Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Today's Readings: Lectionary: 433


Key
Bold = verse commented upon
Blue = comment
Highlight = direct command

General comment
God tells us of His sheer goodness in today’s readings.

They start out with a wish that we receive “grace” and “peace,” two wonderful things.  The Greek word used for “grace” means “good will, loving kindness, favor,” and the Greek word translated as “peace” refers to a “tranquil state of the soul ... fearing nothing from God ... content with its earthly lot.”   Those are very, very good things.

The first reading continues by discussing “the hope” those who follow Jesus develop, and that too is a very good thing. The word translated as “hope” is understood to mean a “joyful and confident expectation.”

The readings continue with God telling us how he came—in the flesh—to “bring glad tidings,” and how He demonstrated His good and benevolent nature by healing the sick. 

Together, these readings bring to mind the wonderful description of Jesus in Wisdom 7:22-23:  He “loves what is good,” is “kind, and a friend of humanity” (Good New Translation).

So how do we respond to this goodness? Today’s readings identify several ways.

One is by letting God know that we are grateful for His abundant, copious, love. The Psalm tells us to “thank [Him] always for what [He has] done.”

Another is by trusting in God’s goodness. The Psalm also tells us to “[t]rust in the mercy of God forever and ever.”

That trust allows us to effectively engage in the third response here—to actively serve Him. Peter’s mother-in-law gives a great example of this. She responded to the way Jesus showed His goodness in her life by “immediately’ beginning to serve Him and her fellow believers (‘the “them” in Luke 4:39). We can be bold to serve because we know we can trust God to empower us to do what needs done.

Finally, we are to respond by reflecting God’s love in our lives.  The first reading commends believers who “love in the Spirit.” The word translated as “love” means "affection, good will" and "benevolence" –a very good description of the great goodness discussed above.

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the Gospel, that has come to you. Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing, so also among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth, as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

I, like a green olive tree in the house of God, Trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will thank you always for what you have done, and proclaim the goodness of your name before your faithful ones.

The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them.

At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

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