Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 5th Week of Lent: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 31; Evening, Psalm 35;
Exodus 4:10 to31; 1st Corinthians 14:1 to 19; Mark 9:30 to 41:
“John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” (Mark 9: 38)
Earlier, in this same chapter, Jesus had told them that he was going to be handed over to those who will have him killed and this is what he came into the world to do. This was Jesus’ lot in his life. But sadly they were arguing amongst themselves about who was the greatest in their own lives, forgetting that our Lord Jesus was sacrificing himself, not promoting himself. They were so off track. Now they are confused about someone other than themselves, doing good works in Jesus’ Name, but because they did not know the person they tried to stop him. I wonder if they even listened to themselves. Our Lord Jesus sure has a lot of patience. I’m glad he does. Lord knows, I am always in need of the Patience of Jesus. How about you?
If we don’t learn anything else from the orginal followers for our Lord Jesus, let us at least learn that we are always learning. We don’t know it all, and the beautiful part is, nobody else knows it all either. We are free to go about life in the comfort of knowing that all humanity is trying to figure out life together. We can’t do it apart from one another, not successfully anyway. The more of us that use our Lord Jesus’ name the better. Perhaps the best we can do is learn from others who have also followed Jesus in their own way. This is why I am always reading from the writinngs of the saints. I call them my heros. They were still learning right up to the day they departed this life.
We are not to compete with other Christians. I think realizing that our own tradition is not perfect, perhaps we can learn from other traditions as we struggle to improve ourselves in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we remember the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was from another Christian Tradition but shares much that all Christians can learn from.
As Christians, we are here for all people regardless of their beliefs. Just as our Lord Jesus and Dr. King, and many of our past saints sacrificed themselves for the sake of others, I ask us to continually pray for, and do all we can for the people of Ukraine. And we do this in that same Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, the whole world.
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 