Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 12: Year 2
Morning, Psalms 72; Evening, Psalm 119:73-96;
Judges 3:12 – 30; Acts 1:1 – 14; Matthew 27:45 – 54
“In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1: 1 – 3)
When I read scripture, I remember that I am standing behind the writer. I am watching Luke, a man who never knew Jesus the way the other apostles did. He learned from Paul and Peter. I remember that his teacher Paul did not know Jesus in the flesh either, Paul met the resurrected Jesus while he, (Paul) was traveling to Damascus.
Even with this insight, I know that the “Acts of the Apostles” is Luke’s second book, his Gospel being the first. Acts starts out with heavy input from Peter but ends with Paul speaking. It wasn’t until I saw the movie “Paul, Apostle of Christ” (with James Faulkner as Paul and Jim Caviezel as Luke), that I realized how significant Luke was in providing these writings to us. He put himself at great risk going into and out of confinement with Paul. I highly recommend the movie.
Luke was an educated man, a physician. He was accustomed to writing and taking notes. God used the gifts of Luke to ensure we, of today, knew the history of Jesus and the first apostles, disciples and Christians. It must be remembered that he never met Jesus personally. He received his information from Peter and Paul. God still gifts a few of us with what we need as a community. We get what we need for now, and we get what we will need for the future – like Luke.
The only thing you have to do to please God is live, believe, have courage when it seems dangerous, and make use of the gifts God has graced you with. This leads to the kingdom of God that Jesus spoke of through Luke. Thank you Lord Jesus.
Please keep your prayers for Ukraine going. Thanks
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 