For Wednesday, April 17, 2024:
Colossians 3:11 NLT: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”
Take a moment and think about how much better the world would be if everyone lived according to the teaching of Jesus. I mean everyone, no exceptions!
If all of mankind lived by the words of Jesus, Putin would have never invaded Ukraine. It’s wrong on so many levels. And Hamas would have never attacked Israel. They’re neighbors, probably cousins; they should get along better! And if Israel had never been attacked, they’d have no reason to retaliate against Gaza, where the bad guys live. Making sure Gaza had enough food would be a priority, not a punishment.
How many times can the good guys turn the other cheek when so much of the world is out of step with Jesus’ teaching? Consider our situation from God’s point of view. When the Messiah was coming to earth, God provided a home for him within the Jewish nation. But now that Jesus has come and gone, does any good thinking persist for separating countries and races? Paul, who heard directly from Jesus on the road to Damascus, says ‘no.’
There is no longer slave or free, Jew or Gentile, and no more black or white. The world should be filled with brothers and sisters in Christ. He is our all in all, our best example for how we should live the rest of our lives.
Jesus said that we should even love our enemies!
Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
