We live in a complicated hectic world that leaves me in a constant state of confusion most of the time. I believe it is because I have too many choices and decisions to make. I desperately find myself wanting to return to my youth when things were simpler. Watching television is just one aspect of our lives that have become greatly complicated over the years. Growing up we had a black & white television with three channels. Today we have a HD television with over 200 channels. As a child the decision was simple to watch television, play outside, or bang on my drums. Not channel surfing through all 200 channels to see if anything catches my interest or can hold my already very short attention span. (Not to mention deciding which shows to record and watch later.) If our family watched television together, we talked during commercials; we did not fast-forward through them with the remote. Being the smallest in the family, I was the remote control. “Tommy! Change the channel, turn it up, turn it down, etc.” I even got some exercise as well as being entertained as an escape from reality.
Sometimes we try to make Easter more complicated than it should be. When we look at Jesus’ life and teaching, he made things really simple. During this Lenten season as we moved towards our destination, we have tried to keep it simple. It is about “it”. It is the love of Christ. Mary Magdalene was the model for “it” and a model we need to pursue in our faith journey as well. First, she had to lose it; she was healed by Jesus for the seven demons she possessed. When she experienced Christ’s healing touch she had to lose her past reputation, the guilt, and the chains that bonded her to her past. She lost her past life, she supported Jesus ministry and was a faithful follower until his death. Second, she had to find “it”. Mary Magdalene was the first to return to Jesus tomb. She was the first to find that Christ had risen but she did not understand the power of his love. She kept asking until she understood what had happened. Third, she had to get “it”. Although she found the tomb empty, she did not understand what had happened. She thought the risen Savior was a groundskeeper. After she encounters the risen Christ, she understood the significance of what her eyes had seen. Last, she had to pass “it”. Jesus instructed her to tell the disciples that he had risen. Out of all the disciples, all of Jesus’ followers, it was Mary Magdalene that He chose to reveal the good news. It was because out off all those there that day, she was the only one that lost it, found it, got it, and passes it on. Maybe it is that simple for us if we don’t allow our life to become too complicated. Has Christ’s love allowed you to lose your past? Have you found grace, unconditional love, and forgiveness in Christ love for you? Do you fully understand what Christ has done or can do for your life? Have you passed it on to others through your actions and words? Lose it- Find it- Get it- Pass it- It is that simple.
Shalom,
Tommy
Sometimes we try to make Easter more complicated than it should be. When we look at Jesus’ life and teaching, he made things really simple. During this Lenten season as we moved towards our destination, we have tried to keep it simple. It is about “it”. It is the love of Christ. Mary Magdalene was the model for “it” and a model we need to pursue in our faith journey as well. First, she had to lose it; she was healed by Jesus for the seven demons she possessed. When she experienced Christ’s healing touch she had to lose her past reputation, the guilt, and the chains that bonded her to her past. She lost her past life, she supported Jesus ministry and was a faithful follower until his death. Second, she had to find “it”. Mary Magdalene was the first to return to Jesus tomb. She was the first to find that Christ had risen but she did not understand the power of his love. She kept asking until she understood what had happened. Third, she had to get “it”. Although she found the tomb empty, she did not understand what had happened. She thought the risen Savior was a groundskeeper. After she encounters the risen Christ, she understood the significance of what her eyes had seen. Last, she had to pass “it”. Jesus instructed her to tell the disciples that he had risen. Out of all the disciples, all of Jesus’ followers, it was Mary Magdalene that He chose to reveal the good news. It was because out off all those there that day, she was the only one that lost it, found it, got it, and passes it on. Maybe it is that simple for us if we don’t allow our life to become too complicated. Has Christ’s love allowed you to lose your past? Have you found grace, unconditional love, and forgiveness in Christ love for you? Do you fully understand what Christ has done or can do for your life? Have you passed it on to others through your actions and words? Lose it- Find it- Get it- Pass it- It is that simple.
Shalom,
Tommy
