Luke 21:12-19 - Your words are from the Spirit

The Lord said to his disciples, "Beware of men who will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

The Holy Spirit will give you the words....
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O Lord, give me Your Words by Your Holy Spirit. When confronted by evil or when ridiculed by those who oppose Your ways, let me not worry about what I shall say. Rather, may it be given my by Your Spirit. Then, Your Holy Name will be glorified, even in the midst of those who blaspheme You. And help me, I pray, to endure to the end for with my whole heart, I would serve You. Amen.

Mark 5:24-34 - Reach out and touch the Hem of His Garment!

At that time, a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

Reach out to the Right Person!
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 A woman who had suffered more than a decade and who had spent all her money trying to get herself cured, found no relief until she met Jesus. Being humble and knowing as an unclean woman, she should not touch anyone, let alone Jesus, she decided that she would reach out, in faith, and touch the hem of His garment. She believed that doing so would effect a healer for her and she was right! Jesus sensed that power had left her. He, in His humanity, didn't know who had touched her but, in His divinity, He had healed her.  He stopped everything so that the woman, besides being healed, could be commended for her faith.

It was the faith of the woman that healed her. Yes, of course, it was Jesus and the woman could not heal herself but her action, he understanding that there was only one place to go-to Jesus- in order to get healed; it was that which allowed the healing touch of God to flow to her.  

O Lord, make me a man of action. I know where to go to get healing but do I, like the woman with the issue of blood, do anything about it? Do I approach Jesus for healing, in prayer, in Bible reading, in attendance of Divine Services? Surely I know where to go but, help me I pray to take the necessary actions to encounter Jesus and His healing! Amen.

Matthew 11:27-30 - Resting Easy!

The Lord said to his disciples, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Taking a rest; good for the soul
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The Father is revealed to those whom to whom the Son wants to reveal.  And who does the Son want to reveal the Father to? Surely, His invitation is to all: Come to me, all who labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says Jesus. He will reveal the Father to those who answer the call of their hearts, their overburdened and troubled hearts. Yet, if one would just take the yoke of Jesus upon himself, he would find rest in the Father. This rest is available to all; it is available to me.

O Lord, how I long to enter into Your rest and how I desire to know the Father. Help me to answer Your call and to take Your yoke upon me. For, surely, Your yoke, unlike the world's is delightful and good for the soul. Amen.

Mark 5:24-34 - Reaching Out to One who Cares

At that time, a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.

photo by Berkeley T. Compton
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O Lord, give me the faith of the woman with an issue of blood. She, in her desperation, knew of only one place to turn. In faith, she grabbed the hem of your garment and in faith she received the healing she desired. In Your Humanity, O Christ, You did not perceive who touched You, nor did you ascertain for whom Your power left Your body.  But, this woman, O Lord, seeing she could not keep her action a secret, fell at Your feet and sought Your Mercy.  Your Mercy, O Lord, is exactly what was received and Your healing touch endured as she left.  Grant that I might, this day, touch the hem of Your garment. In Faith, I prostrate myself before You, asking for Your healing for You, in Your Mercy, delight to heal those approach You in Faith. Amen.

Matthew 7:24-29; 8:1-4 - And Great is the Fall of it!

The Lord said, "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. When he came, down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."

A house built on sand is like a house made of sand!
...it's not going to last!
photo by José Carlos Cortizo Pérez,
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The Words that Jesus used when teaching the people were unlike another of His time. The teachers of the law quoted "the Fathers" and other learned people when they were trying to  prove their point. They pointed to the authority of someone else. But when Jesus speaks, He can speak of His own Authority, for it is rightfully His.  Happy is the man who follows the Words of Jesus, Who, speaking from a position of Authority, can deliver to us, life-giving Words.

Jesus taught that Words were, indeed, life-giving and if we would heed them, our lives would be like a house that was built upon a strong foundation. Yet, the person who ignores Jesus and all of His teaching will not stand when the storm comes because his house is built upon shifting sand. The wind will blow, the rain will come and the house will fall. And great will be that fall! How much better it is to have a house built upon the strong foundation of Jesus' Words and commandments. For when storms come (and they will) that person shall endure, in Hope and in God's Faithfulness.

O Lord, I do not want to have my house collapse around me! Help me to follow You and Your teachings, knowing that such a strong foundation will support me in all times! This day, O Lord, help me to meditate on the house that stood and the house that fell and, in Your mercy, let my house stand! Amen.

Luke 7:36-50 - Washing Feet with tears

At that time, one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house, and took his place at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "What is it, Teacher?" "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

That' s one way to wash your feet...photo by Chris Dillon,used under the creative commons license
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How fortunate the woman is, who, knowing her own sinfulness, knew exactly where to go to obtain forgiveness. How dangerous it is for Simon, who, thinking he is better than the sinful woman, doesn't realize his own sins.  We are all sinners. It is better for me not to point out the fault of my brother when, it is obvious I have enough faults of my own to keep me occupied.

May I always turn to Jesus with deep contrition and full knowledge of not only my sins but of His great forgiveness. May my tears be used to wash the feet of my Master and may I always know that He is ready to forgive.

Oh Lord, keep me humble and, in my humility, let me never judge another. Amen.

Matthew 7:21-23 - Don't want to hear the words: GET OUT OF HERE!

The Lord said, "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.

Don't wanna hear: DO NOT COME IN
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You can hear the surprise in the voices of those talking to the Lord: What do you mean I am not going into the Kingdom? There has got to be some mistake! I went to Church every Sunday. I did lots of religious things and others around me kept telling me how religious I was! I was baptized, I went to communion, I even watched religious shows on television. But the Lord will reply, I don't know.  We don't have a relationship because you were doing things that had to do with the Kingdom of God.

For me to enter into the kingdom of Heaven, I have to live in repentance. In a lot of ways that is easy because I can see daily my shortcomings and failures.  The Kingdom of Heaven is all about loving my neighbor, looking for God in every moment in every situation that He sends my way. Surely, the trials of my life are sent for my salvation.  Jesus wants to say to me on that day, "I Do know you! You are the one who loved his neighbor, who repented daily, who sought to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to be conformed to My Image. Enter into the Kingdom of God!"

O Lord, I do not want to be among those who are surprised, who thought they were serving You, yet they were only serving themselves. Help me to live in repentance and to seek to serve the Image of God in others. Amen.