Devotion
Afraid or in love?
David Jacobs
Do you think that you have ever witnessed a miracle? Picture yourself in Moses' time: you would have witnessed plague after plague, one unexplainable miracle after another (and still the Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go). How did the witnesses to these miracles feel? Afraid. In the Old Testament, much of the miracles that God performs are meant to make the witnesses fearful and obedient. God parts the Red Sea, finally allowing the Israelites to escape to freedom and in turn killing many of the Egyptians. When the Israelites saw this, "the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses." (Exodus 14:31) Are you fearful of God or not?
There is one major difference between the Old and New Testaments: God sent His son, Jesus, to live amongst us, to better understand us, and to save us. We have talked about the miracles of the Old Testament and how they typically strike fear into witnesses. Ponder the miracles of the New Testament: Jesus heals people, feeds people, even resurrects a person! How would you react to witnessing these events? The differences in the Old and New Testament God and the miracles that were performed in each allow us to get a better understanding of God's desires for us. He certainly wants us to obey and follow Him, but he no longer wanted to do it through fear. He sent Jesus to convey his message in a way that would not strike fear in our hearts.
In these verses, a final miracle occurs, with God allowing Moses to part the Red Sea so that the Israelites could escape and stop the Egyptians. It struck fear in the witnesses but it allowed for the ancestors of Christ to survive, to remain obedient and devout, so that the most important messenger, God' son Jesus Christ, could relay God's word so that we could all understand.
Prayer
Abba Father, precious Lord, I am amazed at your power and grace. I thank you for allowing me to understand your message in a way that other believers have not had the opportunity, understanding the sacrifice that you and your son, Jesus Christ, made for me. I pray that you grant me the wisdom to better understand your word, to better convey your word to others, and have the bravery to share it with those that need it the most. I pray all of this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Devotion
Culpability
Frances Taylor
This is an interesting passage because, among other things, it talks about sin and who is considered guilty of sin. Paul is talking about how he has been forgiven, how God has been merciful to him because his actions were committed in unbelief. In order for sin to be committed, one needs to know he is committing it. No one can commit sin in retrospect. Sin is always a deliberate act. This can be hard for some to understand. Actions can be considered sinful, even though the person committing them may not be culpable. For example, lying is a sin. However, is the two year old hiding behind the curtains sinning when he or she claims not to have broken the vase? No, because the child has no understanding of the difference between truth and lie. Those who do not have a relationship with God, who do not know the commandments, who have never heard of Jesus, may commit sinful actions, but are not guilty of sin. This is what Paul claims is his situation. Paul ...
Morning Prayer
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth.
Inspiration
When the Lord sent his only Son, he sent also his word. For his body was this very word made flesh. Importantly this was not simply a manifestation of God's word, but also rather an 'animation' of it (meant here in the original Latin as 'animare' –'to instill with life or spirit'), an instance of God's love and divine grace in action, among us.
Prayer
Lord, I am grateful for your mercy in showing us your word made flesh so that we may be redeemed. Further, I am grateful to you for showing us your love and grace through your only begotten son. Let his body not have been torn and broken for no avail, but feed us now in the Eucharist. Let not his blood have...
