Week 8 Daily Dose of Love
(#50) 2/19
Jesus Chooses Twelve Apostles
Matthew 10:1-4
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them
authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are
the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his
brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the
Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
Mark 3:13-19
He went up the mountain and called to him those whom
he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him,
and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the
twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name
Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus,
and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Luke 6:12-16
Now during those days he went out to the
mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples
and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called
the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Why did Jesus choose Judas? We can assume that Jesus did not know at the time that it would be Judas who would betray
him. (There is no evidence that Jesus had psychic powers regarding earthly events although he was extremely
sensitive and aware of what was happening around him). Jesus probably chose Judas for the same reason he chose the other 11 apostles - the
same reason he has chosen each of us to follow him. He saw the potential in his heart. Judas
eventually undermined this potential by making poor choices based on looking narrowly at what he thought was important.
(Some scripture scholars believe that Judas betrayed Jesus in order to stir up a revolution that would free Israel
from rule by the Romans.) Judas stayed with Jesus for years before turning away from him for worldly reasons.
During that time, he likely followed and served Jesus the same way as the other apostles and was seen as a solid and
worthy disciple.We all have the same potential as Judas
- both to be loving followers of Jesus and to turn away from him for what seems at the time to be most important.
It’s possible to turn away from Jesus’ love without even knowing that we are doing it. Maybe
that’s how it was with Judas until he realized the full effects of his actions. Jesus has chosen us. Will we continue to choose him?
Principles of Love:
Decision; Acceptance; Commitment to Potential
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we recognize worldly reasoning
that can turn us away from Jesus?
Pray through the Day:
Help us always
To choose love
(#51)
2/20
Crowds Come to Jesus
Matthew 12:15-16
When Jesus became aware of this,
he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known.
Mark 3:7-12
Jesus
departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they
came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had
cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw
him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!” But he sternly ordered
them not to make him known.
Luke 6:17-19
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and
a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to
hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And
all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
It seems that crowds of people were pressing in on Jesus from all sides. Everyone
wanted to be near him. And this was a culture where people were not shy about expressing what they felt
or wanted. Imagine thousands of people pressing in on one man in open areas with no seating or public address
system. Most of us would feel incredible pressure in a situation like this. Love is usually
one of the first things to go when our lives become be squeezed by pressure and stress. Tension narrows
our focus and drives our actions. We react rather than respond. Jesus was exposed to stress
and pressure just as we are. He shows us that it is possible to choose a loving attitude no matter how
pressured we are. When we maintain focus on our true, created nature
as deeply loved children of God, stress can become a brief, minor inconvenience.
Principles of Love:
Vision; Opening; Decision
Reflection/Discussion:
How do stress and tension block our ability
to receive God’s love?
Pray through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
(#52) 2/21
The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:1-2
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and
after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
Jesus “began
to speak.” That implies that he walked up the mountain in silence. He is about
to speak deeply from his heart to teach his followers what has been described as the essence of love.We cannot explore the depths of our hearts while we are chatting with friends.
Silence is necessary in order to look inward. Only in silence can we separate ourselves from worldly
influences and more deeply realize why we were created.The beatitudes
are a guide to inner freedom. They address the pressures of the world that impede love in order to bring
us closer to the source of true happiness. Thomas Keating describes the beatitudes as “the quintessence
of the teaching of Jesus.” Each of the beatitudes can be seen as a step that takes us deeper into God’s
love. Regular time set aside for silent reflection helps
us to navigate these steps.
Principles of Love:
Opening
Reflection/Discussion:
Where are the missed opportunities for silence in our daily lives?
Pray through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
(#53) 2/22
Blessed are
the Poor
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Luke 6:20b
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Our most basic needs are food, shelter, health,
and safety. The poor are those who lack the resources to meet these needs. The poor
in spirit are those who are weighed down by suffering caused when basic needs are not met over time. Jesus calls
them blessed. That implies that they have a greater possibility of love and fulfillment than those who
are warm, fed, healthy, and secure. The poor depend of the love of others for their survival (especially in Jesus’
time when there were no organized charities or social services). Dependence on love opens us to love.
