7/28/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 2. 5-6)

“When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon bar Jonah, do you love Me more than these other men love Me?‘ Peter answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love You.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Take care of My lambs.’” (John 21.15)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

At the close of yesterday’s reflection, I asked “what are the two ways which are represented in “our making paths straight” and “God making paths straight”? I stated that the purpose of “trusting and believing” was reconciliation. God so loved His created people that He desired to be reconciled to them even after they sinned against Him. He had invested all His heart, mind, soul and literally His Spirit in them. That investment is imbedded in our DNA which means that intentionally or unintentionally bringing a life into the world, the “spiritual” reality of life is in us. It is by faith in Him that this reality is awakened, enlivened and engaged. How I wish more and more people would understand the vitality of this truth when they pause to consider bringing a life into being and especially when they consider taking that life out of existence as if it never happened! How then are we to experience reconciliation? There has to be “two ways” and only these “two ways” will suffice.

There is the “way of God” which is to forgive. Paul reminds us “For all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” (Romans 3.23) We certainly commit offenses to ourselves, to one another and to others. Ultimately, every one of those offenses is against God. Even to not believe that is an offense to God as it denies the ultimate truth of our existence. I so love when people try to “justify” life and living without God. It has to be a frustrating endeavor and one even scientists are finding more and more difficult to combat. The evidence points more and more to a “creator” and not merely “created.” Therefore, it is only by God’s forgiveness that we can be reconciled. Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Son and our Christ, is the evidence and substance of God’s forgiveness. It is through Him that we are reconciled. It is with Him that we are called to be involved in reconciling others to God. We do so by leading them to the very place where God is waiting, longing, hoping, enduring and believing “we will come home.” There is but one way in which that return can happen. The gates to Eden are blockaded by the angel guard. Only by the Word of God will the door open to us. We are given by our faith, the key to that Kingdom. That key is the very word of God incarnated in Jesus the Christ. It is His word of forgiveness which accepts us as His own. Now you can see the power in the story of Luke’s remembrance of “The Prodigal Son.”

But, there can be no forgiveness given if none is sought. This leads us to the “way of humanity” as the second way. That way is “confession.” Have you ever been frustrated by an intentional parent or mentor (such as a teacher) who asked “Sorry for what?” They knew you apology was not authentic unless you confessed to the real action and thought of wrongdoing. Back in the day, we said “Sorry is just a five letter word: S O R R Y!” It is easy to say, and seemingly even easier to say today, “I’m sorry.” It has the ring of hollowness and insincerity as if merely “saying” the word was sufficient to “right the wrong.” Doing so was only an “excuse” but not a reason. Self-disclosure is hard because it actually means speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As Christ followers, we know the word of God says “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8.32) Abiding in Jesus and He in you gives the strength of confession so that we may offer our profession of faith. What does that profession say? Romans 10.9 says “If you declare [confess] with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” There is a strange nuance about “confession.” Literally it means “speak the negative.” How can “confessing that Jesus is Lord” be a negative? It isn’t. It actually is a profession which means “speak the positive.” But, as a confession it speaks about you and me in that “we are not Jesus, the Christ, the Savior or the Lord who was raised by God from the dead.” It says what we are not (confession) by saying who is the truth that will set us free (profession.) But, until we “confess,” our profession is mutable and deniable. We see this dynamic in Matthew 10.32 as Jesus shares “Whoever confesses Me before others will be professed by Me before God.”

So, here is the path of reconciliation. God’s way meeting our way and becoming the “high” way of life and living! It is not a collision, although sometimes facing the truth is a bit confrontational and hurtful, but it is not fatal. It is lifegiving and promised to be full of hope and joy. It is what Peter experienced when Jesus appeared to him and six of his friends who had gone fishing to alleviate their sorrow and guilt. Jesus extended Peter three opportunities to confess his true belief in Jesus and their relationship. He gave him the opportunities to acknowledge Him and have his path in life straightened out. There were no more corners to sneak around or hide behind. There were no more nooks to hold excuses or to disappear into. Peter was given the fullest opportunity to reveal his true feelings. Jesus asked “Do you love me more than these?” as He pointed to the six “breakfast” and “full net” satisfied friends. Peter never did answer that question outright. He said “You know I love you.” Not hearing what He was listening for (a true confession that was a profession), Jesus asked Peter again [leaving out the qualifier of “more than these”] “Simon bar Jonah, do you love Me?” Now Jesus was alluding to when they first met. Peter had been brought to Jesus by another, his brother Andrew. But, it was not until they sat in a boat together fishing that Peter came to confess “Lord, I am not worthy of such a miraculous catch.” It was then Jesus commissioned Peter saying “Today we begin the journey of becoming fishers of men.” But, Peter’s answer still did not ring true. So, Jesus asked him a third time. It grieved Peter that Jesus did so because he had not confessed openly that he had denied Jesus three times in the High Priest’s courtyard before disappearing into the shadows of fear, doubt and disappointment. Now, it all comes out. It was a time to remember when Peter answered Jesus’ question of all the disciples at the mountain retreat above Capernaum near Caesarea Philippi. He asked “Who do YOU say that I AM?” Peter had answered “You are the Christ of God!” Jesus replied, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but only by My Father in Heaven! Upon the profession of faith I will build My Church and call My people who call upon My name to come in.” (Matthew 16.13ff) Finally, Peter pours himself out to Jesus, “You know everything about me. You know I love YOU!” With that Peter confessed and professed the truth about Jesus and what he believed about Him. He was undone and made new. He was reconciled in that moment and empowered to accomplish what Jesus believed about him. He believes it about us, too. It is time to get the paths straight by trusting in God’s forgiveness even when our confession seems impossible. Let us remember, “With God all things are possible!”

TODAY’S PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, Your love is almost beyond our imagination as to its full meaning and implementation. Yet, in Jesus you have made it abundantly clear. We desire more than simply to be saved. We want to be harvest gatherers and change lives even if the world refuses to change and accepts the dead end as its only end. Pour out Your Spirit on us and clear our minds, hearts, souls and bodies so that You can use all of us to bring about Your good. We want Your will to be ours. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.