Preparing for the National Day of Prayer yesterday I had this thought. We receive Grace through Faith and are filled, we pour out grace to others through Love. "It is more blessed to give than receive" Acts 20:35. Faith, Hope, and Love last forever but the greatest is Love 1 Cor 13:13
Earlier in the week, the show Jeopardy was on in the background and for the category of world religions, the clue was "all suffering comes from desire or ignorance," "What is Buddhism?" The yin and yang, made me think about the cross - a third option in Christianity is suffering for doing good. The vertical relationship with God, beyond the horizontal relationship with people.
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
...Fast forward to Matthew 11:2-6
John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”
Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me. (or are offended because of me)”
Jesus continues to say John the Baptist is great but the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater. Before John came the law and prophets, and John is like Elijah (from Mal 4:5-6 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers...”
Malachi has an interesting contrast of blessing or curses, wisdom or folly, honor God's name or corrupt the promises...
Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. Mathew 11:20 ...
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! Matthew 11:25-26
“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
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