Week of 7 Pentecost - C
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year
Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers),
p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is
based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by
many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and
Methodist churches:
http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for
the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship.
Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church,
"Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of
America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299
- 304, Philadelphia,
1918.
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Podcast Download: Week of 7 Pentecost C
Sunday - 7 Pentecost - C
First Posted July 11, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday 7 Pentecost C
Isaiah 66:10-14 – Rejoice with Jerusalem;
Psalm 66:1-11, 14-18 – Hymn of Praise;
Galatians 6:1-10, 14-16 -- Exhortations;
Luke 10:1-12 (17-20) – Mission of the Seventy;
Isaiah Paraphrase:
Let
all who love Jerusalem rejoice and be glad for her. Let those who mourn
for her rejoice in great joy, that we may be suckled and nurtured in
her bosom; that we may drink deeply from the abundance of her glory.
The
Lord declares that he will give her prosperity like a great river and
the wealth of nations will come to her like an flooding stream. She will
suckle us, carry us upon our hip and fondle us on her knee. The Lord
will comfort us in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child.
Our
eyes will see, our hearts rejoice; our bones will flourish like grass.
All will know that the Lord's hand is upon his servant and against his
enemies.
Psalm Paraphrase:
Let all the
earth make loud rejoicing to God; let them sing glory to his name and
give him glorious praise! Tell the Lord that his deeds are awesome! His
enemies cringe before his great power. All the earth will worship and
sing praises to the Lord and to his name.
Look and see
what the Lord has done; his deeds among people are awesome! “He turned
the sea into dry land; men passed through the river on foot” (Psalm
66:5-6).
Then his people rejoiced in him who rules
forever by his great power. His eye is upon the nations- let the
rebellious not exalt themselves!
Let all people bless
our God. Let his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and has not
let us stumble. The Lord allowed us to be snared by the net; he allowed
us to experience affliction.
I will fulfill the promises I made when I was in trouble. I will offer sacrifices of rich things: fat rams, bulls and goats.
Let
me declare what the Lord has done for me, all you who fear (have
appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God. I cried
aloud and praised him with my voice. If I had cherished evil in my
innermost self he would not have listened.
Galatians Paraphrase:
If
a brethren is ensnared in temptation, those “born-again” mature
Christians should restore him gently. We must be alert, remembering that
we, too, are vulnerable to temptation. We are to fulfill the law of
Christ to love one another and one way is to share one another's
burdens. We must not think that we are better than we are, or we will be
just deceiving ourselves. We should examine our own deeds so that we
will have a realistic idea of our own spiritual growth, not based on a
comparison of others, because we will each be accountable for our own
deeds.
Let those who are taught the Word be generous to their teachers.
Don't
deceive yourselves. God is not fooled; whatever a person sows, that is
what he will reap. Those who sow to the flesh will reap fleshly
corruption; those who sow to the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap
eternal life. Let's not become tired of doing what is right, for we will
reap in due time, if we don't give up. So then, at every opportunity,
let let us do good to all people, but especially to our Christian
brethren. Let us not seek glory in any thing other than the Cross of
Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to us and us to the world by
the cross. Circumcision (keeping the Jewish religious laws) won't save
us; and not keeping them will not condemn us. What matters is “rebirth;
a new creation. “Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule,
upon the Israel of God.
Luke Paraphrase:
Jesus
was heading for Jerusalem where he knew he would be crucified. He
appointed seventy of his followers to go two-by-two into all the
villages along the way that Jesus would pass through. Jesus told them
that the harvest was plentiful but there weren't enough laborers. He
told them to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborer into the
harvest.
