Ordinary Time: Thursday, July 6, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Numbers 23:11-26

Balaam is one of the more interesting stories in all the Bible. Here's a guy that is going to pay him to simply curse the Israelites, and he cannot not. He simply speaks what God has him to say. He can't help it. God's word just comes out of him.

How often to do block God's word from coming out of us? We think of so many other things we'd rather do than speak for God. We think of the consequences. We think of what others will think. We of all of these things, and then we quietly pass up the opportunity to speak for God.

Balaam did not. He was not a man of great character. But, he spoke for God when God commanded it. Can you and I say the same thing?

New Testament Lesson

Romans 8:1-11

If we are in Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation. For Jesus did for us what the law could not. He has saved us, He has made us His own. If we believe upon Him, we have no reason to keep dragging up old sins, old failures. We are forgiven. Through Christ, there is no condemnation. Through Jesus, we can approach God. Through the blood of Jesus, we are at peace with the Father, we are one with God, we can love and serve and laugh and cry as forgiven children of God!

How much do we have to be thankful for? How much joy should we have? There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. Friends, through Christ, we are set free!

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 22:1-14

We see that God's invitation is open to all. All can come. All are welcome. All can be saved. There is not a person in this world that cannot be saved by the work of Jesus Christ. But, we all see that not all will come. We see that same reject the message out right. There are those that do not care that Jesus died for them. There are those that would rather life a sinful life. There are those that for whatever reason will not come.

And then, there are those that accept the invitation, but never fully change. These are the ones that come the wedding, like others, but are not dressed as they should be. Now, Jesus is not talking about wearing blue jeans in church, He's talking about the ones that never fully change their inside. They are the ones that may look faithful, but inside, they are the same, they have never really accepted Him; they have never fully made Him their Lord.

All are invited, but not all come. Many will come, but not all will change. Do, have you heeded God's invitation? And if so, have you fully accepted? Have you changed your garment from your sin stained clothes, to the white robe of Jesus Christ?