Are You a NO Respecter?

As I sat down for my morning devotions yesterday, I read these words of St. Peter from Acts 10:34 “I perceive that God is NO RESPECTER of persons”. RESPECTER: a person whose attitude and behavior is influenced by consideration of another's rank, power, ethnicity, religion, culture, social class, wealth, etc. A “No RESPECTER” is someone who treats everyone else in the same manner regardless of their status or wealth.

God is NO RESPECTER of us. We ALL have access to God’s mercies and blessings. He loves each and everyone of us. That's why He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that we would believe and live in the royal family FOREVER! The prerequisite is acknowledging Him as our Father and we are His beloved children that love and respect their “Dad”.

How does God feel about whether or not we are RESPECTER of persons. It’s easy to love, respect and honor the clean, nicely dress, well-mannered people that look like us, smell like us and behave like us, but is that God’s example to us? He is NO RESPECTER of persons. In other words – the homeless people that beg on the street corners, or that road-rage guy that honked at us, or that disrespectful sales clerk, that angry politician who used disparaging words, that neighbor who revved up their motorcycle in their driveway AGAIN, or the person who just doesn't have the same color of skin as we do.? The question is “Do we show discrimination toward others? Where there is RESPECTER of persons – there are always divisions, resentments and hostilities. Where there is NO “RESPECTER” of persons and impartial treatment of all, we find mercy, love, unity and, above all, PEACE!

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” This little song was written by George Frederick Root in 1864, right in the middle of the Civil War. There were many causes for the Civil War, but slavery was cited as the main cause. There were many other political and cultural differences between the North and the South that also contributed to the GREAT DIVIDE between the two.

I couldn’t help but think about the GREAT DIVIDE in America today. It seems the writer of that little song was trying to bring an awareness that WE are ALL God’s children. The common denominator we have is God and His love for humanity. We are all precious in God's sight and He was encouraging us to see His children as He sees and loves them -- like little children who have no prejudices. They just love. In Matthew 18:4-5, Jesus invited us to come to Him “like little children” and said “whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Maybe it’s time for a check-up from the neck-up. Are we a NO respecter of persons or are we partial to some and not others? Are our children just like us -- they are kind because we are kind; they are impartial to others because we show no partiality; they are tenderhearted to those who are down and out, because we emulate tenderheartedness daily. They love regardless of background, race, class or financial status. Just like us!! Or, are they just like us in the opposite ways. What is our reaction to the poor? The needy? Do we show favoritism? When it comes to the “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” TEST, will we pass it OR flunk it? 1 John 4:11 “If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Worship = Blessings

I can’t resist – one more post about the Wise Men. Last Sunday (the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord), Father Brian O’Brien who is the President of Bishop Kelly High School in Tulsa, gave a most beautiful explanation of the magi’s visit to the Holy Family. What stood out to me the most was his take on the final line of the scriptures of that story. After they had worshipped the newborn King, “Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” Matthew 2:12.

That verse has two connotations. One, they had been worshipping the newborn King and out of that intimacy, God spoke to them and revealed dangers up ahead. After all, King Herod’s plans were to kill all the little boys because he suspected one of them would take his throne. God looked out for the magi because they gave their best in worship to His Son. What about us? How about when we go into that secret place with God and we honor Him by our worship, aren’t we being wise children of the Most High? God is no respecter of persons. Why wouldn’t He give us wisdom for our future and the dangers that could lie up ahead and why wouldn’t He instruct us to go another way instead of the way we had planned?

The 2nd connotation is the Wise Men did go a different way. What about us and the plans we made for ourselves – those goals, resolutions and plans? Proverbs 16:9 says “A man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” When we live a faith-filled life of trusting God, we can expect His wisdom and direction.

Psalm 37:23 says “ The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delights in his way.” If the Wise Men had a dream that sent them another direction, we can be confident that if our plans are altered, it will be for our good and in our best interest to take that different path. Just maybe our plans are not God’s plans, and if we are willing to be tweaked, then like the Wise Men, we, too, will be wise enough to listen and walk in the steps He lays out for us. Imagine the pitfalls, detours, side roads and other off track places God could keep us from, as we surrender to follow Him.

Like the Wise Men, may we worship our King of all Kings, and then listen for His voice. After all He knows short cuts and secret passageways to get us to where we need to go -- safe and sound. After all, Father KNOWS best!