THE BEAUTY OF GOD

Ps 23; 1 Sam 15:10–21; Eph 4:25–32

Samuel delivered a message from the Lord to Saul, instructing him to completely destroy the Amalekites, both the people and animals, sparing nothing. But Samuel discovers that Saul has not done all that was commanded. Samuel is angry and confronts Saul, who tries to give the impression that he has carried out all that God had commanded. But the “bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle” gives him away. Saul tries to defend his actions, but his response to Samuel seems disingenuous at best. In Saul’s tribal world, life was about “us” and “them,” the good guys and the bad guys, the winners and the losers. And he has done what seemed expedient for him.

In Ephesians, we see a whole different way of life being described. In Jesus, the Kingdom of God is beginning to take shape. Christ has brought humanity together in his own body. And this new kingdom life is to look different than our earthly kingdoms. We are to speak the truth to our neighbors because we belong to one another. We are to put away anger. We are to stop stealing. We are to share with those who are in need, and we are to build up each other with our words. We are to let all our old ways of bitterness, anger, slander, and hate be removed from us. As members of Christ’s body, we are to live our lives with kindness toward one another, extending to others the forgiveness that we have received in Christ. It is this kind of kingdom living that reveals the beauty of Christ to the world.

PRAYER:

Lord, you have forgiven us freely. Give us courage to humbly extend this forgiveness to our neighbor. Where our thoughts and actions have worked to dismember your body, forgive us. Empower us to bring your grace and truth into our relationships, wherever we are, and whomever we are with. Amen.

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