Revolutionary Audacity

Y'shua said to her, I who speak to you, am He.
John 4:26 BE

First of all, Y'shua had the audacity to speak to a woman who was not related to him by marriage! Two thousand years ago, that was quite unusual, and unacceptable. This line follows a 25 and a 1/2 verse introduction of the woman's faith development. From a promiscuous adulterer to a confessed believer, from a racial snob to a humble servant, she paved the way for inclusive attitudes regarding our relationships to  Messiah - the Christ - the Anointed One and to One Another. Chapter 4 continues to show the expansion of Y'shua's vision to include the old northern tribal settlements, by then collapsed into Galilee and Samaria, as worthy of his love and attention. Such an idea was quite unusual, unacceptable, revolutionary! After his death and resurrection, he told his disciples to take his inclusive Love to all the world. (Matthew 28:19) That would include us, as believers.
Shalom, Mother BE


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He Took It All

He took our infirmities and bore our diseases. 
Matthew 8:17b

These words came from the prophet Isaiah several hundred years before "He," Y'shua, fulfilled them some two thousand years ago. The context for this short pericope describes ministry among people not of the Jewish religious culture from which Y'shua emerged. Prior to this verse, the writer explained how Y'shua healed an outcast leper, a Roman centurion's servant, a woman (females were not part of the religious culture), and various others who were physically or mentally ill and thus fell short of perfection. The prophesy applies to every human who ever lived or will live on planet Earth. The writer reveals to us the ultimate mystery that the Creator of everything, in the person of Y'shua, owns everyone's infirmities and diseases.
Shalom, Mother BE

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From There To Here

The Holy One has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the realm of  Y'shua, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 BE

Redemption means that something is recovered that was held by someone else, such as a mortgage, or something is paid by someone else for our benefit, a rescue. We may feel that we do not need rescuing, that our lives are comfortable, and we can see perfectly well that our existence is everything we ever wanted it to be. That is simply the trap of affluence. Until we recognize that Y'shua is the embodiment of the Holy One who created us, we walk in darkness, bumping into walls of stone as if in a cave without a candle. OK, so we don't do anything immoral, we follow all the rules of society, get along with everyone, and are healthy to boot. In other words, we are really good and we don't need anything. Another trap. The word "sins" does not describe acts that violate cultural mores. We could use the Greek word it translates: harmartia, which means to miss the mark or violate a divine law. The law in question is the Law of the Holy One. Like gravity, it exists whether we want it too, or not. That Law includes the Big Ten, but much more encompasses the existence of the whole universe. That Law states simply that Love exists. Without Love, there is nothing. Shalom, Mother BE

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From Discipline to Righteousness

For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 RSV

One of my favorite spring flowers is the wild sweet pea growing along country fences or peeking out from under boulders. They are completely undisciplined, and that is part of their charm. The blooms don't last very long and they seldom successfully adjust to transplanting. Fortunately, horticulturists have developed strains that do well in gardens, tended by loving care. Their sweet aroma fills the air outside or inside with color therapy -. often just what we need to remember a gracious time of peace. Wildness is illusory, it doesn't last and it gets in the way of progress. Our lives are like sweet peas in gardens tended by Love. Sometimes we need a clip here and there to keep the main stems healthy. We may not agree with the discipline, but over time, we will recognize the value of a moment of painful training.  We will invariably yield the fruit of righteousness which endures forever. Shalom, Mother BE  

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