ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
April 26, 2026
For those of us who follow Jesus, we are the body of Christ. We claim this title, not for the purpose of hunkering down and protecting ourselves, but for the simple reason that we are called to be the body of Christ. If this is a claim we believe, then we must look to Jesus as the one who defines what that actually means. Now let’s not pretend that every little decision is going to have a clear and absolute “from the mouth of Jesus” answer. With that said, there is still a lot—and when I say, “a lot,” I mean a lot—of straightforward teachings that remain relevant for today. And our starting place in understanding what Jesus might do is summarized, in my opinion, in two moments of his ministry: one a parable and the other an event. The parable of the Good Samaritan tells us how Jesus would treat other human beings, even those decreed as outsiders and nobodies. And if that is how Jesus would treat them, then that is how the body of Christ should treat them. And second, the cross stands as the breathtaking and heartbreaking demonstration of love. The event of the cross answers the question of just how far Jesus was willing to go to demonstrate a love that was unconditional and unrelenting. Self-giving, even self-sacrificing, is often required if someone claims to be a part of Christ’s body in the world today. So where in your life are you helping to reveal the body of Christ in the world, and where are you needing some work? We need to be asking ourselves these questions all the time.
Give me Jesus, O Lord God. Give me everything I can understand about his life and teachings. Allow it to stretch me and challenge me on what it means to love as he loved. I make this request recognizing its audacity, yet I believe I have been called to be part of the Body of Christ, a rather audacious claim in and of itself. Amen.
