New Life
Today concludes our readings from Bread and Wine and this part of the journey. We are left with the challenge to the communal nature of following Christ. Eberhard Arnold who founded Plough Publishing that published this book gives voice to the idea of Holy Spirit empowered community. He compares the modern church (1920s) with the first century church. The common bond for Arnold is the power of the Kingdom ushered in with the resurrection of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon not individuals but the church. Arnold took this idea to communal living in an effort to enact the Sermon on the Mount. That is not the direction for all believers but for us right now the following excerpt strikes directly.
Together they felt compelled to live the life of Jesus, and together, in complete community, they experienced the powers of the future. Only in this way could isolation and its ice-cold existence be overcome.
It should be paramount for us today, right now to know that the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that holds us together. Even many of us haven’t seen one another in awhile we are still a community not because we just know each other but because we know the Messiah, the risen Christ. The power of the Spirit, the presence of the Spirit bonds us together. We are compelled to bring others into this community through them knowing Jesus Christ. This message should be shared. Romans 10:14-17 is a call to share this message. This is a box to be checked, it is a community to be offered and a relationship to be extended.
The innocent, silently uncomplaining suffering of Christ is not only an act of Christ on our behalf from which we benefit; it is also an example of Christ for our instruction, which we are to follow. This portrait of Christ is to be painted again on the ordinary canvas of our lives.
- John Howard Yoder in The Way of Peace
In the above quote we read the challenge before us today to consider Christ’s efforts for peace and how we carry those on in our lives. In the new life we live as a result of Christ’s death and Resurrection there is a new way to resolve conflict. The conflict within us between sin and righteousness is resolved by the Holy Spirit graciously bringing us Christ’s merciful forgiveness. The conflicts in our world and in our relationships are resolved as we follow in the steps of Christ leading with love toward those who have wronged us. Just as Christ’s forgiveness does not give us license to continue in our sin, neither does love for our enemies make their actions right. It is a call not to deify others, but to walk in light of the example and deity of Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 Paul says plainly that we do not fight as the world does but our spiritual battle calls us to respond as Christ would. As you consider the way of Peace and the path of Christ take heed of 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 and take every thought captive bringing to the light of Christ’s example.
New Life Reading
N.T. Wright gives a brilliant argument and challenging call in today’s reading. Wright says very straight forwardly that Jesus was not offering another option from the world systems but offering an entirely new world. He says it this way, “He wasn’t coming to propose a left-wing alternative to a right-wing government , or vice versa.” The simplicity of the argument in no way means that it is simple. To give full allegiance to Christ means to loose our hold on our opinions or ambitions. This is not an easy call for we “discover that our (previous) rebellion proceeded not from faith and trust but from fear and bruised arrogance.” Jesus is not a name to be used to further our cause, but a revolutionary new Kingdom that calls for our submission. Jesus calls for this submission from a cross that symbolized worldly power but became His victory over the world. The newness of this world is displayed plainly in Jesus’ explanation about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-25. This call does not make sense outside of the Kingdom of God. Our power in Christ from places of perceived weakness. Forgiveness is not becoming door mat, but it is finding power in a place of apparent weakness. This relies on the power of the Spirit and a view of the world beyond the here and now but that something more matters, that eternity matters. Practice forgiveness, it matters.
New Life Reading
Joyce Hollyday illustrates the example of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as one who heeded the familiar Divine call of “Do Not Fear.” In Matthew’s account these are two of the women who encounter the empty tomb and then encounter Jesus. Hollyday points out there simultaneous joy and dread at the sight of the empty tomb. But holds them up as examples because they heeded the words of the risen Christ to not be stifled by fear. That stifling effect is definitely a temptation for us today, as Hollyday points out. But just like the two women, “we have the confidence of our faith. We have seen the risen Lord.” 1 Corninthians 13 is the well known description of love and it is a lofty goal, only achieved in the Spirit. 1 John 4:18 also adds to the description and talks of the action of love. Love drives out fear. The women’s love for Christ overcame their fear. May our love do the same, we have not been given the spirit of fear after all (2 TImothy 1:7))