Jesus, Lord of my heart,
Your transforming love is beyond my understanding.
True, Your Word tells me
it was Your deep, measureless, boundless, free, exuberant love
that drew Your heart to save a wretch like me
yet
I am utterly baffled by Your gracious and oh so generous choice.
Perhaps I would grasp it a little
if I could learn to love my neighbor,
truly love my fellow man,
as I love myself.
Perhaps I would gain a bit of understanding
if I were to pick up my cross --
caring for lost souls, praying for unrepentant hearts,
ministering to confused minds, reaching out to backsliders,
and forgiving my offenders --
and let its weight burrow its imprint on my shoulder
like Yours did on the arduously steep climb to Calvary.
Perhaps I would get it
if I could see what You see when You look at me,
that You love me, forgive me
despite the sinful tag attached to my personhood;
that You love me, delight in me
because You see the righteousness of Christ
instead of the odious filth that persists in clinging to my heels.
Perhaps I would see
the rightness of Your loving me
if I could plumb the depths of Your grace
and exhibit such graciousness
in every relationship granted to me.
that You love me, delight in me
because You see the righteousness of Christ
instead of the odious filth that persists in clinging to my heels.
Perhaps I would see
the rightness of Your loving me
if I could plumb the depths of Your grace
and exhibit such graciousness
in every relationship granted to me.
"Teach us how to love each other;
Lift us to the joy divine!"
Help me manifest the character of Christ
in my home, in my workplace, in the world.
In Jesus' name, I pray.
Amen!
Good morning, my fellow companion on this lenten journey!
Today is Maundy Thursday.
Otherwise known as Holy or Great Thursday in other traditions, Maundy is the name
that many Protestants use to refer to the day leading to the crucifixion of our
Lord. It is believed to come from the Latin word mandatum, which begins the phrase “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis
invicem sicut dilexi vos”—translated as, “A new command I give you: Love one
another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
This new
command given to the disciples on the eve of Christ's death reveals the beauty,
the grace, and the identifying feature of the gospel—“By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35, NIV).
And love, this jewel of a command,
is not defined by warm sentiments and goose bumps but by obedience to God's commands.
Therefore, our obedience to God’s precepts—“The whole law is summed up in a
single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Gal. 5:14, NIV).”—is a gracious opportunity to
agree with God, to defer to Him, and to serve His children.
On that long ago Thursday, the Master
made it clear that loving meant denying the self, sacrificing for the benefit
of others, and giving to the point of death in order that new growth (or
rather, new life) can sprout and blossom. Paul echoes Christ’s message in 1 Corinthians
15:36, "When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant
unless it dies first” (NLT).
Dying to
the self and obedience to the law of grace bring about much growth in us and in
those around us. When we indulge the flesh, give full vent to our anger, and
belittle our neighbors, neither they nor we grow closer to love. However, when
we choose to be patient, truthful, considerate, and gracious, we are better
equipped to influence others positively.
None exhibits that kind of sacrificial
love like Christ who gave Himself up to die for the healing of a decaying
world. Called to imitate Him, Maundy Thursday reminds us that we have been
given the command and the power through His grace to administer the healing
balm of His agape love to a world
that is ever moving toward its demise.
Thus, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a paints a
vivid and practical portrait of love’s healing balm, explaining that love . . .
. . . is patient. How patient are we with the
people around us? Do we grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ as we suffer long and wait patiently? Do we realize that it
may take others longer than it does us to perform certain tasks? Do we
understand the beauty, joy, and gratitude of patience?
. . . is kind. How do we express kindness to
those around us? Do we offer the other cheek when slapped? Is tenderness or gentleness part
of our heart's vocabulary? Do we realize that kindness has brought more unrepentant sinners to the Cross than oratory, knowledge, or zeal?
. . . does not envy. How much jealousy
inspires the nature of our relationships? Do we yearn for everything our
neighbors possess?
. . . does not boast. Do we seek to only boast
in Christ or do we aim to elevate ourselves? Do name-dropping and snootiness characterize our conversations with people deemed inferior to us? Does our boasting serve to build
up or tear down our neighbors?
. . . is not proud. Are we imitating Christ’s
humility or do we take pride in our flesh? Is it more important for us to be
right or for the other person to feel loved and forgiven by us?
. . . is not rude. Do our words inflict pain
on others or do they bring healing? Are we sensitive to the needs of others or
are we contentious and overbearing?
. . . is not self-seeking. Do we place the
concerns of others above our very own? Do we go out of our way to keep our agenda under wraps and promote God's agenda in every transaction or interaction with others?
. . . is not easily angered. Do we exercise
self-control and give people the benefit of the doubt? Is it our tendency to
maintain a sour face and/or get into fits of rage, quarreling or bickering?
. . . keeps no record of wrongs. Do we keep a
catalog of wrongs committed against us or do we let them go and forgive our offenders? Do we remember the
biblical statement, “love covers all wrongs”?
. . . does not delight in evil. Do we rejoice when our evil agenda is carried out? Do we spend
time indulging in and inviting others to partake in activities that God has
declared evil or worldly? Do we celebrate philosophies that
. . . rejoices with the truth. Does the
truth—God’s Word—cause us to rejoice? Do we delight in the law of the Lord and
meditate on it day and night? Do we speak truth to all people even when it is
unpopular? Do we handle God’s truth with reverence and grace?
. . . always protects. Do we bank on God’s
Word and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to protect those entrusted to our
care or do we let them fall prey to the schemes of Satan?
. . . always trusts. Do we trust God with the
situations and individuals placed before us? Do we undercut authority figures?
Do we damage the names of others based on suspicions and doubts?
. . . always hopes. Do we steadfastly hold
onto the hope that Christ has His best in mind for us? Do we believe in Christ,
the hope of glory, for the future betterment of our broken relationships?
. . . always perseveres. Do we ask God to
strengthen our grip of faith in Christ while continuing to invest in others
even when we are given the cold shoulder treatment?
. . . never fails. Do we truly believe that
love lifts up, offers a helping hand to those who falter, and always changes
things for the better?
Such exemplary love points both us and others to the gentle and generous Healer who prayed in the Garden of
Gethsemane on that Great Thursday night over two thousand (2,000) years ago. His heart-rending Lenten
prayer has yielded so much—the strengthening of His resolve to face Death and
conquer it, the sharpening of His focus to meditate on the Holy Scriptures
throughout the torture that Friday would bring, and the saving grace needed for
the ransom of all sinners who accept and receive His offer or life.
What wondrous love is this!
May we pray
that we, too, would lay down our lives for our neighbors!
“What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O
my soul,
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused
the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul,
for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!"
-- Alexander Means
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