Today's Reading
Leviticus: sin offerings, guilt offerings, and various rules for cleanliness make up the bulk of today's passage. Questions?
Each of these stories from Jesus' life and ministry have great significance. However, I love what Mark tells us about Jesus' call of Levi (Matthew). Matthew followed Jesus, then immediately invited Jesus to his house and threw a big party, bringing all his sinner friends to meet the Master. Now, that's the work of the Gospel!
We have a worship song we sing that comes from the second stanza (v. 5-9) of today's Psalm. I was spoken to by the first verse: "Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts." Romans 7 describes the person who has truly received Christ as "I delight to do the law of God in my inner man." What a contrast!
Riches are truly deceitful, Proverbs reminds us. The lure to get them, even by sinful means, is great. They don't last, however.
I hope you enjoy today's reading like I did. What are your thoughts?
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In our Mark reading today, Jesus talks about sewing a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment and then pouring new wine into old wineskins. Is He talking about the receptiveness of His listeners?
ReplyDeleteI had not thought of that passage in that way before Ranelle. I was always under the impression that Jesus was saying that he is the new covenant, the new cloth, or the new wineskin, and that if he complied with the old ways, things would just get worse, that is why he came to make things new. I loved the passage, "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” I think that is a profound message of our attitude twoards our Lord and savior.
ReplyDeleteI really like Scott's answer, Ranelle. Like many of Jesus' parables, though, this one can speak to many different situations throughout individual lives and elongated history.
ReplyDeleteI think it was originally a statement to the Jews regarding their religious traditions. In a more current setting, it might mean that churches need to be careful about putting their traditions ahead of God's Spirit. When they do, they become ineffective.