Flowing out of the previous context’s emphasis on loving one another (ref. Romans 13:8ff), Paul shows us some ways to take action; or, in this case, inaction, in order to enjoy unity with fellow believers and put forth a full witness for Christ. Sometimes, we just have to love and let live.
Our Lord Jesus Christ capped His superlative life and sacrificial death with a surprising resurrection. And it was women’s intuition, not men’s, that perceived the full meaning of the gospel and began to broadcast it to others.
“Maundy” means mandate, or commandment. We name this day of Holy Week not after the foot washing Jesus gave His disciples, not after the last supper Jesus shared with His disciples that turned into the Lord’s Supper, but after the “new commandment” Jesus spoke to His disciples, then and now.
Only the one, true, triune, and living God is to be worshipped in the manner in which Jesus was exalted on Palm Sunday. The people cushioned His saddle and lined the roadway with the clothes off their backs (and as John’s Gospel tells us, leaves from palm trees). They praised Him and called Him King.
The Gospel of John was written so that people would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and become His disciple. There is no theological nor practical distance between becoming a believer and being a disciple. It is a synonymous experience, for a person of true belief is immediately transformed into a true disciple.
Love and holiness are communicable attributes of God. Love and holiness are indispensable to the genuine Christian life. Love and holiness are what the world needs to see most in the body of Christ. And, love and holiness can both be known for what they do not do.
Government, proverbially speaking, is ordained by God, necessary for mankind, and to Christians. Paul says it is “for your good.” So what is it good for? Great things, actually, if we look at government and participate in government from God’s point of view.
If you are a Christian, “the reason” God saved you is He loves you (ref. John 3:16). He saved you to “let your love flow,” towards Him and your fellow Christians. He also saved you to “let your love fly” outward “to all living things,” meaning in this case people who are not Christians.
The transfiguration of Jesus pulls the curtain on another world. The experience should not be classified as one of His many miracles. Rather, it was His supreme spectacle. It was a God-given glimpse into another world.
Dear Cade,
Instead of preaching at your ordination service, I thought I’d write you this letter instead. I wish someone had written one like it to me at my ordination. Things may not have turned out differently, but at least I would have been forewarned.
