TOS105 The Mind of Jesus; For audio only PPN

Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner discusses a way to attain The Mind of Jesus which St. Paul challenges us to have.  Patti Brunner examines a quote from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus both “speaks his mind” and “acts his mind.”  Knowing the mind of God through Wisdom can set you free.  It’s time to use what God has given you—to have the Mind of Christ.   

Blog

Paul wrote to the Philippians, Chapter 2 verse 5:  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”

This quote was used by a coach of the Lady Razorbacks one time at the Altar Server banquet.  She told us that the attitude of Jesus was a winning attitude, a positive attitude.  In order to have the mind of Jesus before them always, one fifth grade class chose to wear the WWJD? Bracelets, What Would Jesus Do?  That is one way to fix our attitude to match Jesus’.  Thinking, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’  allows us pray the mind of Jesus in making decisions and allows us to hear his voice.

Welcome to Truth of the Spirit.  I am Patti Brunner.  Today we are going to talk a little while about the Mind of Christ.

The mind of Christ is also the Wisdom of God.  The Wisdom of God comes forth upon the confirmation of the Holy Spirit.  Knowing the mind of God through Wisdom sets you free if you allow it.  There are available to you graces upon grace to reveal to you the truth that is God.  Knowing that you know God –this is Wisdom.

The mind of Christ is not difficult to figure out.  Page upon page in the Gospel clearly speaks the mind of Christ.  There is no guile, deceit nor darkness in His words.  They are Spirit and Light.  They are Truth.  They are the Wisdom of God.  Jesus ‘speaks his mind’ to his apostles without a veil so that they might hear and believe.  For the others, Jesus ‘acts his mind’ so that they might see and believe.

Both listening and watching are available to us today to know the Mind of Christ.  Let me help you.  Philippians, Chapter 2 verse 5 says:  “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus”  NAB.   In the New Testament book of Hebrews it says twice, in Chapter 3:15, then repeated in 4:7 “If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts”.  The Gospel of John  chapter 10: verses 3 to 4 says  “…the sheep hear his voice and he calls them by name and leads them. He goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice“

Some of you have heard the voice of Jesus very clearly in your heart and some of you aren’t so sure.  But I want to encourage you all, because since you are here listening, I believe the Lord spoke to you whether you believe it or realize it or not!  How do we learn to listen to the voice of God?  It seems like there should be a manual for something like that.

After all I have here a manual for  a Black & Decker Coffeemaker; and it says ‘do not operate without reading first, and  here’s one for a Mr. Coffee coffeemaker and it says the same thing. 

Now neither of these things are quite as complex as a human life, so wouldn’t you think that God would know that we might need a manual to figure out what to do with our lives?  He DID!  We call it the BIBLE

The neat thing about the bible is that a beginner can use it and so can an advanced theologian.  God was so thoughtful when He inspired it, that He can teach our minds to be like His at any level.

I want to do an exercise with you.  We are going to examine a quote from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus figured that we would need a lot of help and so he taught us to pray.

“Give us today our daily bread” Matthew 6:11.

“Give us today our daily bread.”  It’s part of the Our Father.

I want you to think about this quote for a moment. “Give us today our daily bread”

One time I meditated on this single verse for about six months and I still came up with new things about it.

At first glance you may have thought about the quote using your five senses.  That is our left brain responding to the quote.  Did you smell the bread?  Did you think of being hungry and tasting the bread?  Could you see Jesus handing out the bread?  Could you hear Jesus teaching the crowd?  Can you see Jesus surrounded by his disciples as he taught them to pray the Lord’s prayer?  Can you see Jesus handing you the bread just as he did the 5,000 in the Gospel?  Do you hear the words Jesus spoke, “Take and eat”?

Let’s think about the quote again and use our right side of our brain.  Remember the right brain communicates with pictures, symbols, heart,  memories and emotions.  Think of each word separately and try to have the mind of Jesus.  What else do you think He might be trying to teach us?

“Give”  Did you think about how much Jesus wants to give us?   Did you think of other things to ask for?  Did you think about how much you give?  Five barley loaves fed 5,000 after being blessed by Jesus.  What do we have that the Lord might use and magnify to feed others?

“Us”  “our”   Did you realize that you are not just asking for yourself?  Do you feel a responsibility to ask something different of Jesus for others than you would ask for yourself?   Who are the “us”?

