"THAT'S AGAINST THE LAW!"

1 Kings 14:1-18 (NRSV)

Ahijah receives Jereboam's wife

Oh my goodness! Today’s scripture reading is just down-right depressing to me. It makes me so sad to read about those times when God’s anger burns against a person, family, or people group. It makes me feel terrible to bear witness to the sinfulness of humanity as evidenced by our inability to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

In this case, Jeroboam angered God by bowing down to false Gods and by forsaking his relationship with God-Almighty. As a consequence, God allows Jeroboam’s son to die and takes the stewardship of Israel away from his family.

In my faith tradition these types of scriptures are referred to as Law. Law means that we have sinned. Law means there are consequences for sin. Law means that the penalty for sin is death. What bad news! For we know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)!

But, Law is never left to stand alone this side of the cross.

Law is always paired with Gospel or GOOD NEWS! God knows that by ourselves we are not capable of living up to the requirements of the Law. God knows that our sin-full nature will rise up and be greedy, adulterous, and unfaithful. So God sent GOOD NEWS from Heaven.

Jesus is our GOOD NEWS! No longer are we bound only to the Law. We are now also bound to Him who is GOOD NEWS. Jesus’ death upon the cross was the once and for all sacrifice, or atonement for our sin. God has made things right. God has restored our broken relationship with God. God proved once and for all how much God loves us! Isn’t that wonderful?!

And let me tell you, this GOOD NEWS is free! We can’t do anything to earn it and it’s available to all. But, in response to such love, given so extravagantly, our hearts can do nothing less than love and serve God in return.

Look, today’s scripture shows us exactly what life would be like if we were still bound only to Law. Jeroboam’s whole house was cut off and his entire people group was scattered! This is the consequence of sin my friends! But, thanks be to God that we now pair Law with Gospel in Jesus Christ.

We do our best to live holy and righteous lives following the commandments of God, but when we fall down and then confess our sin, Jesus picks us up again, dusts us off, kisses us on the head, wraps us up tight in arms of love and sends us on our way with the admonishment to, “Do better next time!”

We don’t have to be afraid of the God who made us, loves us, and died for us. We have been set free in Christ to love God and neighbor with great joy and great passion! Now, ain’ta that good news?!

In what ways do you need to become more aware of GOSPEL—GOOD NEWS—in your life?

Loving and Forgiving God, how I praise your name! I confess that I have tried to live a “lawful” life all by myself and I have failed. Thank you so much for the GOSPEL—GOOD NEWS—that fills my heart up with joy! I am loved! I am forgiven! I am saved! This is something I cannot keep to myself...Help me to share GOOD NEWS with others today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Is THAT allowed?!

Matthew 12:9-14 (NRSV)
A healing on the sabbath

My goodness! Isn’t it amazing that there are actually people who want to block the blessings of others? As human beings we are so frail, so quick to sin, so prone to failure. We know that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). But, I can hear that timeless question ringing out in the atmosphere, “Exactly who is my neighbor?”

It is a sad fact that as human being we often discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, age, gender, national origin, disability, and the like. There is not a human being alive that can claim that they have never pre-judged a person without getting to know him or her.

And boy—oh boy—those judgments are loaded. On the basis of what we can see, we make assumptions about what we cannot see—s/he’s greedy, untrustworthy, dumb, lazy, a sinner…You know how it goes.

This is the problem that the folks in the synagogue ran into when Jesus came to visit. When Jesus saw the man with the withered hand, he had compassion on him. When the Pharisees saw that same man all they saw was a sinner seeking help on the day of rest. In order to trap Jesus, they tempted him to heal the man by asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?” But, in response to their foolishness Jesus simply said, “It is lawful…”

Of course it is always lawful to do good…We are called to love and serve all of our neighbors without discrimination on the basis of any defining factor. Thank goodness God’s salvation plan provided equal opportunity for all. That’s why John 3:16 states, “For God so loved THE WORLD that God gave Jesus so that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life…”

Now here’s the GOOD NEWS! God loves you no matter what and God loves everyone else too! You can be the physical manifestation of God’s love in the world through your kind and compassionate actions. Jesus saw that the man in the synagogue was different, but rather than pushing him away or ostracizing him as others had done, Jesus pulled him in, welcomed him, offered him an act of kindness, and sent him back out into the world a changed man!

Do you think that man became a disciple of Christ? I’m willing to bet he did! With your love and kind actions you too can point others in the direction of the God who loves them so much, he gave his life at Calvary.

Is there someone who is different or in need that you have been ignoring for a while? How can you speak and act to bring GOOD NEWS into his or her life today?

God, we are sorry that we have ignored, shunned, and/or failed to help those who are different. Please fill us with your love, so that we can share it with others. Please grant us your help as we seek to bring GOOD NEWS to those who need it. In Jesus Name, Amen.

*The entire scripture reading for today can be found by clicking the ELCA Daily Bible Reading Tab to the right.

*from Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/
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