Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 78:1 to 39; Evening, Psalm 78:40 to 72;
Genesis 45:1 to 15; 1st Corinthians 7:32 to 40; Mark 6:1 to 13:
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him.” (Mark 6:3)
Just because we know someone and their family, and our opinion of them is not very favorable to us, does not mean that God is not making good use of them for a better life in the community in which that person lives. But in this case, we’re talking about God Incarnate. His community thought they knew everything about Jesus solely because they knew his earth family and had already decided that he was not Godly. They were so wrong. Besides that, God is able to use anybody to do God’s work, which includes you.
When we judge someone as unusable by God, we are not judging them, we are judging, and limiting, the power of God. God can use any human, (and in some cases our pets or even animals in nature, or a burning bush) to affect our path or direction in life. Every one of us must be open and remain open to God’s desire to use us for the good of the communities in which we live, or quite possibly, for a distant community.
Ukraine is a distant community that can surely use God’s guidance working through us. You may not be known as a charitable person. And perhaps you did not come from a charitable family. But you can surprise the people who think they know you by doing deeds of wonder in giving to organizations that support the welfare of the Ukrainian people. Listen to what the Spirit is saying to you on this matter. And then respond with compassion.
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 