In the past week
I have attended a number of church
meetings. Attending these meetings is
nothing new in itself. But, during each
of these meetings the opportunity arose, and I took the chance to share the
advice I give to other pastors, when asked.
In fact, I shared this advice 3 times! My advice is: “Preach GOD’S word, not your
opinions. And LOVE your people!” Actually, that last bit of advice was given
to me by a former professor. When I was
a young pastor in my first year in my first congregation, St. Paul Lutheran
Church in St. Louis, MO, Dr. Richard
Dinda called me from Texas to talk.
After discussing a number of issues, and after asking how things were
going in the congregation, he shared his own heart-felt advice with me. “Love ‘em,
Jon. Just love ‘em.” I spoke agreement at the time, but I had no
idea how deep the wisdom was which Dr. Dinda shared with me in that summer of
1979.
However, pastors
are not the only ones called to love others.
It is natural for humans to care about their families and friends,
sometimes very deeply. A child of God, a
disciple of Jesus, might be even more inclined to such compassion. After all, we know God’s undeserved love for
us in Jesus, who died to pay for our sins.
We know the grace of forgiveness, which we receive by faith because God loves us. Knowing this love from God for us, it is natural
for Christians to care for one another.
It is natural for Christians to love one another. That is after all what Jesus called for from his
disciples in the upper room on the last night before he died. "A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another. (John 13:34) Perhaps, St. Paul describes what
this love looks like when he teaches about Christ’s church in 1 Corinthians
12: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is
honored, every part rejoices with it.” (I
Corinthians 12:26) It is just natural that
Christians hurt for each other, and rejoice with one another. It is natural for Christians to care for one
another, and to show that love in our words and our actions.
But, how do you show love to someone when you don’t
know how to help? How do you show love
to someone when the good which you want for the other person is beyond your
ability? I have heard from 5 specific
people this week, people for whom I care deeply. I heard from them concerning their hurts and their
hopes. Some of these people I have known
for 30 years or longer. And, these 5
only add to others about whom I have concerns. I keep an on-going list of those
folks. Some of these people have life
struggles. Some have chronic illness, or
serious and even critical illness. Some
have struggles with faith, or have lost loved ones. Also on my list are concerns and hopes for my
own family. How do you show love to
someone when you know their troubles and their sufferings, but cannot wave a
magic wand and simply make everything better?
On the night
Jesus was betrayed, in the upper room, before going to Gethsemane, he commanded
His disciples, “Love one
another. As I have loved you.” But Jesus
showed his love in more ways than through His suffering and His death. Later that same night, 2 chapters later in
the Gospel of John, we read about another way that Jesus showed that love. In John 17 Jesus speaks these words. “9 I
pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,
for they are yours. . .20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also
for those who will believe in me through their message” Jesus cared for His disciples by praying
for them. Jesus also shows that love for
us, by praying to His Father on our behalf.
In fact, we even know what Jesus prayed. Listen to John 17:15 “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you
protect them from the evil one.” Jesus
did not pray specifically for deliverance from this world and its troubles,
even though Jesus did often heal, and feed, and save people in His time on
earth through His miracles. Jesus first
prayed that His children are “protected
from the evil one.” Satan
seeks to cause doubt and disappointment, anger and separation, between God and
His people. Jesus came to save us, but
the devil seeks to steal that salvation away from the followers of Jesus. So, first Jesus prayed that His followers are
“protected from the evil one” by our
Heavenly Father. Jesus prays that we
remain in a relationship of faith, hope, and love with our Lord and
Creator. Jesus prays that Satan cannot
use the trials and losses of this world to take away our faith and our
salvation.
You see, no matter what trouble we face, Jesus’ love for
us, from the cross and in our lives, is sure.
St. Paul writes, “For I am convinced
that neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) And, sometimes life might be tougher than
death. But, through it all nothing can
separate us from God’s love in Jesus!
So, when I care
about someone, and I want to show that love, but in some ways it seems I am
powerless to help, I pray. Actually, as
part of my love for others I pray even before life gets to that point. But I PRAY.
I pray that people ARE “protected from the evil one.” I pray that those whom I care for know that
God is with them, in Jesus, through life and through death. I pray that they remain in faith, in hope,
and in love. And, then I also pray for
help, for direction, for healing, for deliverance, for comfort, and for love.
How do you show love to someone when the good you
want for the other person seems beyond your ability? I follow Jesus’ example. I pray for them, and I let our loving Lord
protect them and help them in the way which He knows in His wisdom is best for
their welfare, in this life and eternally.
A Child of God, Showing
Love by Praying for Others,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. I did fish twice in Florida this week. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/KbA7HwTaQ2hwP6L38
P.P.S. I was part of creating a video for the “Choose
to be Different Banquet” on October 24.
The video looked at St. John’s past, present, and future. Those interviewed for the video were Arlene
Fox concerning the past at St. John, August and Sarah Manelick and 2 of their
children for the present, and Adam Christiansen for the future. Adam taped and edited the video. I think I can send a link to the video. Here it is.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jn2ydyJTz2dixBUOcNwAbCqz9aptfiIy/view?usp=sharing
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at
the end of August 2019 from serving as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran
Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion previously
entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired many
asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued
writing. However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys
Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior
pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who
asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving again part-time at St. John
as assistant to the pastor.)
So, if you stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you
understand. And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish
to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my
distribution list. My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our
Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
cell phone -
907-841-4066
Home phone -
907-746-5131
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