Reflect
One summer day when I was a kid, my friend Chad and I were relaxing in my tree house, catching our breath after a neighborhood water balloon fight. Chad, the neighborhood daredevil, began absent-mindedly weaving my climbing rope in and out of his inner thighs and around his waist. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Bungee jumping," was his reply. Before I could respond, Chad swung himself over the guardrail and into the air. Unfortunately for my pal, our climbing rope didn't have the same sort of elasticity typically found in a bungee chord. His descent abruptly ended about 3 feet above the ground. There was no bungee bounce back up. Screaming, rope burns, and angry mothers ensued.
Too often, I find myself adopting Chad's bungee jump method when it comes to reading scripture. I will be reading a passage when I come across a verse like Matthew 7:12, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Upon reading it, I'll think, "I stink at that! I need to go work on that right now!" Before I know it, I'm wrapping the rope of legalism around my legs and boldly jumping into the world of niceness and good deeds. You may be wondering, "Hold up, buddy, isn't that what the verse says? Aren't we supposed to be good to people?" Well…yes—but, why?
The command Jesus issues (which is often referred to as the Golden Rule) tells us we should do for others what we wish they would do for us. He then adds, "This is the Law and the Prophets". With the issuing of the Golden Rule, Jesus distills the Law and Prophets down to one simple command. The problem is we're not very good at it. We don't love well. We are law-breakers, and our law breaking deserves death. Jesus, however, is the Law-Fulfiller. He gives his life for his people. Because of that, Jesus commands us to do a similar thing in Luke 9, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Spend some time reflecting on Christ's obedience to his own law, and his payment for our disobedience. Trying to love people is risky; it can be painful, scary, and downright awkward but Christ's grace frees us to try. If you fail, he loves you. If you succeed he loves. Doesn't that unconditional love make you want to love others in the same way? May the joy of his salvation flow out of you and into the people in your schools, neighborhoods, offices, and…treehouses.
John Trapp is the Director of Student Ministries at Christ the King.
Pray
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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