to look any further. They did not want Jesus as their messiah. These religious leaders trying to find Jesus guilty had to listen to him and His Godly preaching Had to have an effect on them. But fear and jealousy had blinded them
How much easier it is for us to be forgiven and seek forgiveness than it is for us to forgive the wrong done to us. And yet this shouldn’t be the case. we should forgive in the same way we are forgiven: completely and unconditionally. And what a great story Jesus tells to demonstrate His point. And it is practically humorous to hear Jesus’ brothers give Him advice about strategy. But who knows the challenges that came from being Jesus’ siblings…they just don’t get it…but eventually they will. And it is just amazing the things people will say in ignorance but then be so sure of what they are saying. The Messiah will do more miraculous things than Jesus did? What kind of miracle didn’t Jesus do? He did it all and numerous times. And Jesus was from Bethlehem, and yet Galilee also had a connection to Messiah in Isaiah 9. But the thing Jesus puts before them here is that He has shown that He is the sent One, and He is just representing the One who has sent Him in the things He has done and taught. And they don’t recognize who Jesus is because they really don’t know the One who has sent Him. It just reenforces how important it is to be in the truth and always be evaluating if we are following the truth or just slipping into patterns of assumption or self justification. It is so important to remain teachable, honest and open.
Day 30
4.25 – 4.28
Advent Day 29
We must forgive seventy times seventy times. God has forgiven us all our sins when we ask him to do so, so we must forgive the people who have hurt us as many times as is needed. This is not only to show our gratefulness for what God has done for us, but also to free us up to do his will without resentment and bitterness towards others. The leaders and Jewish people were too hung up on where Jesus came from that they missed the fact that he was doing all the things the Messiah would do according to the scriptures. Sometimes we need to stop analyzing things to the nth degree and just take a leap of faith and believe.
It’s interesting, the section before this, 4.24, is about correcting someone who does wrong. Confronting them personally, then with 2 or 3 others and then the church. It talks about treating the unrepentant person as a tax collector and that the judgment you (the church) uphold here will carry in heaven, and forgiveness also. Then in this section 4.25, it talks about the extent of forgiveness we should have for our brother and that even our own forgiveness from the Father is dependent on our own forgiveness towards our brother.
This is confusing. Clearly the sinner’s repentance is pivotal to an ongoing relationship. How does one discern sincere repentance? I guess that’s when the “others and the church” come in. It removes the responsibility of judgment from the victim. Repentance and forgiveness do not necessarily negate consequences of sin – being treated as a tax collector (untrustworthy) or being put out of the church.
It seems as if you answered your own question, yes Amy? It is not confusing when we recognize that forgiveness is free and trust is earned. I can forgive someone and then not want them to influence me. You are right that accountability and forgiveness are not the same thing. Make sense?