|
Living in the Power and Love of Jesus |
|
Early Friends in accepting the communication from the Holy Spirit understood that Christ Jesus was their everlasting Savior who taught them truth and righteousness, the same Truth our Lord is teaching us, if we listen and obey. Our early Friends felt this power within them as they praised Jesus' rulership in His Father's Kingdom. Small wonder Fox understood Isaiah's great revelation: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6). The government of which the great prophet speaks is not the political state but the presence of the Lamb fostering divine peace and justice. Fox and his fellow workers in the gospel related to the rulership of our gracious Lord obeying His Father's commands, both the written laws and the inward spiritual revelations. To put it succinctly, Quakers who worshipped with Fox and his Friends were given the power to recognize the Lordship of Jesus. This everlasting Governor when He visited a synagogue in Nazareth opened the book of Isaiah and read "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord". (Isaiah 61:1-2) Then Jesus closed the book and proclaimed that this scripture had been fulfilled on that day. Do we enunciate the power of Jesus to free the oppressed in addition to preaching the Good News to all who are cognizant of their poverty? Yes our Lord gives us the tools to implement Jesus working in establishing the Kingdom of divine love and caring. But we need to wait on the Lord before we can receive this goodness. That is why we must pray consistently as the Apostle Paul admonishes us. Jesus, in his spoken ministry delineates His expectations for those residing in His Church. This Son of God cautions us about relying on our own judgment in conflict situations. Rather He implores us to wait on God's judgment which is far superior to our own. Our Lord implores His adherents to "love their enemies". In Jesus' time visiting our planet the Jews were encouraged to resist their Roman oppressors violently. But Christ proclaimed that if the oppressed treated their brothers and sisters with kindness, God's love will prevail. Small wonder Jesus orders us to turn the other cheek. Jesus constantly reminded His followers, as He is reminding us that although He is not living with us physically, that He is with us spiritually speaking and affording us the power to love each other in the same way He loves us. Some of His disciples doubted Him but He has visited them in Spirit in much the same manner He has visited present day adherents rendering his ministry of all embracing love. As the song says "Yes, Jesus loves me." Yet we are tempted, despite God's overwhelming love to rely on our wisdom, our courage. In his journey to New England, Fox's friends encouraged him to become their pastor He resisted this temptation with the statement that this minister brought people to Christ for Jesus to prevail. He pleaded with his Friends to depend on the living Christ for peace, justice and inward harmony. Fox heard the inspiration that Jesus was - gathering His people to become God's faithful instrument - His body. May we continue to hear Jesus' heavenly voice.
Arthur Berk |