Jesus warned them that they would be going out
like lambs into the midst of wolves. They were not to take money, or
extra clothes or shoes. They were not to sidetracked from their mission
by socializing with other travelers on the road. Whenever they entered a
house they were to bid peace upon it, and if the household was
peaceable, the peace would remain upon them. If not, the peace would
return to the disciples. They were not to go door-to-door but stay and
accept the hospitality of whatever household welcomed them, because
laborers deserve compensation for their labor. They were to eat whatever
was provided, to heal the sick, and to proclaim that the kingdom of God
has come near to them. When they enter a town that will not welcome
them they are to shake the dust of that town from their feet in the
street as they leave as testimony against that town, warning that the
kingdom of God has come near. Such towns will fare worse in the Day of
Judgment than Sodom (which was destroyed by God with fire from heaven;
Genesis 19:24).
The Seventy returned rejoicing that
even the demons had been subject to them in Jesus' name. Jesus replied
that he had seen Satan cast down from heaven to earth. Jesus has given
his disciples authority over all serpents, scorpions, and the enemy. But
the real reason to rejoice is that the disciples names are recorded in
heaven.
Commentary:
The true Church is
the New Jerusalem, and Christians are the New Israel, the New People of
God. There are areas of the nominal Church which are not yet cleansed
and purified. We mourn for those shortcomings, but can be assured that
she will be restored without blemish at the Day of Jesus' return.
The
true Church is the heir to the wealth of nations. The Church is the
only source of spiritual nurture, comfort and love. It is obvious to the
spiritually discerning that the hand of the Lord is upon his servants
and against our enemies, but is camouflaged by mix of false churches and
false teachings mixed among the Church.
There is a day
coming when everyone will glorify the Lord and acknowledge his great
deeds (Philippians 2:10-11). In that day it will be too late to change
our eternal destinies (John 5:28-29). We will realize that he is great
but we may not be allowed into his eternal presence in paradise. It
would be so much better to learn of his great deeds now, so that we can
accept him as our Lord and be spiritually “reborn” to eternal life.
The
Bible is the record of God's dealings with his people Israel. The
central act of salvation is the Exodus. This recorded historical event
is deliberately intended by God to be a parable, a metaphor, for life in
this world.
We are all in bondage to sin and death in
the “Egypt” of this present world order. Jesus is the unblemished
Passover lamb who provides the passover feast, whose blood marks us as
God's people to be passed over by the destroying angel. Jesus is the New
Moses who leads us out of Egypt, separates us from our spiritual
enemies through the water of baptism into Jesus Christ, and who leads us
through the wilderness of this lifetime by the the Holy Spirit which is
the spirit of fire and cloud (Exodus 13:21-22).
Jesus
is the New Joshua (“Jesus” is the Greek equivalent of “Jesuhua;” the
post-exilic form of “Joshua”). Jesus leads us through the Jordan River
of physical death on dry ground; physical death doesn't taint us) and
into the eternal Promised Land of God's eternal kingdom in heaven;
Creation restored to perfect paradise.
God taught his
people that there was no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of
blood, leading up the the ultimate sacrifice, once for all time and all
people who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus
Christ. Jesus introduced a New Covenant on the night of his betrayal and
arrest. There is now no other sacrifice acceptable to God for the
forgiveness of sin but Jesus' death on the cross. The sacrifice that God
desires from us is the sacrifice of obedient trust in his Word.
Note
that there are conditions to answered prayer. God is under no
obligation to hear and answer our prayers if we are unwilling to hear
trust and obey his Word in the Bible and in Jesus Christ (see Conditions
for Answered Prayer, sidebar, right).
The Church is
called to be spiritual teacher. We have been given God's Word, the Bible
as the textbook. Jesus taught and demonstrated the method of teaching:
discipleship. We are to become “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) “disciples”
of Jesus Christ by spending time with him in his word and being mentored
by mature “born-again” Christian disciples. As new believers are
discipled to spiritual rebirth by the baptism of the indwelling Holy
Spirit we are called to testify to what the Lord has done for us, and to
go and make other born-again disciples and to teach them to repeat the
process.
