What would you do first?
Today we are thinking about what Jesus does after entering Jerusalem before his arrest and crucifixion. You can read for yourself - Matthew 21: 12 - 17
If I had to decide what I’d do first after getting welcomed into a city like a king - I can’t honestly say I would do anything like what Jesus did. I would probably see if I could find a good place to stay rather than go to church, let alone, cause a scene by welcoming in the least and the lost.
How about you? What in your life stops your from reaching out to care for others?
how about in your own family? Are there folks in your family, siblings, parents, extended faMiley members whom you don’t have much of a relationship with? what would it be like to reach out to them, again?
How about in the community? There are probably folks who come to mind right away who are in need of help. What might you do?
One of the challenges of loving our neighbor is the fact that reaching out in love doesn’t necessarily do anything to change the systems of oppressions and poverty that surround us. There are scapegoats in our society because there is more political will to have cheap workers and broken systems than there is to create more just and fair systems for everyone.
We can reach out to others, regardless of where we find ourselves in life, but when we reach out to help those with little or nothing, there is often an implicit judgment or even a rejection of care depending on the societal and personal issues and story involved.
It isn’t easy to reach out in love to others. It makes us vulnerable. It causes trouble, whether within a family, a community, or a wider system. Jesus rides into town, and brings the “unclean” spiritually and physically into the temple, and cleanses them. Right there. God is always doing this by the way, time and again - reminding us - you can do church and spiritual things - and they are worthwhile and powerful ways to engage with God and God’s truth, but you also must act for those in need.
The daily struggle to thunk about how we can do this, and actually act, whether it be having another conversation with someone who needs conversation (even if they repeat themselves or talk too much) to offer support and help (even if the recipient won’t use it as you see fit) or to ask another for conversation or support for yourself, even if you don’t think you need it - all of these are ways of sharing the love that first was given to you.
Christ’s peace! PrCR