Jesus our Teacher

A Prayer

for September 2006

Lord, because you don’t want us to wander aimlessly, like sheep without a shepherd, you instruct us in your will and your way. Now this is where it gets hard, Lord. We find it easy to accept your gift of love, but it is not easy to do what you tell us to do.

You warn us against anger, adultery, lust, divorce, and greed. You command us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). We don’t want to do that. We want you to be with us and to ease our pains and help us along the way, but we don’t want to do what you told us to do.

But our faith in you, dear Jesus, does not allow us to live in a way that is self-centered and self-indulgent. As your followers, we are commanded to care for the poor and vulnerable, and to act as good stewards of God’s creation. We are challenged to be peacemakers, and to respect the image of God in every person. Our views on abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, war, and AIDS cannot be determined by our personal preferences. Instead, our views are reflections of your teachings.

Lord Jesus, you were always a teacher. You taught in parables, in plain language, by example. You taught us to pray. Therefore, we pray, Lord, that your teachings may enter our hearts and souls. When we are too well pleased with ourselves, may your teaching disturb us. When our dreams come true only because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely only because we sailed too close to the shore, disturb us, O Lord. When we have such an abundance of things that we are losing our thirst for more of God, disturb us, O Lord. When we love time more than eternity, when we are so interested in the things of earth we have lost our vision of heaven, disturb us, O Lord. Amen.

If you have questions or comments, email Tony Grant

Last Modified: 08/28/07