Sunday School Lesson for November 01, 2020 - Serving Love - John 13:1-15,34-35 (NASB)

 

John 13:1

1. Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [a]to the end. 

 There’s an old blues line that goes, “♫ Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die. ♫” Thankfully, this doesn’t line up with the sentiment given in Scripture. From the beginning, the Scriptures have intimated implicitly and explicitly that man enters this temporal existence on earth through the womb of a woman and leaves this same existence through death. Scripture also informs us that, for those who die in the faith, we have as our final destination, eternal bliss in the presence of God Almighty and His son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

We see this eventuality recorded in the verse above. Jesus has come to Jerusalem for this moment in time. The time appointed before the foundation of the earth for Him to return from His earthly ministry to His throne, seated beside His Father, in Heaven. Thus, He confirms the template. Every one of us must pass this way. And every one of us can take encouragement in Jesus’ attitude in His soon and certain eventuality.

John 13:2

2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 

The fact that one of His own disciples would be a vehicle for His transition is also informative. Beloved, there will be times when God uses the folk around you to discourage you, to make you question your walk. Why? To strengthen you, to correct you, to challenge. All of the above. After all, we don’t often hang out with our enemies. Sometimes enmity between friends will accomplish God’s purpose in your life. May God maintain peace between us and all of our friends and loved ones, but when conflict comes, may God  be glorified in it. May healing be made manifests. May faith be cultivated. May space be given for forgiveness and repentance. May love, eventually prevail.

John 13:3-4

3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had handed all things over to Him, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 *got up from supper and *laid His outer garments aside; and He took a towel and tied it around Himself.

As previously stated, Jesus understands what is about to transpire. It is Passover. He is the Lamb of God. But now, Jesus  has just a very few remaining moments to complete his instruction to His disciples and He begins this final set of lessons…. as a servant.  Jesus removed His coat and tied a towel around Himself, thus signifying the removal of His Majesty and Glory in His coming down from Heavan and tying to Himself a tether: a towel. The tether of a servant. The example He chooses to leave for His disciples to follow is one of being tied to a life of service.

John 13:5

5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. 

Imagine, the hush that befalls the room as Jesus begins to wash His disciples feet. I have participated in foot washing services. I can tell you that it is a sobering, reverant experience. In the disciples case, the uncertainty around their lives has been stark over the last several weeks. They are well aware of that fact that they are wanted by the Jewish authorities, who accuse them of sedition. That was only exacerbated by the raising of Lazarus from the dead and the supper at Mary of Bethany’s house a wee earlier. Now, in this washing of their feet, Jesus exemplifies a position of servitude and humility that they may not have imagined for themselves as disciples of the Messiah.

John 13:6-9

6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, You are washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no [b]place with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”

The verses above offer a glimpse into the heart and mind of, not only Peter, but of many, if mot all of the remaining disciples, sans Judas, who has already departed to carry out his most unholy mission. First, Peter expresses surprise, “Lord, You are washing my feet?” Jesus responds by alluding to the fact that Peter and his compatriots cannot fully understand the significance of His actions, but that, in time, they will. Over the next few days, the disciples will look back on this moment in the shadow of the cross and see the weight of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus was making on their behalf. Not only on theirs, but on behalf of all of mankind. In a few short weeks, with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they will come to recogize that they were trained, and then empowered to emulate their Savior’s example to the rest of the world as servants.

Peter retorts, “Lord, you will never wash my feet!” Peter can’t imagine a scenario where Jesus should wash his feet. Jesus, responded by telling Peter (and us) that if he cannot allow this act of service and love from his Master, then he has no place in the Eternal Rest Jesus offered those who love him and have placed their faith in Him. When Peter realizes what is at stake, he immediately changes his tune, which speaks to the sincerity of the Peter’s heart toward Christ. 

John 13:10-11

10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean—but [c]not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; it was for this reason that He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Briefly, Jesus makes an important statement: He who has been cleaned needs only to wash his feet, periodically. This speaks to the fact that once a person has received Salvation, they are clean., eternally clean in God’s eyes. They only need periodic washing, or sanctification which comes through teaching and preaching and fellowship with and from the body of believers. John further illuminates this truth by giving insight into Jesus’ thinking when he makes the statement, “Not all of you are clean.”

