Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
John 20:15-16, ESV
Circumstances in life can make us miss the truth right in front of our own faces.
Don’t let grief, self-righteousness, pain, or good things blind you to the crucified and risen Christ who calls us by name.
And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Matthew 26:51-52, ESV
We have a tendency to want to protect Jesus, but He is the one who came to save us.
We may make a defense of the Word, but The Word died for us knowing He would come back.
They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Matthew 22:21, ESV
We like to handle things ourselves, using government and special programs (none of them necessarily bad) to manage everything, when we should be loving God by loving people.
And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
Matthew 21:19, ESV
We might try to be trendy for the season or on the right side of history, but we are called to obey Christ above our own desires and societal expectations.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16, ESV
We like to think we are basically good or can earn a place in heaven, but it is only by faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that we get there.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:17, ESV
On our own, we stand condemned. Jesus came to offer redemption from condemnation and hope for salvation and eternal life, if we are humble enough to accept it.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!