The Greatest of Commandments Mark 12:28-34

To love God with all that we are, what does that mean?  How do we love God?  Does simply knowing his words do it, or do they have to become a part of us so that they truly guide all we do?  What does it mean to love our neighbors as ourselves?  Can we exclude anyone?

I believe we love God by loving all He has made and trying at least to know His word so that it is a part of us.  His word should be our guide for our lives and not a stick we beat others with.  If a part of scripture troubles us we should pray on it.  Either we don't understand it or it convicts us.  If we love all God has made we should try not to destroy it.  It is a reflection of him.

We have to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Do we have a home, food, health?  Then so should they. We can not love them and treat them differently then we do ourselves.  They are God's creation and so reflect his image.  To reject them is to reject God.

Listen to my Voice

God says this over and over in the Bible and He has to because we have stubborn hearts and stiff necks.  Listening to God means being quiet ourselves and open and attentive to His voice.  I think of how often what we want is to know ourselves what to do.  We don't want to ask anyone let alone God.  I think we often times study the Bible so we will know the answers and not have to ask.

Reading the word of God should be a way of listening to Him.  We can't just read the parts we want, that was where Luther was wrong, or we aren't fully listening to all God has to say.  We also have to be alive and open to God speaking to us through other people.  He will talk to us through our Pastors but he will also speak to us through our family and friends and even the homeless man on the corner.

Prayer, quiet meditative prayer, where we open our hearts to God and then listen with our hearts for an answer is critical to listening for the voice of God.  Sometimes he will actually talk to you and you will hear Him but most of the time it is more subtle.  Look for it everywhere and in everyone.

The Law of the Prophets Exodus 17:1-7

Reading this passage the first thing that came to my mind was this was just and introduction to the 10 commandments but in reality it is so much more.  The Lord tells us if we really are His followers, if we are truly just, others would admire us and want to join us.

If we really followed the commandments of God and didn't try to live only the letter of the law and then only the barest minimum, we wouldn't need to evangelize.  If we didn't listen to clever people who convince us that God didn't really mean what He said when He said do not kill.  We convince ourselves that racism isn't really stealing or that because we really want to our adultery was okay.  We  even tell ourselves that because we are "saved" we no longer have to worry about sin.

In Matt 5 we read whoever breaks these commandments or teaches other to do so will be called least in heaven

Lord, how often must I forgive my brother? Matt 18:21-35

I imagine that when St. Peter asked our Lord if he had to forgive his brother seven times that he thought he was being generous.  How often do we ask the same question of our Lord?  How often do we ask that question after we ourselves have gossiped or told a lie for the thousandth time?

Forgive, or you won't be forgiven.  Jesus says this over and over.  When we pray the Our Father we tell God, forgive me only as I forgive others.  Do I only forgive those whom it benefits me to forgive, someone I need something from?  Do I forgive only those whom I feel really ask for my forgiveness?  Do I assume that because I am "saved" I no longer need to forgive?  At times I can say yes to all these things.

One of the people I find hardest to forgive is myself.  Certain mistakes I hold against myself and I have to ask the Lord to help me forgive myself just as I need His help to forgive others.  Holding on to grudges doesn't do you any good.  Forgiveness frees you up to love, it gives you space in your heart.  You don't have to keep letting people hurt you but until you forgive them, can you ever actually be free of them?

What will it profit a man

If we try to improve our lives by not feeding the poor, caring for the elderly, or helping those in chains, our efforts will come to nothing.  I am not saying that we won't have bit more change in our pockets for a time, that may happen, I am saying it will do us no good.  Becoming miserly will change who we fundamentally are.  We become someone who worships money, not God.  We may still go to church as often and sing as loud, and read the Bible as much but what we do will be hollow.

Think of the difference between these two worlds, one where everyone is out for themselves versus one where we all love and care for each other.  One is hell on earth and the other the Kingdom of God on earth.  Worshipping money means not depending on God for our life.  We are so poor and so finite we can not see into the next minute, shouldn't we depend on God who is is all knowing and all loving?  Put your life in the hands of God and do not be afraid.  He is there and He will,lead you.  It may not be where you thought you wanted to go but it is where you need to go to end up in heaven your final and best home.

Lazarus Luke 16:19-31

I have often wondered, the rich man obviously recognized Lazarus and knew his name so he knew Lazarus in life.  What did the rich man think of Lazarus when he saw him?  Did he think that Lazarus should get a job or say to himself if Lazarus would just get off drugs or alcohol he would help him?

Jesus doesn't say why Lazarus was poor, he doesn't even say that the rich man was condemned because he didn't help Lazarus, he does say that later Matt 25 :31-46, he says only that the rich man enjoyed the good things in life.  Does merely being wealthy condem The rich man?  I think it is more complicated than that.  Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers have the law and Moses.  So following God is the key and if he had followed God, he would have helped Lazarus.

Servant Leadership Matt 23 1:12

Today's Gospel is one that I hold dear to my heart as a Franciscan.  Being small, one of the minores as Francis called them, is the cornerstone of what he taught.  See, to be small, unimportant, and humble.  Lead as a job and not for your own aggrandizement.  As a leader you are the servant of those you lead, you are in fact then beneath them.

Loving Christ is our goal as Christians and in this world we can only love Him in others.  We serve Christ by serving Him in other people.  How can we serve Him in those other people if we are lording over them?  Live to serve and you can't really go wrong.  Serve and others will follow you.  Love and others will love you.  Do all this in Christ and you will serve Him and teach others to do the same.  Love.