yesterday's talk on the widow's offering

sacrifice: the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

the most literal translation of the word is "to make holy." sacri- comes from the latin word sacer which means, "holy," and the fice- is derived from the latin word facere meaning, "to make." therefore, the ultimate definition of the word sacrifice is doing something that will make you holy. for example, when we give something we cherish away to someone who needs it or give it away for the sake of the Kingdom, we actually make ourselves more holy.

the word sacrifice is not one we use very often. very rarely...okay, never...do i hear one jr higher say to another, "so, what did you sacrifice this weekend?" first off, it would be weird. second, the idea of sacrificing just doesn't exist in our culture. and yet, that's exactly what we're called to do by Christ.

Jesus makes such a stark contrast between those who have and those who have not at the end of mark 12. he compares the religious leaders and the rich to the poor widow. in our minds, we would look at the religious leaders and the rich and think to ourselves, wow, that guy really loves God. he must really love the church. look at the way he prays in front of everyone. look how much money he gives to the church. wow, that's really awesome. and while we're thinking about how great the religious leaders/rich people are, we don't seem to notice the poor widow. but when we look at Jesus, it seems to be just the opposite. He doesn't seem to notice the religious elite or the rich. He only notices the heart...the heart of sacrifice.

it's really hard to hear someone get up and say, "give up all your money for the Kingdom," but Jesus isn't just asking you to sacrifice your money. He's asking you to sacrifice your everything...and that's what makes sacrifice so difficult. will you take up your cross and follow Him (mark 8)?

school's starting

so, school's starting, and i wonder if you're ready?

i guess i don't mean are you ready in terms of your backpack being filled with paper, binders/trapper keepers (those are the best afterall), pencils, pens, highlighters, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. and i'm not talking about whether or not you have your favorite new outfit laid out  ready to put on. i mean...are you ready to be christ on your campus?

see, paul tells us in ephesians 5:8-10 that those who are in Christ Jesus are considered to be in the light, and as such we are to walk in the light, as children of light. he goes on to say that as children of light, we're to have nothing to do with darkness (the things done by people who are not in the light), but instead we're called to expose them to light.

has your mom or dad ever come in your room really early in the morning and turned on the light? you know that feeling you get when that happens? your eyes almost sting in pain. you try to squint but you can't get you eyelids to stay close enough to block the light without blocking your vision. it's a feeling of confusion and overwhelmed-ness. and that's how the people around you should feel as you walk back onto the campus of your school. the radiance of Christ should be so bright in you, that those who are in the dark have no choice but to feel overwhelmed by Christ's glory.

go and be light.