“God’s People Prioritize Relationship With Him”
July 21, 2013
The 9th Sunday of the Christian Season of Ordinary Time/Kingdomtide/Time of the Church
Genesis 18: 1 - 10a/Psalm 15/Colossians 1: 21 – 29/ Luke 10: 38 - 42
His Eminence
The Most Reverend Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
and
Primate
of the
National Church in the Philippines
and
the Territorial Church of Asia
International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church
As we walk through the Kingdomtide portion of the calendar year, we are given guidelines on how that our lives should be bringing forth a manifestation of all that God has done for us. Remember that we are told that we have been brought out of darkness into His marvelous light; how that we have been brought out of sin into life; from death into that life. There should be a manifestation of what we have been given. This is what Christ expects of us.
We have been changed. No longer is sin the master of our lives. No longer is darkness covering our heart so it cannot see through to the hope that God has given to us. Instead, Christ has washed this clean from us, symbolized by the Baptism that we go through. The old passed away, behold, all things are new; and all of those things that are new are from God. He who knew no sin became sin in our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Having all that given unto us, having been changed from what we were, now being in a relationship with the Father, walking hand in hand with Him, Christ in us, the Holy Spirit dwelling with us, there is that potential, that ability for us to rise to a new presentation of life itself in such a way that that it literally changes the environment around us because we so affect it. We prioritize our relationship with Christ.
We see this in the relationship of Martha and Mary in the gospel. Martha invites Jesus to the house. She then begins to prepare a meal for Him. Mary, the sister, instead of becoming busy, takes time to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him.
Over the years, we look at this event, and in some cases, we look at Martha as the evil one and Mary as the righteous. When in reality, both are necessary. Jesus' physical body needed food. He was flesh. That flesh required Him to eat, to drink, so that was an event that Martha was taking care of righteously. She saw the need to care of Jesus.
Mary also was doing the right thing when she was listening to Jesus. She was giving Him that attention in her life. Both were doing the right things. The problem arose when Martha, perhaps, became jealous and anxious because Mary was not helping her. She was doing all the work. She was feeling sorry for herself. “There is Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus while I am doing all the work. She is getting all of this attention and I am doing the work. I should be the one getting the attention.”
Martha, then, berates Jesus. “Don’t you know that I am doing all the work? Why don’t you tell Mary to help me?” That was where she made a mistake. It took her attention away from her giving to her selfishness. She wanted the same attention that Mary was getting.
Perhaps after she finished the meal, served it to Christ, He would have recognized what she has done, the sacrifice that she has given, and perhaps He would have exalted her. But because of her attitude, being so concerned about what was happening, she spoke and in modern language and modern culture, she offended Christ. He wasn’t the guilty one, and yet she said that to Him.
In our lives, we, as God's people, must prioritize our relationship with Him. Even in the reading in Genesis, Abraham and Sarah understood hospitality. They were out in the provincial area sitting at the door of the tent because of the heat of the day. All of a sudden there were three visitors that Abraham sees. In the vacantness of the surroundings, three men walking would draw attention. People don’t come out there very often. “Very seldom is here but us. Here is now company, someone we can talk to. Here is someone we can minister to.”
Immediately, Abraham runs to them and invites them to come and sit under the tree – real hospitality. He brings water for them to drink. Here is someone they can talk to. Immediately, Abraham invites them to sit on a tree. He talks to them and he brings greetings to them. Then, he runs to Sarah and tells her to bake some bread. He goes to the herdsmen and he picks out an animal that the herdsmen can fix for them to eat. He goes back to the three men. While the things are being taken care of, he is hospitable to them.
We see here the example that Christ would want us to recognize. These three were representation of the Trinity. The Lord speaks to Abraham, “You are going to have a child." For Abraham, this was a big challenge because both he and Sarah were already past child-bearing stage. Here was a message that was coming to them possibly being brought because of their hospitality. They were open and building a relationship and the respect of what God had given to them.
In our own lives today, in the society we live in, we are pushed and pressured by many things that take away our attention toward God. Our employment, our businesses require a tremendous amount of attention if they are going to be successful. We want to prosper; we have a goal in our heart. We want to have much so that so that people can look at us and respect us because of our commitments and lifestyle. But in so doing, sometimes, we ignore things that are important; things that are far more important than material gains. We forget relationships that are vital. We find ourselves frustrated and anxious, sometimes angry, sometimes under tremendous pressure. Perhaps, this is why in our society today, sickness and disease is on the increase – heart attacks; high blood pressure.
