Daily Office Readings for Friday of the Last Week of Epiphany: Year 1
AM Psalms 95 and 31; PM Psalm 35;
Deuteronomy 7:12 to16; Titus 2:1 to 15; John 1:35 to 42:This will be a triple ponder for today.
Ponder 1;
“You shall be the most blessed of peoples, with neither sterility nor barrenness among you or your livestock.” (Deuteronomy 7:14)
This reminds me that the God-spark (or our soul), is the only difference between us and all other life forms on earth. In the best of times we can reproduce but we can’t raise ourselves from mortal death. Only our Lord Jesus can do that. Thank You Lord Jesus.
Ponder 2:
“Wives must be submissive to their husbands” (Titus 2:5); (and), “Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters” (Titus 2:9)
Of course, I take issue with both of these statements from Paul to Titus, or to us, from one of the “deuteron-Pauline letters.” God worked with wives in order to fulfill God’s plan for us; Rebecca’s manipulation of her sons to give Jacob the blessing over Esau ), (Genesis 27:5 to 29), is one; and Mary agreeing to “let it be with me as you have said” (Luke 1: 26 to 38), is another. Also, regarding slavery, through Moses God freed slaves, (Exodus). No, we too often draw the wrong conclusion, or deliberately misrepresent the inclusive love of God to shape the times in order to please a powerful, and often male dominant majority. But, I think it’s getting better.
Ponder 3:
“When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?” (John 1:38) and, “He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed), and, “He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).” (John 1:42)
I have read that these oral stories were spoken and dictated to a person writing them down. I can imagine the teller of the story pausing intermittently to explain the translations as he goes. In this short reading from the Gospel of John we have three translations. The first two are about who Jesus is; “Anointed” “Teacher.” And then we have the authority of our Anointed Teacher who changes who we are. We go from Simon to Peter; and from fisherman to teacher, small “t”. Wow, I like it!
For this evening and tomorrow daytime my friends; Shabbat Shalom.
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
onewhoponders 