Faith Daily |12 July 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST APBA p561

O Lord, we beseech you

mercifully to receive the prayers of your people

who call upon you,

and grant that they may both perceive and know

what things they ought to do,

and also may have grace and power

faithfully to fulfill them;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Matthew 10: 34 – 11:1

34 ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

40 ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’

Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by:Rev'd Sandra

These are tough words from Jesus as he makes it perfectly clear that there will be times when our faith in Christ requires us to make a decision to stand firm for those standards that are required of us as his followers. This will require us to pick up our cross and follow him because the presence of Jesus demands a decision. He tells his followers that we will be known by the values, morals, goals and purposes that are seen in the way we treat others, which will set us apart from those who do not answer the higher calling. For Jesus calls us to a higher mission than to find comfort and tranquillity in this life.

To take up our cross and follow Jesus means we are to be willing to publicly identify with him which will involve experiencing opposition. Yet Jesus makes it clear that we are expected to face such trials for his sake. And in our faithful following of Christ we will inherit eternal life and experience the peace of God which passes all understanding in this life - even in the face of trials that we endure for His sake. How much we love God can be measured by how well we treat others. And God notices.

FINAL PRAYER:

Loving God, send down your holy spirit in blessing upon your people today, that we may grow in faith and hope and love, enabled to draw nearer to each other and to you. Strengthen and sustain by your Spirit, that we may share your love with others – as your Spirit continues to work - healing, strengthening, and leading us all - to the glory of your Holy Name.

Amen.