Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Nov 07, 2013 | Comments (0)


Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

Bottom Line Spirituality: Worldly and Godly Thinking

Click here to go to the Bottom Line Meditations for Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Godly Abiding Spiritually in Jesus Changes the Meaning of What we See Worldly When Not Abiding in Jesus.

Spirituality is our innate ability to feel the difference worldly or godly thinking makes to the way scripture translates to our daily life and relationships.

 

Remember: The DISCIPLE-SHIFT

(see Pentecost Sunday Meditation by Clicking Here)

The Virtual Small Group

Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.

All Scripture is a testimony to Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God. He is the complete revelation of God’s will of grace for salvation. Grace is the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian life.

The Gospel of grace is: rather than trying to be more faithful to become faithful, we become faithful by feeling the Faith God already has for and in us.

The War on Legalism

God declared War on Legalism when He sent His Word into the World. John 1:1 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Legalism fought back against grace believing the Bible, not Jesus, is the word of God. Grace is based on the Two Great Love Commandments. All the Law and the Prophets have now been changed into “do the loving thing.” Matthew 22:37-40 The New Command is to be in His Presence in order to Love one another. John 13:34 “Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The Gospel of grace is not about feeling excited about praising God for who He is but to feel how excited God is to praise us for whom we are.

Galatians 6:2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Luke 21:5-19 Stand firm and you will win life

The truth of legalists: they don't necessarily agree with everything they say.

Wait a minute who is He talking to? When we read the Scriptures sometimes we need to be aware of what the before and the after verses might be. Otherwise, it is as if a runner begins to run on the count of “ready, set” and there he goes before it goes.

This Scripture starts running even before it starts. It starts at verse one with the widow’s mite. Luke 21:1-4 A poor widow put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then Jesus called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. All of them have contributed out of their abundance, she out of her poverty.”

Literal thinking looks at the external. “As He came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!"

Grace thinking looks to the internal. Jesus had just called the Disciples attention to this woman “She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." 

They were not too impressed thinking literally, “that is nice”, perhaps “very interesting,” but no “OMG’s”. They come out of the temple and are climbing over each other admiring the size of the stones and the Temple itself.

Jesus’ response was a very firm, "Do you see these great buildings. Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." They did not get the connection. Their first question when they were alone was, “Master, tell us when will this happen?”

Frankly, Jesus couldn’t care less about the end times. The point He was making is the Temple and all its finery is going to be completely destroyed. Yet, this widow’s offering will never be forgotten in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Literal thinking goes from “how wonderful the act of tithing was” to “I hope they do not ask me to do the same.” In the next section we would be too interested in how the Temple looked and when will these prophecies be fulfilled?

Grace thinking is able to be in touch with how Jesus felt when He pointed out what we might have missed. The widow’s environment did not change one bit after her faith offering. Jesus may as well have been talking to her when He said, “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me.  But not a hair of your head will perish.  Stand firm (in you faith), and you will win life.”

The main point of the Scripture is the compare and contrast as to what gets our interest. As we read the scripture we might try wondering what rationally catches our feelings out the Presence of Jesus and what spiritually catches our feelings in His Presence? The apostles did not wait to understand what the wonder was of Jesus but what their wonder was.

Discover how this works. Ponder the difference it makes if you wonder what you feel versus what Jesus feels when you look at a difficult time you are dealing with. When you know the difference, you will have received the real Wisdom as to what is of most value in your life.


THE DISCIPLE-SHIFT: The Virtual Small Group:  Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.


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