Christian Reflection and Prayer

Several years ago, a 98-year-old woman who
had been a volunteer for a prison ministry and
other service organizations passed on to her
Eternal Reward. For twenty solid, persistent
years she had brought encouragement and
new hope to prisoners, shut-ins, and persons
from all walks of life who were experiencing
loneliness and despair. Over the years she
had led countless people into the Community
of Christ. At her funeral, an ex-offender gave
the following tribute to this remarkable
Christian woman who had changed his life:

I met her, only once, although I talked to
her on the telephone almost every week for
fifteen years while I was in prison. Our
telephone talks and her letters led me to
the Lord, and kept me sane! Then, through
a series of miracles, I was put on work release,
then on parole (long before I was due for it).
When I got out she put me in touch with people
who found me a place to live, and others who
gave me employment.

I called her "Mom." And whenever I felt lonely
and blue, I phoned Mom. She always helped
me to see my circumstances from an eternal
perspective. I know I owe my life, as well as
my salvation, to that faithful woman. (The man
who gave that tribute to "Mom" has since been
ordained and is serving as Chaplain in a Federal
prison.)

"Mom" was the messenger the Lord had sent to
rescue that lost soul. When they finally met, she
could not see him. "Mom" had been blind since
childhood. And, in her later years, she was
confined to a wheelchair! She was unable to walk
and she could not see. These things she lacked.
Seemingly, she had little to offer, this little blind
and crippled lady. But one thing she had in
abundance: Christian compassion.1

It is important for us to talk about the compassion
of the Christian because unless we are a people
of compassion, the love of God is not flowing in us
and through us.
COMPASSION IS A MARK OF A CHRISTIAN PERSON.


(The Staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online )

Lent

Scripture:

Read Mark 9:2-10, 30-32

"The Son of Man is going to be delivered
into the hands of men, and they will kill Him."
(Mark 9:31)

Reflection:

Have you ever asked an engaged or married
couple how they first met? Often they were just
friends until one day their friendship was
transformed before their very eyes- they realized
they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

That helps explain what happened when Jesus
took Peter, James and John up a mountain by
themselves. In an instant His familiar appearance
was transformed before their very eyes. His divine
glory as the Son of God began shining through His
human face and body. They were seeing Jesus' full
glory as the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Afterwards Jesus ordered them to keep it to
themselves until after He rose from the dead.

Leaving the mountain behind, Jesus leads His
disciples through Galilee on His way to Jerusalem.
Along the way He makes His second prediction of
His coming suffering and death. But this time He
adds a chilling detail- He will be "delivered into the
hands of men." Someone close to Him, someone
who should stand up to defend Him will instead hand
Him over to His enemies.

If you've ever been betrayed by a close friend, a family
member- a husband or wife- then you know what bitter
pain will strike Jesus when He watches one of His own
disciples bringing soldiers into the garden where He
often meets with His disciples.

But in the midst of all the bad news, Jesus makes
another promise- after three days He will rise from
the dead.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You were betrayed into the hands of
your enemies to save me from eternal death and
suffering in hell. Help me when I face betrayal from
those close to me. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Scripture:

Matthew 5:43-45

[Love for Enemies] “You have heard that it
was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you, that
you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and
the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.

Reflection:

I think that Matthew 5: 43-45 are among the
the most difficult verses in the Bible to
understand and to follow.  The problem lies,
after understanding, we do not follow. 

I'm, what they call, a product of the 60's.
I was a college student, who was very
much, against the war in Viet Nam.  I
marched and demonstrated and put all
of my effort into ending of that horrible war.

I would like to pass along a couple of
things I learned about people in this
country during that Viet Nam period. I
learned that mainly people in this country,
all types of people, love a winner.  You
see when I was demonstrating against
that war, I was not demonstrating against
the men and women who were fighting in
that war.  I loved those men and women
and my main concern was not that they
were fighting in an immoral and unjust war,
my concern was to bring them home. I had
people who I loved very much, dying in that
war, and above everything I wanted all of them
home. The people who yelled and cursed at 
me, didn't seem to understand that!  They
thought I hated the young men and women
coming back from the war.  They were so
very wrong, it was because I loved them
and I wanted them home. 
When they did come home, we "hippies"
were among the first to greet them and to
help them.  The people who yelled and
cursed at me weren't there.  Why? 
America loves a winner and hates, what
they think of as a loser,  What does that
say about the moral grounds of our
attitudes?  Sadly, the primary reason for
this change of attitude was not the result of
a growning awareness of the possible
immorality of the War.
Instead, it was due to images and stories
from the media, whether true or not, that
gave the strong impression our side was
losing.  Social critics said that if we were
winning the war, support for the War would
have been strong.  That is why I say, " America
loves winners and is harsh on losers.  These
young men and women, coming home from
that war, were now seen as losers.  Those
veterans, who had lost their lives, the many
more thousands who were suffering from life-
crippling wounds, the large percentage of
veterans who required psychiatric care and
psychological counseling, were all seen as
losers. 
Jesus once said that before a competent king
goes to war, he takes stock of his army and
resources and considers whether or not he has
enough to win that war.  If he is not sure he
tries to negotiate some kind of settlement (Luke
14: 31-32).  It now seems obvious that our leaders
failed to take stock of what would be required not
only to win the war, but also to secure the peace.
The results were disastrous.

We could make a lot of friends out of our enemies
by meeting the needs of the poor and oppressed
people of the world with the billions and trillions of
dollars we continue to waste on war. 

That is why Jesus says "[Love for Enemies] “
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you,
love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you, that you may be children of your Father in
heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil
and the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME VENT!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us to love
our enemies and all those who insult and hurt us,
and to pray for them and forgive them; you yourself
prayed for your enemies, who crucified you. Give us,
we pray, a spirit of Christian reconciliation and meekness,
so that we may forgive every injury and be reconciled
with our enemies. Grant us Christian meekness and true
love of our neighbor. Give to our enemies true peace and
forgiveness of sins; and do not allow them to leave this
life without true faith and sincere conversion. Help us
to repay evil with goodness. --

adapted from the Orthodox "Prayer for Enemies"