The Courage to Love - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (NIV) 

            The Apostle Paul totally understood the precarious times that he was living in. The new fledgling faith of Christianity was beginning flourish across the Mediterranean and as more believers gathered together, both the local and imperial forces began to take notice of these small churches. Paul was gravely concerned that the new members of the faith would be blind-sided by religious foes and hostile authorities. He, therefore, signed off his first letter to the Christians in Corinth with these cautionary words:

‘Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.’

            Paul wasn’t asking the Corinthian believers to do something that he hadn’t already practiced. He knew he was a marked man and that his zeal for the Lord created many conflicts in his daily life. He boldly preached the Gospel of Christ and stood firm in his faith. It caused a lot of trouble and issues for Paul, but he would not give in to the pressure. This eventually cost him his life, but it was supremely important to him to stand up for what was true and be courageous in the face of hostility. As we know, for a long time, Paul confronted his foes, both within and outside of the church. He did not do anything to be popular; he taught what God laid on his heart and fulfilled all that Christ called him to do.

            Christianity has always had to wrestle with what is popular and acceptable, no matter which nation, society, or civilization it encountered. Christians are meant to have the courage to stand against evil and face down bullying, oppression, or tyranny. When our faith neglects to do this, it not only falters, it actually fails. This means that we need to be not just aware of our moral responsibilities in the face of falsehood, we need to be on our guard against scurrilous systems and immoral authorities that manipulate people in order to protect their own interests and repressive agendas.

            Paul did not end his words of caution there. He also added this to his message in the very next verse of his letter: ‘Do everything in love.’ In other words, he did not expect his brothers and sisters in Christ to fiercely or violently face their opponents and oppressors. Like Jesus, Paul asked them to do this in a loving manner. Evil, oppression, and tyranny had to be confronted, but it could only be persuaded of wrong in a loving way. This, in fact, was how the small fledgling faith overcame the mighty Roman Empire – it loved its way into the hearts and minds of the people, leaders, and imperial structure.

            Perhaps you are going through some turmoil in your life or maybe you’re weary with the conflicts that are going on all around us. Perhaps you feel like giving up and just surrendering to popularism or polarization. The easy thing to do would be to give as good as we get and fight with might that proves we’re right. However, the Christian thing would be to courageously and lovingly face our foes in order to effectively display and present Christ in any situation, circumstance, or conflict. It won’t be easy for any of us, including me, and certainly won’t be popular, but it will truly be what Jesus expects of His followers - to let His love win over people.

Point to ponder

Do I have the courage to use love to prevail against those who offend or upset me? Am I willing to let Jesus win?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us in our conflicts and confrontations to overcome the issues with Your love. Grant us the courage to practice our faith in honest and compassionate ways. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome. 😊

Today’s drawing is one of John’s bulletin cover images called “Love Your Enemies.” If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Love.

September 17 devotion - Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (NIV)

It was, and still is, the most profoundly radical religious teaching in the history of the world which sets Jesus apart from all other great philosophers or faith leaders. His bold words must have shocked His own people when they were initially uttered; their old Levitical laws demanded a fanatical hatred of enemies, which led to the total destruction of many established communities who were confronted by Joshua and his army as the Hebrews sought to secure their place in the Promised Land. This absolute hatred had been carried across the centuries, as well as the Jordan River, until it was foisted upon the Romans in Christ’s time. The Jewish people resented the imperial invasion and longed for the day when the Messiah would appear to vanquish all of their foes and restore their community to their proper place of being first among the nations and as the favored people of God.

When Jesus spoke about loving the enemy, it must have perplexed and infuriated some of His followers. They wanted Christ to be the Messiah, but this teaching about embracing their foes was not what any legitimate Messiah should be saying. Probably a number of people wrote Jesus off as being an appeaser of their enemies, a religious snowflake who snubbed their pious patriotism and put their destiny in jeopardy. It was as if He was bowing down before the Roman Imperial Standard and giving up His sacred Judaism.

There’s some truth in some of that because Jesus was extending their faith in unknown ways. He was tearing down the political and religious barriers which only served to divide people and destroy human kindness. In fact, Jesus was only preaching what God was already doing because sin had not only separated people from God; sinfulness meant that humanity had become enemies of God. If God had dutifully followed the old Levitical rules of hating and punishing His foes, then no people, no community, no nation or empire would survive, including the Jewish people. Instead, God chose love which is why God sent Christ into the world, so no wonder Jesus ended up radically preaching, “Love your enemies.” Jesus was just preaching what God was already practicing.

In these very divisive and partisan times, it’s very easy to treat people who disagree with us as our arch-nemesis and despicable foes. It’s even easier to mock and humiliate them through social media and end up feeling quite smug about what we’ve done. We buy into the world’s way of believing that fierce pride can excuse a multitude of sins. As long as we are sticking into our opponents and making them squirm, then we can maintain our standards and sustain our beliefs. However, if we claim to be Christian, then our beliefs originate with Christ who candidly tells us to love our enemies, and not to hound, harass, or hate them.

