Love is Higher Than All The Theological Virtues

And Real Love Creates Real Life as God is the Great Creator. Immitations look like vain works and hanging on to status through works.

I thought I would give a Sermon a crack based on today's reading (to see if I can do better than the local Pastor)[Malachai 2]:

Today's reading is the following:
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home.

Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,“Child, your sins are forgiven.”Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,‘Your sins are forgiven,’or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”–he said to the paralytic,“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone.

They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

The SON OF MAN has authority to forgive sins. The SON OF MAN- JESUS. He has the authority to forgive sins. Thus the chest pounding Pastor who may or may not be more sinful in fact than the people he is looking at (no comment) has according to scripture no more authority to forgive sins than the Son of Man---- and no one else sitting in the pew has any more authority to forgive sins than than the Son of Man.

God and the Christ Jesus have authority to forgive sins. Because "I and the Father are ONE" said Jesus.

Jesus is a person/third part of the triune God, who forgives sins in the name of the Father- because He and the Father are ONE (hear oh Israel) Thus, our sins are forgiven by virtue of the sacrificial act that Jesus performed on the cross in atonement redemptively for all our sins (more perfect and pure than an unblemished lamb and the only acceptable sacrifice). And there is something more that Jesus tells us operates as the catalyst- it says "when Jesus saw their faith" he said your sins have been forgiven.
FAITH then is the operating catalyst to forgiveness of sins. It also seems like the faith of the community carried some weight- it was the entire crowd who opened the roof and lowered the guy for the healing. Scripture notes that it was after viewing their faith collectively that sins were forgiven.

Jesus who is alive and active, really sitting in Heaven with God, demands that we all have a direct individual personal real relationship with Him-where we read his love letters (the bible) and talk to him daily and call on him and perform works in his name-because it is that direct relationship, love of him and calling on his name, and doing the Matthew 25 things on earth that create in us the love that is Him that bridges us to heaven.

Mary does not serve this purpose- because Mary did not die on a cross in redemptive substitute sacrifice. Praying to Mary won't get you to heaven--it should point you to her son. Her value is in her motherhood as the Theotokas (Mother of God) [Another reason it's completely whacked that the Catholic church views barenness and childlessness in women as a defining feature of advanced spirituality]

The power is in the blood and name of Jesus of Nazareth. The redemption is in the blood and name of Jesus. The forgiveness is through Jesus of Nazareth. The life eternal is through Jesus of Nazareth. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. All who Call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

It is by God's Grace that you have been saved, however, not of any good work of yours, least any of you should boast. And it is the Faith that draws you into the Grace, because you cannot believe without Faith. So the interaction of the catalyzing Faith moves you into Grace which is the free undeserved gift of God's forgiveness.

You cannot get to heaven on a budget. You cannot get to heaven because you ran a church with a surplus (while managing to deceive all the sugar mommas that you actually are in love with all of them--here's a news flash- Jesus sells himself ). You cannot get to heaven because you are such a nice looking guy, or because you delivered a few meals on wheels or even because you cracked up the crowd in a Sermon.
You can't even get to heaven because you think you are consecrating a eucharist because you are used to doing it whether Jesus wants to come to you or not -or is not listening to your prayers because of your sin or not. I truly believe that there are more than a few times when the Priest said the consecration when Jesus said back "HUH? Are you kidding me? Who are you really?"

You get to heaven because you respond appropriately to God's love, and acknowledge what he did for you that you could never do for yourself-and step up to the plate and reciprocate. You get to heaven because you practice his supreme love with all your heart, mind soul and strength. You get to heaven because your love of him compels the deepest love of people possible-- people in particular and people in general.

If the Pastor paid more attention to studying theology or talking directly to God in prayer and less attention to pathetically sucking up to the emotionally starved sugar momma crushing on him he might find more than six people in the pews (because that is just embarassing). People might actually find a semblance of Jesus in the church rather than a pompous pietistic ritual with a lot of nice embroidery and candles.

But that's just one church--- don't mind me- Some priests think that they have authority to forgive sins and are themselves forgiven for having little Love and Less Faith.

There are going to be more than a few priests who will wonder why they didn't make it to heaven-(I think I know one) and are stuck in the same pathetic ritualistic purgatory they created for themselves on earth worshiping buildings and their own image in their self delusion- when they looked so nice in the robes and recited all the stuff so perfectly. Jesus is going to say to some of these people "get the Hell away from me----I don't know who you are." Some of these people who are more lukewarm in their Faith than those who get spewed out of his mouth are in for a big shock. They had such puny little love, in such fine embroidered robes.
Love that seeks to elevate itself above its humanity isn't real love-it's love at half mast. Jesus became MAN for a reason.

The last impression I note is that Jesus must have had a house at Capernaum- because they found him at home. His parents lived in Nazareth (when exactly Joseph died isn't stated but that was where the home he grew up in was.) The house must have been fairly large to have housed such a crowd. It was a proper house with at least a "roof." It wasn't a mud hut carved in a stone wall. Jesus was a townsperson at Capernaum at one point in his life.



By the way- I did better than the local Pastor- and I am just a girl- so clearly women can preach. Blame my presybterian upbringing and Saint Ignatius of Loyola for giving me a few exercises.
If you think I am too tough on priests re-read the books of Joel and Hosea.


COMMENT:
Malachi 2
1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
2If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
3Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
4And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
5My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.
6The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
7For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
8But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
9Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.
10Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
11Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
12The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.
13And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
14Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
16For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
17Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

(yes, it's frustrating when the priest is a male whore)

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