Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 11: Year 1
Morning, Psalms 41 and 52; Evening, Psalm 44;
1st Samuel 24:1 to 22; Acts 13:44 to 52; Mark 4:1 to 20:
“Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land:” (Mark 4: 1)
These teachable moments in the Bible are staying with me a little longer. I am starting to look at stories that are acts of teaching that I really didn’t see it before. David teaches Saul in our 1st Samuel lesson today.
David says to Saul, “This very day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you into my hand in the cave; and some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, “I will not raise my hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed:” (1st Samuel 24). David is showing Saul how important he, (Saul) is, because beside his faults, he was anointed by the Lord. The lesson here is to respect what the Lord has done even if you find it troubling in your life. There is also some responsibility for us who want to learn.
Saul reasons that David is the better person and a wise teacher. And he concedes, “When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, ‘Is that your voice, my son David?’ Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David, ‘You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. Today you have explained how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. For who has ever found an enemy, and sent the enemy safely away? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day:” (1st Samuel 24:16 to 19). Of course the lesson here for all who are serious about their faith is not to return evil for evil. We are taught by a just God and we are better than that.
So my lens now is looking at my faith tradition, and scripture in particular, as it tries to teach us valuable lessons about how we are to live today. These teachings are timeless. They apply to us today. Our Lord Jesus taught from a boat to people more starved for Godly guidance than for bread. We have people around us today who are also starved for Godly guidance. You are the teacher. The lesson that Jesus teaches the teacher is to place yourself in such a way so as to reach as many as possible. And then teach with compassion. The people listening are like sheep without a shepherd. You, my beloved in the Lord, are their teaching shepherd. Love them, teach them.
Let us live to love, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 