The innocent, silently uncomplaining suffering of Christ is not only an act of Christ on our behalf from which we benefit; it is also an example of Christ for our instruction, which we are to follow. This portrait of Christ is to be painted again on the ordinary canvas of our lives.

- John Howard Yoder in The Way of Peace

In the above quote we read the challenge before us today to consider Christ’s efforts for peace and how we carry those on in our lives. In the new life we live as a result of Christ’s death and Resurrection there is a new way to resolve conflict. The conflict within us between sin and righteousness is resolved by the Holy Spirit graciously bringing us Christ’s merciful forgiveness. The conflicts in our world and in our relationships are resolved as we follow in the steps of Christ leading with love toward those who have wronged us. Just as Christ’s forgiveness does not give us license to continue in our sin, neither does love for our enemies make their actions right. It is a call not to deify others, but to walk in light of the example and deity of Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 Paul says plainly that we do not fight as the world does but our spiritual battle calls us to respond as Christ would. As you consider the way of Peace and the path of Christ take heed of 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 and take every thought captive bringing to the light of Christ’s example.

New Life Reading

N.T. Wright gives a brilliant argument and challenging call in today’s reading. Wright says very straight forwardly that Jesus was not offering another option from the world systems but offering an entirely new world. He says it this way, “He wasn’t coming to propose a left-wing alternative to a right-wing government , or vice versa.” The simplicity of the argument in no way means that it is simple. To give full allegiance to Christ means to loose our hold on our opinions or ambitions. This is not an easy call for we “discover that our (previous) rebellion proceeded not from faith and trust but from fear and bruised arrogance.” Jesus is not a name to be used to further our cause, but a revolutionary new Kingdom that calls for our submission. Jesus calls for this submission from a cross that symbolized worldly power but became His victory over the world. The newness of this world is displayed plainly in Jesus’ explanation about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-25. This call does not make sense outside of the Kingdom of God. Our power in Christ from places of perceived weakness. Forgiveness is not becoming door mat, but it is finding power in a place of apparent weakness. This relies on the power of the Spirit and a view of the world beyond the here and now but that something more matters, that eternity matters. Practice forgiveness, it matters.

New Life Reading

Joyce Hollyday illustrates the example of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as one who heeded the familiar Divine call of “Do Not Fear.” In Matthew’s account these are two of the women who encounter the empty tomb and then encounter Jesus. Hollyday points out there simultaneous joy and dread at the sight of the empty tomb. But holds them up as examples because they heeded the words of the risen Christ to not be stifled by fear. That stifling effect is definitely a temptation for us today, as Hollyday points out. But just like the two women, “we have the confidence of our faith. We have seen the risen Lord.” 1 Corninthians 13 is the well known description of love and it is a lofty goal, only achieved in the Spirit. 1 John 4:18 also adds to the description and talks of the action of love. Love drives out fear. The women’s love for Christ overcame their fear. May our love do the same, we have not been given the spirit of fear after all (2 TImothy 1:7))

New Life Reading

In today’s reading Henri Nouwen displays Jesus’ embodiment of the Lord’s Supper through a person experience. Nouwen tells of attending a Holy Thursday service at a L’arche Community in Paris. The community director led the meeting, laid out his vision for the group to be a serving community, expressed his love for Jesus, and dispersed the elements of the Eucharist. Following a meal the leader once again got up and washed the the feet of each person. Nouwen interprets the record of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet along with the elements in John 13 to show how Jesus gave all in love and service to others. Jesus gives Himself totally to people, all of them. Says Nouwen, “The word became flesh so as to wash my tired feet. He touches me precisely where I touch the soil, where earth connects with my body that reaches out to heaven. He kneels and takes my feet in his hands and washes them.” Nouwen is not necessarily calling for an ordinance but calling for the church to emulate Jesus by giving all of ourselves to one another. This is what Nouwen saw at L’Arche in Paris, “everybody was willing to make a step in the directions to which Jesus pointed.” That’s what I want for me, that’s what I want for you, that’s what I want for us. Make a step in the direction Jesus pointed. Service, that’s the point.

Romans 10:1-4 declares Paul’s desire for salvation to come to his brethren, the Jewish people who are without Christ. As we walk in the steps of Christ we shared Christ with a wondering world.

Clarence Jordan, translator of the Cotton Patch Gospel and founder of the Koinonia Farm, writes in today’s reading of God making Himself expendable. Jesus came into the world that the world might be saved. This salvation happened because Jesus was willing to take the world’s sins upon Himself and die for them. Jesus was willing and we as human beings were willing to let Him die for our sins. Jordan then challenges the church, as the body of Christ, to take on the same mission as Christ:

The reason that the world is so terribly neurotic today is that it no longer has a sin-bearer. The Church doesn’t want to bear the sins of the world. We don’t want to be anybody’s dumping ground. We don’t want to have them throwing their dirty dishwater on us. And the world has no scapegoat; it has no sin-bearer.

The church as a “dumping ground” is not a popular moniker at all. But in Jordan’s sense maybe it should be one. Christ demonstrated his love for us in while we are all sinners He died for us (Romans 5:8). The church then as the Body of Christ, the on earth representation of the character and person of Christ, should offer the same thing that we might give our lives to take on the sinful lives of others. The Church is not the savior, that is Christ, the Church must present Christ in all His fullness. The Church calls in sinners to dump their sins on Christ and that Christ is found among His body, the Church. Luke 9:23-25 is Christ calling on His disciples to deny themselves of their selfish ambitions and to follow the path of the cross. This path will always deal with sins, ours and others. The denial is dealing with our sins, the cross is following God’s will and that cross offers forgiveness for all our sins and the sins of others. We follow Christ and share Christ, the Lord of love and forgiveness.