In the Gospel according to Matthew (chapters 5-7), Jesus gives an extended teaching we call the “Sermon on the Mount,” but Luke (in chapte 6) records Jesus giving many of the similar teachings on “a level place.”
I grew up on a house that was near the top of a hill. The house in which I currently reside is about halfway up a hill. It’s fantastic to be on a hill. You can see for miles around, you don’t have much to impede your view, and you somehow get a sense that you have accomplished something (even if you didn’t climb the hill yourself).
Level places? Not as enjoyable as hills. There is stuff all around, you pretty much only see the things close by, and I don’t know about you, but I often feel like there’s a lot of work to be done, rather than feeling accomplished.
And yet, Luke places Jesus (and his disciples) in a level place for these important teachings. Perhaps our ears are fine-tuned enough to hear echoes of Isaiah and John the Baptist calling for the way of the Lord to be made level – the rough places smoothed, the hills brought low, the valleys raised. The way of the Lord is prepared in the level places so that the Lord may enter into the business, the nearness, the messiness of the world and offer words and deeds of good news, love, forgiveness, and warning.
Good news that God is not only in some far off place looking down on us, but is close to us and among us and chooses to interact with us on our level.
Love for those who feel they are not seen and loved, for those told they will never be loved, for those who tell themselves they are not worthy of love.
Forgiveness for all who use a place on a mountain to look down on and judge and for all who look up at mountains and make too much of them and too little of themselves.
Warning to those who have much and are likely to be possessed by their possessions or consumed by the things we consume rather than trusting God and sharing out of the abundance God has given.
We, too, are called onto the level places with Jesus. We retreat and gather in the Hills as we worship each Sunday, pray, and are reconnected so that we are scattered into the level places to join Christ in sharing good news, love, forgiveness, warning, and life abundant and everlasting. God is in the level places, the busy-ness of the everyday, the times it seems like you can’t see past what’s right in front of you.
Blessings on your week,
Pastor Drew
0 Comments