Continuing in yesterday’s thoughts, Brennan Manning writes the following in Reflections for Ragamuffins. “Every time the Gospels mention that Jesus was moved with the deepest emotions or felt sorry for people, it led to his doing something—physical or inner healing, deliverance or exorcism, feeding the hungry crowds or praying for others. The Good Samaritan was commended precisely because he acted. The priest and the Levite, paragons of Jewish virtue, flunked the test because they didn’t do anything. ‘Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the man who fell in with the robbers?’ The answer came, ‘The one who treated him with compassion.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Then go and do the same.’”
Brennan is correct, Christ acted. Oh, I realize he did not heal every person, but for all those who came to him, Jesus acted. He didn’t wait for a more opportune time, he didn’t seek more favorable conditions; he acted meeting the needs of people where they were. If the Spirit of the Living God dwells within us, Christ calls us to action. At times our action is tangible, sometimes it is prayer, at times it is minimal, other times sacrificial…but it is always action.
Brennan is correct, Christ acted. Oh, I realize he did not heal every person, but for all those who came to him, Jesus acted. He didn’t wait for a more opportune time, he didn’t seek more favorable conditions; he acted meeting the needs of people where they were. If the Spirit of the Living God dwells within us, Christ calls us to action. At times our action is tangible, sometimes it is prayer, at times it is minimal, other times sacrificial…but it is always action.
1 comment:
Preacher, I sent you my devotion from In Touch magazine "How to Love Others". It goes along with your blogs from the last two days. We do need to love our neighbors even when they are hard to love.
Post a Comment