Mark 15 & 16
Pilate objected, “But for what crime?” What was Jesus’ crime that he deserved to die for? Was it that he healed people…nope. Was it that Jesus touched the lepers…no that would make him unclean but not worthy of death. Was it that Jesus mixed with Samaritans, Tax collectors and Prostitutes…not really, these just made him irreligious. Was it that he loved God and loved people…in part yes…but not this in and of itself. Jesus deserved to die (according to the Laws of the Pharisees) because he claimed to be one with God – the ‘Son of God’ – one who sits with God – and Jesus loved people and loved God not through the Laws of the Pharisees but through the way of relationship. Jesus proclaimed that God’s Kingdom, that is, God’s presence and God’s reality was to be seen in ‘the least of these’, in children, in the poor, and amongst the outcasts.
A question that comes out of this for me is “For what crimes of loving God and loving people” could I be accused of? Will I so identify with and live the way of Jesus that I could be accused of loving God and loving people the way Jesus did? I once heard this question expressed this way -If it became illegal in Australia to love God and love people, would there be enough evidence for me to be convicted?
Jesus’ resurrection is for me the truth that I can live the way of Christ, not on my own, but with Christ with me. In fact it is the Holy Spirit that helps me to love God and love people as Jesus did and as Jesus does still today.
Psalm 8
The undeniability of the universe with the question of the place of humanity in the scheme of God is an age old pondering that has both the philosophers and the theologians wondering. The Pslamist gives expression to this in a song. “Lord what is humanity that you think of us?” The amazing truth is that God does think of us. And within the vastness of the universe this is a comforting thought. Life for any of us can feel overwhelming let alone bringing the cosmic context into play. Without the presence and thoughtfulness of God we would be lost in eternity. But Jesus has made the God-promise to be with us to the end of the ages – and that’s a good thing!
Genesis 8
Here is the story of God being mindful of humanity. In the Noah story – God is mindful of our potential for evil; God is mindful of the world and all that lives in it; and God is mindful of the relationship that God has gifted humanity with. From the human side this is a story of hope and promise and trust. This story reminds me that we can be swept up in the flood of circumstances and other people’s actions but that God is mindful of us and will not forget us. And that in time God’s faithfulness will be seen. You have to love hope!