John 13:12-16

12 Then, when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and [d]you are correct, for so I am. 14 So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example, so that you also would do just as I did for you.

Jesus intends for those that would rule in His stead … to serve. It’s just that simple. God has no intention of building His Church based on fear or wrath. His church will be based on an attitude of servitude and … love.

John 13:16

16 Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is [e]one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

Selah…

John 13:34-35

34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”

To close, I want frame the verses above, Jesus commandment to love one another in the context of the entire lesson. John’s gospel records an event that the Church today, generally does not recognize as an ordinance in the same way that the communion, or ‘The Lord’s Supper’ is recognized. However, John’s gospel, which reveals Jesus as God Incarnate, takes care to take his readers to a place of complete humility and servitude in the act of the washing of the disciples feet by Jesus. In doing so, he brings gravity to Jesus’ words and instruction in the remaining chapters in of this book. Foot washing is a humiliating experience, whether you are the one ministering the bath or being ministered to. If Jesus framed His commandment to love around an act as humbling as foot washing, then His expectation is a love that has no boundaries with regards to the length one might go as an act of service in love. None. Foot washing was a custom associated with hospitality. Jesus used this ancient custom to prompt us to love one another, whatever the costs.

Ephesians 4:1-3

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Selah,

wb

Observations of Blessings and Curses in Genesis

 

BC01 - Assignment One: Observations of Blessings and Curses in Genesis
Paragraph	Themes / Summary	Clues / Questions
	Blessings
Blesssing - H1293: Berakah Noun - H1288: Barak - Verb - A benefit or goodness imparted (by God)
Genisis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing:	God imparts a blessing to Abraham.
Genesis 27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver, and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.	Jacob fears his father's wrath if he discovers Jacob’s deceit. He also fears bringing a curse upon himself.	Did Rebekah infer the curse upon herself from her son Jacob?
Genesis 27:35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.	Jacob stole his brother’s blessing. The blessing was a spoken pronouncement of God's favor into the life of the person receiving it.	Issac understands the blessing as a matter of substance. Is that the same for us today? Do we recognize the substance of the blessing?
Genisis 27:36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?	The is a difference between the birthright and the blessing. The birthright appears to be a temporal impartation of favor, ie; land, cattle, homes,etc., whereas, the blessing appears to have its roots in the spiritual realm. So whether spoken by God, or man, blessing originates from God.
Genesis 27:38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.	The blessing, once imparted, may not be rescinded or transferred. Esau had to settle for a 'lesser' blessing.	Again, do we realize how substantial a blessing is today?
Genesis 27: 41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.	Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that was stolen from him.
Genesis28:4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.	Issac confers the blessing of Abraham upon Jacob, placing him in the Messianic lineage.	Blessings have weight. They can impart eternal consequences.
Genesis 33:11Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.	Here, 'blessing' is translated as a gift or present. Jacob refers to it as 'my blessing', which implies that it is but a gift and not a spiritual impartation.	This is the equivalent of a substantial monetary gift. Note: Jacob does not seek compensation. This is a gift.
Genesis 39:5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.	Because of Joseph's obedience and Potiphar'srecognition of the Spirit guiding Joseph, God can, and does 'bless Potiphar's house abundantly. Blessing from God always results in a bountiful harvest, greater than what was sown.	God will bless those who bless his children. By acknowledging God's people, those outside of the covenant of God can be blessed by God.
Genesis 49:25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:	Jacob speaks a great blessing on Joseph, implying that the blessing comes directly from God.	In this verse and the ones immediately preceding, Jacob implies that Joseph is 1. Not his son, and 2. receiving a greater blessing than he, Jacob has the authority to impart. This passage requires further research.
Genesis 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.	Jacob continues speaking the great blessing on Joseph and intimates that this blessing supersedes and is greater than the blessing from his ancestors.	Same as above.
Genesis 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.	This verse ends the blessing of Jacob to his sons.
	Curse
Curse H7043 qalal - Verb - To make vile or despicable To abate or withdraw, to shake.
Genesis 8:8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;	Abate here is the same word for curse in Hebrew. It gives a picture of withdrawal..	Withdrawal can be symbolic of God withdrawing His Presence
Genesis 8:11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.	Same as above. The water had not yet withdrawn to a safe level.	If the flood represents an overflowing abundance of the Presence of God, what was God doing in the earth while the surviving humans were in the ark?
Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.	God accepted Noah's sacrifice and made an everlasting promise to never curse or withdraw from the earth entirely because of man's wickedness.	God promises to keep the earth in a cyclic state of replenishment, regardless of the evil of man. Is this a modification of the curse pronounced on the earth when man fell in the Garden?
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.	The Abrahamic Blessing and God's promise of protection for Abraham	The 'curse' as a protective mechanism.
Genesis 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.	Sarah despised Hagar. Because of this, Hagar was removed from a place of 'covering' in Abraham's home.	Sarah, as one in authority, 'removes' the blessing of covering from Hagar.
Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.	Hagar laments to the Angel of the Lord that she is 'hated' by her masters’ wife.	Hagar is reduced to looking for covering, or safety in the wilderness.

