Deuteronomy 22
"You shall not watch your neighbor's ox or sheep straying away and ignore them..." (vs 1 NRSV) First thing that came to mind as I began reading the lesson this morning was Luther's definitions of the 7th & 9th commandments from the Small Catechism. I have summarized the both together here: We should fear and love God, as so we should not rob our neighbot or seek by craftiness to gain possession of that which is our neighbor's, but be of service to him, help him to improve and protect his property.
Some more laws - not just what we should not do, but what we get to do. We get to show our love of our neighbors by helping them.
The other thing that really stood our for me this morning was Mary. Yes, Mary, the mother of Jesus, the favored one. When the angel Gabriel went to her and told her that she would give birth to the Son of God she agreed to do whatever God's will was for her to do. Most often we think of her as favored by God, indeed. But, how often does it cross our mind that in submitting herself to God's will she could be facing the death penalty - death by stoning? This lesson this morning makes it very clear that the betrothed woman who was found pregnant, not by her husband, would be condemned to death.
Christmas is just a few days away. We will celebrate the greatest gift given to mankind, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God incarnate. Births are a time for celebration. We will celebrate the birth of Mary's bundle of joy. She is favored. She was chosen for hardship. Can you imagine the turmoil in her life - the gossip and mean spirited attitudes - as she carried a child that was not her fiancee's? As she gives birth in a stable? Running to keep this child alive as the edict to kill all male children comes down? And at the foot of the cross, as she watches her son be crucified...? Mary is favored? It appears that being favored by God does not mean living the good life in this world, but living a life in service to God.
May God favor rest upon each of us as He gives us the strength and the courage and the love to do all things according to His will.
"You shall not watch your neighbor's ox or sheep straying away and ignore them..." (vs 1 NRSV) First thing that came to mind as I began reading the lesson this morning was Luther's definitions of the 7th & 9th commandments from the Small Catechism. I have summarized the both together here: We should fear and love God, as so we should not rob our neighbot or seek by craftiness to gain possession of that which is our neighbor's, but be of service to him, help him to improve and protect his property.
Some more laws - not just what we should not do, but what we get to do. We get to show our love of our neighbors by helping them.
The other thing that really stood our for me this morning was Mary. Yes, Mary, the mother of Jesus, the favored one. When the angel Gabriel went to her and told her that she would give birth to the Son of God she agreed to do whatever God's will was for her to do. Most often we think of her as favored by God, indeed. But, how often does it cross our mind that in submitting herself to God's will she could be facing the death penalty - death by stoning? This lesson this morning makes it very clear that the betrothed woman who was found pregnant, not by her husband, would be condemned to death.
Christmas is just a few days away. We will celebrate the greatest gift given to mankind, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God incarnate. Births are a time for celebration. We will celebrate the birth of Mary's bundle of joy. She is favored. She was chosen for hardship. Can you imagine the turmoil in her life - the gossip and mean spirited attitudes - as she carried a child that was not her fiancee's? As she gives birth in a stable? Running to keep this child alive as the edict to kill all male children comes down? And at the foot of the cross, as she watches her son be crucified...? Mary is favored? It appears that being favored by God does not mean living the good life in this world, but living a life in service to God.
May God favor rest upon each of us as He gives us the strength and the courage and the love to do all things according to His will.
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