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is deliberately intended
by God to be the prototype and example of a modern. Post-resurrection,
disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus
Christ. Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), being
discipled by Ananias (Acts 9:10-18), his subsequent discipleship of
Timothy (Acts 9:20-22, 2 Timothy 1:6-7) and teaching Timothy to repeat
the process (2 Timothy 2:2), is the example the Church is to follow.
Has
that been your experience? Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Monday - 7 Pentecost - C
First posted July 12, 2010
Podcast: Monday 7 Pentecost C
Psalm 25:1-9 b -- Deliverance from Enemies;
Paraphrase:
I
lift up my soul to thee O Lord; I trust in thee, my God. May I never be
ashamed; may my enemies never exult over me. May not any who wait for
thee be ashamed; may the wantonly wicked be ashamed.
Teach
me thy paths, O, Lord and help me to know thy ways. You are my God and
my salvation; Lead me into thy truth and teach me; I wait upon thee all
the day long.
In your mercy remember me, and your
steadfast love for me, for they have been eternal. Don't remember the
sins and transgressions of my youth; but in your steadfast love remember
me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.
Commentary:
This
lifetime has intentionally been created to be our opportunity to seek,
find, and have fellowship with God our Creator. This Creation is
intended to be our opportunity to learn to trust and obey God's Word.
God
has revealed his purpose for Creation in his Word, the Bible, and in
Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” the Word of God fulfilled, embodied,
and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5. 14). His intention has
always been to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly
trust and obey God's Word.
God has given us his Word in
the Bible and in Jesus Christ. He wants us to learn his ways and walk
in his paths. This lifetime is our opportunity to learn to follow the
teaching and example of Jesus Christ and to become spiritually
“born-again (John 3:3. 5-8) sons and daughters of God by the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to
his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).
The
Lord wants us to trust the promises of his Word, so that he can fulfill
them and show us that his promises are faithful and true. This is the
way that we grow to spiritual maturity.
The Lord is
abundantly willing and able to forgive and forget the sins of our youth
and our not-so-youthful sins, if we are willing to trust and obey Jesus.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Tuesday - 7 Pentecost - C
First posted July 13, 2010;
Podcast: 7 Pentecost Tuesday C
Deuteronomy 30:9-14 – Covenant Renewal;
Background:
Deuteronomy
means “second law,” the renewal of the Covenant of Law. The Covenant of
the Book of Exodus was reinterpreted in contemporary terms.
Text Paraphrase:
God's
promise is that he will prosper us in the yield of our bodies and the
yield of our possessions and our land as he prospered our fathers, if we
will trust and obey the Word of the Lord our God, which is recorded in
the Bible, and demonstrated in Jesus Christ; if we will turn to obedient
trust in the Lord with all our hearts and souls.
The
Commandment of the Lord which he gives today is not too difficult or too
far off for us to do. We don't have to ascend into heaven to bring it
down, nor beyond the sea, that we must send someone to fetch it. The
Word is very near to us; it is on our lips and in our hearts, so that we
can do it.
Commentary:
Jesus is the
New Covenant, the Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) which
is in our hearts and on our lips. Jesus gave us the Commandment of Love
(Matthew 22:36-40) to replace the Commandment of sin (disobedience of
God's Word) and [eternal] death.
The Old Testament is
the record of God's dealing with Israel. As God's people trusted and
obeyed God's Word, God prospered them with children, possessions and
inheritance in the Promised Land. God promises to do the same things for
us.
The Israelites were unable to keep all of the Law
of Moses, all of the time, so had to offer continual sacrifices for the
forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word). Jesus, on the night of
his betrayal and arrest, introduced the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited
favor) to be received by faith. Jesus became the one and only sacrifice
acceptable to God for all time and all people willing to receive it,
for the forgiveness of sin.
