Jesus Calls Us
Experiencing the Resurrection
Jesus Reinstates Peter
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5Matthew 10:28-42 The Voice32 Whoever knows Me here on earth, I will know him in heaven. And whoever proclaims faith in Me here on earth, I will proclaim faith in him before My Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns Me here, I will disown before My Father in heaven. 34 Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I have come to turn men against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. 36 You will find you have enemies even in your own household.[a] 37 If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. If you love your son or daughter more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me on the narrow road, then you are not worthy of Me. 39 To find your life, you must lose your life—and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Jesus: 40 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet and surrenders to his prophecy will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who welcomes a righteous person and conforms to the righteousness that surrounds him and proceeds from him will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And anyone who has given so much as a cup of cold water to one of the little ones, because he is My disciple, I tell you, that person will be well rewarded.
For Reflection
"Jesus calls His disciples to a radical commitment. Those who truly follow Jesus must be willing to follow Him to the point of death, just as He will later die for His commitment to God and others. Thus, whether they die literally or figuratively, His followers give up their lives for Him." (commentary embedded in The Voice)
What a revolutionary thing to say. The Jews expected a warrior, and they got one. But his armament was not made of plates, and his weapons were not made of iron. Christ's weapon of choice was the truth and his dedication to non-violent advocacy. Christ did not direct us from a position of power. Instead, he has shown us the superior strength in those who speak and are powerless.
We have a modern example of the power of the powerless. "The single most consequential movement for American justice in the last century was influenced and empowered by the Black churches of the south. The civil rights movement wasn't exclusively Christian by any means -- there are Jewish Americans who gave their lives and supported their black brothers and sisters, for example, but it was animated by faith. As John Lewis said in 2004, 'Without prayer, without faith in the Almighty, the civil rights movement would've been like a bird without wings'" (David French, Easter rebukes the Christian will to power April 9, 2023 New York Times.) Pray Pray so that you will see and understand the power in the voices of the powerless. Pray for confidence in THE WAY and the courage to embrace it, Forward to a friend
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