Looking Up
Dear HSCC Family,
As our church journeys through the Gospel of Luke, pausing at each meal Jesus has with people, we’ve stumbled across a few obvious patterns. I’m intrigued by their relevance in our culture today and hope we can be a blessing to others as we live differently.
#1. If you’re just looking for problems, your eyesight will be negatively affected. Many of our news programs today behave this way and we often get caught up as well. This affects our moods, conversations and even interactions with other people. We become anxious, depressed and edgy. Jesus warned us that life will be hard, but let’s not make it harder than it needs to be! God is in control, He is with us, loves us and He is good. When I’m aware of His presence and looking to join in His work, my countenance is lifted up. Those days that I focus on myself, my challenges and the negative…I’m down…and I often bring others down with me.
#2. Jesus sought to reconcile everyone to the Father. He did this by having meals with people, challenging their false beliefs and actions and giving grace. I often read the stories of Jesus interacting with the sick/poor/marginalized as those who Jesus loved. When I read about the religious rulers he had conflict with, I feel He was mad at them and as a result loved them far less. Not true. He loves everyone the most! Conflict done right is still loving. Jesus didn’t love anyone less because of the kind of sin they were stuck in—even if they were against Him and polluting faith and fearing God. God gives us free will to reject Him, but that doesn’t take His love away from us. Jesus kept having meals with His enemies—in an effort to reconcile. I need to remember this.
#3. Food is a blessing from God, a grace. God is so creative in how he blesses us and this is revealed in the variety of tastes, textures, ingredients, aromas and appearances of food. Just walking down our potluck table reveals the variety of foods that God provides and the endless combinations involved in making a particular dish. Don’t get me started on desserts! God is a generous artist. We see this in foods, nature, people, the Scriptures and so on. A meal is a regular reminder as we pause to reflect, give thanks and partake.
#4. We have more meals to digest in the Gospel of Luke…what pattern will we find next? Is there a pattern you have seen that I didn’t mention?
Blessings,
Pastor Danny