Jesus made it possible for
us to be cleansed from sin so that we could individually be temples of
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us is the Word of God written
on our hearts and on our lips. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us
to fulfill the requirements of God's Commandments (Romans 8:1-13),
provided that we live in obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Only
Jesus gives the gift (“baptism”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John
1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John
14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in
Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14;
Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible to know with certainty for
oneself if one has been spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8; Acts 19:2).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Wednesday - 7 Pentecost - C
First posted July 14, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday - 7 Pentecost - C
Paraphrase:
Paul
was an apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will,. Timothy was Paul's
proteje, whom Paul had discipled, and who became a pastor and fellow
missionary with Paul. Paul greeted the Church at Colossea in Asia Minor
(present-day Turkey), which had been founded by the preaching of
Epaphras, a Colossian whom Paul had sent there with the Gospel message.
Paul
greeted the congregation with the grace (unmerited favor) and peace of
God. Paul rejoiced and gave thanks to God for the faith of the
Colossians in Jesus Christ and their love of the Saints (all who are
dedicated to God's service), because of the hope of eternal life in
heaven that is theirs through the Gospel. That Gospel had been growing
and bearing fruit in them as it had in the whole world (throughout the
Roman Empire). Epaphras, a fellow Colossian, had been sent by Paul to
first proclaim that Gospel to them, and had reported to Paul their love
which they had through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Since
then, Paul and his fellow missionaries had continually prayed for the
Colossian Church, that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's
will, and with all spiritual knowledge and understanding, so that they
could lead lives that would glorify and please God in every respect, and
that they would bear fruit in good works, and grow in the knowledge of
God.
Paul's prayer for them was that they would grow
in strength, and endurance, with patience and joy through God's power
within them, giving thanks to God the father for qualifying them to
share in the inheritance of the saints in [the kingdom of] light [of
righteousness], since he has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness
to the kingdom of his Son, through whom we are redeemed by the
forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word).
Commentary:
Paul
(Saul of Tarsus) was an apostle equal to the original Eleven remaining
apostles designated by Jesus during his physical ministry. Paul was
deliberately intended by God to be the prototype and example of a
modern, post-resurrection, “born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple
(student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as
each of us can and should be.
Paul was converted on the
road to Damascus by the conviction of the risen and ascended Jesus, was
discipled by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias, until Paul was
“born-again.” Then he began proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples
of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-22), in fulfillment of the Great
Commission which Jesus gave to his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) to be
carried out after they had been “born-again” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5,
8).
Timothy is an example of Paul's disciple-making
ministry. Paul discipled Timothy until Timothy was “born-again” (2
Timothy 1:6-7) and then taught Timothy to repeat the process (2 Timothy
2:2). Epaphras was a Colossian disciple whom Paul had probably
“discipled” and then sent to establish a Church in Colossae.
Paul
discipled Epaphras, and then Epaphras discipled the Colossian
Christians. Paul prayed and Epaphras worked to lead the Colossian
believers to grow spiritually in the knowledge of God's will, and in the
personal knowledge and understanding of God, so that they could learn
to please and glorify God, by good works.
Christian
discipleship is a spiritual growth process toward Christian maturity at
the Day of Christ's return. We need to learn to discern God' will for us
personally, and this is only possible through daily Bible reading with
prayer and meditation, As we begin to seek God's personal will for us,
with the commitment to doing it, he will reveal it, one day at a time.
As
we begin to trust and obey him he will show us that his will is our
best interest and is absolutely trustworthy and true. This is how we
grow in faith in his will to spiritual maturity
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Thursday - 7 Pentecost - C
First posted July 15, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday - 7 Pentecost - C
Luke 10:25-37 – The Good Samaritan;
Paraphrase:
A
lawyer asked Jesus what one must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus
asked him what the law said, and the lawyer replied that one must love
the Lord with heart, mind, soul and strength; and his neighbor as
himself. Jesus told him that he had answered correctly and that by doing
what the law commanded he would live eternally.
