MEDITATIONS
Posted by Batas Internet Media on Saturday, December 4, 2010
Under: MEDITATIONS
By: Bobot Apit
Dec 4, 2010 - Saturday Meditation (Our Father!)
Have you ever really noticed how God wants you to address Him? Yes, He is the Almighty King of the universe. Yes, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Yes, He is the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient One. We should acknowledge and honor His grandeur; we should praise Him because of who He is. But notice that God wants us to address Him as Father first.
Saturday of the First Week in Advent
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel . 7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.
Meditation by Don Schwager
Today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew includes a powerful statement about Christ’s compassion for human suffering and his passion to address it: “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” “Pity” is perhaps not the best translation of the word used in the original Greek text, which can be better translated with “compassion,” referring to an expression of deepest emotion, a strong inner movement of sympathetic feeling aroused by the sight of misery. Jesus was moved with compassion seeing that people were troubled but had none to guide them and to support them. They were abandoned by the political and religious establishment. He was deeply moved by people’s troubles and felt a deep sense of vocation to address their troubles. With him the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled, with him God’s promise uttered through the Old
Testament prophet was becoming reality: “No more will you weep; God will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst.”
What is striking in these two texts is that the emphasis is all but abstract: God will provide bread and water, in other words, essential necessities of life. Today we would say that God enforces basic human rights, which are unalienable, not depending on socioeconomic status, or said differently, if someone has the money to afford them!
Christ sent out his disciples to drive out unclean spirits and to cure every illness. Within the language of human rights, this would refer – among other items – also to the human right to health. Even though most of us would without doubt support this basic human right, the realities we live in make it evident that our society does not guarantee health as a human right. In our society health can be compared with a commodity that can be purchased by those who afford it. The rest has to put up with whatever is available to them in case of emergencies.
Christ is also adamant that we should not follow the profit motif when addressing basic human rights. His disciples are told “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
We are his disciples. We are called to do our share in guaranteeing the welfare of others. We are called to selflessly serve others. We are invited during Advent to pray over these issues.
Supplementary Reading
Our Father
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” - Matthew 6:9
In the Lord’s Prayer, have you ever really noticed how God wants you to address Him? Yes, He is the Almighty King of the universe. Yes, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Yes, He is the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient One. We should acknowledge and honor His grandeur; we should praise Him because of who He is. But notice that God wants us to address Him as Father first. He wants us to know Him in a close, personal way. He wants to have a loving relationship with you.
So many people view God the way they view their earthly father. If their earthly father was loving and kind, it’s easy to see God the same way. However, if your earthly father was distant or harsh, you may have difficulty seeing God as He really is. Today, I encourage you to search your heart and let go of any preconceived ideas about God. Ask Him to show you who He really is. Be open to receiving His love in a fresh, new way.
Heavenly Father, I come to You because You are good and faithful. Thank You for loving me and receiving me just the way I am. Show me Your ways; show me Your love and let me know You in a fresh, new way. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. - Joel & Victoria Osteen
Dec 4, 2010 - Saturday Meditation (Our Father!)
Have you ever really noticed how God wants you to address Him? Yes, He is the Almighty King of the universe. Yes, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Yes, He is the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient One. We should acknowledge and honor His grandeur; we should praise Him because of who He is. But notice that God wants us to address Him as Father first.
Saturday of the First Week in Advent
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel . 7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.
Meditation by Don Schwager
Today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew includes a powerful statement about Christ’s compassion for human suffering and his passion to address it: “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” “Pity” is perhaps not the best translation of the word used in the original Greek text, which can be better translated with “compassion,” referring to an expression of deepest emotion, a strong inner movement of sympathetic feeling aroused by the sight of misery. Jesus was moved with compassion seeing that people were troubled but had none to guide them and to support them. They were abandoned by the political and religious establishment. He was deeply moved by people’s troubles and felt a deep sense of vocation to address their troubles. With him the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled, with him God’s promise uttered through the Old
Testament prophet was becoming reality: “No more will you weep; God will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst.”
What is striking in these two texts is that the emphasis is all but abstract: God will provide bread and water, in other words, essential necessities of life. Today we would say that God enforces basic human rights, which are unalienable, not depending on socioeconomic status, or said differently, if someone has the money to afford them!
Christ sent out his disciples to drive out unclean spirits and to cure every illness. Within the language of human rights, this would refer – among other items – also to the human right to health. Even though most of us would without doubt support this basic human right, the realities we live in make it evident that our society does not guarantee health as a human right. In our society health can be compared with a commodity that can be purchased by those who afford it. The rest has to put up with whatever is available to them in case of emergencies.
Christ is also adamant that we should not follow the profit motif when addressing basic human rights. His disciples are told “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
We are his disciples. We are called to do our share in guaranteeing the welfare of others. We are called to selflessly serve others. We are invited during Advent to pray over these issues.
Supplementary Reading
Our Father
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” - Matthew 6:9
In the Lord’s Prayer, have you ever really noticed how God wants you to address Him? Yes, He is the Almighty King of the universe. Yes, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Yes, He is the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient One. We should acknowledge and honor His grandeur; we should praise Him because of who He is. But notice that God wants us to address Him as Father first. He wants us to know Him in a close, personal way. He wants to have a loving relationship with you.
So many people view God the way they view their earthly father. If their earthly father was loving and kind, it’s easy to see God the same way. However, if your earthly father was distant or harsh, you may have difficulty seeing God as He really is. Today, I encourage you to search your heart and let go of any preconceived ideas about God. Ask Him to show you who He really is. Be open to receiving His love in a fresh, new way.
Heavenly Father, I come to You because You are good and faithful. Thank You for loving me and receiving me just the way I am. Show me Your ways; show me Your love and let me know You in a fresh, new way. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. - Joel & Victoria Osteen
In : MEDITATIONS