2236AFC090222 – First of Place – Again
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Luke 14:26 – 26 Whoever comes to me and does not hate1 father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.
1 μισεῖ (misei) from μισέω (miseó) {mis-eh’-o} miséō – properly, to detest (on a comparative basis); hence, denounce; to love someone or something less than someone (something) else; that is, to renounce one choice in favor of another. To choose one person, thing, place, or idea above all others.
Last week we talked about humility as the antidote to pride. We recalled that Jesus’ humility was so extraordinary that he died to give us Life. We said, “How did Jesus do what he did etiam pro nobis – even for us? It’s that four-letter Word that is the key to Faith, to Humility, to Joy, Grace, Eternity, and Heaven: LOVE.” Jesus was all about LOVE. He even told us to love our enemies in Matthew 5:44 – 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK. Used with permission. If you look around the World today, you’ll see people who would ask you, “WHY would anyone ever do THAT?!?!” There is a delightfully simple answer to that question. The answer was also in last week’s post: “The B.I.B.L.E. tells me so,” and “Jesus said to do it.” This kind of humility based in Love and nurtured by gratitude is part of God’s Absolutely Perfect Plan (that’s the APP in case that has escaped your recollection). “Why did God create me?” He is our Creator and we are his creation, and all Creation rightly gives him joyful thanks and praise. We are here because he Loves us, and we love him because he first Loved us. In, through, for, and because of that Love, we are asked only to show that same Love to everyone so that they too will know God created them to give him joyful thanks and praise. Knowing that, some will then ask, “Why in the world did Jesus tell us we cannot be his disciples unless we ‘… hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself’ as in our Key Verse for today?” To answer that we need to talk about Hebrew and/or Jewish hyperbole, a traditional form of embellishment.
Do you ever believe it when someone says, “It was raining cats and dogs?” How about
- “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!”
- “He’s as skinny as a fence post.”
- “He’s hasn’t got the brains God gave a soda cracker.”
- “They were so angry they were staring daggers at each other.”
- “I’ve told you a million times! DON’T BE ALWAYS EXAGGERATING!”
- “You’re late! I’ve been waiting here forever.”
- “It’s a jungle out there.”
- “It’s all fake news.”
- “The world is going to hell in a handbasket, so we might as well buckle up for the ride.”
- “You have to come! Everybody’s gonna be there!”
Now, how about these? How many of these might be hyperbole – exaggerations for the purpose of making a point?
- Proverbs 13:24 – 24 Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.
- Luke 16:13 – ` 13 No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other
- Matthew 5:29a – 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away
- Matthew 23:24 – 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!
- Matthew 7:3 – 3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?
- Matthew 6:6 – 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
- It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. (↔ Music Link)
- If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could toss that mountain into the sea.
- This man is a Prophet for he has told me all I’ve ever done. (↔ Music Link)
In all of these, Jesus is showing us that God must have primacy in all things. God – The Trinity – must be preeminent in all of our thoughts, words, and deeds – every moment of every day (↔ Music Link). Now, Belovéd, doesn’t that sound like hyperbole, too? Jesus says that is what we should want. (↔ Music Link) If Jesus says it, we should believe it, and 
then do it. Now. Always. First. This little image sort of sums up how we do that “most of the time” – WHEN I GET A ROUND TO IT. This “round ToIt” has been part of my office décor since the mid-70s. I keep it to remind me how easily I procrastinate – mostly because of how easily I get distracted. Do you know just who loves to see me distracted? Yeah, that demonic Old Scratch (← Check it out, page 16!). Now, does Jesus, the Son of the Living God, really, really want me to hate my wife, my children, and even my life? That’s just too extravagant to be reasonable; however, does that exaggeration help me to understand that The Trinity should be my priority in all my relationships, endeavors, meditations, and prayers? I assure you. ʻŌmea, it definitely does. Can I sustain that all day every day? Nope. Sometimes my resolve to reform my life evaporates faster than a water-drop on the street in Needles California at High Noon in the Summer. (← Do you like that one?) But you know what? That’s OK because I can “repent and believe the Gospel” just as quickly. Do you know why? Of course you do! It’s part of God’s Absolutely Perfect Plan – The APP. You can download that at the B.I.B.L.E. storeroom. You’ll find it in the Love Department.
