My first difficulty in posting something about this text is finding an appropriate illustration. I know those pictures of severed hands and feet are out there, but I’m not looking for them! Of course the rather graphic language of the passage illustrates Jesus’ point all by itself: This is serious. Some stuff just doesn’t belong in your life. And that’s not a message I’m typically preaching. I like to talk about transformation, gradual change and the journey. This black and white, Just-say-no! stuff is not my style!
I might not like to say it, but this black and white, Just-say-no stuff is definitely part of Jesus’ journey. There is some baggage we need to leave behind if we are going to be following Jesus. Sunday I identified that baggage as whatever gets in the way of affirming our God-given identity as God’s people, made in God’s image, redeemed and empowered (note the Trinitarian theology!). For some of us that might take the shape of certain activities or distractions, maybe the influence of particular situations or opinions. For me, it’s primarily negative thoughts, which keep me from seeing that God’s Kingdom does indeed have the victory. It all seems impossible and pointless sometimes.
My suggestion Sunday was that we start each day reminding ourselves of our God-given identity, just as Sunday worship is the way of starting each week with that reminder. A couple days into my own advice and I’m hearing it like a 12-Step program: My name is Meg, and I’ve remembered my identity for three days! Still, I think it’s a good beginning. What I have found, in this short experiment, is that with the excuses out of the way, now I do have to do something about who I am and what God is calling me to be, and that’s a little daunting. No excuses–take another step on the journey. We’ll see how this is at the end of the week.
How is it going with you, two days past Sunday?