But
the lawyer wanted to justify himself, so he asked who he was to regard
as his neighbor. Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
He said that a man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked
and robbed, and left for dead. A priest passed by and saw and avoided
the man, and so likewise a Levite (assistant to the priest). But a
Samaritan (a person of mixed race and religion; not a true Jew in either
race or religion) saw and attended to the injured person. He gave him
first aid and took him to an inn on the Samaritan's own animal, where he
arranged for him to be cared for at the Samaritan's expense. Then Jesus
asked the lawyer which of these people proved to be the neighbor of the
victim. The lawyer supposed it was the one who had shown the victim
mercy. Then Jesus told him to go and do likewise.
Commentary:
The
lawyer (scribe; teacher of the Law of Moses) knew what the Law said.
His question was how to apply it. The issue was who is one's neighbor.
Everyone we come in contact with is our “neighbor.” The issue is whom we
will choose to regard and treat as our neighbor.
The
lawyer was trying to justify himself (to make himself appear to be
guiltless), while avoiding fulfilling the law. He wanted to fulfill the
law, but only in certain circumstances which he defined.
The
priest and the Levite were officially commissioned by God to care for
God's people. They were God's representatives to do God's will, but
chose to serve their own will rather than God's. In contrast, the
Samaritan was regarded as corrupt genetically and spiritually, and yet
the Samaritan fulfilled God's law, and the “men of God” did not.
Jesus
taught in parables: fictional stories of common earthly experiences
used to teach spiritual truths. The parable illustrated the spiritual
reality of Judaism at the time of Jesus' physical coming, and it is also
true of the Church and Christianity today. The Jewish leaders were to
be “shepherds” of God's people on God's behalf, but were using their
position for their own benefit. They enjoyed their status in the
community without fulfilling the obligations of their office.
In
too many instances today the nominal Church is in the same position.
Ministry is a career choice. Leaders are enjoying the benefits of their
office without fulfilling their responsibility to make disciples of
Jesus Christ. They have settled for making church members and building
church buildings.
Disciple-making requires effort on
the part of both “discipler” and disciple. Discipling requires concern
for the condition of the discipleship candidate and personal cost for
his care. And often the candidate would prefer an easier alternative. I
personally have experienced individuals who had to be continually
encouraged to finish reading the Bible, and to read it daily. I have
personally encountered individuals who would rather speculate on “End
Times” (Matthew 24:3-44; compare Acts 1:6-7; 1 Timothy 1:4-7; 2 Timothy
4:3-4) than to learn the discipline of obedience to God's Word.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday - 7 Pentecost - C
First posted July 16, 2010
Podcast: Friday - 7 Pentecost - C
Romans 6:19-23 – Two Slaveries;
Paraphrase:
Paul
used earthly analogies to teach spiritual truths, because we find it
hard to understand what is spiritual, since we have not previously
experienced it in this life. We were once slaves of sin, and yielded
ourselves to more and greater sins, but now we should consider ourselves
slaves of righteousness for the goal of sanctification, which is the
process of becoming entirely devoted and consecrated to God.
When
we were slaves of sin we were free of obligation to righteousness, but
now we are ashamed of the sins we committed, and realize that the end
result of sin is [eternal] death. Now we have been set free from slavery
to sin and have become slaves of God, but in return, we receive
sanctification which yields eternal life. “For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Commentary:
Paul
was following the example of Jesus, who taught in parables, which are
common earthly experiences used to teach spiritual truth. We tend to
think that the physical world in which we live is real and substantial,
whereas the spiritual world seems the opposite, but this physical world
will pass away and only what is spiritual will remain.
Jesus
taught that we will serve one of two masters: we will either serve God,
or we will serve Mammon, “the god of riches,” the present ruler of this
world, who is Satan (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Satan tempted Jesus in
the wilderness, offering him all the riches of the world if Jesus would
worship Satan (Matthew 4:8-9), and Jesus resisted the temptation by
quoting Deuteronomy 6:13: that we are to worship the Lord our God and
serve him only (Matthew 4:10).
