5 Souls

5 Souls sat around the little, square table. Each bringing with them their wants and needs, their own desires. What would they ask for? What would they receive?

They heard about it that morning at church. The Abrahamic covenant. How could anyone deny the beauty or the simplicity of it? To actually give to God your first tenth out of love instead of out of obligation. Who can deny the fact that we grew up with the notion that it was the law…the “you’re going to hell if you don’t” complex if we didn’t tithe? It was our sworn duty, our obligation. To simply do it out of love seems so…alien.

A candle was lit. The journey began.

To love as Jesus loved. Is not that what He commanded us to do? Sometimes it’s hard. Ok…its hard a lot of the time. It’s easy to love our spouse, one soul. It’s easier to love our children, three souls. It’s easiest to love ourselves, the fifth soul. But the person who cuts you off in traffic or the disgruntled customer is an entirely different story. How many times should we have prayed for the Grace of God to cover us in our forgiveness of these other souls? Are we not one in Christ? How many times did we forget and just curse or seek revenge? How then did Abraham manage this love thing?

In Genesis 14:20 we find Abraham’s praise. God delivered him from the hand of his enemies. How much more has God delivered us from? And yet sometimes I think the rocks sing louder. Could you hand over your only begotten Son to die? And yet Abraham willingly gave God a tenth of all he had taken. Was that a tenth of the gross or the net? Or a tenth after you pay your bills? Ah, why not just give God what is left over…what does He need it for anyways? Aren’t we under that change of law since Jesus came and made the Old Testament obsolete?

Did Jesus come to change the law or fulfill the law? You might want to take a ganger at Mathew 5:17. No matter what translation I use, I get fulfill and complete. And no matter what commandment you refer to the Greatest commandment given is to love the Lord God with all your soul and with all your heart.

Love. A pure white rose was placed next to the candle on the table.

Melchizedek was the High Priest standing before Abraham. Jesus is our High Priest standing before us. Melchizedek brought out bread and wine for their nourishment. Jesus became our Bread and our Wine. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and Abraham was given descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens and Abraham, out of love, gave God a tithe. Jesus calls us His blessed, and out of love, we tithe. How much do you love God?

The five souls joined hands. Prayers were sent forth. Bread was broken and Wine was drunk. Have you released your blessings today?

06/08/06