Reading 20: Christ’s welcome as model
As I read this text, the single word that stood out to me the most was hope. As a 17-year-old senior in high school, I would like to consider myself a fairly hopeful person; I have optimistic views for my future and the goals I have for myself. Parts of this passage make me super-excited and ready to take on the world and fill me with, you guessed it, hope! Paul’s prayer at the end is so uplifting and positive, you can’t help but feel ready to take on whatever tomorrow has to bring.
My second time reading the passage, I noticed some things that were slightly less cheery. In the beginning of this reading, Paul focuses on how we should live more like Christ and build up our neighbors, which is a common theme throughout scripture. The part that gives me some anxiety is the third verse: “For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, ‘the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’” How can I ever live a life like Christ, without insulting or hurting those around me and, as a result, hurting Jesus?
Luckily for us, we can find comfort in the liberating word that is central to this passage: hope. We aren’t perfect people and no matter how hard we try, pray, or serve, we likely never will be. But with the hope that we have in Christ, this is okay! We can start each day with the hope that we will be just a little better than the day before: a little kinder, a little less judgmental, and a little more loving. And when we stumble, God’s love is always there to pick us back up and nudge us in the right direction.
Have there been times in your life where you were left feeling hopeless?
What were some things that helped restore your hope, and how can you use that experience to help others who may be feeling defeated?
Dear God, please fill us all with a renewed spirit of hope each and every day. Help us to seek you and to live our lives like Christ, sharing your love, grace, and peace with everyone around us. In your holy name we pray, Amen.
–Camryn Kepley is a rising freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill and is planning on majoring in Psychology. She served on the LYO Board for two years, serving as the president her senior year.
