Sunday, November 13, 2016

The Master We Seve

“No one can serve two masters.” - Jesus

The master we serve goes by the name “Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”
The master we serve is called the “Prince of Peace” and “The Author of Life.”
The master we serve is Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, the One, Holy, Sovereign God.

We who serve this master know that we are expected to be his ambassadors. Together we claim we are his very body in the world. He has shown us the difference between right and wrong, between justice and oppression, between good and evil. He has demonstrated to what extent we are supposed to love one another. He didn't just tell us that; he showed us.

And because he has taught us so much, when a person is in pain, or grieving, or frightened, or angry … we know what we are supposed to do.

We are to stand with them. We are to listen to them, and acknowledge their pain. We are to encourage, support, and love. To respond any other way is to serve some other master, a master whose realm is earthly rather than of God.

In the past several days, many of our brothers and sisters have expressed pain, grief, fear, and anger, intensely emotional reactions to the election of 2016. We must take care not to dismiss these emotions. And we must take care not to tell them what is "really" wrong.

A Christian knows what to do - We stand with them. We listen to them. We acknowledge their pain. We encourage, support and love them. And we do so because really there is no “them.” There is only “us.” We’re it.

And we are presented a choice: you either serve God or you don’t. There’s not a lot of wiggle room there. It isn't a multiple choice quiz. No one can serve two masters.

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