“today” “daily”   Have you thought that you need to ask for each day’s needs each day?  Have you thought how Jesus provides everything you need today?  Do you need eat every day?  Can you trust God enough not to ask for tomorrow’s portion?

“Bread”  the first time I started meditating on this scripture, it was the morning of my husband’s big evaluation to see if he was going to get a raise.  I said a small prayer in the bedroom and as I walked into the kitchen, I smelled fresh bread baking.  There was no bread baking in the kitchen.  The smell made me realize that “our daily bread” could mean our livelihood.  There are also some other very significant ways bread can be understood.  The bread became the Body of Christ. 

We are fed by the daily reading of the bible.  We are fed by daily prayer. –That’s something my Bishop said once at Mass.  Ponder this:   how often do we need to pray? to read scripture? to receive the Eucharist? to be fed?  What is our hunger?  Is it a physical hunger?  Is it a spiritual hunger?  Are we ready to be fed by bread that is no longer bread but His body?

Let’s read the quote again.  “Give us this day our daily bread”.  Are you developing the mind of Jesus?  And this is just part of one verse in one chapter of one book of the bible.  Just think what awaits you.  Get to know Jesus!  Listen to Him!

We are supposed to be different from the world around us.  People should be able to look at us and say, “See these Christians, see how they love one another!”

What if we don’t act and think like Jesus yet?  In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6:33, we are told, “But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well”.  How do we find the Kingdom?  Make a commitment to the Lord.  Spend time in your search.  Give the Lord priority in your life.  Don’t just give Him the leftover time of the day but the best of the day.

One way is to get out the owner’s manual and read.  Remember that renewing the mind involves much more than gaining knowledge.  Listen to the Lord as He witnesses through others.  Before you know it you will be listening to the Lord as He witnesses through YOU. 

Jesus wants to light a fire in you.  Were any of you scouts?  Then you know that the better you lay your fire and use the proper kindling the better the fire will be.  If you only bring kindling to the fire, it will flame quickly and burn brightly but will also burn out and leave you in darkness.  Gather the big stuff to bring to the Lord.   Make a clearing through the sacrament of Reconciliation.  Get rid of the garbage that will cause a stink.  Use obedience, dedication, forgiveness, and love to lay the base of the fire.  Add trust and the flame will never go out! 

If you are in a time in your life that you are having trouble in gathering even the kindling, let Jesus help you.  He has sent His Spirit to be at your side at all times.  Allow His Spirit to help you.  If your fire has seemed to have gone out from time to time, remember that Jesus is there always, ready to stir the embers and fan the flame.  You just have to ask.

When you allow the fire of God’s love and power to explode with-in you your fire will provide the light for others to gather their wood.  And there are so many who need you.  They are your parents and your children and your friends.  They are total strangers and your enemies.  But God has chosen You to help them.

Spiritual hunger is fed by bread that is no longer bread but his Body

Daily bread: Eucharist & His Word.–both feed us.

5 barley loaves fed 5000 people after being blessed by Jesus.  What do we have that the Lord might use and magnify?

It’s time to use what God has given you—to have the Mind of Christ.

Jesus did not say, “Follow me and I will entertain you” He said, “follow me and you can die with Me and when you die with Me, then you can live with me”

Our God is the God of surprises.  Expect surprises.

I want to close with a prayer the Lord recently gave me to share.

Come Holy Spirit; enkindle me in the fire of your love. 

Let me then love your people as You do. 

Stir into flame the gifts You have already placed in my heart by the fire of your love. 

Refresh me, O Lord, when my patience runs thin.

Build in me your kingdom and expand it through me. 

Jesus, I trust in You. 

It is not my might but yours. 

It is not my power, but yours. 

You have planted the seed in my heart; bring it now towards maturity and fruit. 

Fill me with your Living Water, your grace,

 that your abundance may flow to the north, the east, the south, and the west.

And then do it again

and again

 until the barriers are all overcome in the flood of your love. 

I surrender to You, O Lord. 

Grant me your Mercy. 

Use me however You will. 

Amen.

You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit.  I’m Patti Brunner.  We suggest you subscribe to our podcasts and YouTube channel and check out the blog of this episode on PatriarchMinistries.com then come back for more.  Because with the Holy  Spirit there’s always more.