I Am So Tired!
By Pastor David
Luke 4:16-21 The Message Bible
He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,
God’s Spirit is on me;
he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”
I am tired. I am tired of nonsense. I am tired of illogical speak. I am tired of making up whatever seems convenient no matter who it hurts in the present moment. I am tired of being told one thing when reality is somewhere else. I am tired of my leaders holding up white supremacy as virtuous. I am tired of my intelligence being insulted so others who will believe anything can be told what is convenient. I am tired of being home most of the time. I am tired of seeing people hurt because of the color of their skin, gender identification, or anything else just because someone is ignorant. I am tired of dumb decisions that have made the pandemic worse here than just about anywhere in the world. I am tired.
Now we hear that justices want to overturn same sex marriage. We hear that pre-existing conditions are not eligible to be covered by insurance. We hear that the government has to step in and make decisions for us to oppress us. We hear that leaders can put others at risk without a care in the world but their own existence. I am tired.
Am I the only one who is tired?
I am not trying to be political here. I am being real. Compassion, empathy, integrity, forgiveness, kindness, and character are things that Jesus taught us. Some want to emphasize what a Christian Nation we are. My question: WHERE is that happening?
We are blessed with so much knowledge, great amounts of resources, and really smart people. Where are they? These are Gifts of God! We are supposed to use our Gifts!
Yes, I can certainly give some examples of where we are a Christian Nation. But when you look at us as a whole community called the United Stated of America, what is it that we stand for any more?
Like I said, I am tired. Tired of all the junk dumped on us.
When I focus on all this it can be so depressing. But Jesus asks us to do better. We are to follow our teacher. We are to follow the Master. Jesus said he was sent to set the captives and the oppressed free. The Message Bible uses the words ”Set the burdened and battered free.” To give sight to the blind. Blind is not just physical. Blind is also not seeing and seizing the spirit that we can be too blind to see. Even if that is being blind to injustice, blind to compassion, blind to those who really try to do their best for everyone’s sake. But the passage goes on.
“This is God’s year to act!” I love that phrase from the Message Bible because it is always in the present, not the past or the future. Now is the time!!!!
So let each of us do our part. Strive to really live like Jesus. We are not perfect and we will mess up. But allowing God’s grace into our lives will help us push onward. This is a LifeJourney, no pun intended. Let’s not wait for someone else. Let’s live like this is “God’s year to act.” Not like some who pretend, or some who give lip service, or some who want to misdirect what Jesus says. But let’s live with the compassion, empathy, integrity, forgiveness, kindness, justice, and character that Jesus spent his 3 years in ministry teaching us, and where the Holy Spirit has been nudging us ever since.
Are you with me?
I know people rarely leave a message in the comments below, even when asked. But just this once, please leave something. Just say, “This is God’s year to act, and that means me!” That is all. You can just say that, or even something you are or will be doing to help make that happen. Let God inspire us. After all, that is what Jesus did!
I leave you with this from Philippians 4 from the Message Bible.
4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in God! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into God’s most excellent harmonies.
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