Part 1 of 2
Daily Office Readings for Sunday of Proper 28: Year 2
AM Psalms 66 and 67; PM Psalms 19 and 46;
Habakkuk 1:1 to 2:1; Philippians 3:13 to 4:1; Matthews 23:13 to 24
“Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13 and 14)
I agree with Paul with one slight consideration. We might forget about what lies behind only insofar as we have learned its lesson. I know you’ve heard it said, “if we forget the past, we’ll make the same bad decisions all over again.” We must learn and grow. Then, and only then, will we strain forward to what lies ahead, towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Part 2 of 2
New Testament Readings for Sunday of Proper 28: Year A
1 Thessalonians 5:1to11 and Matthew 25:14to30
“But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” (Matthew 25:18)
Imagine you were witnessing others being given more gifts and more responsibility and therefore, more trust than yourself. It might have been different if you had not witnessed the gifts, responsibility and trust given to others, but alas, you did witness it.
There are a couple of ways to respond to such an experience. One way is to not go along with such a disregard of your abilities, (albeit abilities you don’t really have). Jealousy of how others are perceived to be respected more will often make us resentful and revengeful. Also, it will show that your overseer actually overestimated your loyalty, your faith, in his assessment of what you are capable of.
Another way is to be thankful that you have such a low bar to get over. Do what you can to the best of your abilities. But know this, God knows more about what you are capable of than you do. What you observe may not be the whole story. The others that were given more may have been you in previous years. Always be thankful and do the best you can with what you are given.
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John
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