The Cast, In Order Of Appearance

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The Greatest of the Least

The Cast of (or references to) "Been There, Done That, Learn From Me"

Psalm 139:13-16; Adam & Eve - Genesis 3:6; Cain & Able - Genesis 4:8; EVERYWHERE, but especially Genesis 32; Noah - Genesis 9:20; Isaac - Genesis 24:62; Jacob - Genesis 27:19; Joseph & his brothers - Genesis 37:23-24; Gideon - Judges 6:11-40; Samson - Judges 16; Rahab - Joshua 2:1; David - 2 Samuel 11:14-17; Elijah - 1 Kings 19:3-5; Jonah - Jonah 1:3; Isaiah 56:9-12; Job 1:13-32; Peter - Matthew 26:69-75; Martha - Luke 10:38-42; Samaritan Woman at the Well - John 4:1-38; the Good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37; Paul - Acts 8:3; Timothy - 1 Timothy 5:23; HIS disciples - Matthew 26:40-45; Luke 22:41-44; Deaf/Mute Man - Mark 7:32-35; Woman in the Crowd - Mark 5:25-34; Children - Luke 17:15-17; Woman Taken in Adultery - John 8:3-11; Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-10; Peter - Mathew 26:69-75; Mary - Luke 7:38; Luke 23:34; Paul - II Corinthians 12:7-10...and me.

The free-verse poem was written some time ago in the midst of a great personal, spiritual, emotional struggle. At times, in receiving His forgiveness, we struggle to forgive our ownselves. Why is it that we can offer an encouraging word for one who seeks forgiveness, sharing the simple gift of grace, yet we stay in the mire at the nudge of the enemy? Can you say, "AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST?" TO YOURSELF?!!?!? And the strongest point on my heart in writing the free-verse poem "The Greatest of the Least" was to DISCOURAGE judgementalism. SO MANY OF US are quick to judge. Oh, yes, please call sin what it is, but WHAT DID JESUS DO WITH SINNERS? Scathe them? Mock them? Turn His face from them? Walk them to the courthouse? God forbid. I shudder. 

I wanna be like Jesus. I pray, my God and my Father, Jehovah Shammah, YOU Who sees all things, knows all things, please give me Your eyes to see them. Give me the heart of Jesus toward them. For I am with all my favorite bible heroes in falling short of the glory, but by the gift of salvation, I am not seen; it is Jesus You see when you look at me. *Let justice roll like an endless stream, flowing through my life to the poor and weak. Let the things I do and the words I speak reveal the AWESOME LOVE You have shown to me.* In humble gratitude I pray. AMEN.      

*song lyrics -- Let My Life be Like a Love Song Tom Slater, Brenton Brown - Vineyard UK Music


comments

  1. Hi There, Loree... "WHAT DID JESUS DO WITH SINNERS?" Scathe them? _____ YES! Mock them? ______ YES! Turn His face from them? ______ YES! Walk them to the courthouse? He'll meet them there! Matt. 23... But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

    Posted by Frank — Nov 08, 2008 20:59

  2. ...well, yes, of course you are right, Frank. And thanks for stopping by! i was looking for "love"...

    loreelle044 Posted by loreelle044 — Nov 09, 2008 00:21

  3. Jesus' words to the Pharisees were indeed scathing. Those who practiced condemnation in the name of godliness, who required of others what they themselves were unable to do, who saw the sliver of wood in everyone else's eye but were completely blind to the log in their own ... yes, these self righteous sinners Jesus mocked, scolded, and turned from. BUT those who came to Him in their weakness, their sorrow, their rejectedness; admitting to the sins they had committed, knowing their need of a Savior/Redeemer, believing and receiving the One who came to lift them out of the mire ... these He blessed, and loved, and walked with. You are of these, my friend. ~ "And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." ~~~ Love in Christ, p

    Posted by p — Nov 09, 2008 02:53

  4. He walked with them. He talked with them. He ate with them. He prayed with them. He died with them. All of this, he did for US!

    Posted by Cindy — Nov 09, 2008 04:20

  5. The sinners - Jesus loved and called to repentance because they would respond, knowing that they were sinners. The Pharisees He rebuked because they were wrapped in their own righteousness and thought they did not need the freedom from sin that Christ offered.

    Posted by Rob — Nov 09, 2008 05:36

  6. My goodness, Loree... you think I directed that at you? That was simply an answer to the question because we must know both sides, p. If I didn't love (brother, sister, truth) I would not even be here. Love is a balance, p... of the Truth as well. Let us ALL "go and sin no more". That is what the Lord wants of us. Why don't we do that?

    Posted by Frank — Nov 09, 2008 05:56

  7. And so, p, it is the REPENTANCE that turns God from His wrath to His salvation. We were as the Pharisees.

    Posted by Frank — Nov 09, 2008 09:48

  8. to Frank -- no, i never took that personally! i simply re-stated the point of my two posts...i was looking for the love factor. i like how Rob explained it in his response..."The sinners - Jesus loved and called to repentance" (the fabric of my outcry) and "The Pharisees He rebuked" (pulls our two comments together, yes?). My comment said i was glad you stopped by, i should have said thank you for that perspective alsotoo. then i followed with "i was looking for LOVE" because my previous post, to which this was a follow up, was all about broken sinners...nothing more. i FELT that with all my being -- the broken sinner -- in my free-verse poem. i wanted to reflect HIS heart of love toward those (us) as HE walked and talked and taught us...as Cindy articulated so well “He walked with them. He talked with them. He ate with them. He prayed with them. He died with them. All of this, he did for US! “ HE loved us (LOVES) us to HIMself. That was the subject of the write – it amazed me that all my old bible heroes were so very human. I wanted us to remember that we are all so human too, that God can transform us for HIS work, that we should take care to LOVE others to their repentance as HE did and hold their hand through their transformation. Love draws, heals, encourages and LOVE ALWAYS WINS. i so always appreciate your input, i tend to see the love side ALWAYS, and that should be expected, as God put a tender heart of love in me...kinda common for the female side of HIS creation. And i got the feeling that “p” felt the intent, as if she had written it herself, she felt the words as they were intended. for you, as with many of the male creation, you balance our tender side with truths and justice stuff. does that make sense? kinda like why God gave kids a mom and a dad -- you know? that whole balance thing. i am really glad you contributed.

    loreelle044 Posted by loreelle044 — Nov 09, 2008 18:33

  9. Loree, first of all, I most sincerely apologize if I have offended or disappointed you. Rob, indeed has it right. The difference is the repentance… the humble heart in contrast to the proud. The sinners who respond are no less sinners than the Pharisee. And what Cindy says is correct because, there is no "flip side to that statement… EVERYONE was a sinner, so yes, He walked, talked, ate with them, etc. But I refuse to accept this notion that Jesus "hung out" with sinners, as I've heard others say (not you). He did not "hang out"… He was in our midst. There was love in EVERYTHING Jesus did, even when He rebuked the Pharisees and the moneychangers, because Jesus loved the Father and the Word. Point is… Jesus did in fact rebuke, scathe and turn away from sinners… doesn't matter they were Pharisees or prostitutes. His "interaction" was and is based on repentance versus the hardened heart. Please understand… I am not criticizing your post or your point. I am though (I can't help it) reacting to your line… Jesus scathe? mock? turn away? Well… yes He did. We must understand why.

    Posted by Frank — Nov 09, 2008 19:30

  10. NO offense taken, Frank -- NONE whatsoever gosh. I appreciate your insight. My passion is for those who may not otherwise see Him, I share what is on my heart -- REALLY.

    loreelle044 Posted by loreelle044 — Nov 09, 2008 19:56


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