WATCHWORD:
21 The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” 22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. Luke 18:21-23
Meditation:
Walking with Jesus
You won’t believe this, but last Sunday, when I got to church, there were people sitting in my pew! I said you wouldn’t believe that. I was so upset, I almost walked out. How dare they?
Oh, but wait, I can top that. When we were returning from our vacation, we attended church on the way home and they did not kneel when they prayed! That’s right, they did not kneel. How disrespectful of our Lord? Not only that, get this, the pastor did not wear a coat or a tie. And the music, there were no hymns, it was like they were playing popular songs. I couldn’t even listen to the words. They had a musical group playing, with drums and trumpets; in church! I felt like I was attending some heathen gospel tent service!
Do you see who is reading today’s Gospel lessons? When was last time we saw her in church? And look at that, she’s wearing jeans. Jeans! I wonder if she even knows the Lord!
Sadly, those aren’t fictional comments, they’re probably representative of some of the unspoken thoughts that some have entertained as the church has made subtle changes. The message hasn’t changed but the environment of worship has. Churches have leaned more toward entertaining delivery of worship in hopes of attracting more people. That is not the purpose of God’s House.
I wonder what Walking with Jesus means in the minds of many of us. When we make that commitment, do we realize that walking with God means surrendering every part of our being. Maybe you’ve struggled with the story of the rich young ruler to whom Jesus said “go and sell all you have and give it away and follow him”. Like that young man, we wonder how making ourselves poor would help anything.
We miss the mark. We miss the deeper meaning. It’s not what we have or what we own, it’s our love for what we have or what we own that is the key. We hear the pastor speak of stewardship, and we roll our eyes. We participated in Bible study, but resist the homework. We hear generosity, and say “how much?” We like the idea of forgiveness, but there are some we simply can’t. We recite the Lord’s prayer, often without understanding. We read “give us this day our daily bread,” not thinking that the daily bread refers to His Word and practicing it. His message to us is to follow “the daily bread”, not a devotional, not a reference to food in the physical sense, but in reference to the Word of God.
So, you want to walk with Jesus? You want to follow Him? Me, too! It won’t be an easy walk, but if we walk with Jesus together, supporting one another in love, it will be joy-filled, and we can do it in peace. I think that’s what “Merry Christmas” should be about. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, would you restore the joy of our salvation? Help us to be willing to follow you with all we have. As we read the Scriptures that remind us who you are and the ways you love us, ignite in us a sense of joy that overflows out of our hearts! Let this holy joy be contagious and spill over onto the lives of those around us. May your peace that surpasses all understanding be upon us … especially as we’re wrapping up a year that has felt very scary and uncertain. Encourage our hearts with the knowledge that with you we can live in your perfect peace, no matter our circumstances. We thank you for the joy and peace you give! Amen.
