Genesis 13: 14-17
God said to Abram, “Open your eyes, look around. Look north,
south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before
you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants
like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust
of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length
and breadth; I’m giving it all to you.”
Reflection questions:
Why do you think God wants Abram to keep moving, instead of staying in
one place? What do you think that might
mean to us as Christians today?
Matthew 5: 21-24
"You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not
murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or
sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just
might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister
and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words
kill. This is how I want you to conduct
yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to
make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you,
abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things
right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.”
Reflection questions: Why do you think Jesus makes such a
big deal out of words? How can it be
just as bad as murder to call someone “stupid”?
Why do you think Jesus says you need to get right with your fellow human
beings before coming to worship God?
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If a person continues to stand still. They will go nowhere and nothing will be acomplished. I think that christians try to acknowledge that faith without works is dead, but they dont see that works actually means doing something not just "words", which are important. I believe that saying an offensive word kills the person a bit inside, like emotional wounds are harder to heal and it makes innocence seem lost. The purpose of "peace" is to come to the table clean. Its why we confess and come to the table as a forgiven people. Being unforgiving is negative. That negativity does not bring peace.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the meaning of Abram having to wander... we can't just stand still and be satisfied with where we are in our spiritual journey. I also like your thoughts about forgiveness, getting rid of negativity, and peace.
ReplyDeleteIt happens that the first time I actually heard this scripture I was going through the anger. I literally avoided the person in order to not make peace. When I realized that this was what I was doing my anger subsided. I was angry and avoiding for so long that I didnt even know where my initial anger was. I just knew that I was and there "was" a reason.
ReplyDeleteHow did you get past the anger?
ReplyDeleteI listened to the sermon priest shannon made. :)
ReplyDelete