Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 18: Year 2
Morning, Psalms 40 and 54; Evening, Psalm 51;
Job 29:1, 31:24 to 40; Acts 15:12 to 21; John 11:30 to 44
“Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11: 40)
Jesus does not respond to Martha and Mary in the same way. As he approaches their home, but not quite there yet, each sister of Lazarus greets him separately and both say the exact same thing; “If you had been her my brother would not have died.” While Jesus has a long conversation about the Resurrection with Martha, he only asks Mary where Lazarus was laid.
This difference in how the sisters were responded to may have to do with Jesus’ knowledge of what their faith reveals. “[Martha] said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world’” (John 11:27). But maybe Martha didn’t really believe after all. She only said what she thought Jesus wanted to hear.
Jesus says to her, and to us, that if we only believe, we will see the glory of God. Two people can witness the same event and one will sense only a reasonable outcome, (the smell of death) while the other will see the hand of God at work, (Lazarus alive).
We must make room in our hearts and minds for God to do things outside of what we are expecting. The waters will still part, we can still feed the multitude with “not enough.” However, if we don’t believe we can, or that God can, then it can’t be done. The point here is that we must first believe. Or as sung in Amazing Grace: “’Twas grace that taught My heart to fear; And grace my Fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.” This is not just a hymn; it is our Christian code of life. We must truly believe, not just say what we think Jesus wants to hear. When we truly believe, God’s presence is made manifest.
Today our Church remembers Cyprian of Carthage; Bishop and Martyr (13 September 258) and his information can be found at http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Cyprian.htm .
“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 and Russia, Israel and Palestine and our schools. And, 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
Let us pray:
Most Holy Lord Jesus, God Incarnate, you meet us all where we are in our limited understanding of your grace. Continually lead us to that place of deeper understanding where what we say, is truly what we believe; that place where we encounter Your presence forever and ever; Amen.
onewhoponders 