Have you ever called down fire from heaven on anyone? Have you ever wanted to? Hopefully you know better, but my disciples did not. I declined and used the occasion as an opportunity to teach them. In another passage I talk about heaping coals of fire on the heads of your enemies. These may sound similar but they are not the same thing. This is a matter of loving your enemies; blessing and not cursing. Do you want to destroy your enemies or win them over?
Do you think that all faiths other than the one you practice are of the devil? What about the Jews? I lived in a time of great spiritual diversity and encountered people from a wide variety of faiths. How did I handle this situation? I did tell the woman at the well that her faith practice was wrong, but for the most part I commended both the faith and the good deeds of others even when I did not agree with their doctrine. I did have some strong words for the leaders of my own tradition., but when a man gave me a wise answer I said he was not far from the Kingdom of God.
What are you afraid of? Your culture offers sympathy to fearful people, but the Bible gives strong words against fear, linking it with unbelief and torment. You have heard of people being paralyzed by fear and have seen examples. Fear prevents people from taking the actions necessary to move ahead into their own future. So how do you deal with the unknown and with scary circumstances that require action? I know this is not easy, but you might find it helpful to realize that the greatest risk you face is the failure to show up and lead the life that I have set before you.
Do you recognize other people by the sound of their voice? Do you find it amazing that even though many people may speak the same recognizable words, each one adds their own unique character to the intonation, much like a verbal fingerprint? You can recognize particular voices even over remote means of communication. How do you recognize my voice? For all my sheep hear my voice, even if it is still and small. If you don’t recognize the tone of my voice perhaps you can recognize the content.
We confess: Lord, You have placed within me a hunger for truth (2 Thess. 2:10). The truth sets me free (Jn. 8:32). I fear God, love truth, and hate dishonest gain (Ex. 18:21). I will lead in the area God has assigned me to.
What is your assignment in this battle? Are you active in it? One of my assignments is to be a teacher who shares life-giving truths, which I do below.
Do you make your first impression of people based on their outward appearance? What else do you have to go on? Yet when you get to know people well is their outward appearance eclipsed by your knowledge of their character? The Bible refers to knowing by the flesh in contrast to knowing by the spirit. Do you assume that knowing by the spirit is a rare event that is only available to a select few in special circumstances? That would be incorrect.
Do you consider yourself to be a dignified person? How is that working for you? Dignity is an honor you should extend to every person, for they are made in my image, and this is a regard for their inherent worth. What about claiming it for yourself? Has this ever been a burden for you? Has the desire for dignity ever hindered you from expressing the joy in your heart? Don’t die with your joy still inside you. This is too great a burden to bear. The conventions of your culture confuse dignity with lack of expression. This is a false conception that you cannot arbitrarily correct.
I was a stranger and you took me in. What does this mean? This is important since it is a deciding factor in entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you have to take in strangers as overnight houseguests? Some have entertained angels unawares in doing this, but perhaps the threshold is lower than this. Not all strangers require lodging. They do require a recognition of their essential humanity, that they too are made in my image whether they believe in me or not. I called on my servants to go to the highways and byways to seek far and wide to fill my wedding banquet with guests.
If you were to ask a wide variety of people about their least favorite aspect of their job, what would you expect? Would you be surprised to find the answer was paperwork? Who has a passion for filling out forms and writing reports? Have you noticed how little paperwork is involved in serving me? Churches have to keep financial records, but for the most part the things you do for the Kingdom of God don’t require you to fill out forms, relieving you of a tedious burden. Yet you can be sure that accurate records are being kept, even without effort on your part.
Do you make a distinction between natural and supernatural gifts from God? This is an artificial distinction and one that I do not make. For those who do it creates a two-tier hierarchy. Would you expect the ‘supernatural’ gifts to be more highly regarded among those who practice them? You don’t need yet another means to divide yourselves and confer honor and dishonor accordingly. When I walked among you what acts of service did I commend? I said that those who fed the hungry, visited those sick and in prison, and took in strangers were really doing it unto me.
