John
6:24-35 Believing and Agreeing
(Click here for readings)
When the crowd found Jesus across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”
Many of us tend to listen to those who agree with us or believe those who agree with us, and we are satisfied with this because we can survive with this. But it would be worth our effort to learn how to agree with those who listen to us, or agree with those who believe in us.
The Lord believes in us much more than we believe in him. Why? Because it is much more to the Lord that He believes in us than that He agrees with us.
The Lord loves people. And love does not flow from agreement; it precedes it. Love does not look for compromise; it looks out for another’s good. Christ did not compromise with others. Rather, He called for their conversion. He did not call sinners to follow Him. He called sinners to imitate Him. He invited twelve sinners to become Twelve Saints. The Lord invites us to turn from our former way of life and “be renewed in the spirit and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Eph 4:24). Christ did not give up on the sinner and call it a draw. He drew the sinner towards him and called it love.
For this reason the Lord loved the sinner; for this reason the Lord died for the sinner: so that they could believe in Him before they agreed with Him.
“One does not live on bread alone.” We need food. Let’s not fool ourselves. But we need food just as much as we need love. The Lord was not naïve. We need our bread, we need sustenance. And we should never forget that man needs to eat in order to survive. But what we tend to forget is what the Lord reminds us of: One does not live on bread alone. Like so many of Christ’s teachings, this saying means much more than just the obvious. It means one does not live on money alone, sex alone, pleasure alone, happiness alone, material things alone or acceptance alone. To live we need more than just to survive; we need to thrive. To live life to the full, we need God; his divine life and his divine words. In order to live we need to be able to forgive.
One reader of my blog commented yesterday that the individual that verbally abused a Chic-fil-A employee was summarily fired from his job. I really consider this a shame. That should never have happened. Why? Because our society taught this man the art of hate rather than the art of debate. He was so proud of himself, he videotaped himself. How many of us on the road have been caught in a moment of anger, of a raging fit??? Thank God we did not videotape ourselves; thank God we were not videotaped!
Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone will come to his rescue…too risky. This is precisely were a Christian needs to come in. This is precisely where the young lady who was verbally abused can help. She can help him…and only she can do it. She can tell the world that she did not want this to happen; that this man deserves a chance to redeem himself. But redemption requires someone dying; someone coming to the rescue; someone taking him by the hand and helping him back up. The human reaction was obvious: make him suffer as much as he made her suffer. This is the human reaction. The Christian position is not so obvious: love him before he can understand us.
Far too often we believe in those who agree with us and reject those who disagree with us. But from afar, someone believed in us before we believed in Him; someone believed in us before we agreed with Him; someone saved for us before we believed in Him.
The Lord loved us before we loved Him and so taught us how to live and love like He did: believing before seeing; believing before agreeing; by giving and then receiving.
(Click here for readings)
When the crowd found Jesus across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”
Many of us tend to listen to those who agree with us or believe those who agree with us, and we are satisfied with this because we can survive with this. But it would be worth our effort to learn how to agree with those who listen to us, or agree with those who believe in us.
The Lord believes in us much more than we believe in him. Why? Because it is much more to the Lord that He believes in us than that He agrees with us.
The Lord loves people. And love does not flow from agreement; it precedes it. Love does not look for compromise; it looks out for another’s good. Christ did not compromise with others. Rather, He called for their conversion. He did not call sinners to follow Him. He called sinners to imitate Him. He invited twelve sinners to become Twelve Saints. The Lord invites us to turn from our former way of life and “be renewed in the spirit and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Eph 4:24). Christ did not give up on the sinner and call it a draw. He drew the sinner towards him and called it love.
For this reason the Lord loved the sinner; for this reason the Lord died for the sinner: so that they could believe in Him before they agreed with Him.
“One does not live on bread alone.” We need food. Let’s not fool ourselves. But we need food just as much as we need love. The Lord was not naïve. We need our bread, we need sustenance. And we should never forget that man needs to eat in order to survive. But what we tend to forget is what the Lord reminds us of: One does not live on bread alone. Like so many of Christ’s teachings, this saying means much more than just the obvious. It means one does not live on money alone, sex alone, pleasure alone, happiness alone, material things alone or acceptance alone. To live we need more than just to survive; we need to thrive. To live life to the full, we need God; his divine life and his divine words. In order to live we need to be able to forgive.
One reader of my blog commented yesterday that the individual that verbally abused a Chic-fil-A employee was summarily fired from his job. I really consider this a shame. That should never have happened. Why? Because our society taught this man the art of hate rather than the art of debate. He was so proud of himself, he videotaped himself. How many of us on the road have been caught in a moment of anger, of a raging fit??? Thank God we did not videotape ourselves; thank God we were not videotaped!
Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone will come to his rescue…too risky. This is precisely were a Christian needs to come in. This is precisely where the young lady who was verbally abused can help. She can help him…and only she can do it. She can tell the world that she did not want this to happen; that this man deserves a chance to redeem himself. But redemption requires someone dying; someone coming to the rescue; someone taking him by the hand and helping him back up. The human reaction was obvious: make him suffer as much as he made her suffer. This is the human reaction. The Christian position is not so obvious: love him before he can understand us.
Far too often we believe in those who agree with us and reject those who disagree with us. But from afar, someone believed in us before we believed in Him; someone believed in us before we agreed with Him; someone saved for us before we believed in Him.
The Lord loved us before we loved Him and so taught us how to live and love like He did: believing before seeing; believing before agreeing; by giving and then receiving.
I think the Chick-fil-A bully was a fool to videotape himself engaging in hate. Just like the foolish man who videotaped the poor Bus Monitor insulted by the middle school students. Don't these people realize promoting hate is just going to get themselves into trouble? I guess their pride believes even negative attention is better than no attention at all. I agree that nobody, not even the C-f-A employee, will come to this man's rescue because he acted like such an imbecile.
ReplyDeleteA fair number of times I've experienced raging fits in public. The Italian temper in me gets nasty. I've simmered down a bit in my middle-age years, but the temptation to get +@#$ is still there. Everytime I get the least bit worked up I should think about a camera watching me, recording my every move. Then I'll learn to keep my trap shut and stay calm! :)
I went to confession yesterday over at St. Monica. My penance was to say two decades of the rosary. As I entered the temporary church and sat in my fold-up chair, the beautiful family of four began their pre-Mass rosary. I joined them along thinking the Holy Spirit brought me into the Church right at the precise moment. I could've still been in the confession line. As I prayed my rosary beads, I sensed a turning away from my "former life" and the "putting on the new self." I could feel Our Lord wrapping his arms around me and loving me. He desires for me to be more giving to others. Learn to listen and respect others opinions. Believing and agreeing....
Blessings & Peace,
-Jennifer
The pessimist in me agrees that no one will come to this man's aid. But wouldn't it be wonderful if some Christian who strongly disagrees with his behavior and his position DID offer him a job? What a witness that would be, and it might even change this man's life.
ReplyDeleteHere is Adam Smith, MBA, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=5984264&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=sgPl&locale=en_US&srchid=37e45e1e-7890-4646-a0da-e06746a9b8bc-0&srchindex=1&srchtotal=1&goback=%2Efps_PBCK_adam+smith+vante_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*2_*1_Y_*1_*1_*1_false_1_R_*1_*51_*1_*51_true_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2&pvs=ps&trk=pp_profile_name_link
ReplyDeletecontact info. Sad. It is interesting how someone with a 4.0 GPA in finance could be caught up in this reaction. It has reminded me of the times I was full of arrogance and pride, thus justifying everything I did, until I too was slammed to the floor. God's Divine Mercy saved me.