Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent: Year 1
Morning Psalms 75 and 76; Evening Psalms 23 and 27;
Jeremiah 5:20 to 31; Romans 3:19 to 31; John 7:1 to13:
“For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:28 to 31)
So Paul says we are justified by faith apart from works prescribes by the law. I think one of those laws is to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. Paul does not annul the law, only says that works are apart from, separate from, but in addition to the faith requirement, and still viable. Sometimes I think Paul needs balance..
He also asks if God is concerned for people outside the “Law People?” The answer is, “Yes.” God is very concerned for all people. Nobody is wasted. He, Paul, also points out that this faith we have is the same faith of both Jew and Gentile. There is no “them,” or “us.” We are both and, not or. God loves us all.
For us who are Christian, our Lord Jesus has summed up the Law into “Love God with all that we are,” and this is shown by both private prayers and public worship, the latter not to be confused with keeping the Sabbath; and, to love one another. This is the Law handed down to us from our Lord Jesus. So none of us should think that we can just do away with the law to love God and to love one another, and all the faith works that the Lord’s Law requires.
The saints since the time of Jesus have all had the quality of prayer, charity and journaling. It is this last quality that informs us today about what it means to be a follower of our Lord Jesus. From Perpetua to Mother Teresa, we should all read the words of the saints of God. I think they give St Paul balance and gives us direction.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God 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 