(It is no surprise that the percentage of income given to charity from those with lower income levels is significantly
higher than from those who are more “well off.”) When basic needs are met there is a tendency to want to be sure that
they will be met in the future. Since we can never be totally sure or secure, the meaning of the word “basic”
becomes easily stretched into what many might describe as excessive or extravagant. Attachment to our own needs
blinds us to the needs of others. Love requires openness, receptivity and compassion – all of which
are undermined by attachment to individual, personal needs. Security cannot be a motivation for love. Love motivated by a need
for security is like a shallow puddle that dries up in the heat of the day. True security comes from recognizing
the source of all resources. Material wealth provides a false sense of security that temporarily fills
our needs but is never quite enough. It creates a potential trap where the concept of “enough”
continually expands to fill an ever-growing appetite. True security can only come through recognition of
our dependence on God and each other.
Blessed are those who are receptive
to God’s love.
Principles of Love:
Unity; Humility; Opening; Vision
Reflection/Discussion:
How much of our time and resources are
spent trying to insure security?
Pray through the Day:
Bring us together
In your love
(#54)
2/23
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
Matthew
5:4
“Blessed are those
who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Luke 6:21b
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
A wise person once said “To wound the
heart is to create it.” This runs counter to the worldly message that we “need to be strong” when
faced with loss and that crying is a sign of weakness. The fact is, crying is a natural response
to loss. It is also the single most effective way to resolve emotional tension. When
we attempt to “be strong” in emotional situations, we tense our muscles and hold our breath in order to stifle
the natural tendency to cry. This increases emotional tension, which can lead to depression, and anxiety,
which does weaken our ability to respond appropriately. Mourning is a process of realizing what we have lost and letting it go.
We let go of the affection, esteem, and pleasure that have been lost. This brings up sadness, hurt
and sorrow, which we also need to let go. We let go of emotion by allowing it to move through us.
Accepting and fully experiencing emotion stretches our heart and deepens our awareness of what is most important in
life. Love does not die. Fully and deeply mourning those we have lost makes
room in our hearts to carry them with us always. It makes more room for God too. Blessed are those whose hearts are opening.
Principles of Love:
Nature; Opening; Compassion, Acceptance
Reflection/Discussion:
What makes us hesitate to fully and deeply experience emotion?
Pray through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
(#55) 2/24
Blessed Are
the Meek
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
The meek do not seek power and control. Power and control over other people provides
a false sense of security and authority. It inflates the ego and provides the illusion of invulnerability. It is impossible
to love someone we control. True love desires freedom that allowss the beloved can reach their full potential.
(God gave us free will because love must be chosen) Attachment to a particular outcome or image of what
the beloved “should” do or be twists and distorts love into manipulation and possessiveness. When we control someone, we think they can’t hurt us. But closing
our heart to the possibility of hurt also closes it to the fullness of love. The meek are receptive to
God’s love and influence and therefore are blessed.
Principles of Love:
Opening; Humility
Reflection/Discussion:
How are the meek viewed in our culture
and community and how does that affect us?
Pray through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
(#56)
2/25
Blessed Are
Those Who Hunger
Matthew
5:6
“Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Luke 6:21a
“Blessed are you who are hungry
now, for you will be filled.”
The first three beatitudes (Blessed
are the poor, those who mourn, and the meek) focus on making us more receptive to God’s love. The
next three (Blessed are those who hunger, are merciful, and pure of heart) prepare us to reach out to others. Physical hunger
is a deep, visceral desire for sustenance. It is the most basic and essential need of all living beings.
If unmet, hunger nags at our consciousness until it dominates our awareness. Many of us have never
experienced deep hunger. Spiritual hunger is a deep, visceral desire to connect with our creator.
It is the most basic and essential need of human beings. This hunger opens us to God’s love
so it can move through us to the rest of creation. Snacking on worldly temptations and distractions or
on the appearance of following God’s will keeps us from experiencing the depths of this desire. It
is not about meeting our own needs because God’s love cannot be contained within any separate individual. When we hunger for God’ love, we hunger to love. God
is love. God created the universe. The universe is expanding. The
nature of love is to grow and deepen, to spread and extend to every living being created by God.
Principles of Love:
Opening; Unity; Nature; Learning
Reflection/Discussion:
What makes hunger uncomfortable?
Pray through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