So many other things are affecting us because of the pressures we find trying to achieve, trying to reach a point of respect and honor in the society in that which we live in. Only to find out that when we arrive at that point, there are those who will try to undo us, to put us down, and to destroy us so that they can take over what we have done.
The priority of life should be gaining that peace that comes from Christ. What assurance of confidence in Him that if we walk in His path, He has prepared a highway for us to walk in; a highway of great things, good deed that we can accomplish to bring honor and praise to Him, not to us.
The difference between Martha and Mary – Martha wanted attention for herself; Mary was giving of herself, of her attention to Christ. She was letting Him be the center of her life. This speaks to us of our own choices that we must make. Choices that is very important in every day of our lives to put Christ in that place of priority early in the morning in our lives.
In Colossians, Paul is writing to the church at Colossae which he has never visited before. At this time, Paul is imprisoned and yet he is concerned about them. He has a concern for their spiritual lives and he reminds them of where they have come from. “You were once an alien. You were hostile in mind. You were engaged in evil deeds. But now, because of Christ and because of the work of others in your lives, you have been reconciled. Now you are holy and blameless, beyond reproach.” This is what Christ has done for you. What is your respect for Him? What is your honor toward Him? Where are you putting Him in your life?
Paul says to them, "I suffer for your sake. I complete that suffering and if there is any lacking of what Christ has done for you, I bring that mystery to you that it may be made manifest in you.” Paul was imprisoned. He was saying that his imprisonment was part of his suffering for them. He was holding fast the truth. He was bringing forth that love which comes from Christ. He says, “I labor striving for you.” Here is prioritizing our lives. It is making certain that others are having their needs met and others are growing in the things of God. Not being pulled apart; not being destroyed; not being put down, but we do our part to make certain that the life of Christ is bringing forth newness in their beings.
In our own lives, how we begin our day perhaps has a tremendous effect upon how the day plays out for us. Do we put Christ first in our lives? Scriptures tell us, “Early in the morning, I will see Him.” This is putting Christ in that place where that in the beginning, before we start anything, we want to give Him attention. We want to give Him a chance to speak to us. We want to give Him that opportunity to set a course and a direction for the whole day.
How we begin the day many times affects how we live out the day. If we spend time in the beginning thinking of the hurts, the things that had gone wrong in our lives, it may affect our attitude for the whole day. Whereas if we spend time with Christ in the beginning, we let Him speak to us and we speak to Him. It sets a course, a direction. It helps us see that this life, this day, is under the dominion of Christ. The things that are going to happen are those things that we can handle and we can bring God glory through them, if only, we begin the day with Him.
Psalm 5 says, "To Thee, do I pray in the morning, O Lord.” Do we get early enough to spend a little time with our Lord? Are we so undisciplined that we wait the last minute to wake so that we rush getting ready so that we are not late for our office or for our job? We have no time for God; we have no time for Christ to speak to us. No time for Him to prepare us for the day to speak of His love and His compassion to us. No time for Him to tell us, “I am going to be with you. I will not fail you. I will not forsake you today. I am going to walk with you. I am going to hold your hand. I am going to bring my peace into your life and I am going to let you be a witness of the greatness.”
Take time to let God encourage us in the morning before we hear the news of the world which is normally not good. It sometimes causes anxiety and anger and we begin our day with an attitude that is already tainted with bitterness and anxiety. Whereas if we spend time in the morning with God, it can set a different course or direction for the day. Psalm 59 says, “I sing of Thy lovingkindness in the morning.” Do we awaken with a song in our heart? Do we take time to make certain that the anxieties of the day before had been buried and we begin this day fresh? We begin this day with hope, with confidence, with assurance.
Psalm 88 says, “In the morning, my prayer will come before Thee.” Do we take time to acknowledge we need God today? “Our dependence, O Lord, is upon You. Guide my feet in the path that I walk. Keep my eyes upon You. May I see in others the life that You have given them. May I not see the evil. May I not see the failures, but may I, instead, see that seed of hope and joy that you have implanted within them.”
