A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings

Exodus 7:8-24

Have you ever been so confident in preparing to do something great only to find yourself feeling dejected and confused when the big moment arrived? I can imagine that Moses and Aaron may have felt this way when they confronted Pharaoh. God had commanded Moses to use Aaron’s staff and he did. Aaron’s staff not only represented their identity (literally they were Israelite shepherds; figuratively they were shepherding God’s people out of Egypt) but it also served as a channel of God’s presence and power. God took who Moses and Aaron already were and used it to transform them into who God knew they could be. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. At this point, Moses and Aaron were probably feeling quite bold upon realizing that the staff actually changed into a snake. I can’t help but think how Moses and Aaron must have practiced this over and over and over again in preparation for when they stood before Pharaoh. Now the big moment had arrived, and the staff actually turned into a snake. Amazing! Talk about swagger - Moses and Aaron had it in spades. Then the unthinkable happened. Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts. Each one threw down his staff, and they became snakes. The one snake from Aaron’s staff was now pitted against the many snakes of Pharaoh’s magicians. I can hear Moses and Aaron asking God - “Are you serious? You have to be kidding me? Come on God, this was not what we talked about.” Moses and Aaron, for a moment, may have felt dejected and confused. Yet, what we learn is that the magic of man is no match for the miracles of God. Aaron's staff swallowed up theirs. The big moment was a moment of truth for Moses and Aaron. The power and presence of God was going to be the key moving forward. Their confidence was no longer in what they individually brought to the table but rather in what God would do with what they offered in God’s service. Moses and Aaron’s earthly profession and past experiences had now become the platform for their heavenly purpose. It was very clear to Moses and Aaron that the power of Pharaoh would be defeated by the plan of God for Israel. By faith, the staff in Aaron's had become a conduit for the mighty hand of God. They went on to use the staff to turn the Nile River into blood and to perform many other miracles. What human experiences and resources do we have that God wants to bring a divine purpose to? Is there a big moment that we are preparing for? What does that preparation look like? How has our dejection and confusion kept us from realizing God’s greater power and presence? When all is said and done, we will witness that the “Abracadabra” of the world will give way to the “Alleluia” of heaven.

2 Corinthians 2:14-3:6

Are we thankful for the victory we have in Christ Jesus? If we genuinely reflect on our thoughts, words and deeds, then do they reflect more a spirit of gratefulness or a grumbling spirit? Explain why. Whether we acknowledge it or not, our life in community spreads either a pleasant fragrance of life or a putrid odor of death. Those who do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with God spread the aroma of Christ everywhere they go. Unfortunately, there are some individuals who fight for high traditions, parade around in robes, and flaunt their holiness before others all while lacking a basic love for Christ and His church. They should be ashamed of themselves. We are not peddlers of the gospel. Rather, we must speak with sincerity, as people representing God’s unconditional love to all. We must not commend ourselves as others do, and we do not need letters of recommendation. Those affected by our thoughts, words, and deeds - they are an open letter to the world. This letter is not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God - not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Are we confident that the letter our life has penned reflects the heart of Christ for His church? In and of ourselves, we are not competent, and we must never claim that the building up of the church has anything to do with our efforts. Rather, our competence comes from God alone who has made us competent to serve God’s children. Therefore, bear in mind that the letter of the law kills relationships but the Spirit of the law breathes new life into those we encounter. May we always be grateful and thankful for the opportunity to bring the life-giving aroma of Christ to a world in agony.

Mark 10:1-16

What is right and what is wrong? The world seeks to divide God’s people into categories but Christ longs for us to be one in the Spirit. When the Pharisees tested Christ on the legality of divorce, their primary objective was to force Jesus into a category so that they could divide the people into schools of thought. How does this division into categories play out in today’s political sphere - both church and state? It is important that we learn from how Chirst responded to this testing. Christ used this opportunity to compare and contrast God’s desire for unity vs the hardness of heart of human beings. Love unifies. Hate divides. Instead of hating one side or the other, Christ offers us the option of loving one another - loving God, loving our neighbor , and even loving our enemies. The focus on love is what drove the ministry of Jesus Christ. The disciples failed to understand this simple but profound principle. When people brought little children to Jesus in order that He might bless them, the disciples spoke rudely to them and sent them away. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Was it right or wrong for the disciples to send the children away? It was wrong. Because ultimately, the loving thing to do was to welcome anyone and everyone into the loving fellowship of God. Jesus modeled the unconditional love of God for us. Who are we to place conditions on God’s love? How have we fallen into the trap of being divided into categories? Are we willing to transcend categorical divisions and focus on God’s desire for unity by abiding in love?

To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.

Fr. Thomas+