Rumbling and Stumbling
(adapted from www.moravian.org/daily_texts)
Thursday, February 23
Psalm 29 A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Genesis 50
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees. 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Matthew 18:1-14
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Causing to Stumble 6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
Today’s readings start with our psalmist King David, describing the power of God and His voice going out into all the earth. It seems to have the rhythm of something that might be sung or chanted in a worship service. God’s voice is so powerful and all-encompassing that it breaks the great cedars of Lebanon in the north, and goes down to rattle and rumble the desert in Southern Kadesh, where Moses would receive his great inspiration from the Lord on Mt. Sinai.
In our last chapter in Genesis, we see the moving close of the story of Jacob’s son Joseph, and both of their deaths. This marks an end to a major movement of God through the fathers of scripture, Abraham, Issac and Jacob. From this point on they will be called the Israelites, through Jacob’s name being changed from Jacob to Israel. We see not only the omnipotence of the Lord in the psalm, but the omniscience of God’s plan, as Joseph becomes the head of the most powerful man in world’s affairs, the Pharaoh. And Pharaoh blesses Joseph and allows him to bury his father with all dignity, thus fulfilling some the prophetic promises in the OT. He even sends his own men to accompany this grand procession to Jacob’s gravesite, near where Abraham bought a cave showing His faith in God’s promise to provide this land to his descendants.
Finally in our gospel, we see Jesus pointing out that no matter how powerful one is, what God values most is the faith of a little child. He gives stern warnings to those who would cause a stumbling block to any of these little ones. The admonition to cut your hand off if it causes you or someone else to sin, is a cultural way of teaching that is not meant to be taken literally. But it does say do whatever it takes to prevent this from happening in your life no matter what the cost! Bottom line God doesn’t want anything to get in the way of our relationship with him, no matter how intimate or personal it is. And secondly, we are responsible to those around us in the sense of not being a stumbling block to others and their faith especially those young in the faith.
This a good reminder that there are those in our lives who watch how we live and imitate us for good or for bad!
Prayer of the Day: Merciful Father, we thank you for always being with us. We are thankful for the power to see clearly the task set before us provided by the Holy Spirit who dwells within our hearts. Amen.
Thursday, February 23
Psalm 29 A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Genesis 50
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees. 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Matthew 18:1-14
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Causing to Stumble 6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
Today’s readings start with our psalmist King David, describing the power of God and His voice going out into all the earth. It seems to have the rhythm of something that might be sung or chanted in a worship service. God’s voice is so powerful and all-encompassing that it breaks the great cedars of Lebanon in the north, and goes down to rattle and rumble the desert in Southern Kadesh, where Moses would receive his great inspiration from the Lord on Mt. Sinai.
In our last chapter in Genesis, we see the moving close of the story of Jacob’s son Joseph, and both of their deaths. This marks an end to a major movement of God through the fathers of scripture, Abraham, Issac and Jacob. From this point on they will be called the Israelites, through Jacob’s name being changed from Jacob to Israel. We see not only the omnipotence of the Lord in the psalm, but the omniscience of God’s plan, as Joseph becomes the head of the most powerful man in world’s affairs, the Pharaoh. And Pharaoh blesses Joseph and allows him to bury his father with all dignity, thus fulfilling some the prophetic promises in the OT. He even sends his own men to accompany this grand procession to Jacob’s gravesite, near where Abraham bought a cave showing His faith in God’s promise to provide this land to his descendants.
Finally in our gospel, we see Jesus pointing out that no matter how powerful one is, what God values most is the faith of a little child. He gives stern warnings to those who would cause a stumbling block to any of these little ones. The admonition to cut your hand off if it causes you or someone else to sin, is a cultural way of teaching that is not meant to be taken literally. But it does say do whatever it takes to prevent this from happening in your life no matter what the cost! Bottom line God doesn’t want anything to get in the way of our relationship with him, no matter how intimate or personal it is. And secondly, we are responsible to those around us in the sense of not being a stumbling block to others and their faith especially those young in the faith.
This a good reminder that there are those in our lives who watch how we live and imitate us for good or for bad!
Prayer of the Day: Merciful Father, we thank you for always being with us. We are thankful for the power to see clearly the task set before us provided by the Holy Spirit who dwells within our hearts. Amen.
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