Psalm 90 says, "Satisfy us with lovingkindness in the morning that we might sing for joy all the day.” When we begin the day with Christ, it really changes the attitudes of our hearts. We can see there is hope for today. “I don’t face this day with anxiety. I don’t face this day with fear, but I face this day with Christ. It gives to me a new song of joy that can give me an attitude of being lifted up. Seeing things with hope and assurance.”
Ecclesiastes says, “Sow your seed in the morning.” What do you want your day to be like? If we prioritize our relationship with Christ early in the morning, we sow a seed. Remember, what we sow is what we reap. This is what is going to come back to us. If we don’t take time with Christ, can we expect Christ to give us time later in the day when we have ignored Him, when we have started the day? We don’t have time for Him in the morning. We don’t have the time to sit and let Him speak to us. We don’t have time to talk with Him, but when we need Him, we want Him to come running to us. How self-centered we are. When you give to Him first, you can expect to have a return during the day.
At that moment, when there is that trial or when that temptation knocks on the door, He will be there to remind you, “I am here with you. I am your strength. I am your wisdom. I am your confidence. I am your hope. Don’t give in. Don’t get anxious. Don’t give up. Hold firm for I am with you.” Such comfort in the midst of the anxiety. Such comfort in the midst of the temptation to know that He is there to strengthen us so that we don’t fail because we have taken time to plant a seed of love, respect, and compassion.
Isaiah 33 says, “Be Thou our strength in the morning.” When we acknowledge Him, how He strengthens us. He helps us to be strong for the day. He helps us to put aside things that would perhaps pull us down. He speaks to us as we read His Word. He gives to us hope. He gives to us assurance. He helps us to face the day with the confidence that He is with us.
One of the things that can be very powerful in one’s life in the beginning of each day is to take time to read one chapter of Proverbs. Proverbs has 31 chapters. Proverbs each day guides us in how we can handle the problems of life. It tells us how that if you have a person with you who has no discernment, don’t waste your time trying to explain things to him because he is not going to hear. He is not going to understand. It tells us that there are times to be silent. There are times when we must speak. It tells us there are the things that we can do to bring assurance, confidence and peace to our lives.
The writings of Proverbs are very powerful to set a course for the personality of our lives. For the character of Christ within us, it helps to remind ourselves over and over again that we are His and He is ours. He will not leave us. That if we would only listen to Him, our day can be different.
We need to prioritize Christ in our lives. We need to spend time early in the morning with Him. I am not talking about hours. Fifteen minutes can change the day. A half an hour can give you encouragement and power to face whatever may come without anxiety and without stress but with peace.
It is up to us. How do we prioritize our lives? Before we do anything else, give Christ the attention. Give Him that proclamation of your life, your commitment to Him. Let Him know that you are depending upon Him today. Let Him know that you love Him and that you need His love in your life. How it changes your attitude and takes away your feeling of emptiness, loneliness, sorrow to know that God loves you and God’s hope is yours.
Like Martha, we get so involved in the things around us that we become a little abrasive and defensive. We think of ourselves only; self-centered, defending ourselves, rather than letting Christ be the center of our lives. Knowing that even when things are not so good, if our faith is in Him, He will turn them to good for His glory and honor.
Prioritizing life - here we are in Kingdomtide. Here we are walking with Christ. He has done so much for us. He has given His life. He has taken our sin, our iniquity. He went to hell in our behalf and destroyed the power of evil, sin, hell and death. He did all of these for us. Can’t we not take a little time with Him? Can we not give Him that first place in our lives?
The commandment that God gives to us, “You shall love The Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul.” Here is the direction. First in our lives! Placing Him in that place early in the morning because then He knows where He stands in our lives. He knows that He is just that whom if we have extra time it is okay. No, we prioritize Him in our schedule. He is first; number one. When this becomes the habit of our lives, our lives becomes more enjoyable and more a witness that He intends it to be.
Prioritize Christ. Put Him there in your lives. Don’t let other things take Him away from us. Don’t let the things of the world cheat you because they cannot give you much, but Christ gives you all. He should be number one in our lives. Nothing replaces Him. He is the most important event that all of us can proclaim before life. May we give Him that place of glory in our lives.
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