Keep It Simple

Meditations for Ragamuffins 

July 5, 2023

Keep It Simple

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

 

The life in Christ as our way of life is not rocket science. The New Creation ushered in by Jesus is not restricted to only a chosen few or to those who have advanced theological degrees. Jesus was the master of applying the principal: Keep It Simple. Jesus’ instructions are not complicated. In John’s Gospel, he illustrated his Golden Rule, which was included in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:12 above) with, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34).

The fact that neither the world at large, nor the followers of Jesus, have mastered living by the Golden Rule, or Jesus’ ‘new commandment,’ is evidence of the total depravity of humankind. Against this total incapacity of humankind to fix ourselves, God stepped forward and fixed us through His imputed righteousness: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In accepting this grace from God, our responsibility is to take what He has imputed, or given to us, and allow God to transform our lives “so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11b NRSV).

My Takeaway: Memorizing the Golden Rule as a child doesn’t necessarily weave it into the fabric of our daily life. As we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, we need to take the road less traveled and often return to the simplicity of Jesus’ teaching. In my walk, I frequently turn to the words of Henri Nouwen for inspiration and meditation: “I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father. . .. Being in the Father's house requires that I make the Father's life my own and become transformed in his image." (The Return of The Prodigal Son)

Sē’lah

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This series of meditations are inspired by the writings of Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, and many other books.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.