Daily Office Readings for January 9: Epiphany: Year 1
Morning, Psalms 1, 2 and 3; Evening, Psalm 4 and 7:
Isaiah 40:12-23; Ephesians 1:1-14; Mark 1:1-13:
“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ (John 5:6)
When we have been lying in our crippled or depressed, or emotionally damaged state for many years, the question of, “If we want to be made well?” is a good question. However, being made well might mean not having others give us special attention anymore. It could mean no more mood altering narcotics. It could mean we have to go to work again. Wanting to be made well is truly something to ponder.
Perhaps the crippled man in our John Gospel considered all this and used excuses like “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me,” (John 5:7). Poor thing. So Jesus becomes the “living waters, “Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.” (John 5:8 and 9)
His excuses were gone. With our Lord Jesus, our excuses are gone. Let us not become complacent or lazy, or dependant while validating our perceived wretched state with shallow excuses. Our Lord Jesus is, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Get up, take up your mat and walk as best you can. And if that fails, crawl.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Iran and China.
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 