He said ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Luke 10:27, NIV

 

We recently had a fascinating visit to the ruins of a castle built by William the Conqueror, in the eleventh-century. What had been a mighty fortress had remained intact for six-hundred vibrant years, until it was destroyed by a gunpowder explosion during civil war.

 

As we explored every possible nook and cranny, and gazed out over the beautiful countryside surrounding it, listening intently to the commentary, or reading it, we were able to roughly piece together a tapestry of a thriving community that had lived and worked within those walls, each person with a specific purpose that would contribute vitally to creating a harmonious environment which was, essentially, for the good pleasure of the monarch and their court, and from which everyone benefitted.

 

Isn’t that actually what life for the Christian is all about?

 

Working together, we make up a thriving community that lives and works for the good of all, as we express our love for God with our whole being, obedient to the King, and for our fellowman, “do(ing) to others what (we) would have them do to (us)”. (Matthew 7:12) This is what Jesus instructed the expert in the law to do when asked what was required of him, “to inherit eternal life”. (Luke 10:25)

 

If the expert of the law had spent time watching Jesus at work, and listening to His teachings, he would’ve seen the integrity of Jesus’ life and had a glimpse of God, (John 14:10) who’d given the law in the first place, as he watched how Jesus lived His whole life loving and serving others; setting the example of servant leadership for all time – an unfamiliar concept then.

 

Jesus showed God’s power at work as He healed the sick and lame, gave sight to the blind, and brought the dead back to life – on all levels – and turned water into wine.

 

He spoke out fiercely against hypocrisy, judging others, and favouring the influential rich while ignoring the needs and rights of the poor. He engaged with the marginalised and despised of society, valuing children and welcoming them despite being weary. He never turned anyone away, even when He was grieving. (Matthew 14:14)

 

Jesus lived a life of grace as He daily demonstrated the “how” of his teachings and expected the same of his followers: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24)

 

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

 

Let us daily spend time with Jesus, the Living Word, so that His Spirit can weave the tapestry of grace in the castle of our lives.

 

Prayer: Gracious Jesus, help me to grow more like you as I take up my cross daily and love as you love. Amen