Rosh Haniqra, Israel. Rosh Hanikra (“head of the rock caves”) is a geologic formation in Israel, located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Western Galilee near the border with Lebanon. It is a white cliff face which opens up into spectacular grottos. The Rosh Hanikra grottos are cavernous tunnels formed by sea action on the soft chalk rock. The total length is some 200 meters. They branch off in various directions with some interconnecting segments. In the past, the only access to them was from the sea and experienced divers were the only ones capable of visiting. Today a cable car takes visitors down to see the grottos. Photo by Ester Inbar
Good morning, beloved!
I will celebrate the light, as I stumble in the darkness, I will call Your name by night. You are holy! You are holy! (God of Wonders)
I took my dog outside this morning and we have snow! It was beautiful. A little chilly with my choice of footwear but still to be marveled and all I could think about is the excitement of my children. 🙂
Snow near a lake in Bavaria, Germany Photo by Borovino
It finally covers the land. Sledding!
So good to be in His presence this morning, I keep fading in and out with thoughts and concerns floating through my mind.
Waiting for the nerve blocks, waiting for answers for my boy, waiting for…yet will I be faithful? Will I listen?
I will be faithful. I will fall. I will serve. I will stumble. I love that God extends His hand to me. May I extend my hand to my children every time. To those who hurt, may I not walk away.
Yesterday left us in 1 Corinthians 13…continuing on. 🙂 When I discussed with the kids again, we didn’t even move on. However, it was fun to sing the first part of Sing the Word‘s song and they actually understood what they were singing. Watching the light fill their eyes. Love it.
Next section:
3 I may give away everything I have, and I may even give my body ·as an offering to be burned [L to be burned].[a] But I gain nothing if I do not have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not ·jealous [envious], it does not brag, and it is not ·proud [arrogant; conceited; puffed up]. 1 Corinthians 13 EXB
Let’s tuck in here:
Give away:( psōmizō) primarily “to feed by putting little bits into the mouths of infants or animals,” came to denote simply “to give out food, to feed,” and is rendered by the phrase “bestow . . . to feed” in 1Cr 13:3
Jesus gave His everything, didn’t He? He did not hold anything back. He loved, He served, He lived and He died, oooooh! but He was raised from the dead! I digress.. well, no, I don’t. He is our example. He is our leader.
Rishon LeZion, Israel – The Lake’s Park with Glebionis coronaria (a.k.a Chrysanthemum coronarium) yellow carpet. Photo by MathKnight
I think of Philippians 2: (stay with me..)
5 In your lives you must ·think and act like [have the same attitude as] Christ Jesus. [C What follows may be from an early Christian hymn.]
6 ·Christ himself was like God in everything [L Who, being in the form of God].
But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be ·used for his own benefit [or grasped; seized; held on to].
7 But he ·gave up his place with God and made himself nothing [L emptied himself].
He ·became like [L took the form of] a ·servant [slave; bondservant]
and was born ·as a man [L in the likeness of humanity/men].
8 And ·when he was living [L being found in appearance/likeness] as a ·man [human being],
he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
even ·when that caused his [to the point of] death—death on a cross.
9 So God ·raised [exalted] him to the highest place. Phillippians 2 EXBGod ·made his name [or gave him the name] ·greater than [far above] every other name
10 so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus—
everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
11 And ·everyone [L every tongue] will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
and bring glory to God the Father.
So He is our example. We follow in His steps.
However, Paul’s issue here was motive. Why give to the poor? For the recognition? For the pats on the back?
The next verses make me ill (so why not share them?):
42 But many believed in Jesus, even many of the ·leaders [authorities]. But because of the Pharisees, they did not ·say they believed in him [L confess/proclaim him/it] for fear they would
Banias waterfalls Photo by EdoM
be put out of the synagogue. 43 They loved ·praise [glory] from people more than ·praise [glory] from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me is really believing in the One who sent me. 45 Whoever sees me sees the One who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world so that whoever believes in me would not ·stay [remain] in darkness. John 12 EXB
Remember how I started this morning? The section of the song, God of Wonders? Rather than call out for Abba in the darkness, to whom will they call? We know the Light, we love the Light! Let us not give out of necessity, guilt, pats on the back. Let us give to the needy, the dying, the weak because our example gave everything.
A beautiful example of a life touched by Jesus:
Jesus [L entered and] was going through the city of Jericho. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus, who was a ·very important [chief; leading] tax collector [C with oversight over other tax collectors, and so even more hated; see 18:10], and he was wealthy. 3 He ·wanted [was trying] to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because he was too short to see above the crowd. 4 He ran ahead to a place where Jesus ·would come [was about to pass], and he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him. 5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! [L For; Because] I must stay at your house today.”
6 Zacchaeus came down quickly and welcomed him ·gladly [joyfully]. 7 All the people saw this and began to ·complain[murmur; grumble], “Jesus ·is staying with [has gone in to lodge with/be the guest of] a sinner!”
This is a Sycamore Ficus sycomorus tree on the site of ancient Ashkalon. This Israeli species of Sycamore is different from the tree that goes by the same name in North America and some other places. It is, however, the same species climbed by Zacchaeus in the Gospel of Luke 19:4. Photo by Ian Scott
8 But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord [C the scene presumably changes here to a meal at Zacchaeus’ home], “[L Look;T Behold] I ·will give [or I am now giving] half of my possessions to the poor. And ·if I have cheated anyone [or to those I have cheated/extorted], I will pay back four times more [C a generous response, since the law required only restitution plus one-fifth; Lev. 6:1–5].”
9 Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, because this man also ·belongs to the family [L is a son] of Abraham. 10 [L For; Because] The Son of Man came to ·find [seek out] lost people and save them.” Luke 19 EXB
Are you singing the song yet? About Zaccheus was a wee little man? His life was radically altered, his life was transformed by his life intersecting with Jesus. We don’t know how the conversation played out before Z cried out for freedom. Freedom from the guilt, the pain, the knowledge that the life in front of him was Light itself and he had lived his life shrouded in darkness, lies, cheating. The chains were falling from Z. Jesus proclaimed blessing over this life. And notice, not just Z, his whole family
I may even give my body ·as an offering to be burned [L to be burned].[a] But I gain nothing if I do not have love…
Back to motive. Back to our heart response. [a]Other Greek copies read “hand over my body in order that I may brag.”
David Guzik puts it well:
i. There were some early Christians so arrogant as to think that the blood of martyrdom would wash away any sin. They were so proud about their ability to endure suffering for Jesus, they thought it was the most important thing in the Christian life. It is important, but not the most important. Without love, it profits me nothing. Even if it is done willingly (Poole notes “and not be dragged to the stake, but freely give up myself to that cruel kind of death”), without love, it profits me nothing. BLB
Pause. Think about this, consider your heart. Consider. As I sit and think, I am thinking that I should start each conversation with a pause. Lord, help my words to be with love. Breathe in, remember His Spirit is dwelling, abiding in me. Words filled with His Spirit, especially with my children, in the moments where stress is at its peak, to pause, to hold on to my words and to love.
Two scrolls from the Dead Sea Scrolls lie at their location in the Qumran Caves before being removed for scholarly examination by archaeologists. Photo by Habermann, Abraham Meir, 1901-
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- Jesus – The Light of the World (clydestyle.org)
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