In a few short hours, I have gained more appreciation for directed, bible study using the bible study methods we are acquiring at OBA. Blessing and Cursing are the subjects of the first assignment in session BC01. The power of these terms can be underestimated without some in-depth study. 

Blessing: Berakah - A benefit or ‘goodness’ imparted by God, a gift, a pronouncement, by men or women, of the aforementioned benefit.

In Genesis, we find that where God imparts blessing, He imparts it in overwhelming, overflowing abundance. We learn that the weight or gravity of a blessing is quite substantial and that in many cases, a blessing has generational or even eternal ramifications. We also learn that blessings have their origin in the spiritual realm (Heaven).

Curse: Qalal - To make vile or despicable, to abate or withdraw, to shake.

In Genesis, when we encounter the word ‘curse’, we find that it is something to be regarded as vile, evil, or despicable. Additionally, however, we find the same word used for the waters of the flood withdrawing or abating from the earth. This implies that something that is cursed withdraws’ or is withdrawn. That further implies that something cursed is withdrawn from the Presence of God. That is a frightening eventuality. The other word for curse means to shake. The implication here is that a cursed thing is something that has no substance without God. Again, the thought of that is frightening. 

Both terms, in the proper context, give us but a glimpse of the majesty and the eternal omnipotence of our God. They also provide, but a glimpse of the everlasting love with which God loves us, His Church.

How Exodus 34:6-7 Reveals the Glory of the Lord.

 

1. God commands Moses to cut two tablets of stone (34:1). What happened to the first tablets?

Exodus 32:19 Moses, after returning from the Presence of God on top of Mt. Sinai and descending to the camp of the Israelites, saw that his fellow Israelites built a golden calf to worship. Upon seeing this, he threw down the tablets in anger and smashed them at the foot of the mountain (Mt. Sinai).

What do these tablets symbolize? 

The tablets represented the Law and Commandments of God. They are not the entire law or commandment given to Moses but are representative of that law. The ten commandments established a code of ethics or a moral structure that would set God’s people apart from the neighboring peoples. That moral structure still exists to this day as part of the foundation of Christianity.

2. Construct a Mechanical Layout of Exodus 34:6-7. 

3. On the diagram, record the Strong’s number for the following words: compassionate (NASB), gracious, slow to anger, lovingkindness (NASB). Look up and record the definitions for the Hebrew words. (Note: the OBA Toolbook, Tool I.1.3 Original Language Tools for English Speakers has directions for how to look these up.)

