God Doesn’t Need Us. Yet He Loves our Love and Works.

God doesn’t need us.

God doesn’t need our praise and love. God doesn’t need our service, our gifts of our material wealth, our actions of mercy.

But, what is awe-inspiringly true, is that God creates us, wants relationship with us, and sustains us.

In Matthew Chapter 22, the Pharisees ask Jesus, “which commmandment of the law/Torah is the greatest?”

Jesus replies:

“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:34-40

How can we love God who can surely exist without us?

Just as we human adults delight in hearing a baby or young toddler say our name or say something about us [that we likely already know!], through the image of God as parent, we can imagine God having that same sweet smile, that joy and delight when we say God’s name in recognition of who he is, when we speak things that are known, to God in relationship.

We see this earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, in Jesus example of how to pray. Jesus instructs the crowds listening to him teach that day, saying:

“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”

Matthew 6:9

We are like a young toddler, naming God and naming God’s attributes. And we can know that as the perfect parent (whom even the best human parent is merely a sliver of) God takes joy in our babblings. God delights in us. This love is us and God growing in relationship.

Now, to the second part of Jesus’ teaching Matthew 22.

God does not need our works. God does not need me to bring him food or drink. God does not need me to be forgiving or merciful to him.

In Matthew’s Gospel, the evangelist is very clear in associating Jesus’ followers with Jesus himself.

Jesus concludes his sermon given to those he is sending to do his work and mission with:

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

Matthew 10:40-42

This means, the way we can do works of love to God, is to do them to our neighbor, to do them to others in Christ’s Body, to forgive others (Matthew 6:12), to do them to those whom the Son of God is hidden within (Matthew 25:37-40). God does not need my hospitality, or forgiveness, or mercy, or kindness, or whatever. But God’s desire is for me to do these things for others, and in doing for others we do for God.

Accept the Free Gift from Jesus on the Cross

We call today, this annual Friday, “Good” because it remembers the day that Jesus–God’s Beloved Son and Chosen One–voluntarily submitted to torture and execution. In this act of self-sacrifice and love, Jesus dies for our sins. 

“For our sins” is a personal thing. Even though Jesus’ death happened at one moment in history, it is for each of us, today. “By giving up his own Son for our sins, God manifests that his plan for us is one of benevolent love, prior to any merit on our part” (CCC, para. 604). 

What we remember today shows that it is “by grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God” (JDDJ, para. 15). Jesus the Messiah’s saving work is offered to each of us as a gift–we can receive it, but never earn or merit it. Nothing we do prior to saying “yes” to the gift of Christ’s Saving Work, nor after we receive that gift earns it for us or makes us worthy of such a Divine Gift. To live with the gift of eternal life, knowing we did not earn it through our own merits, nor will we earn it through our own merits in the future–this is counter-cultural. It can feel awkward and out of step in a modern society that wants us to “achieve,” “earn things,” and “deserve what we get.” 

And yet, I re-echo what we enter into on this day, “By giving up his own Son for our sins, God manifests that his plan for us is one of benevolent love, prior to any merit on our part” (CCC, para. 604). Despite our own weaknesses, we can trust in the strength of the Jesus the Messiah, who entered fully into death for our sins, and then conquered death–we can be sure of this saving grace.

This day of remembering Jesus’ saving work of death for our sins is the one and only day when the Mass is not celebrated. There is empty space. Be still and dwell in the reality that God offers you a gift of salvation, of justification, of being accepted, of eternal life. God offers the gift not because of your past merits or future merits. It is true gift–not a loan, nor mortgage, nor lease, nor 401k, nor insurance. It is completely and 100% God’s grace. 

Dwell with the gift today. Tell Jesus “yes.” Imagine accepting the gift into your arms from Jesus on the Cross. Notice how you feel. 

Feelings can vary for each of us. The profoundness of this gift can make us feel elated, free from burdens, profoundly loved, unworthy, tearfully grateful, embarrassed to need such a gift, on fire with God’s love in us, and more. What is common to all of us, is that today we can set aside space to reflect on our “yes” to that saving gift of Jesus that is decidedly *not* what we ever did/could/will deserve. 

