Faith Daily | 15 February 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p 537

Let your merciful ears, O Lord,

be open to the prayers of your humble servants;

and that they may obtain their petitions

make them to ask such things as shall please you;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 8: 14-21

14Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” 16They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” 17And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Rev’d Jan

Beware of the yeast of ….. hypocrisy (Pharisees); beware of the yeast of Herod (worldliness, and irreligion). A great moment of teaching from Jesus, and the disciples ‘go simple’ and think it is only about the bread they eat.

Sigh. I think Jesus sighed a lot with those disciples. I think Jesus sighs a lot with us all. He asks us the same questions –

• Why do we focus on the things/questions that do not matter?

• Are our hearts hardened, not open to God’s grace flowing from Christ?

• Do our eyes fail to see? Our ears fail to hear? the truth of Christ’s teaching, the witness of his healing power, the reality of who he is?

• And do we not remember…. Not only the scriptures, but Jesus Christ in our own life, how through the turning points of our faith and life events, God’s love and generosity has been revealed over and over and over …..

In SpiritLife on Sunday, in the teaching time, I focused on the complexity of God’s blessing, what it means in our life. That the only blessing we seek, and should seek, is to be growing in faith and become ourselves God’s blessing for others. In God’s blessing, we become the blessing…..

As people departed, a dear parishioner said to me “do you know what is God’s blessing in my life that changes everything? God’s forgiveness; the resurrection of Christ.” (Next time this person can do the teaching!!).

Remember. All that God has done, and continues to do in grace, all that Jesus Christ has done and continues to do in resurrection power, and the dynamism of God’s Spirit to enable each of us to be the blessing for the world.

FINAL PRAYER:

We do not take lightly…

the miracle of creation (Creator God)

the loving relationship that brings resurrection hope (Redeeming Christ)

the bringing together of all who follow Jesus (the sanctification of the Holy Spirit)

We do not take lightly; and we give thanks. Amen.