Year B, Lectionary 89
Adam and Eve disobeyed God and in their sin they succumbed to shame and blame. Yet God still goes in search of us to offer justice and forgiveness. When Jesus comes to our homes we should not confront his mercy with accusations because if we do we further distance ourselves from God. Jesus approaches our tactics of dividing and separating by instead gathering and welcoming everyone into communion with him. Let us resist sin that only leads to division and let us accept Jesus that leads to unity with God.
Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: Adam • Blame • Blasphemy • Community • Devil • Divide • Division • Eve • Family • Forgiveness • Holy Spirit • Home • Justice • Love • Mary • Separate • Serpent • Shame • Sin • Stance • Tension • Unity • Violence •
“for all the lost sheep of our nation, for all the lost sheep of our region and even all the lost sheep of our world no matter the country you're in, trust and believe that God is out looking for you”
“if as human beings the effort we put into finding excuses for why we are not doing the right thing, if we can put only half of that effort into doing the right thing, the world will be a better place”
“that's what God is asking: love first”
“Jesus is establishing a new family. Not the crazy family, not the family of outlaws but the family of God the heavenly Father.”
“God is love and only love. God loves us with a faithful love that desires that we remain close to him. This is a love that defies reason and never gives up on us. God never changes God’s mind about loving us.”
“Jesus promises universal forgiveness but those who persist in attributing Jesus’ activity to the power of the evil one place themselves beyond the reach of God’s saving grace”
“The only blasphemy our merciful God can't forgive is that when we fall from grace and hide instead of getting back up and sitting in union with Christ. But there's always hope because God who is love and mercy calls us by name waiting patiently for us to respond.”
“Jesus is absolutely serious, deadly serious, that our lives must be permeated by God's Spirit, the Spirit’s mission must be our mission”