echoes of redemption

The sun was shining this weekend. And rain is falling today. And…

You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of you Father who is in heaven.

Central to the way of Jesus is the idea of loving the unlovable.

Reaching out to that person at work that no one gets along with.

Doing a favor for the person who rails against you.

Its showing the same love to the unlovable that God shows me – when so often I am unloveable.

Because…

(Your Father) makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Sun and rain – the elements of life – flowing freely from the heavens.

The signs that God is blessing the work of our hands. For every farmer that plants a crop relies on the grace of God to feed it with the sun, and nourish it with the rain.

So may we, as followers of Jesus flow blessing upon blessing – upon those who bless, and upon those who curse. Because we are called to stand as the image of God, releasing his grace upon the earth – like rays of sunlight and drops of rain.

It was the biggest catch of their entire career.

Three fishermen told to cast their nets by a rabbi working his way through town – and when they do they catch more fish than they are able to haul in. And when you’re a fisherman, fish = cash.

Then the rabbi says, follow me.

It would have been easy to stay. In retrospect, it actually would have been exponentially easier to stay. But they would have missed out on everything they were created to do.

So when this unknown rabbi called them, they took a massive risk.

They turned their back on the blessing in order to follow the blesser.

Of course, that particular rabbi became know as Jesus the Christ. And the three fishermen – Peter, James and John – became the key catalysts of his movement on earth.

It so easy to become slaves to the tangible blessings in our lives. Stuck where we are. Holding on to what we have. Paralyzed in fear that we could lose it all if we move forward.

Easy to think that the blessing is better than following the blesser.

But that’s exactly what keeps people from living great lives. (Take the rich man, for example.)

So maybe the point of the blessing isn’t actually the blessing. Maybe it’s more about revealing a little more about the heart of the blesser – and what it’s like to live as a follower of Jesus.

Why me? is a brilliant question if you ask it at the right time.

It’s easy to ask why me? in the midst of life’s problems and struggles. Of course, this is the worst time to ask the question. It takes focus off solutions and redirects it inward – which often leads to spiraling negativity, poor decisions, etc.

It’s after the dust settles that why me? is a brilliant question. When life regains traction and we’ve had the opportunity to walk the roads of forgiveness, insight and reconciliation.

Why me?

Is there something I need to do in my life because of this lesson?

Is there someone I can now pour into in a way I never could have before?

Someone I could take under my wing and prevent this from happening in their life?

A new way of living that this problem revealed to me?

Central to the Christian faith is the idea that God weaves both good and the bad things together for good of those who seek after him.

And if this is true, then there is a why. And if I ask the question at the right time, I might just reveal a little more about who I am and what God created me to be.