September 17, 2017

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for September 17th: Exodus 14: 19-31; Exodus 15:1-11,20-21; Romans 14:1-12;Matthew 18:21-35 Romans: When we gather together in faith, we have all had different levels of training in church, we all have different definitions of what it means to be Christian. Paul is saying that just because we are different, that does not mean that we are better than others. When you find yourself putting yourself above others, then you need to be careful. We need to be mindful of others. The key to being the church is in being able to accept those who are different without judging them. We are all sinners saved by grace. Christ had a reason for inviting all of us to the table. We have to learn to all get along. Matthew: This is an important next step in learning to live in Christian community. Christian community is based on love and forgiveness. Peter asks how many times should he forgive someone before giving up on them. Jesus says that there is no limit to forgiveness. He then tells a parable about a king forgiving debts – this reminds us that when we judge others, God also judges us. We have had to have some of our debt forgiven. We should keep this in mind. The golden rule is to treat others the way you expect to be treated. Forgiveness is the golden rule of Christianity. We should do it as Jesus tells us to. Questions: how do you treat people who practice Christianity different from you? How do you overcome your differences with others? What does it mean to be weak in faith? When was there a time when you needed to forgive a Christian brother? Was it easy? Did you think about what the bible tells you to do.