That Love we have for and in God is mysterious. I will share with you what I consider to the be the seed-faith Truth about God’s Love. It is a Love that always occurs in community (because God is community), and since that is true, it is also true that everything – and I do mean every existing Good in all persons, places, things, and ideas – has a basis in Community. In this Community, we ALL need these four things: Attention. Affection. Affiliation. Approval. (← Check it out! This is the first description of the APP in the Aloha Friday Messages) The Apostle Paul gave us some good glimpses into the APP in his letters to the Church. There’s a good one in the letter to the Colossians – part of which we’ve studied recently: Colossians 1:24-27 – 24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (My added 
emphasis.) In his letter to the Ephesians he says: Ephesians 3:8-11 – 8 Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make everyone see what is the plan * of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10 so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord
* This is the APP!
ʻŌmea, how can we Love as richly, deeply, and fully as he deserves to be Loved? Like everything God creates to be a Mystery, the answer is simple: Repent and believe the Gospel, then tell God you believe him because you Love him. Please use that link about the four aspects of community. These are the things we use to offer and receive Love among each other in our community, and when we extend them to God, he is also part of our community! This is from the link above:
Community, though, is not, or at least should not, be just a human experience. We know that God is also Community expressed as the Holy Trinity. For this community all of the requirements for membership, for participation, for conduct are absolute because the Community is Absolute – Unconditional, Totally Integral, Unlimited, Supreme, Pure, Perfect: God. Not “The Force.” Not “Intelligent Design.” Purely and simply, wonderfully and awesomely GOD in Three Persons. And that Community and our community can also share with one another attention, affection, affiliation, and approval.
What is the key to humility, the antidote of pride? It is Love. How do we set God as First of Place in our day-to-day lives? It is by Loving him and each other. What source of Love is “good enough” or “worthy of” God? It is God’s Love for us. “Honor the giver by accepting the gift.” Do you believe God Loves you? If you do, would you like to Love him in return? “We Love him because he first Loved us.” From the echoing hallways of my youth, I remember the opening of the Westminster Catechism: Q:”What is the chief end of Man? A: “To glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Now, for those among us who have not yet gotten over The Reformation, there really isn’t anything you can argue about in that statement. Another way to say exactly the same thing is that we give God primacy in all things. Thomas Aquinas said our chief end is to obtain Virtue which allows us to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Once we grasp the magnitude of what God has done for us, the sensible decision about what to do about that is found in Romans 12:1 – 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters**, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ** ἀδελφός – adelphos – affiliates in the Church – “brethren.” Our appropriate spiritual service is to Love and serve God and neighbor; when we fail at that, we sin and need redemption. We must be willing do what Christ did; we sacrifice our self-attention and give Jesus (who is God) First of Place in everything because we Love him as (in the same manner and intensity) he Loves us. “Easy to say, but hard to do.” Not really, Belovéd, and I’ll show you why.
Do you have a spouse, a friend, a niece or nephew, even a pet who melts your heart every time you see, hear, or even think about that one? Couldn’t we Love Jesus like that … at least sometimes … maybe even two moments in a row? Do we believe what the Gospel says? If we forget and stop Loving him, can we repent and start over? DOES HE EVER REMEMBER WE FORGOT if we sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness? Jesus is our example. He died to open the veil of Death and let us be community with his Father. Can we die, even a little, for him? First of Place – again? Or First of Place – always? Can we be second fiddle to Christ just by harmonizing with him and giving him our attention, affectation, affiliation, and approval before we share ourselves, or even as we share ourselves, with others? He’s given that to us. What more could we want?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
