Week 3 | Wednesday

My natural human tendency in the flesh is to tear down others who are disagreeable or hold opinions different from my own. But Jesus said he came to save others, not to destroy them. Jesus had just finished correcting his disciples for wanting to stop an outsider from healing others because he wasn't one of them. They persisted in that destructive spirit when they encountered the unwelcome Samaritans. But just like the woman at the well, there were other Samaritans and many in her village who did eventually welcome Jesus. I need to show more patience with others and realize that it is God's job to do the saving; it's mine to show what he has done for me.

I remember the Chosen Episode where James and John wanted to call down fire. Jesus reprimanded them and later they joked about it. Jesus is trying to teach them a whole new way of relating to people. As far as the shaking the dust off your feet comment, I don’t think Jesus ever gives up on people. I go back to what Janet taught regarding the parable of the sower. We go through varying stages-hard soil, weeds, rocks and good soil. When someone is hardened to the Gospel, it is not time to present the Gospel to them. Move on. But, come back when there is a time that they are open. Heading out to snow blow and then-down to communion. Prayers appreciated.

I find it striking that James and John, two of Jesus' closest disciples and presumably leaders of the twelve, had such a major misconception of what Jesus was all about -- and this was near the end of his ministry, when they had been with him for a long time. I wonder what blind spots I have, even after following Jesus for a long time? It makes me more humble about my ideas and attitudes toward others. I once had a falling out with a work colleague who accused me of being arrogant and condescending. I was surprised and hurt (and defensive), but I suspect she was probably right.

I come from a family where education was highly valued. For my parents, it was their ticket to a better life. But I have realized over time that it has skewed my perspectives on people. The most important lessons I have learned in my life are things you don't learn by going to school--they are hard-earned perspectives on love, wisdom, fruits-of-the-spirit-kind of qualities. And I have often learned the most valuable lessons from people I may have otherwise looked down on--to my shame. Lord, help me to look at people as you do.

Today's devotional really resonates with me. With all the talk of deconstruction earlier this week, first in the sermon and then in our Monday Zoom group, nobody ever mentioned the most common reason for many to reject the traditional church, and church culture in general.

But Janet has exposed it here. I honestly believe that all of the people I've seen in a state of deconstruction, whether that caused them to leave God altogether, seek a new church, or remain in church but work toward change (I put myself in that category)--the reason for rejecting "Christian" culture is that so much of it for so many millennia includes calling down fire from heaven as a core value. I place Christanese language, trends, and even music in that category sometimes as well--anything that creates an in group and an out group. Instead of just brushing off our feet (which feels more like a shrug than a fist-shaking), we create spaces where they feel unwelcome and language that they don't understand, all the while believing that their refusal to join us demonstrates their worthiness of eternal damnation.

Anyway--all that, combined with the discussion I'm reading here, reminds me of why I love our particular church and the people who choose to be together in it so much. Everyone here is really doing the work to be more like Jesus, and that makes me want to be more like all of you.

My husband and I have been drastically miss-judged by a neighbor who we used to be good friends with. I have never been hated so much in my life and can do absolutely nothing about it. (Although, of course, I have tried to reconcile.) Because I usually get along with pretty much everybody it is very strange to be the “hated” one. It has stretched me immensely and I am still trying to figure out how to live out Christ’s calling in this circumstance. Sometimes you do have to shake the dust off your feet and go to another “town.”