[Dailydevo] Daily E-Devotion June 20, 2007

[Barry Ludwig]

Wednesday June 20, 2007

Zion's Daily E-Devotions is back after a sabbatical. We thank you for your
patience. This week Pastor Ludwig looks at friendship and friends.

 

Matthew  5:23-24

[Jesus said] "So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there
before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come
and offer your gift.  'A friend loves at all times, and a brother shows
solidarity in adversity.'"

 

"I hate this handshake of peace thing we do in worship it is enough to keep
me away from church," he said to me. "Why do you feel that way?" I asked.
"Look pastor," he said "I come to church to worship God, not to make peace
with people."  He completely misunderstood God's preferred outcome of his
worship life.

 

In the Sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5, Jesus tells us that our
worship is no good if we harbor grudges especially against family and
friends. God does not want out the offering of our praise or our material
things if we have not grasped what love and friendship really mean.  Jesus
goes so far as to tell us that even if we do not harbor anger against a
friend, but a friend harbors anger against us, we must drop everything we
are doing and first try to heal the breach.

 

Jesus does not just tell us what we should do, he does it himself. He came
to give his life for us even when we were lost in sin and selfishness. He
came not judging, but with healing. Shouldn't you be doing that with those
who are alienated from you? 

 

PS Did you notice that Jesus quotes the Old Testament Proverbs text that we
used two days ago? 

 

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