3-20-2019

Good Morning All,

       James 2:18; “Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do”

    During this Lenten season, we are exploring the facts about Jesus being true man as well as true God. So, we are looking at some of the Bible stories where Jesus was hungry or praying or eating or suffering and experienced pain just like we do.  We are experiencing the depth of emotion, pain and other humanly experiences of Jesus.   Along with the Lenten services, we have a Bible Study to go with it.  During one of these lessons, someone asked about why it matters that Jesus was human.  There are many reasons but the one we will look at today is about how we interact with others.

    The fact that Jesus was fully human points to the truth that we are to be fully human.  To be fully human means to fulfil the purpose for which God created us.  We were created to take care of the garden. (Genesis 2:15) We were to take care of creation and bearing the image of God, we could do it perfectly because we perfectly kept God’s will.  Sin short circuited this and soon we were lost in our own selfish shortsighted life.  We corrupted our purpose and searched for our own purpose oftentimes maliciously twisting our design to fit our own desires, wants and wishes.  To correct this, Jesus came to live the perfect human life to fulfil the requirements of the Law which we could not.  Then Jesus gave this righteousness to us as the beginning of the reign of heaven which will come to full completion when Jesus returns.  Until that time comes, you and I struggle onward with moments of success and hours of failure. 

    Yet the reason Jesus was human is because the physical matters.  When we are a Christian, it is more than just a spiritual existence.  It matters that we live in the world where we see pain and suffering.  God empowers us, invites us, and commands us to act.  We are to help heal our neighbor, the land, the animals, the environment; whatever is suffering because of sin.  Jesus felt pain because it matters, Jesus was hungry because it matters, Jesus mourned the death of a loved one because it matters.  Jesus did this and more because it was not just your soul that matters; it is your physical body as well.

    So, Jesus leads us to be His hands to continue the work which He began when He walked this earth; to bring about healing, in, with and through, the proclaiming of the Gospel.  In living a life of faith, we show that faith by demonstrating true love for our neighbor.  We see devastation on the news and we pray.  Yet that prayer should also move us to act.  This verse is part of the section in James where James challenges the idea that faith is apart from works and it is not.  So, as we look at the physicality of Jesus, we should remember and act to deal with the brokenness of each other.

Gracious Jesus, as you were broken so we are broken.  Yet you were broken to heal us.  Use our hands and our lips to proclaim your healing redemption.  Use our hands to bring comfort to those around us.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret