The Story Behind the Story

The word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. Psalm 33:4

Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION:
This morning, as my daughter was getting ready for school, she had a few extra minutes to snuggle before she headed out for the bus. We sat on the couch together and watched a YouTube video entitled "5 theories about the Harry Potter books that are too good not to be true."

The video explained connections that only make sense once you have read all the books; connections that deepen your understanding of the story, and reveal how elements of the early books actually point to a much richer and more complex story line.

As she hopped on the bus just now, and I looked at the daily texts for today, I was struck by the thought that the life of Jesus challenges us to see the whole arc of God's salvation narrative in a similarly deep way.

On the surface, it seems as though Jesus has a lack of regard for the traditions and laws. In the Gospels, we hear how the Scribes and the Pharisees were frustrated with Jesus, and in many ways frightened by him, because of this surface reading. They were convinced that he was a threat, acting in ways that abolished the law and the prophets.

However, as Jesus challenges them (and us) to recognize, his actions and life are NOT inconsistent with the deeper and more complex story line of God's action in the world. The more detailed laws associated with the original covenant, are, in fact, fulfilled in Christ. We learn that, indeed, "...God IS love" (1 John 4:8), and that "...the one who loves another has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8).

Lastly, we learn that the WAY of love is how we are called to walk in the fullness of the law as well;
"Bear one another's burdens, an in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)

Today, as we walk through whatever the day holds, my prayer is that we be given the vision to see the deeper narrative beneath the surface reading. God is love. Love fulfills the laws. And our call is simple; to help bear one another's burdens.

May we be given the insight, and the courage, and the strength, to live in that deeper story today.

PRAYER:
Unchanging God, thank you for wanting to be in relationship with us. As we see you in history, and in our lives, we gain new insights. May our faith be strengthened as we see clearly your desire to bring us closer to you, and to each other, in love. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts