Pentecost • 15

reading for: Tuesday Night, 27 Aug

Mark 7:1-23

  • ReAD

    Scripture Reference:  Mark 7:1-23

    6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” – Mark 7:6-8

  • Commentary

    The Pharisees and Scribes were gathered to Jesus, and they saw that some of his disciples were eating with unwashed hands. The Jews have a tradition that they do not eat unless they wash their hands properly. They questioned Jesus why his disciples did not follow the tradition of the elders. Jesus answered them with the prophecy of Isaiah.

    Jesus told them that they honour God with their lips, but their hearts are far from God. They worship God in vain, teach, and follow man's traditions. They do not obey God's commandments. For example, they do not honour their father and mother. Their tradition teaches that if they say that whatever they were supposed to give to their father and mother is given to God, then they are not permitted to do anything for their mother and father. Jesus is saying to them that they have elevated their tradition above God, and what is important to them is their tradition. God is no longer of importance to them, their tradition is.

    Jesus then tells them that it is not what enters a person from the outside that defiles a person but the evil that comes from the inside. Jesus' point is that you elevate a tradition of washing the outside, but you do not obey what God says in his commandments about your heart.

  • Reflect

    Are you obeying the commandments of God or the traditions of man? Are you concerned with the washing of hands or the washing of the heart?

  • Prayer

    Our Father in Heaven, You have given us the words of life that we must hear and obey. Forgive us for elevating the traditions of man above you and your commandments. Wash the inside of our hearts with your living water. Help us to obey your commandments.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 28 aug

Song of solomon 2:8-13

  • ReAD

    Scripture Reference: Song of Solomon 2:8-13

    10 My beloved speaks and says to me: 'Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.'" – Song of Solomon 2:10-13

  • Commentary

    The voice of God calls to each of us, tenderly and persistently. Whether we are children discovering our first friendships, teens navigating a maze of identity questions, single adults longing for connection, married couples seeking to sustain love, or elderly hearts feeling forgotten—His voice says the same thing: “You were created to be loved.”

    This love is not earned by our achievements or lost by our failures. In our brokenness and imperfections, we hear His voice of grace: “You don’t deserve it, but you also don’t have to earn it.” Just as spring’s arrival renews the earth, so God’s love breathes new life into weary souls. He delights in calling us out of the winter of our fears and doubts into a season of freedom and joy.

    Whatever stage of life we are in, His invitation remains: “Arise, my love, and come away.” Step away from striving, let go of guilt, and hear His voice of unconditional love today.

  • Reflect

    What barriers are keeping you from fully receiving God’s love and responding to His invitation to “come away” with Him?

  • Prayer

    Lord, thank You for Your relentless love that meets us where we are. Help us to silence the voices of doubt, fear, and unworthiness. Open our hearts to hear Your invitation and to know that we are deeply loved by You. Teach us to rest in Your embrace and walk in the freedom of being Your beloved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

reading for: THURSDAY Night, 29 AUG

James 1:17-27

  • ReAD

    Scripture Reading: James 1:17-27

    “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27

  • commentary

    Tonight’s passage begins by cautioning us against deception. The enemy wants us to think and feel that God is holding out on us. However, James reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from God in whom there is no variation (v17). In other words, God is a good Father and we can trust His Word and His Way.

    On that note, James exhorts us to conduct our lives in ways that are congruent with who God is by putting away all sorts of evil, hearing the Word and acting on it (v18-24). James does not want us to be a fool who looks at the mirror only to forget what he saw and neglects making the necessary correction, completely defeating the purpose of looking at the mirror. That’s the kind of fool we are when we hear the Word but do not act on it.

    And James closes this part of the letter with a sobering remark – “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (v26-27)

    In short, who are we trying to fool? If all we do is go to church, praise the Lord and say amen, our faith is of no use. It is worthless. It benefits no one, not even ourselves. Therefore, let us not deceive ourselves. Genuine faith means to reach out to the deprived and the destitute, and to remain godly in a godless world.

  • Reflect

    What is the next right thing/step you hear God asking you to do/take? Will you act on it and keep yourself unstained from the world?

  • Prayer

    “Father, we lie to ourselves more than we like to admit. Holy Spirit, save us from all the lies that assaults us and deliver us from the works of darkness. Lord Jesus, help us to look, live and love like You.”

reading for: FRIDAY Night, 30 AUG

Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

  • ReAD

    Scripture reference: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

    Psalms 45:7-8

    Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.

  • COMMENTARY

    When we think about being anointed by God, what do we usually associate that with?

    Kings in the Old Testament were the ones who were anointed by God (Reference Saul, David, Solomon, etc). And when we think about being anointed by God we usually think about being set apart, chosen for a specific purpose. In Saul, David and Solomon’s case, they were anointed and set apart as God’s chosen king over Israel.

    In all of these examples, the Spirit of God would be poured out upon them as a result of being anointed and set apart. In the New Testament, Jesus, the son of God and son of David was also anointed and set apart.

    Yet we’re more familiar with him being the “man of sorrows” rather than the one who was anointed with the “oil of gladness”. We think and remember Jesus more as the one who had to take up the cross, be persecuted, rejected and crucified.

    Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus looked to the joy set before him and endured the cross, despising the shame. In other words, underneath the sorrow and shame, he was filled with joy and gladness.

    This joy and gladness of doing the work of the Father, of being with the Father and finally being reunited beside the Father was what motivated Jesus. And this joy and gladness is also possible for you and me.

  • Reflect

    Do you ever think about Jesus the Son of God and King as being full of gladness and joy?

  • Prayer

    Father in Heaven, help me to appreciate and see how I can have this blessing of being joyful and glad despite the ups and downs in life. Through the outpouring of the Spirit, open my eyes to see You Heavenly Father, to see your work here on earth and the joy that is also set before me. That I too might be filled by this gladness of spirit here on earth.

    This i pray in the name of Jesus who is worthy, and whose name is above all other names. Amen.

Season of LentCNL