CCC =  Catechism of the Catholic Church
JDDJ = Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

Are we repeating the Book of Genesis?

One of the options for the Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord, is the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 1:1-25), which features a genealogy rich with symbolism that looks both backward into history and forward into God’s plan of salvation for all nations (not just Israel).

Now, given that this is an option 😉 and the other option is proclaim only Mt 1:18-25, there’s a chance that many of us won’t hear the entire text of this chapter proclaimed.

But, take a moment to delight today in what Matthew the Evangelist is saying with his choice of literary device and framing here.

Matthew begins in verse 1, with Βίβλος γενέσεως (“biblos geneseōs“), or as we might read it “Book of Genesis”. Does Matthew want us to be thinking of the Book of Genesis? I’m gonna say, yes.

The Incarnation of Our Lord ushers in New Creation in Christ. God’s plan on a cosmic level, visible in the creation of the universe, is visible always in the transformative renewal of Christ.

https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=25-06-024-f

Find Your Authentic Voice

In this short video, Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown speaks on the importance of preachers finding their voice. Each of us is a “preacher” in the sense that we announce the Good News of salvation in Jesus the Messiah to our circles of influence, to the world around us!

Consider your voice. What does it sound like physically? What is the theme in your voice spiritually?

God created each of us to be unique. Pursue authenticity. It sounds the best!

Do + Love = Walk (Micah 6:8)

“to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” –Micah 6:8

The more we read Scripture, pray, and get to know God, the more it’s natural to wonder, what is it God wants me to do? Who does he want me to be?  The prophet Micah sums it up in three parts:

We are to do justice.

This means taking action. Not simply knowing some moral or ethical principles and commenting on what others do—but getting our skin in the game by acting justly and taking a stand on behalf of what is truly good.

But, acting on behalf of God  is only possible when we first check out attitude.

We are to love goodness.

The “good” in God’s eyes is what is pure and timelessly beautiful, untouched by human sin. We are to love goodness, to long and crave for creation to be as God intended it. When we love goodness, acting justly follows.

Finally, our response to God requires a relationship. It’s not enough to have the right attitude and actions.

God desires that we “walk humbly” with him.

Walking with God means that we get to know him and keep close to him as we grow in our love of goodness and ability to act justly. While we may be able to act justly and love goodness out of our own motivations for a short time period or in some situations, it’s our commitment to relationship—to walking with God that will sustain us.

Image by Linnaea Mallette from Pixabay

Purpose. Focus. Forward. (Jeremiah 1:9)

“See, I place my words in your mouth!” –Jeremiah 1:9

Choosing to follow the Lord Jesus is the most significant decision you’ll ever make.

But, your calling as a disciple of Jesus Christ doesn’t end with simply saying, “yes” to God. Before you came to know Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, even before you were born, God dedicated and appointed you to fill a unique need in the world. God has a purpose for you as a disciple.

In prayerful conversation with God, the prophet Jeremiah senses that the Lord is sending him as a prophet to the nations, with a message to be spoken. Jeremiah’s response? A double-dose of excuses—“I do not know how to speak. I am too young!” Yet God does not give up, and assures Jeremiah that he will be with him to deliver him. God will give Jeremiah the words he needs to answer God’s call.

If you’ve made the choice to follow Jesus as his disciple, God has a mission for you—right now, right where you are. Ask God in prayer, what it is he’s called you for. Whatever it is, remember that God has promised us the Holy Spirit, a Comforter and Defender, who will give you the spiritual gifts to overcome whatever excuses and obstacles stand in the way of serving God. Be bold and courageous, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’” Where is God calling you? And what is he asking you to say?

Image by anja_schindler from Pixabay

Ready for Kingdom Living?

“the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to possess”  –Dt 30:16

Being a Christian is about earning check marks in God’s book, right?

Wrong.

Image: “Vast” by IronPoison via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

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And as the people of Israel stand ready to enter the promised land, we see how belief leads to action. See, God has already set aside the blessing of land for his chosen people. The Lord had a plan way back when he rescued them from slavery in Egypt. The blessing already exists. Israel doesn’t have to keep God’s commandments in order to “earn” the promised land, God has already given it freely to them. The issue, however, is Israel’s ability to live and dwell in God’s land. God doesn’t force us to change our lives to conform to his ways. But, without leaving behind our worldly ways of thinking, and transforming our lives in order to live joyfully in God’s kingdom, there’s simply no way we would ever be content in God’s promised land!

