Maundy Thursday, 2016

Jesus commands, please repeat after me, ”I command you.//  Love one another, // just as I have loved you."

·       No, Jesus, I don’t want to love him. I want to ignore him.  I think e is a jerk. Jesus says, pls repeat after me, ”Love one another,// as I  have loved you.”

·       No Jesus, I don’t want to love her.  She has gossiped about me, for years.”

Jesus says, pls repeat after me, ”Love one another//, as I  have loved you.”

·       For years and years I have done all the giving in our relationship.  I have had it.

Jesus says, pls repeat after me, ”Love one another, //as I  have loved you.”

·       He’s so scary and different. He doesn’t belong here.  I don’t know much about him, but people like him are at war with my country.

Jesus says, pls repeat after me, ”Love one another, //as I  have loved you.”

There are hundreds of reasons for not loving people in our lives. There is only one reason to do so; and that is the command of Jesus.   I know that for years, I accumulated grudges, prejudices,  fears, and the desire for revenge towards some people in my life, including some ofthose who have gone toothier final reward.   I buried it all deep within my heart.  I said to myself, “Well, I have made peace with that person,  and the other, and another…… so I can just move on.”  But it was a lie.  I had not made peace with that person, or this person, and many others.

So I lied to myself and lied to God.  Now, I am not telling you what to do.  But last summer I took a day and a half to make a list of all the people who had hurt me, offended me, and betrayed me.  This list went back 25 years!   And in obedience to Jesus command, I forgave them—not necessarily because they deserved it, but because Jesus commands us to love one another the way He loves us---and the first way He loves us, is through the blood of the cross, He forgives us.

What was the result?  A huge burden was lifted from me.  I felt relived.  I found myself jut naturally improving my relationships and home, church, and in the community.  I have been more open and trusting.

Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  I wonder if there is somebody   that Jesus wants you to forgive on this Holy Night?  I bet if we paused for a minute of silence, as we are going to do now, the Lord will bring someone to mind. (silence).

·       Now if no one has come to mind, then you might need to pray more about this.

·       Now frankly, you may not feel ready to forgive the person who came to your mind….yet. 

·       But in either case speak to Jesus about it right now.  Tell Jesus you choose to forgive a this person, or ask Jesus to help you to forgive this person---right now in another moment of quiet.

And now that we have spoke to Jesus in the quietness of your hearts, let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor, using the form on page 393.