Day 31 Bible Reading

Job 18-21, Matthew 21: 1-17, Psalm 18: 1-6

Matthew 21: 12-13 (ESV)

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.””

I am pretty sure Verses 12-13 from Matthew 21 are lines that are the subject of many pastor sermons. I had always thought this was Jesus’ way of letting everyone know that a church shouldn’t be a place of business. But over the years, I found out I was wrong. Only people of Jewish descent could go into the Temple in Jerusalem at the time. Non-Jews including the blind, handicapped, and others could only worship outside of the temple. Having the money-changers outside of the temple disrupted the prayer place for non-Jews. I always think of this verse when I am in a church service and people start talking during the sermon. I know these folks think they are whispering, but for me their voices are loud because everyone else is listening or taking notes. And it angers me so much when people talk during the sermon. The sermon is the best part of a church service, and why I go to church and how I choose a church. If the pastor cannot deliver good sermons, I will not stay in that church. I grew up Catholic, but childhood priests gave amazing sermons. I know from listening to other folks that great sermons is not normal in a Catholic church, but it was in my childhood experience. Sometimes I wish Christ would appear and shush the people who want talk during the sermons and tell them “my house is a  house of prayer, and you are an attention-robber!”

Day 30 Bible Reading

Job 15-18, Matthew 20: 20-34, Psalm 17: 13-15

Matthew 20: 26-28 (ESV)

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””

These verses from Matthew 20 stood out for me today. Jesus gave us by his life the true example of what it means to serve. He healed so many people, ministering to their needs, and doing whatever he could to bring comfort to their life. Christ gave us the model for what it means to serve in God’s name. I think sometimes when we have service opportunities in Ministry, it can sometimes inflate our ego and make us feel like we’re special and chosen by God. But we have to remember that through God’s grace we the opportunity to bring comfort to people, to ease their burdens and pains, and to follow in Christ’s footsteps as he served the people in Galilee.

Day 29 Bible Reading

Job 11-14, Matthew 20: 1-19, Psalm 17: 6-12

Matthew 20: 14-16 (ESV)

“Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.””

These Bible verses of Matthew 20: 14-16 made me reflect on how hard it is to sometimes to watch how God blesses people. Some people seem to get all the breaks, whether they deserve it or not. But I am reminded in these verses that God’s grace is according to his will and plan and not what it seems like each of us deserve. God’s grace is full of surprises, according to one commentator. We also cannot really see the other person’s life. We only see what they want us to see. We don’t know what they went through to get to the point where they are now. I know I have the grace and protection of God, and have been aware of it most of my life. That awareness is in itself a gift of God’s grace. When my mother died and I felt held and safe and protected in the palm of Christ’s hand during my saddest moments, I wondered what it would be like not feel that sense of protection. I remember thinking to myself, I don’t know how people face the death of a parent without knowing Christ in their life. When I read about someone struggling to understand what is going on in today’s world and how confused and fearful they feel, I wonder if they have Christ in their lives. It’s not that I don’t experience fear and confusion, because I do, but I also have my faith in Christ to pull me back from the edge, to remind me that whatever is going on is a part of God’s plan for humanity. I might not understand it all right now, but I know that at some point in the future it will all make sense and I will have that “Aha!” feeling. That’s what God was intending, that’s what he wanted to happen so it all works out for the best for all of us.

Day 28 Bible Reading

Job 8-10, Matthew 19: 16-30, Proverbs 3: 11-20

Proverbs 3: 13-16

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.”

Verses 13 through 16 from Proverbs 3 made me think about what exactly is Wisdom. From the Christian point of view, Wisdom can be found in the Bible and teachings of God and Jesus Christ. Most of what we read in Proverbs seem like common sense that people figured out over years and years of experience. But in Verse 3, we read that you can find Wisdom but you might not always understand it at first. But once you do understand Wisdom, it seems to open so many doors. When you find Wisdom, you will come to see that it is better than the profits from silver and gold which was the money at the time Proverbs was written. From an understanding of Wisdom, you will receive a long life and riches and honor. If we follow the teachings of the Bible and Christ, God has a plan for us. And if we follow God’s laws, then we have to believe God will give us a long life and the money needed to fulfill his plan. For me, the Wisdom part makes so much sense. It’s the applying of the Wisdom to my life and the understanding of it that is so hard. I consider myself a smart person, and I think what I do is compare God’s Wisdom to what I know. When I do that, God’s Wisdom sometimes doesn’t make sense. Which is crazy I know because God sees and knows everything, and I can only see a little bit. These verses stood out for me as a reminder to once again trust God in all things. He has Wisdom, he has the 360 degree view of my life that I don’t have.