Faith Daily | 16 July 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p558

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 fulfil them’

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

GOSPEL for the Day: Matthew 12: 14-21

14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. 15When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, 16and he ordered them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18“Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. 21And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Mary Dean

The previous passage ie verses 33-36 must surely cause us enormous reflection!! - our words certainly will “judge us”!

So after making that statement, some of the teachers of the law and pharisees tell Jesus they want to see him perform a miracle!

Most of us are fascinated by spectacular events. This is why the scribes want ‘a sign’ from Jesus to prove that he possessed exceptional powers. But Jesus is not interested in superficial curiosity about himself. He is not a magician! Rather, he is God-among-them.

Even in this sophisticated world we live in, people look for external signs that apparently do away with the need of personal decisions. Life can seem so complicated that real decisions appear impossible, so that instead of looking inside us we look for signs from the outside. But Jesus insists that God only gave us one sign - Jesus himself - who was proved right by rising from the dead. Jesus reminds his hearers of Jonah, whose preaching led the people of Nineveh to change their lives. This is the basic call of Jesus - believe in the good news that I bring and change your lives, open your hearts.

May we not be deaf to this call, not out of fear, but in trust in God who sent us his dearest son, someone greater than Jonah to be our Saviour.

How deep is our faith? Does it depend on dramatic things happening in answer to our prayers? Or do I simply and humbly place my faith and hope in the person of Jesus Christ, and unite my prayer with his? Can I simply say: ‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:10)?

FINAL PRAYER

Master speak - and make me ready…when your voice is truly heard

With obedience glad and steady…still to follow every word.

I am listening Lord for thee…Master, speak, oh speak to me!

Amen.