A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings

Exodus 7:25-8:19

Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. The magicians of Pharaoh caught on quickly that they were no match for God’s power and presence. After turning the Nile River into blood, the next two plagues God brought over Egypt were filling the land with frogs and then turning the dust of the earth into gnats (lice). The magicians informed Pharaoh - "This is the finger of God!" But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them. How quickly do we acknowledge our shortcomings? Why might it take longer for some than others to admit their faults? What conflict might the magicians have faced in knowing on one hand that God’s might hand was at work in Egypt but, on the other hand, knowing that Pharaoh, who was their boss, refused to do what was right by God? How might the quote - “See something, say something” find parallels in this Bible context and in our lives today? Where do we see the mighty hand of God at work in our world today, and what is our response to what we see? 


2 Corinthians 3:7-18

If the glory of God can be revealed in the time of death, then how much more can the glory of God be revealed in life? All to often, we wait until someone’s funeral to say nice things about them. Is it too difficult for us to intentionally share words of encouragement and appreciation with others while they are still alive? Why then place more emphasis on the ministry of condemnation than on the ministry of salvation. We are called to give hope to the world. This hope can be expressed in death but so much more in life. We are called to share love with the love. This love can be tough love (punishment) but even better the unconditional love of God (grace). What experiences have hardened our minds and our hearts? Under the law, a veil exists to set apart the holy of holies. In Christ, the veil is torn away. Nothing should ever separate us from God’s love or from the love we have for one another. We must understand that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom - freedom to forgive those who hurt us and freedom to love our enemies. We will experience this freedom only when the glory of the Lord shine through our life, and God’s love is reflected through our thoughts, words and deeds.


Mark 10:17-31

In the story of the rich man, we see our own story of struggle with faith. Like him, we revere God and we appreciate the teachings of Jesus. However, many of us struggle with acknowledging that Jesus is fully God. We stop short of surrendering completely to Christ’s Lordship. The rich man respectfully knelt before Jesus and graciously referred to him as "Good Teacher”. In the eyes of the world, the rich man would be viewed as a good Christian. However, Jesus sensed the rich man’s struggle with faith. On one hand, the rich was the perfect candidate for prosperity theology with the abundance of his possessions. On the other hand, the rich man felt a void - something was missing in his life. He had kept all the commandments but was still searching for the abundant life that Jesus offered. I guess the rich man would have been willing to sell some of his possession in order to purchase “eternal life”. What the rich man failed to realize is that “eternal life” was not for sale. When Jesus asked him to sell what he owned, and give the money to the poor, the rich man was confronted with a choice. The rich man could either fully surrender in faith to the Lordship of Christ and receive “eternal life” by grace alone or he could hold onto his possessions and keep searching for an answer to his question that fit more easily into his limited worldview. We are told in scripture that the rich man was shocked and went away grieving for he could not surrender his life to Christ. In what areas of our life are we holding back from a full surrender to Jesus Chirst? Why is it harder for those who have wealth and treasure to see Jesus as more than just a good teacher? What worldy possessions have we given up and what personal pursuits have we let go of in order to pursue the abundant life that Christ offers?


To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.

Fr. Thomas+



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