Daily Office Readings for Friday after the 5th Sunday of Lent: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 22; Evening, Psalms 141 and 143:1-11(12);
Exodus 9:13 to 35; 2nd Corinthians 4:1 to 12; Mark 10:32 to 45:
“They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.” (Mark 10:32)
Here we have our Lord Jesus leading the pack to his own torture and death. He is very much aware of his imminent pain and suffering and yet he leads the way. He sets the example for future Christians. The brothers James and John are going to request places of honor in the kingdom of Jesus. Jesus informs them that those places are determined by God Almighty. The rest of his group becomes angry when they find out what James and John were up to. Jesus gives them the lesson about the upside down world of honor in the kingdom of heaven. He explains that it is those who serve others that are the most honored in the kingdom. Our Lord Jesus tells them (and us) that the worldly demand of harsh leadership, which demands for itself to be pleased no matter the costs, is not who we are. We are to lead in loving ways. We are to lead by caring for those whom we lead. We then, are to be copies of the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus himself.
Let us pray:
Abide in us Lord Jesus as we study your ways and follow your teachings. Help us to see that in Christian love we are to recognize all others as our brothers and sisters of our heavenly family, and as such, we are to care for them without fear as God intends for us to do since the foundation of our creation. In your most holy name we pray: Amen.
“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, Palestine and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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
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