A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings


Genesis 26:1-6,12-33

God had promised to bless Abraham and Isaac, yet they both experienced trials, tribulations, and temptations. In this passage, we find Isaac living in the midst of a famine not to different from the one that had occurred in the days of Abraham. Even in the abundance of God’s promises, we may still experience a scarcity of worldly pleasures. Just like the Lord had appeared to Abraham, the Lord appeared to Isaac. The Bible tells us that because Abraham and Isaac listened to and obeyed the Lord, the Lord blessed them, and they became rich.


Both Abraham (Genesis 20:2) and Isaac (Genesis 26:7) had their own unique encounters with the men of Gerar, and they both caved under pressure from the men of Gerar to do something that God had not commanded them to do. Abraham and Isaac were so fearful for their own lives that they both lied to the men of Gerar and said that their wives were their sisters. Abraham told Abimelech (the King of Gerar) that Sarah was his sister. Isaac told the men of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister. For the life of me, I am not able to understand how Abraham and Isaac both lied and said that their wives were their sisters but I do understand their fear and insecurity. The reality is that the obedience of Christian leaders is not always complete or constant. History has shown that even the strongest of Christian leaders have given into temptation and committed sin. While God does not condone sin, he does understand our sinful nature. If we acknowledge our insecurities and fears and repent of our sins, God is patient, graceful, and forgiving.


Towards the end of this reading, Abimelech tells Isaac, “Go away from us; you have become too powerful for us.” God had blessed Isaaac in the land in which he lived and God did not tell Isaac to leave. Yet, because of Isaac’s own insecurities and fears, he chose to depart from there and settle somewhere else. Isaac and his servants ran away from Abimelech but then ran into opposition in the new land that they chose for themselves. Running away from the problems of life is not what God intends for us to do. How have our own insecurities and fears caused us to compromise our marriage or family life? What problems have we tried to deny or run away from  instead of trusting God to see us through life’s challenges?


Hebrews 13:17-25

Do the terms ‘obedience’ and ‘submission’ sit well with us? Some may find these terms offensive and outdated while others may find these terms quite relevant and needed now more than ever. Regardless of what we think about these terms, the Bible clearly exhorts us to obey our leaders and submit to them. This does not mean that our leaders are right or always know what they are doing. Our leaders make mistakes and they are human. Our leaders have the responsibility to keep watch over our souls and will have to give an account to God for how they served as leaders. Therefore, let us work with our leaders and not against them. We must pray daily for our leaders that they might gain clarity and discernment. Our chief desire must be to act honorably in all things. Truly, the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, will make us complete in everything good so that we may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 


John 7:53-8:11

While Jesus was in the temple and teaching the people, the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand before all of them. Several questions come up for me. Where were the men who had been with this woman? Why shame this woman in public as opposed to bring her to Jesus in private?


The scribes and Pharisees were least concerned about the systemic issues surrounding the issues of sin and suffering in the life of the community, and were instead focused on testing Jesus so that they might have some charge to bring against him.


We are told that Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. Are we willing to draw a line in the sand to expose evil and to protect and defend justice and equality? When the scribes and Pharisees kept on questioning Jesus, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."  Who are we to condemn or criticize someone else? We are all sinners. Only God has the right to be judge and jury. We can hate the sin but we must always love the sinner. Our chief objective must always be to help one another break free from bondage to sin and grow into a life of joy and peace as one body in Christ.


To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.

Fr. Thomas+







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