An Inside look

Before looking at others, and placing personal hurt and blame on them, first look within. Are there expectations and standards held over others, because maybe one holds those same expectations over themselves? Oftentimes, the lens in which one sees themselves through, is the same lens they see others through. Jesus sees through a lens called grace. A lens called mercy. A lens called unconditional love that even bears the weight of death. Changing the lens through which we see a situation, other people, and even ourselves, begins to rewrite the story.

God never said that the Christian walk, ministry walk, or the walk of evangelism will be easy. He actually said many times that it will be one of the hardest things his followers will do. When Jesus sent out his disciples, he did not send them out to spread the bible, or the law, but he sent them out to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. This is one of the major differences between the old testament and the new.

Let’s look at the story of the old covenant:

“God meets with Moses and gives the Ten Commandments and the Law. A massive cloud of flame and darkness covered the top of the mountain, and God told Moses to relate a message to the people. The Israelites should stay away from the mountain. If they touched it, they would die. Even their animals would. (Exodus 19) The people were frightened enough of the fiery cloud that they didn’t even want to get close. “Moses, you go. We’ll stay here.” Moses came down the mountain, his face shining. The Israelites were afraid of him and begged him to cover his face. He did. With a veil.” (Christisnity.com)

This law was so strict, that God knew they would never be able to follow it. He told them to wear all white robes, and never get a drop of blood on them. But at the same time, they had to shed the blood of innocent animals to atone for their sins. It was impossible to earn God’s love by acts, because men would always fall short. This is the main lesson from the old testament, that expected perfection and law leads to death.

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When Jesus came, and told his disciples to spread the good news, this was not the law, and the ways of Old testament living. A new lens was coming. The Good news is that Jesus is the final lamb slain, taking on the sins of the entire world. There is no performance required, and no act or good deed could any longer earn salvation. Because it was now freely given.

“The Bible says that after suffering upon the cross for hours, Jesus committed his spirit to his Father and died. Immediately, the veil was torn down the middle… This event is included in three of the four Gospels, each slightly different. In Matthew 27, the tearing of the veil was accompanied by an earthquake, rocks splitting, and graves opened with resurrected people walking around the city. Overall, the apostles and ear

ly church found this singular moment important for the Good News of Jesus. As Jews, they understood the significance of that veil between God and humanity. “ (Christianity.com)

If Jesus loved us that much to forgive the sins of the world with his beloved son, how much should we forgive ourselves, our brothers and sisters? Holding expectations over ourselves and others is living in the way of the old testament, and the old covenant before Jesus came. The hurt is real, and the pain is present, but the biggest hope is that there is a new lens in wh

ich to filter life. It is called unconditional love and mercy.

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A question to meditate on:

“Am I living in the old testament law, trying to earn love, admiration, or attention? Am I holding myself, or others hostage to the law of perfection?"

Maybe the situation looks messed up, maybe they hurt you or you hurt them, and it was wrong, and you deserve an explanation, or they want an apology. You can't see past the flesh and past the anger and the offense that is in front of you. But the good news of Jesus is that there is a new lens to look through. A lens called mercy. He died so that even in the middle of all that wrong and all the bad, God could still have mercy on you and me. Where no act of obedience or disobedience can separate you from God’s love.