And The Truth Will Set Us Free...
A reading for Thursday, February 13, 2014: John 8:21-32
Princeton professor and philosopher, Cornel West wrote, “To be a Christian is to live dangerously, honestly, freely - to step in the name of love as if you may land on nothing, yet to keep on stepping because the something that sustains you no empire can give you and no empire can take away.” While I don't always agree with everything Dr. West writes and says, this is a way of life I would argue for.
Jesus tells his disciples that the stakes are high. He is about to leave them, since Christ is to be raised to the glory of the Father. Without Jesus the disciples would "die in their sins," he tells them. The disciples don't understand. Who could understand and even trust in such things. "Will we die in our sins?" after all this they must wonder.
But to those that believe that Jesus came from God, and returned to God, and brought the salvation of God, Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
The Christian life is to be called out, to step boldly even if the path is not clear, and to depend fully and completely on the presence of Jesus Christ. The Christian life is a life of purpose, to provide hope to the hopeless and release to the captives not in our own name but in his. It is a life of peace in discovering that Jesus is already out ahead of us to all the towns and places we will go. It is a life of freedom, in trusting that no matter what we will not "die in our sins." We will live in the presence of and service to our Lord.
This is the Christian life. It is personal but not private. It is to be hopeful but not idealistic. It is freedom as we share in the very cross of Christ. It is truth.
And the truth will set us free...
Please Note: I will be away for the next twelve days or so, returning on the 25th of February. Until then... Peace to your house!
Princeton professor and philosopher, Cornel West wrote, “To be a Christian is to live dangerously, honestly, freely - to step in the name of love as if you may land on nothing, yet to keep on stepping because the something that sustains you no empire can give you and no empire can take away.” While I don't always agree with everything Dr. West writes and says, this is a way of life I would argue for.
Jesus tells his disciples that the stakes are high. He is about to leave them, since Christ is to be raised to the glory of the Father. Without Jesus the disciples would "die in their sins," he tells them. The disciples don't understand. Who could understand and even trust in such things. "Will we die in our sins?" after all this they must wonder.
But to those that believe that Jesus came from God, and returned to God, and brought the salvation of God, Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
The Christian life is to be called out, to step boldly even if the path is not clear, and to depend fully and completely on the presence of Jesus Christ. The Christian life is a life of purpose, to provide hope to the hopeless and release to the captives not in our own name but in his. It is a life of peace in discovering that Jesus is already out ahead of us to all the towns and places we will go. It is a life of freedom, in trusting that no matter what we will not "die in our sins." We will live in the presence of and service to our Lord.
This is the Christian life. It is personal but not private. It is to be hopeful but not idealistic. It is freedom as we share in the very cross of Christ. It is truth.
And the truth will set us free...
Please Note: I will be away for the next twelve days or so, returning on the 25th of February. Until then... Peace to your house!
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