Pass It On

Twenty years ago, I was fortunate to watch the Olympic Torch makes its way to Atlanta. Dave Thomas, the late founder of Wendy’s International, was the torch bearer in my neighborhood.


You probably know the process. A group of torch bearers carry the lit torch from the previous site of the Olympics to the current site of the Olympics. The Olympic Spirit, represented by the flame, is said to leave the previous city and move on to the current city.

The Olympic tradition had been with us for many centuries and is a fun one to rally around.

But, imagine what would happen if the torch was dropped, or did not make it from one torch bearer to the next.
 

Today’s reading is Matthew 18:21-35.
 

A servant owed a large sum of money to his lord. The servant begged and pleaded so the lord forgave his debt.
 

The servant had a servant of his own who owed him a very small sum of money. The “forgiven” servant demanded payment. He had been forgiven a huge debt, yet he refused to forgive a very small debt.
 

The first servant dropped the torch and he paid for his transgression.
 

Through Christ’s death, God has forgiven us much. He has shed his grace on us and has shown us great love. Our response is to forgive others, shed God’s grace on others and show God’s great love by our actions toward others.
 

We are torch bearers of Jesus, the Light of the World! We get to show the Spirit of the Lord to the world!
 

Pass it on!

Sharing -- Pass It On!

Sharing is a part of life.

 

We share love with our spouse and our family. We may share an experience with a good friend. We might share an ice-cream sundae when on a date. We may share freshly baked cookies with a person or family new to the neighborhood. We might even share our most inner thoughts and frustrations with a small group of very close friends. And we might share our time and money with a local food pantry.

 

Sharing can make us feel good and it can teach younger ones to share by our example. Sharing strengthens existing relationships and can build new ones.  Sharing can also help us cope with life.

In today’s reading, Isaiah 55:1-11, Isaiah gives us a lesson in God’s sharing.

 

“Come, all you who thirst, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

 

God shares with us, not merely the things we think we need for life, but those things that are essential so that our “soul may life.”

 

What are those essential things? His Word, of course.

 

Yes, he shared His Word in oral and written form, which we today have in the form of the Bible. But God shared so much more.

 

We are told that God’s Word, “became flesh and made his dwelling upon us.” (John 1:11).

 

By giving us His Word, God gave us His Son, who lived among us. Stated differently, God shared Jesus – 100% God and 100% man -- with us.

 

Jesus lived a perfect life, and became a role model for us. Both a scapegoat and a sacrificial lamb, Jesus took our sins upon himself and atoned for our sins. But most important, he was resurrected, thereby demonstrating that he is capable of giving us everlasting life.

 

God shared Jesus with us. Jesus shared his life story with us. It is our job to share Jesus’ Good News with others.

 

Sharing – Pass it on!