April 3

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, April 3, Lent IV

JOHN 5:31-47

I told the religious leaders that they did not have the love of God in them.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus says that John the Baptist “testified to the truth.” What do I consider to be the most important truth for me in my life? Why?

b. Jesus praises John the Baptist. There are some people in my life right now that I should “praise,” that is, that I should thank a little more. Perhaps I can determine one or two and “thank” them in some way.

c. Jesus’s works testify to his mission from God. In my understanding of the Gospel, what is Jesus’s greatest work and how should it affect me now?

d. Jesus is critical of the people who do not believe in him. Is it clear by my words and actions and especially thoughts that I believe in Jesus?

e. The Lord says that he does not accept human praise. Am I trying to work on my pride, realizing that I want too much human praise?

f. Jesus refers to Moses. I may want to take the time today to read from the Hebrew Scriptures, and see the importance of Moses to the Hebrew people. (This is the task of the meditation.)

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will carry out letter f, reading Exodus chapters 32, and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

I KNOW YOU

+ There are some frightening words in Jesus’ tirade against the Hebrew religious leaders in the Gospel today

- Jesus faces them in what sounds like anger and says:

I know you and you do not have the love of God in your hearts

+ For we who are interested in a deeper spiritual life, that should stir us and disturb us

- leading us to the possibility that Jesus could say it to us

- I know you and you have to work at having the love of God in your hearts

- and that will mean a couple of things in our spiritual lives, using as a guide today’s liturgy in particular:

+ 1 – our sinful human nature could lead us to worship the golden calves that infect our lives

- primarily money and the things that money can buy

- Moses had to implore God not to destroy the people

- unfortunately there are a number of golden calves that we have introduced into our lives

+ 2 – recognize the testimony to Jesus Son of God

- Jesus mentioning here: John, Jesus’s own works, the Scriptures, and primarily Moses

- we must become more centered in Jesus by becoming more centered in the Scriptures

+ 3 – allow the recognition to lead to action

- what the Hebrew people of John’s Gospel did not do

- we must work out of the presence of God, and bring the presence of God into sharper focus by actually allowing God’s presence to be something that others can see and learn from

+ What a challenging, frightening possibility: to have the Son of God turn toward us and say: I know you: you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Delicate" -- Taylor Swift

"DELICATE" LOVE

The Gospel

LUKE 6:30-36

LUKE 6:30-36

Jesus said, "Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful."

Gospelthink: The Lord tells me to love my enemies. Are there people in my life that I should love more?

“I like you; this ain’t for the best. My reputation’s never been worse, so you must like me for me. Yeah, I want you. We can’t make any promises now, but you can make me a drink. Is it chill that you're in my head? 'Cause I know that it’s delicate, isn’t it?”

If there is a central element of Jesus' doctrine, it would have to be love, and that which distinguishes his doctrine of love from other religious sects, is love of everyone including those who do not like us. "Give to everyone," Jesus says, not only to those who love us, not only to those who do good to us, not only to those who would repay us, but to "enemies" as well. "Love your enemies and do good to them" is Jesus' directive. But our human natures do not like the directive because there are people that we simply do not want to love because we do not trust them, and so even as we live Christian lives, we are not very Christian in our approach. We can call such a situation "delicate." It is one in which I know what I should do, and if I do it, I could get hurt. Because it is difficult, it is "delicate."

While Jesus is speaking of love in general, Taylor Swift's song "Delicate" is speaking of a specific romantic situation, one with a specific goal in mind. She sings about a relationship that seems to be good at the moment, but the lady in the relationship realizes that their time together has been for the wrong reasons. Now she's not sure. Is it a good thing that he is in her head? So, she says it is a delicate relationship--she wants the feelings of the man's presence, but she wants it to be for the right reasons. "You must like me for me," she sings.

Actually any love situation is "delicate." Speaking in general, to love everyone the way Jesus suggests is "delicate" because of what Jesus said to do. People could easily take advantage of us and hurt us. In personal lives, to love a specific person who has not loved well in the past is "delicate" because even though he/she may want the relationship, the romantic love may backfire, and the relationship will be a hurting one.

The lady is correct in saying that one must love another for the right reason. There must be an understanding of the delicacy of the situation if one is to be committed to a person forever which the song implies. Jesus' directive goes one step further, however, saying that even if we do not feel like it, even if it is delicate, love includes everyone, whether a relationship is delicate or not.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son taught us to love everyone, even people who are not totally lovable. But in a romantic love situation, we must be careful, "delicate" about the commitment to love. Help us in both instances to understand the meaning of love. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: It is a "delicate" situation if we want to love when it may hurt us.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In your opinion, do Christians follow the Lord's directive to love everyone? Yes or no and why?
2. Text analysis: "You must like me for me." What is your understanding of the statement?
3. Besides love, what are some other "central" doctrines of Jesus?
4. When people are dating in a steady way, what are the most important characteristics that should be shown by both parties?
5. Do you think that many people realize that their situation is delicate, but get married anyway? Yes or no and why?
6. Jesus' directive to love everyone may be the most difficult thing that he said. Is his directive even possible in today's world? Yes or no and why?
7. What does the song "Delicate" teach young people?