Ordinary Time
January 23, 2018
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.’ –Deuteronomy 18:19-20
But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’—1 Samuel 16:7
I added the scripture from 1 Samuel to the one provided by the lectionary because it amplifies well the way we are held accountable. If we represent ourselves as being Christ followers, we are responsible for upholding Christ’s name. Our behavior, good or bad, reflects on God. I learned that my behavior reflected on my parents and all the ancestors before me as a child. I had a certain ethic to uphold. Most were basic things: being honest, keeping commitments, working hard, caring for others, being polite, and always doing my best. Not just my outward behavior mattered but doing these things for the right reasons mattered also. The Lord looks at the heart.
We are held to account for doing what Christ calls us to do with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. We may never know the impact that our labors have. We are a part of a great cloud of witnesses whose heart/love work God weaves together into a perfect whole.
I just saw an interview for a new show on PBS, We’ll Meet Again that reunites people significantly impacted in a previous encounter so all involved can better understand the importance of their paths crossing and the interaction that resulted when it did. It looks interesting.
Take a few moments to remember some encounters in your life that made you a better person. Many of the people involved in those situations probably do not know the influence they had in your life just as you may never know whose lives you influenced positively. God knows.
Prayer:
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.* Amen.
First verse of Take My Life by Frances Ridley Havergal see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/445