A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings

Judges 7:1-18

Have you ever felt like you were in over your head? In this passage, Gideon’s army of 32,000 was already overmatched by 135,000 Midianites. Yet, God thought Gideon’s army was too big. You see, God wanted to make sure that Israel did not think for a moment that it was their power that would give them the victory. Believe it or not, God wanted the credit for helping Israel defeat the Midianites. “Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, 'My own hand has delivered me.'” Therefore, God commanded Gideon to invite all who were afraid to go home. We are told that 22,000 soldiers returned home, and Gideon was left with only 10,000 soldiers to fight the Midianites. We can only imagine how perplexing this must have been for Gideon. How would we have felt if we were in Gideon’s position? To make matters even more complicated, the Lord said to Gideon, "The troops are still too many; take them down to the water and I will sift them out for you there. When I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; and when I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." So he brought the troops down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, "All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; all those who kneel down to drink, putting their hands to their mouths, you shall put to the other side." The number of those that lapped was three hundred; but all the rest of the troops knelt down to drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, "With the three hundred that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go to their homes." Gideon obeyed God and sent 9,700 soldiers back to their homes. The scriptures make it clear to us that Gideon’s obedience to God did not mean that he was not afraid. Gideon was definitely afraid to attack the Midianite army of 135,000 with only an army of 300 Israelites. Gideon was definitely in over his head. In his fear, Gideon felt the need to go down with his servant Purah and spy on the Midianite camp. What he found was definitely overwhelming from any human point of view. The Midianites lay along the valley as thick as locusts; and their camels were without number, countless as the sand on the seashore. The idea of attacking the Midianites was not a rational idea or an effective military strategy? In fact, from a worldly viewpoint, it was a suicide mission. Yet, the 300 Israelite soldiers boldly went into the Midianite camp shouting, 'For the Lord and for Gideon!'" What happened next? How do you think the story ended? What impossible task has the Lord alone made possible for you to succeed at? In what ways might less be better?

Acts 3:1-11

While on his way to attend worship, Peter encounters a man who was lame from birth. This man was laid daily at the gate of the temple so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. The name of the gate by which he was laid was called the Beautiful Gate. In the midst of our ugly predicaments in life, are we still able to see the beautiful plans of God? Peter’s encounter with the lame beggar was a beautiful moment in which Peter’s love brought healing and wholeness to the beggar in a way that he could never have imagined. How has the compassion of another person towards us helped us not only get through but transform our ugly life situation into a display of God’s beautiful plan for our life?

John 1:19-28

When the Jewish priests and Levites asked John the Baptist who he was, he clearly confessed that he was not the Messiah, he was not Elijah, and he was not a prophet. John stated, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'". There are many victims of injustice and oppression that cry out today? They beg us to condemn the crooked ways of the world and plead with us to straighten out these ways so that the work of God in bringing out justice and liberty for all can be accomplished. Do we hear the voice of those crying out in the wilderness? How have we responded to their voices?

To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.

Fr. Thomas+



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