Dear Reader,
I’m the owner of two beautiful cats, a brother and sister pair form the same litter: Freddie and Flossie (named after the Bobbsey Twins). They are two years old and genetically they’re one quarter Bengal, one quarter Ragdoll and half Siberian. They’re very social cats who love to greet visitors and always want to be around anyone who is in the house. For the vast part of the day they lie around usually so relaxed and content that they are lying on their backs with their front paws curled in and their tummies showing to the world.
Freddie doesn’t sit on laps very often but when he does it is with purpose; the exchange is transactional. When I start scratching the back of his head and behind his ears and his chin and he starts letting out a deep low purr. He’ll stay on my lap as long as I’m scratching him. If I stop scratching, he might stay for a few minutes but usually he’ll jump down and walk away to his food bowl for a snack. He knows and I know the exchange is transactional and we’re both O.K. with it. He’s a lovely cat.
Freddie’s actions got me thinking, isn’t that how we act in life if we are willing to admit it? Our interactions with the checkout lady at the grocery store, the plumber, the Skip the Dishes delivery guy, and so many more people in life are just that: transactional. And what about with our family members, our spouse if married, our boyfriend or girlfriend if dating? If we are willing to admit it in many ways the way we relate to those who are nearest and dearest to us is also at times transactional. This shouldn’t be. But it is. We can chalk it down to tiredness or stress or being emotionally drained but we shouldn’t live and act like this.
There is but one man who can claim that he was never transactional in any of his interactions in life but was always genuinely caring, loving and giving. That man was Jesus Christ. Every time he spoke to his mother Mary, or his guardian father Joseph, or his brothers and sisters or anyone else, even a stranger, Jesus was always genuine and caring. He was looking after their interests more than his own. How could he always live in this loving and giving way? Because Jesus was more than a man he was God in the flesh, uncreated and eternal with God the Father in heaven forever, yet receiving his humanity through his miraculous conception in the womb of his mother the Virgin Mary.
Jesus came to earth not just to model for us how to live and treat one another but to accomplish a holy and blessed transaction. He came as God’s promised saviour for the world. He came to transact a pure and holy sacrifice for the sin of all people. Jesus lived a perfect life with no sin so that he could offer up his life unto death on a cross outside of Jerusalem for you and me; for all our sins of self-centredness and using people for what we want. Jesus came to die for all our sin and he accomplished that and God the Father accepted his sacrifice for us. How do we know that? Because God the Father raised Jesus from the dead three days after he died.
Jesus’ resurrection is God the Father’s message to the world that he loves us and he has accomplished through Jesus a reconciliation between himself and us. God’s desire for us is to draw near to him, repent of our sins and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. This is the way to peace with God, the forgiveness of all our sins and to receive the promise of eternal life through a bodily resurrection from God like Jesus received.
If you feel like you have many privileges and blessings in life but still feel an emptiness inside like something is missing, I invite you to join us for worship (Sundays at 10:45AM, 136 Margaret Ave, Kitchener, Ontario). Here you will find what you’re missing: a connection with God your creator and even better reconciliation with him and peace through his forgiveness given through his holy words and sacraments. You’ll find a community of people who seek to live as best as they are able not in transactional but genuine relationships. I invite you to join a loving community of people of all ages.
Right now mid-morning, if I had a camera in my home pointed on my couch in my living room I can guarantee you that Freddie is lying down there right now asleep. The only thing I don’t know is if he’s on his side or on his back. Either way he’s very much at peace and loving life. I wish that for you and it would be my honour to help introduce you to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the giver of all peace. You won’t regret the visit.
Sincerely,
Pastor Korsch
