Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 15: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), and Psalm 144; Evening, Psalm 104;
Job 3:1-26; Acts 9:10-19a; John 6:41-51
“They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?” (John 6: 42)
If we are to really be people of faith, faith in a God who can do all things, with anything or anybody, then we ought to be looking for such a God doing what God does in all aspects of life, and in any person, all the time.
The leaders of Jesus’ old community decided that because they knew Jesus and his earthly parents, there was no way he could be the bread, come down from heaven as he purports to be. They never considered what God might be doing in their midst. They never considered that God might be acting in human form, regardless of what they thought they knew about Jesus (or God).
This is also demonstrated in our Acts reading for today. The Risen Lord reveals the plan for Saul or Paul to Ananias. Ananias knew of Saul and wanted nothing to do with him. But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). I believe this is another characteristic of God. When God sends us to someone, God is with us, and with that someone we are sent to, in order that they might be open to receive the message.
Yes, our Lord Jesus was, and is, the primary host for God participating in our human life. And while it is our life, it is God’s world. And God is working God’s purposes out. And God can, and will, do this work with, or without you; around you, or through you.
Anytime we say that because we know him or her (or ourselves), and in our opinion, God would not use him or her (or me); what we are really saying is that we know what God will do, or who God will use. And that’s just not true. Nobody knows what God will do, or who God will use. God uses who God chooses. And yes, this includes you. Let’s just be blessed and thankful.
Who will God use to make things better in Ukraine? And what will that look like? Let us keep that hope in prayer.
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 