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The intent of Pilgrim Processing is to provide commentary on the Daily Lectionary from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The format for the comment is Old Testament Lesson first, Gospel, and Epistle with a portion of one of the Psalms for the day as a prayer at the end.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

23 January 2013



The Lord proclaims He is above, over and controlling all things.  He formed us from the womb, He alone created all things, stretched out the heavens and the earth, determines the building and habitation of Jerusalem, brings forth rivers and dries them up, forms light and darkness, makes well being and creates calamity.  For these reasons He should be feared and worshipped, He alone does these things.  In addition to that, He is using Cyrus, the Persian king, even though this king doesn't know Him.  He is providing all Cyrus needs to do what he thinks is his own will but is actually the Lord's will.  Is the Lord hiding Himself from Cyrus or revealing Himself in these things?  Surely coincidence would not be enough to explain all this, there must be another explanation but will the king seek and accept the explanation?  One way or another, willingly or not, the Lord's will is accomplished in all things.  A wonderful passage on the sovereignty, omniscience and omnipotence of God.

Did Jesus teach in parables to hide the truth?  Is that what He meant when He said, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”  Why didn't they ask Him the meaning of the parable?  They had an opportunity but didn't want to know.  The parable seems simple, where is the truth hidden?  It is not propositional but must be inferred from the story.  Is our desire to know truth or not?  If so, then we should hunger and thirst for the word of God, we should be like Jesus, living by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.  The problem is we aren't always hungry for His truth, we are too busy with other things too occupied, like Martha, to give ourselves to Him.  The soil of the soul needs more attention.

What do we allow into our lives and our hearts?  There is a children's song that warns, "Be careful little eyes (ears) what you see (hear)."   There is a great truth in that ditty.  We have so many things through movies, TV and worst of all, the internet, which assault us and are available to us and we have to make choices what to allow in, we aren't forced to take in those images.  What we allow to come into our lives matters, it influences us, it isn't benign.  Part of the work of preparation of the soil of the soul is protecting it from weeds, clearing away the stones, keeping out predators.  It is the work we are given to do, sanctification matters and is a synergistic process of our effort and the Holy Spirit working in us.  What are we allowing our eyes to see and our ears to hear?  Again, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

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