Ordinary Time: Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Job 6:1-4, 8-15, 21

Job here begins to take on the words of his friends. Yesterday we read where his friends to tried to comfort him, but wound up saying the wrong things; today we see Job taking offense at what they said.

Their conversation basically comes down to this. The friend say, you must have done something wrong for this to have happened to you, repent of your sin, and God will restore you. Job says, correctly, that he hasn't done anything wrong at all. Sometimes, we are like those friends, when something bad happens to us or to those that we love, we think, well what did we do wrong to make this happen?

Sometimes, it is like Job. We didn't do anything wrong, these things just happen for a bigger reason sometimes. Sometimes these things just happen because we living a sinful world and bad things happened to good people. Sometimes these things happen for reasons that we just fully don't understand. And sometimes they do happen because o our actions. But, not all all the time. Today, Job knows these things didn't happen as punishment. Today, pray for wisdom to discern why things happen in our lives. Sometimes, it is punishment. But, not always. Don't assume when something bad happens, God is out to get you.

New Testament Lesson

Acts 9:32-43

We see two miracles in this text. In the first Peter heals someone, but he doesn't really heal them. In the text it says, Jesus Christ heal you. In the second, after Tabitha was raised from the dead, it says that many came to believe in Jesus. We see that in both miracles, it is Jesus that gets the praise, Jesus that gets the glory, Jesus that gets the worship.

God has blessed us with gifts and with callings. When we do something great for God; when we are faithful and great things happen, let's make sure He gets the glory. Peter today could have taken the glory, but instead he pointed to Jesus. When we do things for God, let us do the same. Let's not try to take the glory for ourselves, let's instead point at Jesus.

Gospel Lesson

John 6:60-71

We see in this passage many turn away from Jesus because they didn't like His teaching. It was harsh and hard to understand. They followed when they got what they wanted, they turned aways when the road got hard. Today, do you follow Jesus only when it is easy? Do you follow Jesus only when you can get something out of it? Do you follow Jesus only when it is what you want. I preached from this text Sunday and I'll share with you a phrase that was in my sermon: Jesus many that follow Him, few that obey.

Today, do you follow Jesus even when you don't know the way? Or do you turn away when the road becomes rough?