Scripture:
Matthew 12:1-8 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Lord of the Sabbath
Matthew 12
1 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. (A) His disciples (B) were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful (C) to do on the Sabbath!"
3 He said to them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry— 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate [a] the sacred bread, which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? (D) 5 Or haven't you read in the Law [b] that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? (E) 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! (F) 7 If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice , (G) (H) you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." (I)
Footnotes:
Matthew 12:4 Other mss read he ate
Matthew 12:5 The Torah (the Pentateuch)
Cross references:
Matthew 12:1 : Mk 2:23-28; Lk 6:1-5;
Matthew 12:1 : Mt 10:1;, 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16;
Matthew 12:2 : Mt 12:10; Lk 13:14; 14:3; Jn 5:10; 7:23; 9:16;
Matthew 12:4 : Ex 25:30; Lv 24:5-9; 1Sm 21:6;
Matthew 12:5 : Num 28:9-10; 1Ch 9:32; Jn 7:22-23;
Matthew 12:6 : 2Ch 6:18; Mal 3:1; Mt 12:41-42;
Matthew 12:7 : Hs 6:6; Mic 6:8; Mt 9:13;
Matthew 12:7 : Hs 6:6;
Matthew 12:8 : Mt 8:20; 9:6; 12:32;, 40;
Reflection:
What does the commandment "keep holy the Sabbath" require of us? Or better yet, what is the primary intention behind this command? The religious leaders confronted Jesus on this issue. The "Sabbath rest" was meant to be a time to remember and celebrate God's goodness and the goodness of his work, both in creation and redemption. It was a day set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on our behalf. It was intended to bring everyday work to a halt and to provide needed rest and refreshment. Jesus' disciples are scolded by the scribes and Pharisees, not for plucking and eating corn from the fields, but for doing so on the Sabbath. In defending his disciples, Jesus argues from the scriptures that human need has precedence over ritual custom: In their hunger, David and his men ate of the holy bread offered in the Temple. Jesus also quoted of the Sabbath work involved in worship in the Temple. This kind of work was usually double the work of worship on weekdays. Jesus then quotes from the prophet Hosea (6:6): I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. While the claims of ritual sacrifice are important to God, mercy and kindness in response to human need are even more important. Do you honor the Lord in the way you treat your neighbor and celebrate the Lord's Day?
Prayer For The Day:
"Lord, make us to walk in your way: ‘Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance; where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance; where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice; where there is peace and contemplation, there is neither care nor restlessness; where there is the fear of God to guard the dwelling, there no enemy can enter; where there is mercy and prudence, there is neither excess nor harshness'; this we know through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Daily Word - Are You Hurting? - Matthew 11:28-30
Scripture:
Matthew 11:28-30 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
28 "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (A) 29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, (B) because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. (C) 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Cross references:
Matthew 11:28 : Jr 31:25; Jn 7:37;
Matthew 11:29 : Jn 13:15; Eph 4:20; Php 2:5; 1Pt 2:21; 1Jn 2:6;
Matthew 11:29 : Jr 6:16; Zch 9:9; 2Co 10:1; Php 2:7-8;
Reflection:
What does the yoke of Jesus refer to in the gospel? The Jews used the image of a yoke to express submission to God. They spoke of the yoke of the law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the kingdom, the yoke of God. Jesus says his yoke is "easy". The Greek word for "easy" can also mean "well-fitting". Yokes were tailor-made to fit the oxen well. We are commanded to put on the "sweet yoke of Jesus" and to live the "heavenly way of life and happiness". Jesus also says his "burden is light". There's a story of a man who once met a boy carrying a smaller crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaimed the man. "He ain't heavy; he's my brother!" responded the boy. No burden is too heavy when it's given in love and carried in love. Jesus offers us a new kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. In his kingdom sins are not only forgiven but removed, and eternal life is poured out for all its citizens. This is not a political kingdom, but a spiritual one. The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and from the oppression of sin and hurtful desires. Only Jesus can lift the burden of sin and the weight of hopelessness from us. Jesus used the analogy of a yoke to explain how we can exchange the burden of sin and despair for a burden of glory and yoke of freedom from sin. The yoke which Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of grace and freedom from the power of sin. Do you trust in God's love and submit to his will and plan for your life?
Prayer For The Day:
Lord, inflame my heart with love for you and for your ways and help me to exchange the yoke of rebellion for the yoke of submission to your holy and loving word. Set me free from the folly of my own sinful ignorance and rebellious pride that I may I wholly desire what is good and in accord with your will.
