“Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”
Mark 5:19
As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us.
Psalm 123:2
Facing this day: Face Jesus today and you will find God’s mercy.
McKnight writes, “Sometimes we see the face of God in others, and they are not always angels.” (p 40)
Where did you see the face of God today, yesterday, this week, last week?
And … do you expect to see the face of God?
Charles
{ubi caritas}
“The God of the Bible shows up in ordinary ways, daily, in ordinary things for ordinary people. If you want to be shown the face of God, come to the table, and you will see the God who gives himself for you and invites you to feast on himself. There in that small meal, you will find forgiveness, grace, mercy, power and – most of all – fellowship with God and with one another. At the table we experience the love of God that put the Jesus Creed into motion.” (pp 41 – 42)
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:1
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
Luke 24:30-31
Facing this day: Come to the table and see God.
What do you think of Scot McKnight’s “outline” of the parable of the prodigal son – “our Father risks,” “our Father waits,” “our Father celebrates”?
Can you think of time in your life your Father risked, waited, celebrated?
“The father in Jesus’ story evokes God the Father, who patiently waits and yearns and looks for the return of his children. Children like you and like me. Our Father, no matter what we have done, loves us enough to wait longingly for us.” (p 36)
But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:9
But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
Luke 15:22-24
Facing this day: Our heavenly Father waits for us to return home.
Scot McKnight counsels, “It is so easy to get lost in our plans, in our hopes, in our worries, and in our busyness. What we need is to come to our senses. We need to pull off the road and ask ourselves, ‘What are we here for?’ That is a question worth answering, and it is answered with utter clarity when we realize who we are. We are eikons, designed by God to live the Jesus Creed.” (p 32)
This week pay attention to how often the Jesus Creed comes to maid each day. Once, twice, five times? Remember to repeat it when it comes to mind. Is it finding its way deeper and deeper into you?
Charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}
Have you ever considered that you are created to be a person who “perfectly expresses what God created an eikon to do”? (p 31)