Daily Lectionary Readings for Tuesday 19 December 2006

DAILY LECTIONARY:
Morning: Psalm 33:1-22
Isaiah 11:10-16
Revelation 20:1-10
John 5:30-47
Evening: Psalm 85:1-13


From John, chap. 5:

[39] "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. [40] Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. [41] I do not accept glory from human beings. [42] But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. [43] I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.
[44] How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? [45] Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46] If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. [47] But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?"
______________________

I love Jesus' simple logic and appeal to an authority outside himself here as an example of how we ought to approach the scripture. The words: do they matter as much as the life they inspire?
rpv

Daily Lectionary Readings for Wednesday 13 December 2006

Daily Lectionary Readings for Wednesday 13 December 2006

DAILY LECTIONARY:

Morning: Psalm 50:1-23
Isaiah 6:1-13
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
John 7:53-8:11
Evening: Psalm 53:1-6
__________________________

John 7:53-8:11

[53] Then each of them went home, [8:1] while Jesus went to the Mount
of Olives. [2] Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All
the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. [3]
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in
adultery; and making her stand before all of them, [4] they said to
him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing
adultery. [5] Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women.
Now what do you say?" [6] They said this to test him, so that they
might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and
wrote with his finger on the ground. [7] When they kept on questioning
him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who
is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." [8] And once
again he bent down and wrote on the ground. [9] When they heard it,
they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was
left alone with the woman standing before him. [10] Jesus
straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no
one condemned you [11] She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said,
"Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin
again."
_____________________

So... when Jesus wrote on the ground, he clearly refused to play the Pharisees' game. What does that example suggest is required of us?
rpv