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Did Jesus really mean Matthew 5:43? (Practical ways to love your neighbor!)

I’m practically convinced that the Great Commission could have already been fulfilled IF the church had obeyed the second greatest commandment. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 5:43) What can this look like in our lives?

Loving your neighbor as yourself means you share your faith.
Loving your neighbor as yourself means build others up with your words.
Loving others as yourself means you choose people over wealth.
Loving your neighbor as yourself means you pray for people.
Loving your neighbor as yourself means you forgive others.
Loving your neighbor as yourself means you sacrifice your rights.
Loving your neighbor as yourself means you take the lowest chair.

This list can be endless as we seek to integrate and “incarnate” the person of Christ into the world. We integrate the person of Christ into our everyday life by seeing every person as God sees them. Each person is made in the image of God. Jesus reminds me constantly to view each person important and worthy of Spirit-fillled kindness. We “incarnate” by walking in our identity as ambassadors for Christ and reminding ourselves that we represent Jesus to a broken world. If people won’t read the Bible or go to church, you may very well be the ONLY reflection of Jesus they ever see.
Jesus knew what He called us to was (and is!) impossible. “Nice” is not necessarily Christian. Anyone can be “nice”. But, only God’s people can love supernaturally. God desires each person to love people like He does. He initiates, He blesses, and He forgives over and over. He’s the catch-you can’t just decide to love people. You have to get on your knees (metaphorically and maybe literally) to ask God to put His love into you. Then and only then, can a God-empowered love for the world be activated. You need Him to reflect Him. God never gives commands without the promise of His Spirit. I’m praying this is the generation of Christians who not satisfied with nice. I’m praying this generation will allow God to have full access to our hearts so He can love His world through us.

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CLEAN YOUR GLASSES/ Mark 10

Mark 10:46-52 has been my time with God this week. I loved reading about Bartimaeus. When I read about these people, I think one of 2 things..”I want to be like him (or her)!” or “They are like me and YET, they follow Jesus.” Either way, it’s spiritual food.

In this text, Jesus comes to Jericho, a city noted for many bible stories. In addition, He is riding into Jerusalem within the week. IMAGINE JESUS -knowing all things -is about to go big! He KNOWS he will be healing people from horrible pain, YET He Himself is on His own journey  of pain. He will give His life for ours.     

Here comes our boy- BARTIMAEUS!   V. 46. “Now, they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, BLIND BARTIMAEUS, THE SON OF TIMAEUS, SAT BY THE ROAD BEGGING. V 47. AND WHEN HE HEARD THAT IT WAS JESUS OF NAZARETH,HE BEGAN TO CRY OUT AND SAY, “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”  

Let’s stop.

LOOK at these words about Bartimaeus. He is called “blind”. (How long? We don’t know.) He is said to be “begging”. In this culture, blindness means  2 things-the blind person has probably been cursed by God and he (or she) is useless to society.  IMAGINE THIS.  I’m not a blind beggar, but Bartimaeus’s story can touch us deeply as we consider his status (or lack thereof).   WHERE AM I BLIND?      

 V.48″Then many warned him to be quiet; BUT HE CRIED ALL THE MORE, “SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”V.49 So, JESUS stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then, they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, for He is calling you.” 

(Is it just me or does the crowd seem to change like the wind? One minute, telling (“warning”) him to be quiet and the next, helping him up & cheering him on ? I think it’s the presence of Christ. Did the crowd see their hatefulness toward blind beggers or did they just want Jesus to think they were righteous? Either way, this story is not theirs. It’s the story of the man “WHO CRIED ALL THE MORE”!)

V.50 AND THROWING ASIDE HIS GARMENT, HE ROSE TO COME TO JESUS. V.51 SO, JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO HIM,'”WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO FOR YOU? THE BLIND MAN SAID TO HIM , “RABBONI (an Aramaic term of endearment!), THAT I MAY RECEIVE MY SIGHT.” V. 52 THEN JESUS SAID TO HIM, “GO YOUR WAY; YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL. AND IMMEDIATELY, HE RECEIVED HIS SIGHT AND FOLLOWED JESUS ON THE ROAD.” 

Time for me to clean my glasses and SEE.

  • Notice the order in which Bartimaeus speaks. BEFORE HE ASKS FOR SOMETHING, he honors JESUS by calling Him His MESSIANIC name “SON OF DAVID.”
  • Now, he has publicly shouted out Messiah’s title, he cries for Him to “HAVE MERCY ON ME!” (What can we discern here? Bartimaeus recognizes NOT ONLY his physical disability, but his spiritual NEED.)
  • (Sidenote: I LOVE THAT JESUS STOPPED & STOOD STILL TO WAIT FOR BARTIMAEUS! WOW-how can I be like that? I want to STOP for those whom others disregard & I want to “stand still and wait” to show mercy on others. JESUS can do this through us!)
  • Bartimaeus throws away his garment (maybe symbolic of his old life?) and comes to JESUS. JESUS knows what he wants and YET, asks him again. “What do you want Me to do for you?’ . Bartimaeus’ gets to affirm his faith again publicly! I imagine Bartimaeus lifting his sightless eyes to Christ and quietly addressing His Messiah….”Rabboni, I want to receive my sight.”
  • Finally, JESUS says “Go your way; your faith has made you well. And he (Bartimaeus) immediately received his sight ands followed Him on the road.” Amazing! Jesus heals Bartimaeus and then gives him the freedom “to go your way”. But, Bartimaeus knows the difference between sitting in darkness and walking in light.
  • Bartimaeus “follows Him on the road.”   And that is everything! 🙂

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YOUR HARVEST TIME-Hosea Part 2

THANKS, friends, who have shared (via e-mail) on your own study of HOSEA 10:12. If you’ve been receiving e-mail from me, you have received the following… The discovery of  SUBSTANCE and CONVICTION of this text!