Ex. 34:6-7

 6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and [d]truth; 7 who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the [e]punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Then - Adverb denoting a particular time.

the Lord - Proper Noun - Jehovah God, the Lord - the subject

passed by - Verb -  Transitive - ‘to move by’

in front of - Adverbial phrase denoting a location forward of the object.

him - Pronoun - the object - Moses

and - Conjunction joining the subject (the Lord) to the following verb

proclaimed,- Verb - Transitive - to declare, to announce, to inform

The Lord, - Proper Noun referring Deity: Jehovah

The Lord - Proper Noun referring Deity: Jehovah

God - Masculine noun - ‘El’ - God, mighty, great, power, good

compassionate - H7349 - rachuwm - Adjective: describes the Subject: merciful - kind

and - Conjunction - connects following Adjectives to the Proper noun above.

gracious, - H2587 - channuwn - Adjective: describes the subject: merciful, benevolent

slow - H750 - arek - Adjective: describes the subject: patient

to anger - H639 - aph - Noun - wrath - literally ‘a flaring of the nostrils’

and - Conjunction - connects following Adjectives to the Proper noun above.

abounding in -  Adjective: describes the subject:  great, abundant, many, much

loving-kindness - H2617 - checed - Noun - merciful, kind, good, loyalty, faithfulness

and - Conjunction - connects the previous noun to the following noun.

truth - H571 - ‘emeth - Feminine Noun - sureness, reliability, the truth as spoken or revealed.

who - Pronoun denoting the subject - Jehovah God

keeps - Verb - preserves, guards, watches, or observes

faithfulness - Noun - merciful, kind, good, loyalty

for thousands - Noun - multiple of thousands

who - Pronoun denoting the subject - Jehovah God

forgives - Verb - to lift, bear up, take or carry away.

iniquity - Noun - perversity or depravity, wrongdoing

transgression - Noun - a violation of  Law, rebellion against God.

and - Conjunction - connects the previous noun to the following noun.

sin - Noun / Verb - to miss, to incur guilt, to fall short.

yet He will by no  - Adverbial phrase: not, never. emphatically no.

means leave - Verb - to clear, to free, to make guiltless.

the guilty- Object

unpunished - Verb - to clear, to free, to make guiltless.

inflicting - Verb - to impose, to appoint, to punish

punishment - Noun - consequences, retribution

of the fathers - Noun - Object - father, chief

on - Preposition

the children - Noun - Object - offspring

and - Conjunction - connects the previous noun to the following noun.

Grandchildren - Noun - Object-  offspring

to - Preposition

third - Noun - Object -The third generation 

and - Conjunction - connects the previous noun to the following noun.

fourth generation - Noun - Object - the fourth generation

4. Do a concordance search for the word “compassionate” (in the NASB version). 

How many of these occurrences are accompanied by other words from Ex. 34:6? 

• There are 13 occurrences of compassionate H7349 in the OT.

• Of the 13 occurrences of compassionate in the OT, 12 are accompanied by one or more of the other highlighted words, ie; merciful, gracious,   loving-kindness, etc,.

What is the significance of this?

These words describe the nature and character of a loving God, who is merciful to those who love and revere him.

What is the purpose of these quotes from and allusions to Exodus?

To remind the reader of the mercy of God that extends back to and beyond an event as significant as the Hebrew bondage in Egypt.

5. Expand your search to other forms of the word such as “compassion.” (Refer to Tool I.1.4 to review how to form a search for the variants of a word.) Focus on the use of “compassion” in the NT. Who in the NT is said to have compassion? Make special note of the references in Col. 3:12 and Phil. 2:1.

• Compassionate (H7349) is used 13 times in the OT.

• There are 0 occurrences of compassionate in the NT in the NASB

• Compassion (H7356) is used 39 times in the OT.

• Compassion occurs 18 times in 17 verses in the NT.

• G1656 - eleos - Noun - mercy, kindness

• G4697 - splagchnizomai - Verb - to be moved with compassion

• G3627 - oiktiro - Verb - to have pity on, to have mercy on.

• G3628 - oiktirmos - Noun - Mercy 

• Philippians 2:1 - Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [fn]affection and compassion,

• Colossians 3:12 - So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and [fn]patience;

• Full of compassion G4184 - polysplagchnos - adjective, merciful to the extreme.

