Jay Bakker is on the Sandbox talks for about twenty minutes and then answers several questions. It is about an hours and a half. I really enjoyed and found it very helpful. There's so much that had hit home. So, how often do I not show grace and love to myself. Then, love and grace to others. (This is not easy by any means.) Even when the other person is your enemy.
Matthew 22:34 to 40 says this:
When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: "Teacher, which command in the law is greatest?"
He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands."
Then in Luke 10:25 to 37 says:
Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the law?" He asked him, "How do you read it?"
He answered:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with
all your mind; and your neighbor.
"You've answered correctly." He told him. "Do this and you will live."
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus took up this question and said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. The stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest past
happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. via Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him. When I come back I'll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend."
"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?"
"The one who showed mercy to him," he said.
Then Jesus told him, "Go and do the same."
How often have I not be loving to others? Since, others our my neighbor. Often there are so many times that I can say hi to some in a store or to just smile. Then, there is also grace that goes along with love. Is there any way that I can be one who shows grace to all I come in contact with? I don't even know where to start or even how to do so.
Ephesians 2:8 and 9 says:
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift -- not from works, so that no one can boast.
What then is it to share grace that is a gift that is freely given by God? This is such a hard thing to do. So, often I come up short. Being so hard on myself when I mess. It is refreshing to hear that I am not alone in this! All this starts with being loving to myself and having grace for myself. With being this way to myself is the only way that love and grace to be shown to others.
I pray that this gets you thinking. About is the link for the Sandbox Cooperative.
Jay Bakker is the pastor of Revolution Church. His personal website is http://www.jaybakker.com and Revolution's website is revolutionchurch.tumblr.com
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