We are all sinners who
fall short of God's standard of righteousness (doing what is good, right
and true, according to God's Word, the Bible; Romans 3:23). The penalty
for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus died on the cross as the
one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sin
(Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17), so that we wouldn't have to die for them
ourselves. Jesus ransomed us from slavery to sin, so that we could
choose to serve God in gratitude for his sacrificial love for us (see
God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right).
Jesus asked
what good it would be to own all the material riches in the world, but
lose one's eternal soul (eternal life; Matthew 16:26)? All these
material things will ultimately pass away, but we are eternal beings. We
will all either spend eternity with the Lord in paradise restored in
heaven, or we will spend eternity in hell, which is the total absence of
God and every good and necessary thing.
We are all
born into this world physically alive but spiritually “unborn.” This
lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” to eternal
life (John 3:3, 5-8). Spiritual “rebirth” is by the baptism of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to
his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Saturday - 7 Pentecost - C
First posted July 17, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday 7 Pentecost C
Mark 8:1-9 – Feeding Four Thousand;
Paraphrase:
During
Jesus' Galilean ministry, great crowds came to Jesus in the wilderness
to hear him teach. They had apparently consumed whatever food they had
brought with them and were hungry, having spent three days listening to
Jesus teach. Jesus called his disciples to him and told them that he was
concerned for the people, who might not have the strength to return to
their homes without being fed. Jesus' disciples asked him how they could
feed this large crowd in the wilderness. Jesus asked them what food
they had and they told him they had seven loaves of bread and a few
fish. Jesus took loaves and fish and having blessed them and given
thanks to God, he broke them up and told his disciples to distribute the
pieces to the people. The people ate as much as they wanted, and the
disciples collected seven baskets full of leftover pieces. About four
thousand people had been fed.
Commentary:
Jesus
cares about the physical needs of people as well as their spiritual
needs, and taught his disciples to do likewise. James taught that it is
not sufficient to pray and believe that God will clothe the naked and
feed the hungry, without providing what physical resources they can
(James 2:15-16; compare 1 John 3:17).
In America in
recent years, government has cut back on welfare programs, and in some
cases has tried to shift responsibility for poverty assistance to the
Church. Neither the Church nor the poor are the cause of poverty; it is
the disproportionate distribution of resources, caused by business and
economic activity, and the failure of government to regulate those
activities, as witnessed in the recent “economic meltdown.” The Church
needs to hold the government accountable for regulation of the economy
and for welfare assistance.
In an Associated Press
report on June 26, 2009, the California Budget Project said that he gap
between the middle class and the wealthiest one percent of Californians
is growing, and that it is part of a long-term pattern.* This is not
just a California phenomenon; it is nation-wide.
In too
many instances nominal Churches and church members are anti-welfare. I
have personally experienced congregations who don't want to know and
hear about poverty. Their attitude about Social Ministry (concern for
the physical needs of people) is that it should be an “inreach” to
benefit church members, and that evangelism should be the “outreach.”
That very attitude indicates that there needs to be more evangelism
within the nominal Church.
Jesus used miracles of
physical healing, feeding and resurrection to show that he is also able
to heal, feed and resurrect spiritually. For the same reason, he taught
in parables, which are common earthly experiences used to teach
spiritual truths. The Church is to carry on that ministry. We are
physical people in a physical world. Material things seem so much more
substantial and real that spiritual things, but God declares that the
physical world is passing away, and that only what is spiritual will
remain (Matthew 5:18; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 1 John 2:17; Revelation 21:1).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
*Income Gap Widens.... http://www.cbp.org/pdfs/2009/090906_labor_day.pdf, p.11-13 (thumbnails 13-15)
2016 update:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_States
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/economic-inequality-it-s-far-worse-than-you-think/
http://inequality.org/income-inequality/
