Passion Week :: Monday

this year, i'd actually like to give a crap about easter and think through it a bit more than usual...so i'm attempting to write a bit each day this week. i want to work on putting myself in the shoes of those involved in the life, story, death, and life-again of Jesus. so, here we go...

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we've been working through the ten commandments in house church. last night we were due for "do not murder"...a cheery topic that welcomed a surprisingly low number of volunteers to lead. i decided to go for it...

as i began to look at murder, i wanted to focus on how Jesus defined it. (Matt. 5:21-22)

when you boil it down, murder starts in the heart. simply put:
- not violence, but self-seeking violence
- not anger, but selfish anger without real cause
- a consequence of frustrated desire

last night, we talked through things that stir up these feelings in our own hearts:
- someone who gets in our way or inconveniences us
- someone self-righteous - thinks they're always right or better
- someone who doesn't follow the rules
- someone who descents
- someone who disagrees with our opinion of what's best
- someone who steers another wrong
- someone who thinks they know everything
- someone who wants all the attention
- someone who pretends to be someone they're not
- someone who corrects us, or has no respect

NOW...

think about these things again...


isn't this exactly how the Jews felt about Jesus?

is this not why they put him to death?


so then...if these feelings are so familiar to us...


what if we were in their shoes?

are we not like them?

would we have put Him on the cross?



the thing is...


we did.




rethinking the gospel.
rethinking grace.
thank You.