Devotion
Who is My Mother, Sister, Brother?
Frances Taylor
Sometimes preachers use this text to question whether or not Jesus has siblings, but I think they miss the point of the text. Jesus looks at the people gathered around him, listening to his message, and says that the one who does the will of God is mother, brother and sister to him. The important thing is that he includes us in that as long as we do the will of God. In another part of the Bible, we are called adopted children of God, again being described as the brothers and sisters of Jesus. The key here is doing the will of God. This can be a stumbling block for us. What does it mean to do the will of God? Do we ever ask God to show us the path he wants us to take? Do we ask for guidance when we have an important decision to make? Do we ask for help when faced with temptations? We know that the commandments provide guidance and we have the Beatitudes to give us further instruction, but do we pay attention to them? Many times I know that I don't. I just go along my own way and then wonder when things don't turn out the way I want! This is especially true when I am not as considerate of others as I know I should be. I say I want justice but don't always let my action follow my words. How about you?
Prayer
Lord, I claim you as my brother as I try to follow the will of God. Help me to truly allow you to lead me on the path to righteousness. Be with me along the way. Amen.
Devotion
The First Fruits
Frances Taylor
In addition to the commandments, the Lord gave the people rules to live by that included dietary laws, laws concerning the various feasts that would offer blessings to God and ways of treating people that probably sound pretty strange to us today. But let's consider this one. Why do you think God is asking for the first fruits of the first harvest in the new land? To me, this is asking for a sign of gratitude for all that the Lord had done for them. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, guided them through the desert, fed them during their journey, made sure they had water to drink and now is bringing them to a new land so that they can live in freedom. Think back to the story of Cain and Abel and their offerings. Abel offered the best of his harvest; Cain doesn't seem to have done the same. Offering sacrifice was a long-standing tradition at that time, in that culture. It would seem to be the natural thing to do. What are we asked to sacrifice ...
Morning Prayer
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Inspiration
The scribes could only teach in the synagogue saying, "the Scripture says this or that" or "the rabbis say such and such, " but Jesus taught as one having personal authority. He was not a mere scribe, nor even only a prophet, but the very Son of God.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the authoritative Son of God, and your Word is Law. You bring us the Words of the Father and you are the Word of the Father. We know that you have the Words of Life, and that salvation is to be found in no other. Help us to pay careful attention to your Words and teachings, knowing from whom they come. Amen.
