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Make me an open book

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Luke 24:36-37, 45
Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost ...

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

There are times when I know Jesus must be standing right beside me while I read the Bible. What I read is not only clear, but inspiring. Questions in my mind don't exactly get resolved; they just lose their importance.

I wish that happened every day. It doesn't. But I haven't lost hope that it will happen again, and then again. Jesus and the Holy Spirit provide me points of view that shut down my selfishness and demand generosity of heart, spirit, mind and body. My perspective is incomplete and limited, but he opens me up.

I see how accepting he is, and I can learn to be the same. His respect of persons, of their individuality, allows him to be patient with my failures and mistakes, and with my self-centeredness. Reading the Bible with Jesus, I learn the rudiments of self-respect and regain childlike acceptance of others.

Jesus knows what is true and right, and what needs to be done. Because God acts only out of love, he is never wrong. He doesn't teach me to be right; he teaches me to be loving. Right will follow every time.

When Jesus says, "Peace be with you," they aren't empty words. He said elsewhere, "My peace I give to you." Just as God is love, so God is peace. These aren't just semantic equalities. They are literally true.

Perhaps I'm startled by this invasion of my privacy. But not for long. How can I call this kind of joy an invasion, anyway? For Jesus to open my mind in this way is for me to know who I am, why I'm here, and all the rest. Not so I can answer those questions with more, mere words ... but to Know.

Don't ever let me stop you, Lord. Come and show me all you want me to see.



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