GodReflection: How About A Better Way?
At various times across the years of this blog, in utter amazement I’ve reflected upon God’s rich gifts from family and church. From the influence of my childhood home and our church family I began my own walk with Jesus.
However, it was only when I entered college and found myself in Greek classes with Professor Gerald Kendrick that—in between Greek verbs—I began to comprehend the grace and light Jesus shares so we can make his walk our walk.
Almost daily Gerald Kendrick would remind us, “The Bible is not a debater’s handbook.” Its purpose is not to provoke and prove others wrong, rather it pulsates with the story of How to make Jesus’s Walk our walk.
The Gospels introduce us to Jesus who obedient to God, was baptized at His request, anointed with His Holy Spirit, and walked in Holy Presence. We see Jesus who takes time to listen and who is always in conversation with God. His walk is fueled by their one-on-one togetherness.
From the way he walks with God he is compelled to share that same way with us through his words and his deeds. His walk of service for others is what he most desires for us to imitate. His walk for us is to learn to place others first.
Jesus’s first recorded lesson takes place on a mountain in the general vicinity of Capernaum just over a hundred miles north of Jerusalem somewhere around the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was a natural setting for him to retreat to the nearby hills to teach large crowds.
In Matthew chapter five Jesus begins the description of his walk:
- We must recognize our own poverty of spirit (5:3).
- We must recognize God’s presence when we hurt (5:4).
- We must recognize we live to serve others (5:5).
- We must recognize only righteousness fills our desires (5:6).
- We must recognize that God offers mercy to us when we offer mercy to
others (5:7). - We must recognize that only through a pure heart can we see God (5:8).
- We must recognize as God’s children we can create peace throughout the world (5:9).
- We must recognize when we are persecuted, we are participants in Jesus’ Rule (5:10).
Jesus summarizes the introduction to how to walk as he walked with his promise that those who recognize his way as blessed and walk as he walked, he will reward beyond what we can possibly imagine (5:12).
Over the next two chapters in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has total attention from his Capernaum listening crowd. He describes in greater detail how we can make his walk our walk.
- We are to serve others as God’s salt and light (5:13-16).
- We are to show love to our enemies (5:43).
- We are to give, pray, forgive, fast, and manage money for the purposes of
God (6:3-19). - We are to use our eyes to allow light to enter our souls rather than darkness (6:22-23).
- We are to not to worry but place our trust in God to supply our needs rather than place our trust in wealth to provide (6:24-34 & 7:1-11).
- We are to treat others as we want to be treated (7:12).
All eyes focus on the teacher, every ear is alert, truth begins to penetrate, as Jesus moves toward the close of the morning’s lesson. They discover that to make his walk our walk is the hard and narrow way that leads to life while the way the majority will follow is wide and easy but leads to destruction (7:13-14).
When we make his walk our walk, others will take note that the fruit of our lives is the same as the fruit of his life. Those not bearing fruit are not walking in his way (7:15-20).
Finally, when we make his walk our walk, we build our lives on a solid rock foundation. That rock is holy. That foundation is Jesus. It is a better way. It is the Jesus way (7:21-27).
When Jesus had finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teachings, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).
I close with these observations. Like the crowd, I am amazed and humbled at Jesus challenge to make His walk our walk. As sin-flawed-humans perfection is beyond our reach.
However, Jesus paints the vision that will one day be our reality. When his Kingdom Rule reaches its eternal climax, his kingdom work will be done, and His Will, will be done on earth as it is in the heavens.
In the meantime, powered by our obedience to God, and anointed with His Holy Spirit when we were baptized as Jesus was baptized, we can even now in Holy Presence make His walk our walk.
From my childhood church family, I can still hear the strong tenor voice of Theron
Jay our old brick mason as he melodiously sounded out the words of Eliz Edmunds hymn penned in 1890 to express our common desire to make His walk our walk.
Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior, trying to follow our Savior and King; shaping our lives by his blessed example, happy, how happy, the song that we bring.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, stepping in the light, stepping in the light; how beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, led in paths of light.
Pressing more closely to him who is leading, when we are tempted to turn from the way; trusting the arm that is strong to defend us, happy how happy our praises each day.
Walking in footsteps of gentle forbearance, footsteps of faithfulness, mercy, and love; looking to him for grace freely promised, happy how happy our journey above.
Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior, upward, still upward, we follow our Guide; when we shall see Him, the King in his beauty, Happy, how happy, our place at His side.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, stepping in the light, stepping in the light; how beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, led in paths of light.
I would love to hear from you. How about a highlight or a challenge you have noticed along your path in your walk to make His walk our walk?
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection on His Walk Our Walk.
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