By 
V’ahavta…, “Love your fellow as yourself.”
It is taught that this love is an instrument, a means to, “Love the Eternal your God.” This is explained in the statement, “Whoever is pleasing to man is pleasing to God.” This service of teshuva stems from goodness of heart.
📖 Luke 10:17-24
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
🕯 The Gifts and Charisms of the Holy Spirit can indeed be exciting to watch manifest as Luke tells us it surely was exhiliterating for the disciples to see demons be subject to the name of Jesus. But Jesus’ warning here is significant. He reminds us how he himself witnessed Satan fall like lightening from heaven. But it was not for him to rejoice over it. Yes that’s right, not even Jesus took glory in the fall of a fellow son of God. Likewise, he encourages us not to focus on the deliverance of others at the power of his Charisms but rather to rejoice in that our fellow and ourselves have our names written in the Book of Life. When we can turn to one another and see each other as we see ourself, just another soul blessed to be saved by God, we realize we do not have to Lord it over each other, this power over darkness, nor do we need to reveille in it as though it is the miracle. The true miracle lies in the turning of our hearts toward good.
“In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will.”
Jesus rejoices that we who are babes can see the true mysteries of Heaven at work in our present earthly reality.
🎯When you pray with others do you take delight that the mysteries of the kingdom of God are being revealed to them in that moment?
🎯Or are you too consumed by the power at your disposal in the name of Jesus?
To love your fellow as yourself is to place yourself beside them, walking with them as a child walks with a new friend, hand-in-hand, delighted to meet them and share companionship for this part of the journey.
“Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!
For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
🙏🏼 PRAY: Ask the Lord to help you in those moments with others to see them as a fellow like yourself and respond to their needs as tenderly and lovingly as you would respond to yourself. “For this is pleasing to God.”
#DaysofAwe #day6
Great post 😁
Thank you and Shalom aleichem