Humility

BIBLE READING OLD TESTAMENT

Isaiah 66: 2

...This is the one I esteem:
and trembles at my word.

BIBLE READING NEW TESTAMENT
Luke 18: 13
But the tax collector stood at a distance.
He would not even look up to heaven,
but beat his breast and said,'
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

At first this verse about taking Jesus' yoke upon me created anxiety. All I could picture were yoked oxen forced to the fields. That is probably what Jesus had in mind when he said this to his disciples in that agrarian society. It was a metaphor which meant for them to stay as close to him as yoked oxen and not to be going off on one's own. It is only when we are yoked to him that we find rest for our souls.Too, by being yoked to him, the virtues of gentleness and humility would become a part of our own Christ-like nature. We are One with him and what more fitting symbol is the yoked oxen?

What does it mean to be humble? Jesus showed us one way when he washed his disciples feet at the passover dinner.

In the story of the footwashing, then, we have the most profound revelation of the heart of God apart from the crucifixion itself. We also learn more of the relation between Jesus and his disciples, the relation of the disciples with one another in humble service and the mission of the disciples to the world. These themes are similar to those of the Eucharist developed earlier. The community that Jesus has been forming here takes more definite shape, revealing more clearly the law of its being, which is humble, self-sacrificing love. http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/?action=getCommentaryText&cid=4&source=1&seq=i.50.13.2

In this day and age we won't be going around washing each other's feet. So, how do we show our love, gentleness, and humility to each other today.

One way is to listen to each other. Another way is to accept other's gifts graciously. It's important for us to give others a chance to be giving and humble rather than always being the giver. Jesus showed us the way to do that, too, when he allowed the woman to perfume his head. (See Mark 14: 3)

As we become more and more wwweblets, we can become closer to more distant people. Suddenly, everyone is our neighbor (the way that Jesus saw it all along). We can send cards and notes of appreciation, get well, thinking of you, congratulations, and just because. Of course, we can still do that by snail mail, but instant gratification has become a good thing!

Shalom brother Eesa,Thank you for showing us the way, the truth, and the life. You are the light of our lives, the bright morning star, our past, present, and future. Keep teaching us, Lord of life, our brother in peace and love. Let us be yoked to you in gentleness and humility forevermore. Amen.

Respectfully submitted,

J. Sue Gagliardi

Week Four Parshah: Vayera: Genesis 18:1-22: 24
In Genesis 22: 2 is the first time love has been mentioned in the Bible!

A Lectionary Meditation

Gratefulness (written for October 9, 2010)

BIBLE READING OLD TESTAMENT

Psalm 50: 23

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.

If you keep to my path,

I will reveal to you the salvation of God.

BIBLE READING NEW TESTAMENT

John 11: 41

So they took away the stone.

Then Jesus looked up and said,

Father, I thank you that you have heard me...

In this week's Lectionary, the reading of Luke concerns 10 lepers that Jesus healed. Only one came back to thank and praise him, a Samaritan, whom Jesus calls a foreigner.

(Luke 17:11-19)

Not that we are looking for praise and thanksgiving for a deed done, but it is really heart warming when it happens. Many of us go all of our lives with many a criticism and nary a thank you. I'm sure Eesa (Jesus) would agree with that.The Psalmist called giving thanks, a sacrifice. However, he also points out that a grateful heart is the first step on the path to salvation.

We have only one day a year to celebrate thanksgiving, but it is a good thing to express and feel it every day of our lives; even in suffering. When we wake up in the morning and just before falling asleep at night, if we whisper our thanks to a loving Abba, a multitude of our faults could be overlooked by a loving Father and we might receive the help we need in eradicating them.

In our daily life it is also a good thing to let no small thing done for us go unappreciated. It is very easy to say thank you for their call when someone telephones, or thank you when someone gives a compliment; not brush it off in pseudo modesty. Probably the most important thing is to thank those with whom we live for all the small and large things they do each day to keep up the house and yard or meal preparation, laundry, and cleaning up. Too, a smile and a thank you to those who service us in some way; mail persons, trash collectors, paper deliverers, pastors, teachers, and beauticians, etc., creates and spreads good will.

To foster a grateful heart in all things can be catching and makes for a much better world.

Abba Father,Thank you for all your many blessings. Thank you most especially for hearing us. We know that you always hear us particularly when we say the prayer your son and our brother, Eesa, taught us:

Our Father, who art in Heaven.

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen

Respectfully submitted,

J. Sue Gagliardi

Parshah: Noach Verses: Genesis 6:9-11:32

Good News!

BIBLE READING OLD TESTAMENT

Proverbs 15:30

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, 

and good news gives health to the bones.

BIBLE READING NEW TESTAMENT

Mark 1:15

The time has come, he said.

 The kingdom of God is near. 

Repent and believe the good news!

The bible has such good news for everyone; especially after Eesa was born and lived among us.The Age before Eesa M'sheeka (Jesus Christ in Greek) was a warrior age; a time of grabbing for oneself and/or one's tribe. Humanity was, collectively, about the emotional age of a present day two year old crying, mine; mine.

Many of us have grown emotionally, mentally, and spiritually (as a whole) into an adolescent maturity. However, many of us are still lagging behind in the three to five year old mentality; barely civilized and, underneath a seemingly placid exterior; antisocial, manipulative, and warlike. Think about it!  I'm speaking about the whole world of religious peoples; those of us who should know better. Besides ownership of land, what are all the wars about? If you said religion, you'd be right. What was the good news Eesa brought to the world?

The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.

So, what is wrong with the world? Why is this simple statement so overlooked and wasted? It looks like the word repent is what sticks in everyone's craw. Why should we repent when we're RIGHT???

Ah Hah, there's the rub! What is this thing called right that has everyone so uptight and self-righteous? Note that righteous and self-righteous are opposite ends of a pole. There's a wonderful saying that I always told myself when I was trying to change my need to be right; I'd rather be happy than right!  It did help me a bit after the 3,750th time I said it. Still workin' on it!

As more and more people loosen their up-tight, self-righteous prune mouths and wagging fingers, we will learn to love our neighbors as ourselves even though they may be wrong. Maybe there is a plan behind all of our moral laxity in this country. We have to see it from the other side in order to clean up our act, straighten up and fly right without being self-righteous.

No matter how much corruption is going on, the kingdom of God is among us and it's not going anywhere. That's the good news. When we get over being right, we may get the urge to repent and believe the good news Eesa M'sheeka brought us. When we love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves we will unveil the Kingdom as Eesa saw it. No body will go hungry or be alone with their pain, or have to fight a war. It is up to us.That's the good news.

Father in heaven (as near to us as the air),Thank you for all your blessings and for the love that you have for us. We are so grateful that you allowed Eesa to come to us with love and sacrifice. He is our brother in faith and love. Let us bless each other with acceptance, compassion, and love as he did. May we all accept the good news that Eesa brought to us that you are as near as the air we breathe, that your kingdom is within and among us and all we have to do is repent, believe, and love through our brother, Eesa M'sheeka.

Respectfully submitted,

J. Sue Gagliardi

This year on October 1st we begin a new Torah reading; Simchat Torah