HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-09-26, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013.
By Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande
Duff’s United Church, Walton
The Gospel of Luke connects a
story (Luke 10:25-28) similar to the
Great Commandment stories of
Mark and Matthew with a unique
account (Luke 10:29-37) told to
illustrate who a person’s
“neighbour” was. The story involves
a stranger befriending and aiding a
beaten man who had been
overlooked or ignored by others
passing by. After relating the story,
Jesus instructed the questioner to
“Go, and do thou likewise.”
“Love is the only bow on Life’s
dark cloud. It is the morning and the
evening star. It shines upon the babe,
and sheds its radiance on the quiet
tomb. It is the mother of art, inspirer
of poet, patriot and philosopher. It is
the air and light of every heart —
builder of every home, kindler of
every fire on every hearth. It was the
first to dream of immortality. It fills
the world with melody — for music
is the voice of love. Love is the
magician, the enchanter that changes
worthless things to Joy, and makes
royal kings and queens of common
clay. It is the perfume of that
wondrous flower, the heart, and
without that sacred passion, that
divine swoon, we are less than
beasts; but with it, earth is heaven,
and we are gods,” Robert G.
Ingersoll, in Orthodoxy, Works, Vol.
II.
The texts about the great
commandment are not so much a
controversy or conflict story. It is a
dialogue between a teacher and a
scribe. In this dialogue, Jesus finds
common ground by affirming the
rich heritage that has provided the
foundation for his own teaching and
ministry. It is also interesting that
Jesus’ reply does not come from any
of the actual laws themselves - not
even from the Ten Commandments.
Instead, it comes from before the
law, the opening of the daily Jewish
prayer found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God,
the Lord is one. You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all
your mind, and with all your
strength.” Jesus then adds: “And the
second commandment is this: You
shall love your neighbour as
yourself. There is no other
commandment greater than these.”
(Leviticus 19:18).
The scribe shows his agreement
with Jesus by paraphrasing Jesus’
answer and adding that the love
commandment is more important
than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices. Mark proceeds with the
understanding that this creed calls
forth absolute devotion, obedience,
and commitment from the heart,
soul, mind, and strength. “We love
God because he first loved us” (John
4:19). Jesus also insists that love of
God and love of neighbour go
together and ultimately form one
commandment. In other words, love
should be our guiding motive in life.
Anything we do must be guided
from above; otherwise all of our
efforts are futile.
Returning back to fishing on the
first night the disciples caught
nothing. With their first rays of
dawn, they disappointedly turned
toward the shore, where they saw in
the distance a figure who called out
to them, “children, have you caught
anything?” According to the
scriptures, Jesus called out to them
to let their nets, and they drew “a
great multitude of fish,” enough their
nets broke, the catch filling the boats
so heavily they had began to sink.
Some of us might know the rest of
the story but after a joyful reunion
with the resurrected Jesus, it became
a turning of the apostolic ministry
generally and certainly for Peter and
his colleagues personally. Once
more, Jesus is reminding the
disciples that if they truly love Him,
they should continue what His
Father in heaven commissioned Him
to do while he was physically with
them, and that is, to feed the sheep,
save the lambs and preach gospel.
Ours is not a feeble message. “If you
love me, keep my commandments,”
Jesus said. So we have neighbours to
bless, children to protect, the poor to
lift up and the truth to defend. We
have the wrongs to make right, the
truths to share, and the good to do. In
short, we have a life of devoted
discipleship to give in demonstrating
our love of the world. It is not a
fleeting task or a hopeless task but it
the work of Almighty God, and is to
change the world. We can’t quit and
we can’t go back.
We have a life of devoted
discipleship to give in demonstrating
our love of the world. As Christians
we strive to love God with all our
heart, soul and mind and as our
hearts and minds are transformed by
the indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit. Caring for one another is
what God wants from human beings
and that is more important than any
other religious practice.
We are to live out the Great
Commandment, not in terms of duty
but in the way followers of Jesus
communicate who God is to those
who don’t know Him. Making
disciples is not just about adding
people to your church. It is about
introducing people to God’s love
found within the community of faith
and then helping people fall in love
with God and become more like
Jesus.
Often, the greatest manifestations
of love are the simple acts of
kindness and caring we extend to
those we meet along the path of life.
Kindness is being generous,
friendly, or warm-hearted. It means
having a kind and gentle nature.
Kindness involves doing good rather
than harm. When practising
kindness, people show an
understanding for others and treat
them with respect. Kindness
involves doing thoughtful deeds for
the people who are in need. It often
means putting other people first.
When people are kind they feel
compassion.
In conclusion, Love is the
beginning, the middle, and the end
of the pathway of discipleship. It
comforts, counsels, cures, and
controls. It leads us through the
valley of darkness and through the
veil of death. In the end love leads us
From the Minister’s StudyLiving out the Great Commandment
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, September 29
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
“Gentle Footsteps Upon Me”
International Celebration -
Back to Church Sunday - Welcome Back
Worship Service & Sunday School at 10 a.m.
PASTOR
Sandra Cable, DLM
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
Minister: Pastor Gary Van LeeuwenMELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-9017
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
BRUSSELS
Sandra Cable, Pastor
Church Office 519-887-6259
E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00 am
Sunday School
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
United Church
250 Princess St., Brussels
519-887-6388
www.bmfchurch.com
Pastor Jim Whitehead
Guests Welcome
Jesus Is Lord!
Brussels
Mennonite
Fellowship
Worship Service 10:00 am
Sunday School 11:15 am
enter textDIVE IN @ HURON CHAPEL
10:30am THIS SUNDAY
www.huronchapel.com
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
Tuesday - Wingham Bible Study 7:30 pm
Tuesdays - Youth Group at CRC 7:30 pm
Women At The Well - 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Sept. 29: Psalm 8
“Astrology:
In the Stars His
Handiwork I See”
REPORT: 2013
PETERBOROUGH SERVE
Evangelical Missionary Church
Oct. 5, 7:30 pm at Blyth Arena:
Dr. Kirk Durston - “Science and the Skeptic”
Continued on page 24