Stone Soup for Sunday 3/3/13

4 p.m. Wesley Cottage

This is where we were last week. Moonrise was beautiful and cold. (this is an actual pic from our Moon Watch)

This week we'll talk about which is more powerful, "Taking up the sword" or "Refusing to take up the sword". Let's examine the efficacy and effect of the power of the sword and the power of love.

This is from Adam Hamilton's book, "24 Hour That Changed the World":
     During the year between Jesus' birth and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70, at least eight people, and perhaps as many as thirteen, called themselves messiah or were hailed as messiah by some of the Jewish people. Josephus, the first-centruy Roman historian, tells us about a few of them. Some were murderers and thieves. Some were earnest in their desire to reign for God. Some gathered a dozen followers, or maybe a few hundred. In the case of one man, six thousand people joined him to become a fighting force. Every one of these would-be messiahs used the sword in trying to drive out the Romans and establish a new kingdom of Israel. Each understood this to be the task of the Messiah, as did the people. And every one to these supposed messiahs was sentenced to death.
     When Jesus came into Jerusalem, many were anticipating a messiah who would lead an armed rebellion against the romans; and he sorely disappointed them. Jesus was the only messiah who refused to take up the sword...
     Jesus said, in effect, "Listen: I tell you; It is not by the power of the sword by by the power of the cross that you will be free. It's not going to be by raising up an army to fight the Romans. Rather, it will be by demonstrating sacrificial love."

Matthew 27:17 "Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Barabbas, we are told, was a "notorious prisoner". They both had the name "Jesus" which means "Savior".  So the crowd was choosing between a savior with a sword and a savior with nonviolent love. How would we choose?

For supper, I'll bring our sandwich press and make grilled cheese sandwiches (Ali is baking bread for the sandwiches). You bring what you want to go with it (bring a friend, they go well with grilled cheese!)