Hi everyone,
So as our kids grow up, their personalities grow as well (which I suppose is natural). And as their personalities grow, so do their sense of individuality and preference for things. As you’d imagine, as their sense of individuality grows, along comes the disagreements, the arguing, the conflict.
It’s nothing new. Everyone has an opinion. And some people hold onto that opinion stronger than others, as I’ve noticed with the kids.
They all want to be right. Always. Every time. Even when it’s something they know nothing about, it’s like they would make something up just to sound like they know what they’re talking about.
And you’d think that people would grow out of this. But in my experience… not so much. I think we all have a bit of that arrogance inside of us, thinking/wanting/needing to be right all the time. Whole wars have been fought because of this attitude.
So how do we change? I think it’s battled with humility. And humility comes when we see who are and recognise what we’re actually about. Being put in our place by someone who is more arrogant than we are doesn’t work though. Just sayin.
Here are next week’s readings:
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 95:1-7a
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46
We’re looking at Christ the King Sunday, where we remember and recognise the Reign of Christ (which this Sunday can also be called), and we see what the kingship of Christ really is about. While we might be able to articulate that Jesus isn’t about militaristic might and violence, some might still equate his power with strength, and his strength with authoritarian rule. But still, most of us I think, would say that Jesus’ power is in his humility, his compassionate love, and his servant heart.
Easier said than done, though.
Even in this passage that we get for next week, we often automatically think that we’re the “sheep” who did good, and we can list off the tops of our heads like 5-6 “goats” who did bad. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this per se, but it sure is telling about our attitudes about ourselves and others.
But the part that I love here is how confused the sheep and goats were in not ever intentionally serving or not serving Jesus. And Jesus says that he’s among the least, and how we treat the least is how we treat him.
Jesus among the least means he’s with those who are in the most need, pain, and despair. Jesus among the least means that he’s with those gosh darned goats that we’ve learned to not like so much. Jesus among the least means that he’s also with us… sheep or not.
Because is how we are saved. It’s how we’re forgiven. It’s how we’re loved. We are part of the least, the outcast, the hated. We are in need, pain, and despair. We are reliant on the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. Not because we can do the right things, know the right facts, and have the right traits. But because God loves us, scruples and all.
And if that isn’t humbling, then I don’t know what is.
Thanks be to God.
Photo by Jaka Škrlep on Unsplash