The Limbo Game

~~~ 1 Kings 21:-17-29 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 5: 43-48 ~~~

Raising the bar!

Have you ever played the Limbo game?

I am not very good at it but the idea is to see how low you can go and still get under the bar "stick". In the book of Kings we continue with the story of Ahab who thought he had indeed safely passed under the bar. He and his wife together lowered the bar and resorted to murder to get what they wanted...the neighbor's vineyard.

God on the other hand is about raising the bar. While he does indeed accept Ahab's attempt at repenting, his justice is reserved until the son of Ahab comes into power.

Sometimes it seems to us that God allows evil and does nothing about it, but we cannot know how or when God will restrain evil.

Remember we do have a loving and just God.

Love does not does not automatically erase justice or punishment.

The psalmist has good reason to sing in prayer:

"Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned"

Often your sins are only between you and God. Others may not be aware that you have sinned. We alone will present ourselves before God for our final judgement. Then perhaps God will allow us to see just how our sins affected others.

Jesus raises the bar...

"...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..."

Whoa! pray for those who express evil towards you.

Jesus is not saying to hang out with these people, but he is calling us to a higher form of prayer. It really is easy to pray for those you love...for those who love you...even for stangers, but enemies is another thing.

Jesus raises the bar, but unlike in the game of Limbo when Jesus raises

the bar it makes the game of life more difficult and challenging.

In Limbo when the bar is high you easily slip right under to the other side.

When God raises the bar it takes courage, determination,

and great love to make it to the other side.

In Limbo if you touch the ground to keep your balance

you may be disqualified.

When Jesus raises the bar you most certainly

will touch the ground,

but he will give you the grace you need

to get up and try once again.

So with each passing day we are presented with opportunities to love

those we would rather not...to even love those who do not love us

...to love those who would do us harm.

We fail and we succeed over and over again

throughout our life such is the struggle.

We keep getting up and trying

because the reward we have been promised is so great.

The Limbo game strategy has reversed. The 'bar' is now getting higher

and more difficult to pass under at the same time.

So...are you in the game or just a spectator on the side?