• James 5:11 - We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the [fn]endurance of Job and have seen the [fn]outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

• There are four separate entities in the New Testament to whom compassion is attributed. Two are in parables told by the Lord, Jesus (fascinating!).

• The Good Samaritan (Jesus) felt compassion for the wounded stranger.

• The Father (God) felt compassion for the prodigal son.

• All but two of the remaining examples in the Gospels and the New Testament refer to either God, the Father, or to Jesus.

• The remaining two occurrences are encouragements for Christian believers to emulate the examples of God. our Father and of Christ.

6. Summarize what you have learned in a one-page paper entitled “How Exodus 34:6-7 Reveals the Glory of the Lord.” Include what you have learned from the NT in one paragraph in the paper.

How Exodus 34:6-7 Reveals the Glory of the Lord

Exodus 33:19-20

18 Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!” 19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.”

As a prelude, Israel has sinned greatly against God. While Moses was before the Lord, high on Mount Sinai, receiving the commandment that God would use to build a great nation unto Himself, the Israelites had fallen into idolatry. Subsequently, many thousands were slaughtered by the Levites, who remained loyal to Moses, and to God. Many more were killed by a plague sent by God.

Moses, then, pleaded to God to have mercy on the people. His intercession is revealed on several levels: he pleads for mercy, for the restoration of the covenant, and he pleads for God to go with them. 

Moses’ intercession for Israel is successful and what transpires above is a result of God’s jubilant response. As a matter of confirming His promise to Moses to renew His covenant with Israel, He will show His Glory to Moses. For his part, Moses has requested a more personal relationship with God. God, in revealing His Glory, is fulling that personal desire of Moses as well.

Exodus 34:6-7

 6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and [d]truth; 7 who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the [e]punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

There is some setup to the scenario. No man can see God and live, so in order to protect Moses, God places him in a cleft in the mountainside and He covers Moses in the shadow of His hand. There are allusions to Christ and to the Holy Spirit there, but that is for another time.

God, then begins to reveal a glimpse of Himself and declare Himself as He passes by Moses. And what does God proclaim about Himself? His Glory. Interestingly, God models and foreshadows the preaching of the Gospel in that, God does not reveal Himself fully to us through miracles, or great signs, or even prophecy. Rather, He reveals Himself through the preaching of the Gospel by His chosen servants.

Definition of God (Merriam-Webster)

God : the supreme or ultimate reality: such as

a: The (Supreme) Being, perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped (as in Judaism, Christianity

Above is the Merriam-Webster definition of God. I include it as a template or overlay in parsing verse six from Exodus 34. When God declares Himself, he first declares His Name. Twice. This is indicative of the majesty and omnipotence present in His name. He then goes on to declare his character. God is compassionate and merciful. He is patient and faithful. Those sound, oh so much like the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. All of these words describe His virtue, His goodness. Finally, God declares himself to be abounding in truth: wisdom. So much so that He is the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong. He is the great Judge of all things. In verse seven God accentuates that point and additionally, alludes to his timelessness, His eternal being. The good news is that the promise for His covenant people is that He will always deal with them (us) with compassion.

God loves. All of creation was a labor of love. God loves us. When God created man, he was pleased. Throughout biblical history, it has pleased God to show mercy and compassion to mankind repeatedly. He loves us so much that He gave His son, Jesus, whose death on the cross saved us from our sins.

Jesus, during His ministry on earth, perfectly mirrored the attributes of God. All of what God declared about Himself in the book of Exodus, The beauty of His ministry is that, through Christ, the greatest lasting impression on the human heart is love. And therein is God’s Glory revealed. It is revealed in the way Jesus was moved with compassion as he ministered to the masses. That same love and compassion were revealed in His parables. 

Finally, in the epistles, we who are believers are encouraged to take on these same character traits as Christ: compassion, mercy, love, gentleness, patience. Do these sound familiar? Certainly, they do. Love, driven by compassion will reveal the majesty and glory of God to the Church and through the Church.

Selah