I shared with you about the discovery of that great web site Net Bible for 8 different translations of HOSEA 10:12. Finally, a listing from cross-references of this text and some random Hebrew definitions of some of the POWER WORDS like “SOW” and “REAP”, for example. If you haven’t received any of these, write me at tristief@juno.,com or tristief@gmail.com and I will get them to you. It will really help your study!

I. “SOW WITH A VIEW TO RIGHTEOUSNESS” The Hebrew “sow” is “zara”-Lev.26:33, Jer. 31:10. The Hebrew for “righteousness “tseh-dek”” which can mean ethical conduct, integrity, upright, and true. Another view  is”conforming to a standard” .
HOW CAN WE  SOW?
CONSIDER. I love the Proverb “Consider the field and receive instruction”. If I want to grow spiritually, what is this decision to sow “seeds with a view to righteousness” going to cost me? I need to realize the discipline of a well-watered garden (Is. 58) requires thought, preparation and work.

DIG. The value of dirt can be aesthetic. There is immense satisfaction to look at a well-dug garden with neatly planted rows. This is what the farmer or gardener wants. But, how messy must my hands get to grow in this way? It’s hard to stay bent over for hours digging out rocks and vines. My mind must be fixed on the RESULT of  this task and see the pain as a worthy price to be paid!

II. “REAP IN ACCORDANCE WITH KINDNESS” A Hebrew rendition  of “kalah” (Strong’s 3615) meaning “to finish” is comparable. Compare the Greek word  “therizo”-“to gather in harvest” (Strong’s 2325) with this. Remember “God’s “kindness”? Translate it as “hesed”-the loyal love of GOD has for us can also be the unconditional seed we share with those around us!

HOW CAN WE REAP?
REJOICE…As we reap, we gather with JOY. YAHWEH TSIDKENU-“GOD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”- has seen fit to bless us with growth. My motivation is that His righteousness has brought about my righteousness!
GATHER...We have work to do! In the midst of reaping, we can become tired or LET THIS TOIL BUILD our endurance. If you know Christ, He fills you with His Spirit and you will “not grow weary of well-doing.” For the farmer or gardener, to LOOK AND SEE GROWTH is the reward!

III. “BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND” The Hebrew is “niyr” Strong’s 5124. Could there be any doubt what God is telling Israel (here called Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom)? Remember from our last blog, they are living in open rebellion of idol worship and God is trying to draw them back to his loyal love!
HOW DO WE BREAK UP OUR FALLOW GROUND?

My friend, Holly, defines “breaking up fallow ground” as “to plow, harrow, and break up without seeding for the purpose of destroying weeds and insects“. I also like Holly’s definition of “fallow” as “undeveloped but useful“!  Ouch…that describes me pretty well.

***Have you ever felt that way? “OH LORD, you can’t use me! I’m involved in too much sin! ” Peter said the same thing to Jesus ,”Go away from me LORD, for I am a sinful man.” What was the Savior’s response? “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

The farmer or gardener has to make decisions.  Do I wait on this ground and let it settle or do I need to dig out impurities? How do we wait? Actively or passively? My friend, Jeanne, calls this ” passive, yet active (aggressive?) waiting  to know when the time is right.” HERE’S  YOUR BOTTOM LINE: DO I NEED TO BURROW DEEP IN THE THINGS GOD IS ALREADY TEACHING ME OR REMOVE THINGS THAT HINDER MY GROWTH IN JESUS? MY ANSWER IS  “YES.”

IV. “For it is time to SEEK the LORD until HE comes and rains RIGHTEOUSNESS on you.”

HOW DO WE SEEK?

PURSUE AND TAKE ACTION! What do you want your HARVEST to look like next year?  BOUNTIFUL -brimming with new fruit and fresh joy OR dodging the SAME rocks (sin?) as obstacles and trying to untangle the vines around your legs? (Heb. 12) Our goal is to grow…that’s what we were made for.

God is very clear that “if we draw near to Him , He WILL draw near to us”? (Jas. 4). If we spend solid time in His Word-asking Him for growth-He will give it in His timing. A CONFESSIONAL HEART AND A CONTRITE SPIRIT ARE HIS DELIGHT.

Don’t you love that last phrase “until HE comes and rains righteousness on you”? What a beautiful circle to me…the verse starts that way with US activating our faith and ends with HIM giving it!!

He saturates our spirits. His gifts have become ours. Let us sow in faith, reap in joy, break up the fallow ground of mediocrity, and seek Him while He may be found!

BLESSINGS as YOU enjoy the harvest of your faith!