“A student doesn’t get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn’t make more money than his boss. Be content-pleased, even – when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, ‘Dungface,’ what can the workers expect? Don’t be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don’t hesitate to go public now. Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life – body and soul – in his hands. What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail-even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries. Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you? Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut – make a sharp knife – cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law-cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me. If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” – Jesus, teaching his disciples, as found in The Gospel of Matthew 10:24-39
It is Easter! Easter is the most holy time of the year for us Christians. So, let’s begin by turning our hearts and minds towards Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior and Teacher. Do try to do your best to quiet yourself and your everyday world and deeply prepare to engage Father, Son, Spirit and Kingdom for the next few weeks of our Easter celebration. We are being called to go deeper as individuals and as a community. This dive into the Spirit’s deep begins at Easter. In fact, it is Easter!
Jesus, our great teacher, challenged his disciples with courage. “Be courageous!” Jesus said to them! “Be courageous in me and my kingdom and stand strong in the power of love and compassion and freedom with me! All will be overcome by God’s great and beautiful good! Everything will be recreated! Hate, violence, separation … It’ll all be overcome by love, compassion, togetherness and joy! I know it looks bad at the moment, but you wait and see what God will do!”
That’s Easter!
This world and all of its sharp injustices are mere bullies waiting to not only be silenced, but also set free by a new way of believing, thinking, and living. Jesus and his Kingdom of God is this way of believing, thinking, and living.
That’s Easter! Are you prepared to enter the most holy time of our year? Do what you need to do with God and come join us for the next four weeks as we celebrate Jesus and His Kingdom of God.
Today’s Prayer: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best – as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.
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