Matthew 11:28-30 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
28 "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (A) 29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, (B) because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. (C) 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Cross references:
Matthew 11:28 : Jr 31:25; Jn 7:37;
Matthew 11:29 : Jn 13:15; Eph 4:20; Php 2:5; 1Pt 2:21; 1Jn 2:6;
Matthew 11:29 : Jr 6:16; Zch 9:9; 2Co 10:1; Php 2:7-8;
Reflection:
What does the yoke of Jesus refer to in the gospel? The Jews used the image of a yoke to express submission to God. They spoke of the yoke of the law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the kingdom, the yoke of God. Jesus says his yoke is "easy". The Greek word for "easy" can also mean "well-fitting". Yokes were tailor-made to fit the oxen well. We are commanded to put on the "sweet yoke of Jesus" and to live the "heavenly way of life and happiness". Jesus also says his "burden is light". There's a story of a man who once met a boy carrying a smaller crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaimed the man. "He ain't heavy; he's my brother!" responded the boy. No burden is too heavy when it's given in love and carried in love. Jesus offers us a new kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. In his kingdom sins are not only forgiven but removed, and eternal life is poured out for all its citizens. This is not a political kingdom, but a spiritual one. The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and from the oppression of sin and hurtful desires. Only Jesus can lift the burden of sin and the weight of hopelessness from us. Jesus used the analogy of a yoke to explain how we can exchange the burden of sin and despair for a burden of glory and yoke of freedom from sin. The yoke which Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of grace and freedom from the power of sin. Do you trust in God's love and submit to his will and plan for your life?
Prayer For The Day:
Lord, inflame my heart with love for you and for your ways and help me to exchange the yoke of rebellion for the yoke of submission to your holy and loving word. Set me free from the folly of my own sinful ignorance and rebellious pride that I may I wholly desire what is good and in accord with your will.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Daily Word - Heavenly Things Revealed To Babes - Matthew 11:25-27
Scripture:
Matthew 11:25-27 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest
25 At that time Jesus said, (A) "I praise [a] You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. (B) 26 Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. [b] 27 All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows [c] the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires [d] to reveal Him. (C)
Footnotes:
Matthew 11:25 Or thank
Matthew 11:26 Lit was well-pleasing in Your sight
Matthew 11:27 Or knows exactly
Matthew 11:27 Or wills, or chooses
Cross references:
Matthew 11:25 : Lk 10:21-22;
Matthew 11:25 : Ps 8:2; Lk 22:42; Jn 11:41; 1Co 1:26; 2Co 3:14;
Matthew 11:27 : Mt 28:18; Jn 1:18; 7:29; 8:19; 10:15; 17:25-26;
Reflection:
Do you want to know the mind and thoughts of God? Jesus thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his disciples the wisdom and knowledge of God. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). Jesus' prayer also contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the things of God? Certainly intellectual pride, coldness of heart, and stubbornness of will shut out God and his kingdom. Pride is the root of all vice and the strongest influence propelling us to sin. It first vanquishes the heart, making it cold and indifferent towards God. It also closes the mind to God's truth and wisdom for our lives. What is pride? It is the inordinate love of oneself at the expense of others and the exaggerated estimation of one's own learning and importance.
Jesus contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like "babes" in the sense that they see purely without pretense and acknowledge their dependence and trust in the one who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They seek one thing — the "summum bonum" or "greatest good" who is God himself. Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth. Just as pride is the root or every sin and evil, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6). Only the humble in heart can receive true wisdom and understanding of God and his ways. Do you submit to God's word with simple trust and humility? Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God -- a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God -- a God who loves us completely, unconditionally and perfectly. Jesus also promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in his name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with confidence, Our Father who art in heaven ..give us this day our daily bread. Do you pray to your Father in heaven with joy and confidence in his love and care for you?
Prayer For The Day:
Lord, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission.
Matthew 11:25-27 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest
25 At that time Jesus said, (A) "I praise [a] You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. (B) 26 Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. [b] 27 All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows [c] the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires [d] to reveal Him. (C)
Footnotes:
Matthew 11:25 Or thank
Matthew 11:26 Lit was well-pleasing in Your sight
Matthew 11:27 Or knows exactly
Matthew 11:27 Or wills, or chooses
Cross references:
Matthew 11:25 : Lk 10:21-22;
Matthew 11:25 : Ps 8:2; Lk 22:42; Jn 11:41; 1Co 1:26; 2Co 3:14;
Matthew 11:27 : Mt 28:18; Jn 1:18; 7:29; 8:19; 10:15; 17:25-26;
Reflection:
Do you want to know the mind and thoughts of God? Jesus thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his disciples the wisdom and knowledge of God. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). Jesus' prayer also contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the things of God? Certainly intellectual pride, coldness of heart, and stubbornness of will shut out God and his kingdom. Pride is the root of all vice and the strongest influence propelling us to sin. It first vanquishes the heart, making it cold and indifferent towards God. It also closes the mind to God's truth and wisdom for our lives. What is pride? It is the inordinate love of oneself at the expense of others and the exaggerated estimation of one's own learning and importance.
Jesus contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like "babes" in the sense that they see purely without pretense and acknowledge their dependence and trust in the one who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They seek one thing — the "summum bonum" or "greatest good" who is God himself. Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth. Just as pride is the root or every sin and evil, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6). Only the humble in heart can receive true wisdom and understanding of God and his ways. Do you submit to God's word with simple trust and humility? Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God -- a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God -- a God who loves us completely, unconditionally and perfectly. Jesus also promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in his name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with confidence, Our Father who art in heaven ..give us this day our daily bread. Do you pray to your Father in heaven with joy and confidence in his love and care for you?
Prayer For The Day:
Lord, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission.
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