Ordinary Time: Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Numbers 11:24-35

Moses in this text shows why He was the leader of the people that he was. It was not about him. He says that he wished that all God's people would speak. So often, we tend to fear others, fear what they can do, fear that they might take our place. Especially if we have been doing a task for many years, we don't like to see people that can do as good a job, if not better than we can.

To be the leader, to be the people of God that He calls us to be, we must remember that it is not about us. It is not about us getting the spotlight or the praise, it is about God getting the praise. When you do something for God, do you want the glory? Or do you want God to receive the glory? Today, Moses was more concerned about God pouring out His spirit upon all the people, then everyone having to look to Moses He knew he was only an arrow pointing to God. God deserves the credit.

Today, in your life, who do you want to receive the credit? Yourself, or God? We as Christians must live our lives in a way to give glory to God, not to ourselves.

New Testament Lesson

Romans 1:28-2:11

We see that Paul begins this letter by telling how others have forsaken God and been given over to sin. This gets us all ready to shout, Amen! Get them Lord! But, then we see Paul turn and say that we are without excuse; we know better than to sin, but yet we still do. So, by that, should we not also receive God's judgement? If anything, we know better, we know right from wrong, we know sin from truth, and we still choose sin.

We do deserve God's judgement. Thankfully, He offers salvation and grace. We have been forgiven much. But, those who have been forgiven much are called to forgive others in the same manner. How can we who have been forgiven so much fail to forgive others of so little? As God as loved us, so much we love each other.

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 18:1-9

We see in this passage if we are to enter the kingdom of Heaven, we must come as a little child; childlike faith, childlike love, childlike devotion. When my daughter wants her mama, she is not going to stop until she gets to her. Do we have the same childlike desire to spent time with Jesus, to see Jesus, to know Jesus, to follow Jesus, to worship Jesus. If we are to enter in, we must Jesus with that same passion and completeness.