Easter: Thursday, May 18, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Leviticus 19:26-37

We see in this passage different laws. Some of which refer to pagan practices within the land. One of the reasons why God told the people not to get tattoos was because that was part of the pagan rituals of the other peoples. The same thing for consulting mediums.

Others deal with respect for other people, especially those that society looks down upon. It says that we are supposed to treat the elderly with the respect that they are due. It says that in doing that we show reverence for God. It also says that they are to treat the aliens within the land with the same type of respect, for they were once aliens in a foreign lands. Both of the these groups were often looked down upon in that time (as in ours). But, both groups are due the respect, for every one is do respect. Every person you ever meet was made in the image of God. Every person you ever meet is someone that God longs to call back home. Every one you ever meet is someone that Jesus Christ died to save. Everyone you ever meet is someone that is created to live in eternity in heaven or hell, depending upon their choice.

CS Lewis put it this way in his book The Weight of Glory

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. ... Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.

That is how we should treat one another, that is how we should treat those that others despise.

New Testament Lesson

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

We see in this passage that God will bring judgment to those that have opposed His will. God will intercede on behalf of His people. God will judge the righteous from the unrighteous. God will bring vindication. The thing for us to determine is to make sure that we are on God's side. We must make sure that that we are doing His will. We must make sure that we are about His work, that we are living His way, that we are growing His grace. And if we do those things, He will protect us and save us. He will not forget His people, He will not forget His church. In the end, God wins. Let us make sure we are playing on the winning team.

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 6:25-34

If we seek first God's kingdom, then everything else will work as it should. If we seek God's kingdom, then the things of life will come. Instead, we often worry about the things that we can't control, we worry about the things passing. How much of us spent too much time worrying about trivial earthly matters when we should instead be worried about the things of God. We far too often are more worried about what other people think about us instead of being worried about what God thinks of us.

Today, where is your mind? Are you seeking first the things of this world? Are you seeking first the kingdom of God? If we seek Him, He will be with us and will take care of us. But, we if seek the world first, we will be empty and we will be far from God. Today, what do you seek?