Great Feast

 

So, it's easy for me to fall into the sin of believing that the world and all people should revolve around me and my needs. It's easy for me to expect God to forgive my sin and restore me to myself again as the center of it all. It's easy for me to think that when I approach that Great Feast to come, that God would call me forward to the table in honor with all the disciples, prophets and leaders of his kingdom. That's easy... but it's a fantasy.

I'm not the center. The world and all people do not revolve around me. I don't deserve honor at the table because of myself. I'm the sinner that deserves hell for the terrible sins I have committed. I'm the evil person that thinks that everyone should do my will in my way and for me. Rather, I'm the poor person in spirit and the needy person that needs a hand out. 

And all of this drives me to acknowledge. My lowliness is a celebration of gratitude that springs from the depth of my spirit to God. When God has given so much through the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, my lowliness jumps out from the reverence that I am a sinful man. Sinful yet God gives me the knowledge of sins forgiven. My sins that have been labeled as reason to be stoned and killed. 

But... I live in the surprise that God has called me to that Great Feast as one he favors. I am one that God dies for. One that God forgives. My heart breaks and is contrite. I am humbled in the presence of God... yet somehow, for some reason he exalts me. What love! 

What love God has for me and for you as well. That even in the midst of sin and the fire of hell, God would pull me out, call me and gift me to sit at the Table. To privilege me to be able to work in the Kingdom, here in this place and forever to come.

Lord, I give you thanks that you heal on the Sabbath or any other moment of time, for when you rested on that seventh day, my heart swelled in praise to the goodness you show your people. 

You didn't leave me uncured. You saw me as precious and healed me when everyone thought the time wasn't right. Yes, you took the chance and went against the grain to heal me on a sabbath. your day of rest and my day to give thanks and praise you and you alone.

Thanks be to God... today... tomorrow... and forever!