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Theo Tigno•
9/9/2008 8:35 pm
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Wednesday, September 10th 2008 |
Luke 6:20-26
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false
prophets in this way."
Dawg's thought:
Todays prayer intention is for those affected by Hurricane Ike.
"The introductory portion of the sermon consists of blessings and woes that address the real economic and social conditions of humanity (the poor--the rich; the hungry--the satisfied; those grieving--those laughing; the outcast--the socially acceptable). By contrast, Matthew emphasizes the religious and spiritual values of disciples in the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus ('poor in spirit,' Matthew 5:5; 'hunger and thirst for righteousness,' Matthew 5:6). In the sermon, blessed extols the fortunate condition of persons who are favored with the blessings of God; the woes, addressed as they are to the disciples of Jesus, threaten God's profound displeasure on those so blinded by their present fortunate situation that they do not recognize and appreciate the real values of God's kingdom. In all the blessings and woes, the present condition of the persons addressed will be reversed in the future." - New American Bible Commentary
I write songs and as I look back at the different themes, I'm reminded of today's reading. I look back at those times when I wrote those songs and I remember days when I didn't know how I was going to pay the bills or get something to eat.
These songs ended up being prayers where the only thing that I had to hold onto was the fact that God will provide for my needs.
Now I'm in a time when I think I should be comfortable, but I'm not. This time, the struggles are different, but the result is the same: the hardships are a gift that keeps me tied to God. Even in just my drive home today, I had to spontaneously start praising God because I was worrying myself with the stresses of life.
Blessed are you when you remember that you need. Woe to you when you think you don't need Him. I've been through many times of woe, but God is good and He gives me a short leash that keeps me humble so that I may be blessed in His eyes. Take care and God Bless.
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