Point to ponder

Who are my enemies and how do I love them?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your words often comfort and strengthen us, especially in times of trouble, fear, or distress. However, sometimes Your words challenge us directly and make us aware of what You demand of Your disciples and expect of Your followers. Prevent us from allowing our pride to jeopardize our faith; keep us from being unjust and judgmental. Help us to love our enemies. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest worship bulletin drawings called ‘Denial.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Denial.

Love Your Enemies - Matthew 5:43-44

Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (NIV)

It was, and still is, the most profoundly radical religious teaching in the history of the world which sets Jesus apart from all other great philosophers or faith leaders. His bold words must have shocked His own people when they were initially uttered; their old Levitical laws demanded a fanatical hatred of enemies, which led to the total destruction of many established communities who were confronted by Joshua and his army as the Hebrews sought to secure their place in the Promised Land. This absolute hatred had been carried across the centuries, as well as the Jordan River, until it was foisted upon the Romans in Christ’s time. The Jewish people resented the imperial invasion and longed for the day when the Messiah would appear to vanquish all of their foes and restore their community to their proper place of being first among the nations and as the favored people of God.

When Jesus spoke about loving the enemy, it must have perplexed and infuriated some of His followers. They wanted Christ to be the Messiah, but this teaching about embracing their foes was not what any legitimate Messiah should be saying. Probably a number of people wrote Jesus off as being an appeaser of their enemies, a religious snowflake who snubbed their pious patriotism and put their destiny in jeopardy. It was as if He was bowing down before the Roman Imperial Standard and giving up His sacred Judaism.

There’s some truth in some of that because Jesus was extending their faith in unknown ways. He was tearing down the political and religious barriers which only served to divide people and destroy human kindness. In fact, Jesus was only preaching what God was already doing because sin had not only separated people from God; sinfulness meant that humanity had become enemies of God. If God had dutifully followed the old Levitical rules of hating and punishing His foes, then no people, no community, no nation or empire would survive, including the Jewish people. Instead, God chose love which is why God sent Christ into the world, so no wonder Jesus ended up radically preaching, “Love your enemies.” Jesus was just preaching what God was already practicing.

In these very divisive and partisan times, it’s very easy to treat people who disagree with us as our arch-nemesis and despicable foes. It’s even easier to mock and humiliate them through social media and end up feeling quite smug about what we’ve done. We buy into the world’s way of believing that a fierce pride can excuse a multitude of sins. As long as we are sticking into our opponents and making them squirm, then we can maintain our standards and sustain our beliefs. However, if we claim to be Christian, then our beliefs originate with Christ who candidly tells us to love our enemies, and not to hound, harass, or hate them.

Point to ponder

Who are my enemies and how do I love them?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your words often comfort and strengthen us, especially in times of trouble, fear, or distress. However, sometimes Your words challenge us directly and make us aware of what You demand of Your disciples and expect of Your followers. Prevent us from allowing our pride to jeopardize our faith; keep us from being unjust and judgmental. Help us to love our enemies. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest worship bulletin drawings called ‘Denial.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Denial.

Peacemaking devotion: His Last Miracle - Luke 22:51

Luke 22:51    But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. (NIV)

            It was His last miracle. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, one of His disciples tried to defend Christ with a sword and ended up cutting off the ear of one of the High Priest’s guards. It was a valiant effort, but a wasteful one. It was also something that Jesus did not condone.

            Instead of calling upon His disciples to attack the mob, Jesus sternly called for an end to the violence. He was not going to be party to any defense of His person; He was not going to start a protest, a rout, or a rebellion. In order to show how committed He was to being a peacemaker, Jesus healed the guard immediately. He didn’t want anyone else to suffer, not even His enemies.

            As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers in our communities, as well as across the world. This is very difficult to do because, like most human beings, we get angry and feel justified about diminishing our opponents or destroying our enemies. It’s very easy for us, and even for me as a pastor, to get caught up in foolish quarrels and trivial arguments which do nothing to promote Christ’s teaching, God’s love, or the Spirit’s way. We want to feel strong by humiliating our foes; we want to be crusaders for religious causes, both of which, Jesus would not condone.

            Christ’s last healing miracle was how He personally practiced His radical teaching of loving our enemies and forgiving those who hurt us. He not only showed His disciples how to practice their faith, but He also beautifully exemplified His teaching to His foes, especially the guard who was the injured victim of the disciples’ religious zeal. This is an important lesson about peacemaking for all of us who call ourselves ‘Christian’.

Questions for personal reflection

How has the practicing of my faith hurt other people? What would Christ have me do to remedy this?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, Your Life constantly challenges us. Every moment and every incident in the Gospels has been recorded to teach us about how our Christian faith should be lived. Forgive us, Lord, when we neglect Your lessons; help us to become better witnesses of Your peace and love. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. John is always interested in your thoughts. And, if you ever find yourself in Knoxville on a Sunday morning, the people at Erin will make you feel welcome and will be delighted to worship with you.

Today’s image is John’s latest stained glass drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Glass.