life wasn't meant to be easy!

MATTHEW 10:24-39 certainly seems to make the old adage,
“Life wasn’t meant to be easy!” true!
And how often do people think that having a relationship with God would make life easier? With God on their side, they’ll slide through life with no problems.

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IN our reading, Jesus tells his disciples,
“If they have called him Beelzebub, Satan,
then how can we who follow him expect to be treated?

This is the Good News?
So much for getting comfort from scripture
for the week ahead.

How often in the Psalms do we see the psalmist trying to be faithful
but left feeling poor and in misery.

Jesus was put to death, and after his resurrection,
Jesus’ disciples went on to preach, teach
and with the exception of John,
the disciples were killed for their faith in Jesus.
So where is the comfort the Good news is suppose to bring?

Certainly we are fortunate to live in a time and place
when those who proclaim faith in Jesus Christ
may do so without risking their lives.

Baptism into the church in Australia
does not put a death sentence on you
asis true in some places such as Saudi Arabia.

But we still can’t expect that following Jesus
will lead to a life of no problems.
Your relationship with God will not remove
all the obstacles from your path.
You aren’t guaranteed a perfect marriage,
perfect kids, a perfect job or a perfect boss.

 Faith is not the path to a life of no worries.
 But there is comfort amid all this uncomfortableness!
Jesus never promised a life with no battles,
what he did promise was victory
amid our difficult circumstances.

Love in place of anger,
Peace instead of fear
Kindness instead of malice
Faithfulness instead of temptation
Patience instead of impatience
Gentleness instead of hatred
Joy in tribulation and so on.

Sometimes our problem is
that the faith we were given in Sunday school
of “Jesus Loves Me This I Know,” while true,
may not have matured or developed enough muscles
to handle a cancer diagnosis,
the decline of a parent,
the death of a friend or the end of a marriage.

But when we read further,
we find a confidence in God’s presence and mercy.

The psalmist never loses the conviction
that God’s love and compassion will get the last word.

Jesus in Matthew 10:24-39 tells his followers:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
And even the hairs of your head are all counted.
So do not be afraid;
you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:24-39

When your faith leads you to make public stands
that are not popular, opposition will come.
Problems will arise.
This is to be expected.
But we also know that we do not face these problems alone.

The anchor has long been a symbol in Christian art for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.

Though storms may come,
we have a sure and certain hope
that gives us purchase on the rock.
Hold fast to the faith that is in you,
knowing that Jesus said,

Even the hairs of your head are counted. Do not be afraid.”

Jesus did not promise you a life of no battles,
but he did promise the victory.

The Lord be with you!

With Blessings
Rev Jenny