Casas Church

The concept of “enough-ness” isn’t new. In Genesis, we read that God created a beautiful garden that was enough for His creation. However, being cautioned against eating from one tree changed the whole dynamic. As humans, we can’t help but question “why” something would be the way it is, but why wasn’t the whole garden enough? This concept is evident sometimes in our lives as we strive for the next thing that will be enough. How do we come to realize that God provides enough for us and we can rest in that and trust it? 

We may sometimes struggle to give ourselves permission to rest. However, if we want to be a blessing to the people around us, the people who are important to us, we need to rest. It is possible to experience the goodness of what we’ve accomplished even if all the work isn’t complete. In Mark 2:27 Jesus tells us, “The Sabbath was made for man not man made for the Sabbath.” This is modeled in Genesis 1 when God steps back from what he has created, pauses, and sees “it is good.” Our challenge is to step back and appreciate a job well done before we move forward. 

In this first week of Letting Go, we explored the chiastic structure of Genesis 1 and made some discoveries. God created us with great forethought and placed a high value on us. The order of the creation had intentionality and everything was given a place. At the end of creating, God modeled rest for us. Therefore, part of our job as His creation is resting because of the great value He placed on us. 

In Luke 22, Jesus establishes something new. He shares a vision of a world that starts with Him now and goes on for all eternity. His promise of a relationship with Him doesn’t begin “someday” - we can be in a relationship with Him now. Jesus is saying during The Last Supper, “I’m the one. You can find forgiveness, grace, and rest in me and it’s for all of you.”

During a pivotal dinner with religious leaders of the day in Luke 11, Jesus offers observations on living life without being bound up by religious rules, requirements, and judgments. 1) The condition of your heart and mind matters 2) See the person sitting across from you as they truly are and 3) Your religion shouldn’t be so heavy that others can’t carry it. Jesus cautions us not to focus on our outside religious appearance because that can move us away from the love of God, which can then have a ripple effect on those around us. 

One of the most important roles of the church in the world is to share the good news. However, sometimes it can feel as if the good news has to be presented in a certain way to actually land as good news with everyone. There’s a story in Luke that illustrates how Jesus is truly the embodiment of good news and how we can share it with others in a way that accepts and loves people right where they’re at. 

Discipleship - February 26, 2023 - Seth Kreimeyer-Kelly