Tuesday, April 1, 2008

"Where two or more come together"

My friend Karen and I started discussing Matthew 18:20 and I had some thoughts come I wanted to share....

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them"
I guess a lot of verses lose meaning when taken out of context...but I don't know enough about the context to be scholarly about this, but I'd like to share my thoughts at least...

I don't believe that this verse is saying that Jesus is more with us when there's 2 or more, compared to when it's just us. To me...this verse I believe is calling us to a higher level. This verse speaks to me that we should do whatever we can when we're together to love each other, protect our relationships, be careful of our words, be careful with each other's hearts...because to be His disciples, we must love one another as we love Him. God blesses unity. Non believers should know we are christians by how we love each other. How we forgive, how patient we are with each other, how much we encourage each other. Yes Jesus would have done everything He did for any single one of us...but we are not the church alone. We are the church not as individuals but as all believers combined. We are to treat each other as we would treat Him.
Since I'm such a visual person - when I read this passage, it literally makes me have to picture Jesus being right there physically in my interactions with others. Sometimes when I lose this focus and am sinful and hurtful and bitter toward others....when I look back at my actions or words I just CRINGE. Ouch....Jesus saw that. He is always right where we are...always. There is nothing we can do that He doesn't see. But despite what a mess I am, He absolutely loves me. Although I'm sure He hates my sin and hates when I don't love His other children.

I wish I could keep this visual in my mind of Jesus being right there all the time. Every action I take, every small decision I make - there's a crowd watching and I don't mean other people although I'm sure other people are watching also. This life is a stage in a way for those in the spiritual realm to watch it play out. I don't mean that in any sort of prideful way at all. My life is not that important that I am on stage for the rest of the world -- but what I mean is that we all are together on a stage - for the rest of the (non earthly) world. There's so much more going on than this earth and this moment. I believe there are so many other "dimensions" than our earthly senses can grasp. What if we just could visualize and just always picture God and the Heavenly hosts being with us. Don't you think they cheer and high five when we make right decisions, when we love each other, when we spread Jesus' love? They are routing for us aren't they? ...


Maybe I'm way off base or am wrong to express these thoughts...but just wanted to share some random thoughts from my heart.......



Sooo...saying all that I hope that I'm a living testimony to His commands. I pray for God to help me love everybody in my blog life and real life, like I love Jesus. No matter the sins I've seen them commit, no matter all the wrong they hold against me, help me God to see the good in everybody, to ignore the hurt we might have caused each other and just to love. God keep me accountable to this.......



I love each of you, old and new relationships and want to protect our relationship as His church!



http://sherrysheartbeats.homestead.com/files/jesus_ascending_with_angels_cutout.jpg

1 comment:

carebear said...

Oh I totally see them high fiving up there! I see Jesus weeping, laughing, being tender, and showing disapproval. I mean think at how excited you got when Raymond (I almost typed William...hee hee) took his first steps! Now imagine how excited Jesus was when we took our first steps towards Him. Oh yeah...there were some high-fives going around in Heaven that day! ;)