Think of it this way—life in God’s kingdom is different than our earthly reality. God’s kingdom is based on love. As we follow the Lord Jesus as his disciples, we gradually want to change our ways, to conform to his example. Why? Not to “earn” blessings, but to become people who can live in God’s kingdom, living by God’s rules with joy. The kingdom of God has come—it exists now and in eternity. The question is, are we ready to live there, to possess God’s blessings both now and forever?

Reader Request: Resources for Preaching a Series

A reader wrote to ask, “Have you discovered any resources to help design message series since that post [Rebuilding Your Message: Big Idea #1 The Series]?”

Ideas for Preaching a Series

1. Read Rebuilding Your Message. It’s an easy read, full of practical tips.
2. Watch the Rebuilding Your Message webinar produced by Ave Maria Press with co-author Tom Corcoran.
3. Watch or listen to series preached at Catholic parishes, for example:
   • Nativity Church (Timonium, MD)
   • Saint Benedict Parish (Halifax, NS)
   • St. Pius X Parish (Bowie, MD)
4. Adam Hamilton (Methodist pastor)’s book Leading Beyond the Walls has a section on series, read more here…
5. Try it. Just do it. 🙂 But, before you start the series, recruit a group to provide feedback–folks in your parish with experience in communication, sharing the faith, offering critique, etc.–and during your “experiment,” meet with them weekly. This will help you gauge what’s working and what’s not and make week-by-week improvements. At the end of the series, solicit feedback from your parish using an anonymous web form or a printed card.

Seek a Future of Hope (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

“When you look for me, you will find me.” –Jer 29:13

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God says to His people, “I know well the plans I have in mind for you.”

Now if you’re like most of us, and have ever been anxious or curious about your future, this is great news! God has a plan for you. Your life isn’t left to random cosmic events. There is a God of the universe who loves us as individuals, and we matter to Him. He has a plan to give you a “future of hope,” no matter how desperate or unfortunate your current life situation may seem.

But then things get a bit disappointing. Jeremiah doesn’t have the details of God’s plan for us.

Instead God gives these promises:

1. When we pray to God, He will listen

2. When we seek God with all our heart, we will find Him

3. If we’re in an exile of sorts—cut off from God or those around us—He will bring us back and “change our lot.”

While God is our loving creator, He doesn’t force any of us into a relationship with Him. Each of us must seek God with all our heart to find the future of hope He has for each of us. Seeking God requires our whole heart and personal prayer—moral behavior, church attendance, or being “religious” are all good, but none of these is a substitute for seeking God.

Seek the Lord, and begin to know more deeply and confidently the plans God has for you today.

Image: “Hope” Melanie Tata (Flickr) CC BY 2.0

The Journey Matters (Psalm 37:5)

“Commit your way to the Lord” –Ps 37:5

Commitment is hard.

From taking the first step in a new resolution, to sticking it out when distractions arise, to continuing your commitment when it becomes boring or repetitive—commitment can test our heart, mind, and body. This verse offers us a promise—that if we trust in the Lord, he will act. But this comes after we take the first step, and commit.  

Image: Memphis CVB (CC BY NC-ND 2.0)

Now, committing anything to the Lord may sound intimidating, but God never asks the impossible of us. The Lord doesn’t ask us to promise success or commit our glowing achievements to Him. No, to “commit your way” means to commit your life’s journey. To give the long, winding, and possibly confusing road of your life to God. To “commit your way” is to give your whole self, your way of being—whatever unique personality traits, way of going about life, and human gifts you have. God cares about the process, not just the results. He promises that if we trust Him with that process—the way of our lives—He will act.

What’s the one area of your life that’s hardest to let God in on?

It could be money, school or work, relationships, your family, or even your doubt in God’s existence—whatever it is, “commit your way” to God, even if you don’t know the outcome, and trust that God will lovingly accompany you wherever your road takes you.