Guard the Roots

~~~ Jeremiah 11:18-20 ~~~ Psalm 7 ~~~ John 7:40-53 ~~~ 

“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will be spoken no more.”

Unfortunately plots to kill those who
believe in God are still taking place.

It is often in the news.
Not just members of religious orders,
but also lay people.

Those who plotted to kill Jesus are no
 different than those who plot evil today.

Killing those who hold the message of Jesus
does not stop the message.

Destroying the 'tree', Jesus,
did not stop the message of salvation.
Jesus acted on behalf of the Father
 and no earthly force would squelch the good news.

Those who plot evil do not understand where
the roots of the 'tree' are actually growing.

Our tree of faith must be safely
 and securely rooted in our soul.
The name of Jesus must ever be on our lips.
The Jesus Prayer is one way to make sure
we are among those who proclaim his name.

The guards answered,
 “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”

The guards were caught up in the controversy over what
 they were being told and what they heard
from the mouth of Jesus themselves.

Nicodemus took a risk speaking out in defense of Jesus.
He too admitted that Jesus was not your ordinary
run of the mill preacher.

Jesus had a message of hope, love,
forgiveness, mercy, and compassion.

Jesus came to ignite a burning desire
within the hearts of all to strive toward a higher calling.

Nicodemus and the guard saw the face of truth
in Jesus. A person of great integrity not blindly
controlled by the letter of the laws.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, 
who put darkness for light and light for darkness’ (Is 5:20). 

When our conscience is formed in truth
we will be uncomfortable when
it is violated in any manner.

This struggle today is just as real
as in the times of Jesus.

Blessed to be part of the living tree of God.
We can be a vital part of the harvest.

~~~Peace~~~

The Name of Jesus

"At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:10-11)

That is certainly a typical St. Paul sentence; chock full of food for thought. So what is Paul saying? At the very name of Jesus we should be genuflecting along with all creatures no matter where they may be, but we should also speak our beliefs.

I know plenty people who speak the name of Jesus, but it is certainly not to praise him in the least. Instead the very anem of Jesus is taken in vain, used to curse. I have never understood how cursing Jesus could make anyone feel better. How can cursing with the name of Jesus improve things? Why is it so easy to curse with the name of Jesus?

I don't often hear people saying, 'thank you, Jesus', except sometimes around the church.

When I was in my Catholic boarding school, St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa, Mississippi, the nuns taught us to bow our heads each time the name of Jesus passed through our lips. It soon became a habit that today I still practice. It seems fitting to perform some kind of outward sign to reverence his holy name. Especially when I pray the Rosary, even silently, I bow my head when I say the name of Jesus. I am not sure if today it is practical to actually bend your knee each time we pray the name of Jesus. I think Paul was trying to impress upon his listeners then and us today how blessed and powerful the name of Jesus was then and is now.

Paul continues by adding that when we say the name of Jesus we are also affirming our belief the Jesus is one with the Father. We give glory to God the Father as well as the Son when we say the name of Jesus.

There is in the Eastern church a popular devotion to the name of Jesus called the Jesus Prayer or the Prayer of the Heart. It is sometimes prayed on beads such as the rosary. Reciting the Jesus Prayer becomes a mantra when repeated several times throughout the day. It is a quiet personal way to pray keeping Jesus ever present in your mind, on your heart and lips.

"Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner!" or simply repeating the name of "Jesus".

My prayer for today is that you begin to focus more attention on the name of Jesus, either through the reverent bowing of your head or through the practice of the Jesus Prayer.

If you want more information on the Jesus Prayer here is one source:
The Jesus Prayer

I chose this original picture because it was of a woman sitting at the feet of Jesus looking up into his face. This kaleidoscope captures the image of the beauty of the name of Jesus.