Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
2013 Term 2 Week 3 - The Gospel doesn't avoid Pain
The Gospel will not make life easier or less painful.
Why do we think following Jesus will be less painful for us than Jesus' life was for him?
God loved Jesus and did not spare him from pain, suffering, and death.
The most important thing for God is connection with us, not how we feel about life.
Psalm 23. God makes a mockery of pain and death by choosing to enter into it to be with us. God makes a mockery of conflict by choosing to throw a party before the enemy is defeated and in the presence of the enemy. In fact God goes even further and invites the enemy (humanity) to dine with God.
It is not painless for God to connect with us (read the prophets). I believe pain and suffering will be done away with once Jesus returns, until then the Gospel mocks pain and suffering as being less significant. God doesn't wait for us to be safe to love us, he loves us in the midst of our pain and suffering and he experiences that pain and suffering too. It does not destroy God and the Gospel promises it will not destroy us either.
Why do we think following Jesus will be less painful for us than Jesus' life was for him?
God loved Jesus and did not spare him from pain, suffering, and death.
The most important thing for God is connection with us, not how we feel about life.
Psalm 23. God makes a mockery of pain and death by choosing to enter into it to be with us. God makes a mockery of conflict by choosing to throw a party before the enemy is defeated and in the presence of the enemy. In fact God goes even further and invites the enemy (humanity) to dine with God.
It is not painless for God to connect with us (read the prophets). I believe pain and suffering will be done away with once Jesus returns, until then the Gospel mocks pain and suffering as being less significant. God doesn't wait for us to be safe to love us, he loves us in the midst of our pain and suffering and he experiences that pain and suffering too. It does not destroy God and the Gospel promises it will not destroy us either.
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