Tag Archives: pharisee

Broken

English: Final baked loaf

The Gypsy Mama

1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt: “Broken” with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on:::

Broken…

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The world’s definition of broken–beat down, ruined, unusable.

God’s definition of broken–love poured out.

The woman, broken. A sinner. She broke the jar and poured out the perfume on the Jesus.

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7 NIV

Jesus broke the bread with His disciples. A breaking. A thanksgiving.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Matthew 26:26 NIV

That same Jesus, body broken. He poured out His blood for us.

There has never been a greater love.

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open.  Matthew 27 NIV

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Stoning

Stones

Last Saturday I attended a women’s conference. One of the speakers talked about throwing stones, as she carried a large rock onto the stage with her.  It was not the kind of rock one skips across a lake, but one that is thrown at others.

Her illustration made me think.

What a horrible way to die. Slowly. Each blow from a rock, leading to bruising. Breaking. Pain. Until mercifully, it was over. In times past, and still in some countries today, stoning is for those that have broken the law. Committed an unpardonable sin. Those that throw the stones are sure that they are right. That they are above this sin. That punishment is due.

And, the stones are heavy and cold in their hands.

As I listened to the woman speaking, I was reminded of something.

I have been like that woman. The lost. The sinful. The one who made mistakes. My wrongs were not always known to others, but, still there….marking me….as the one that was (and is) covered in the grime of sin.

And, I also must admit that I’ve picked up the stones. I have been the one holding the rocks, to bash them against another. To break them. Holding on to the belief that they deserve what they get.

And the tears fell.

Aren’t the ones casting the stones just as needing of forgiveness, as the one who cowers in the midst of the the angry circle?

We have all sinned, and we are all helpless to save ourselves………

that is where His grace comes in. Amazing grace.

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

   9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  John 8  NIV

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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… Romans 3:23  NIV

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NIV

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His Love Encompasses Them All

English: Lost sheep on farm track.

Today’s jam at Faith Barista is about vulnerable love.

Vulnerable is not one of those words that I really enjoy…or even like very much for that matter.

Some people are really good at “putting themselves out there”, living in the moment and not worrying about it.

I am not one of those people.

To me, being vulnerable means opening myself up to hurt.

To misunderstanding. To possible embarrassment.

Vulnerability is akin to standing on the stage, with the spot light on me…all alone.

No, thank you.

No matter how hard I try to steer clear of it, I find myself in this exact position, on occasion.

I get lost. Sometimes it is difficult to find my way “back home”.

Straining to climb the mountains of life. Slipping. Fearing. Immobilized. Seemingly, all alone.

Scared out of my wits, sometimes by what is real, often times by scenarios I make up in my own mind.

Vulnerable.

Thankfully, on days like that, I am reminded of the parable that Jesus told to the teachers and lawyers of His time.

The story is found in the book of Luke, chapter 15.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

 1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Jesus as shepherd.

Looking for the lost.

For the scared.

The alone.

The vulnerable.

His love encompasses them all.

 

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The Wonder Of It All

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in Potts Grove...

Image via Wikipedia

A few nights ago my son and I were out in the front yard. It was a beautiful spring evening. The sun was low in the sky, spreading it’s warm rays across the yard. One of the dogs was laying in the grass, watching us as we walked down the driveway to inspect the killdeer eggs. A mama killdeer picked the edge of our driveway to make her nest. Her unborn babies are nestled into the gravels, near the grass, perfectly disguised in nature. One really has to look to see them.

As we got closer to her “hide out”, she jumped up and squawked at us. She puffed her self up to show us all her feathers. It was as if she was trying to pick a fight with us. “Come and get me!” she chirped. Killdeer are interesting that way. Mama bird distracts the enemy from the nest. She gets the enemy to follow her by getting his attention, then running off and pretending her wing is damaged. “Oh, I’m hurt…why don’t you try and come and eat me?” She screeches even louder. My son and I followed her to the end of the driveway. She ran out onto the road and at the last minute flew away…only to circle back around to check and make sure we were not heading back to the nest.

Living where we do, we see a lot of nature…up close and personal. Birds and their nests, geese honking, in the spring rain pond, across the road, a ground hog that has made a home in the bank next to the creek, and deer bounding across the open fields. The sun shines brightly, while the wind bows the tall grass of the fields into submission. Life is all around us. Spring time birth.

Sometimes I just have to stop and ponder the wonder of it all.

The God who sets all things in motion, who sends the rain and the wind, who created the animals, and has the sun set in space…all of nature cries out to exclaim the glory and wonder of God.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96: 11-12 NIV

 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the
Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
  “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19: 38-40

God has done all of these things and so much more and yet He knows me. Me. He doesn’t just sort of know me. He didn’t create me and leave me.  He not only knows me, He longs for me to know Him…and for you to know Him too.

Let that sink in for a moment.

God, each Spring, resurrects life. He covers the hills with new, emerald green grass, wildflowers in all their beauty, nature is new again…and fresh and beautiful.

That is what He does with me too. God is intimately involved in my daily life. He breathes new life into a dry spirit, after a long, dark winter. He comforts me, much like the mama bird who defends and protects her not yet born, children. There is new, fresh joy at the knowledge of His love.

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings… Psalm 17:8

I have to stop and consider the wonder of it all.

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