The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives. LK 4:17
1 SAMUEL 9:1-4,17-19,10:1
My Soul's Beloved,
We have been created for a purpose, and our entire lives must be spent, first, in discerning what that purpose is and then doing it faithfully to the end of our days. I was created to know You, love You, worship and adore You, to make You known and loved, and to prepare to come to You and remain with You forever. I AM invited to live continually in Your holy presence and to do everything for love of You. Every little deed done in love and done for love of You, find merit in Your sight. Nothing is too small, nothing too insignificant, if the goal is to please You.
God ordains all the circumstances of our lives that will enable us to grow more and more in Your image and likeness. Nothing is good or bad in God's permissible will, and this is why we must not complain, not become despondent, not lose heart, not become anxious or fearful, for this reveals a lack of trust in You, O Lord, who are all good and is the giver of all that is good.
Saul was anointed, and he was given all he needed to be a great king; perhaps the Savior of the world could have come from his lineage. However, he forgot that he was a servant of the Lord and was appointed to lead God's people humbly and faithfully. Pride and envy were his downfall, as they are for so many of us. Pity us, Lord, for we are after all but frail, sinful creatures, and stay with us always lest we perish.
Among the men of Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people. Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul’s father Kish had strayed, so Kish said to Saul, ‘My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go and look for the she-donkeys.’ They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘That is the man of whom I told you; he shall rule my people.’ Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, ‘Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is?’ Samuel replied to Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart.’
Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head; then he kissed him, saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man who must rule the Lord’s people, and who must save them from the power of the enemies surrounding them.’
PSALM 20(21):2-7
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;
how your saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.
You came to meet him with the blessings of success,
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life and this you have given,
days that will last from age to age.
Your saving help has given him glory.
You have laid upon him majesty and splendour,
you have granted your blessings to him forever.
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
MARK 2:13-17
My Soul's Beloved,
Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’
Among the men of Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people. Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul’s father Kish had strayed, so Kish said to Saul, ‘My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go and look for the she-donkeys.’ They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘That is the man of whom I told you; he shall rule my people.’ Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, ‘Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is?’ Samuel replied to Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart.’
Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head; then he kissed him, saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man who must rule the Lord’s people, and who must save them from the power of the enemies surrounding them.’
PSALM 20(21):2-7
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;
how your saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.
You came to meet him with the blessings of success,
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life and this you have given,
days that will last from age to age.
Your saving help has given him glory.
You have laid upon him majesty and splendour,
you have granted your blessings to him forever.
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.
MARK 2:13-17
My Soul's Beloved,
I give You thanks today that You came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, to follow You, to be a disciple, and to be formed by You so we may be happy in this world and gloriously happy with You eternally in the next.
The elite, those who had everything and used their power and wealth to crush the poor, the sinner, the widow, the orphan, and the alien, robbing them of their rights and dignity, looked down superciliously on You for mixing with tax collectors, prostitutes, and those they considered unclean and beneath their notice. But what a joy and comfort it was to Matthew, the woman caught in adultery, the woman with the bleeding issue, the leper, the blind, and the lame when You mingled with them, touched them, invited them to touch You, cling to You, and ask in faith for all they needed. And You, in turn, Beloved, healed them in every way that they needed healing - in heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit.
Thank You, Lord, for declaring that You came for the lost sheep and You will leave the 99 behind to find the one that strayed.
Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’
No comments:
Post a Comment