Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 25: Year 1
Morning, Psalms 40 and 54; Evening, Psalm 51:
Nehemiah 2:1-20; Revelation 6:12-7:4; Matthew 13:24-30
“So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.” (Matthew 13: 26)
God has made all things very good as we learn in the opening of Genesis. But soon to follow is evil. Why? Please note that evil does not begin and then good follows. No, first there is good, and then evil follows. This doesn’t have to be.
In today’s parable Jesus tells of the wheat sown and then an enemy plants weeds among the wheat. It seems that evil only wants to spoil the goodness for evil’s sake. We start with Creation and proceed to a fall because of evil and sin. We have homes and employment and then comes foreclosure or termination, respectively. If the first didn’t exist, the second couldn’t exist. Evil only has its existence in corrupting goodness. If we are aware of this, then being forewarned is being forearmed.
The lesson for us today is to be alert. We are not to wait for evil, but we are to understand that evil lurks at the door and its desire is to consume us but we must master it. (Genesis 4:7)
God created us very good. But we must be on the alert for the evil and sin that shows up in community, in our Church, in our friends, in our family and in our selves. We must be vigilant. When, (not if), you see evil, call it out; even in yourself. We must separate ourselves from any evil that tries to infest itself in us. And like in the parable, as we grow in spiritual maturity, the evil will be as distinguished as weeds among wheat, and be better identified so as to be removed.
Let us ponder all that God has made good, and very good, including our Sabbath rest.
Today we remember Richard Hooker (Priest and Theologian November 3, 1600)
Throughout my blogging year I mention Richard Hooker several times. I often refer to his three-legged stool, his metaphor of our Anglican faith that is formed by Scripture, Tradition and Reason. He was one who sought after mature wisdom. To borrow the lesson from above of today’s blog. Richard Hooker is such a one whom God gifted with understanding beyond his own studies. It is from such people as Richard Hooker that we are able to ponder the deeper meaning of our faith-walk.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom.
What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.
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 