Reflections

  Invitation to Christ’s hospitality Luke 10: 38-42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”. vs 42   Mary and Martha are two women in Scripture who supported Jesus’ earthly ministry. Martha gets upset with Mary because she was not helping her. Jesus extolled Mary and corrected Martha. Mary could have helped Martha and they both could have sat at His feet. Whatever we do, make the right choice. Jesus said, “…one thing is necessary'' (v.42). Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, displaying a typical act of hospitality. Martha is hospitable and hardworking, but she is distracted, worried, pulled in many directions, uptight, and upset. When we try to do too much it leads to frustration. Martha was so busy it became a burden and not a blessing. She lost the joy of serving people because she was more focused on her need to work to serve others. In fact, the Bible teaches we are not saved by good works, but we are save...

  Invitation to Christ’s Hospitality   Jude 1:17-25 “ And have mercy on some who are wavering ”. vs 22   It is believed that this letter was written by Jude, the brother of Christ.  False teachers were such a concern, that Jude exhorts the readers to remain steadfast in faith and live righteously while rejecting the false teachings of those who prey upon the community of believers.   Jude points out that the readers should strengthen their faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep themselves in the love of God (v 20-21).  As a community, they are to support those who are wavering due to the doubt that is caused by false teachers (v22).  Often, we look down at those who stumble and rationalize in our minds that they got what they deserve.  If we were to look at the mirror, we should be incredibly grateful that God does not give us what we truly deserve.  It is by God’s grace and mercy that we stand here today. When we understand how b...

  Invitation to Christ Hospitality  Heb 13:1-8  “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”. vs 1-2   Growing up in a Christian family, we always had extra people at our dinner table on Saturdays and Sundays. My parents always said that, as Christians, we have to show hospitality to others. So, for me, hospitality meant “eating with others” As I looked at the weekly theme, I was curious as to what it means. The word hospitality, translated from Greek, means “love of strangers,” and it explains Hebrew 13:2 well.  Being hospitable is not a new commandment, as we can trace it through the word of God. In the Old Testament, Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 10:19 both command us to love our neighbors. God welcomed Adam to the Garden of Eden, Abraham hosted many strangers, Rahab welcomed the spies, and the widow of Zepharath hosted Elisha (1Kings 17-18). In the New Testament, Jesu...

  Invitation to Christ's Hospitality   Exodus 24:1-11 “Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words”. vs 8   The chapter teaches us of God’s relationship with the people of Israel and the confirmation of God’s covenant with the people of Israel. The events in this chapter can be separated into three parts. It begins with God extending an invitation to Moses, Aaron, Nadah, and Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel to a fellowship with God, and it ends with a fellowship with God where they dine and drink together.  In between these two episodes is the establishment of the covenant between God and the people of Israel, through burnt offerings and sacrifice of young bulls, which is a prerequisite for the fellowship. Blood represents life, of one life being given for another. It is the foundation of our relationship and fellowship with our Lord. I...

  Invitation to Christ’s Hospitality   Rom 12:9-13 “Love must be sincere”. vs 9  The book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul and the primary theme is the basic gospel, God’s plan of salvation and righteousness for all mankind, Jew and Gentile alike. In Romans 12, Paul begins to explain the practical ways to live to those who have been changed by the Gospel. Verses 9-13 we read a brief series of instructions on living like a Christian with others.  In these five verses, Paul lists thirteen behaviours that the Christian should adopt. Paul lists love first among the thirteen desired behaviours.All around us people are searching for peace, justice and hope – and these are all things that are only ultimately found in Jesus Christ. God intends to use His church and our presence in this world, as a means of revealing His character and the power of the Gospel. The Gospel is made visible through our sincere love for one another. Primary Command: (vs. 9a) – Love is...

  Invitation to Christ’s Hospitality   Genesis 18:1-15 “He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree”. vs 8   The chapter opens at the great trees of Mamre, a place where Abraham has often been in his years in Canaan. While Abraham sat in the shade at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day, suddenly he saw three strangers approaching. He assumed that they were weary and thirsty as they must have come from the desert. At once, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. Abraham then extended hospitality to them by offering a place to rest, and the refreshment of washing and nourishment. People of the ancient Near East extended hospitality to strangers as a sacred duty and a personal honour. Hospitality is mentioned several times in the New Testament, and in those days the effective Churches practiced it earnestly. ...

  Invitation to Christ's Hospitality Luke 24:13-35 “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” ”. vs 30.   I n today’s Bible reading we hear the story of the disciples travelling the road to Emmaus when Jesus appears to them – first as a stranger, then as a guest and finally as a host. The story gives us some guidance as to how to do a better job of welcoming and including people in the life of the Church. Jesus is initially depicted as a stranger, giving His disciples the challenge of showing hospitality. They practice Philoxenia, which literally means “love of the stranger”. Jesus wants us to take good care of the guests we encounter. He challenges us to feed the hungry and welcome outcasts as He did throughout His ministry. We as the members of the church, the physical body of Christ in the world today, are supposed to continue His work. We show His presence in the world every time we practice hospitality in ...

  Jesus Christ Who Restores   Luke  7: 11-17 “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”. vs 13  The encounter of Jesus with the widow and her son is recorded in Luke’s gospel only and no other text in the Bible. Jesus was touched by three things about this woman he met outside the city: First, her son was dead and he was “being carried out”. The dead man was the woman’s only son. Jesus definitely could understand the woman’s feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Second, she was a widow. So, two people close to her had died, not just one. Third, many people were with her. Death touched a whole village. No one was unaffected, unmoved or unconcerned. In today’s portion we see a woman who touched the heart of Jesus without knowing who Jesus was and without asking Jesus to do anything. Here we read that Jesus has compassion on this woman and that is why He told her not to cry. He feels, knows and understands her pa...

  Jesus Christ Who Restores 1Cori.15:20-28   Biblical meaning of the word restoration is to receive back more than which was lost to the point where the final state is greater than the original condition.   The main thing is that the life situation  improves beyond measure.   We live in a broken world. God still loved our beautiful but broken world  - and  He sent His only son  to restore the lost humanity.  Through death and resurrection, Jesus restored everything  that humanity had broken through their rebellion.                      God   has taken that which was broken, and put it together again, and made it better  than it was before.  He took the shattered pieces of our lives, and glued them together with His love.  He  made them strong in the places where it was  once weak   and lost in sins....

Jesus Christ Who Restores 1 KINGS 17 :17-24 “Now I know that you are a man of God and the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth”.  vs 24   “He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake “. Psalms 23:3.    God is one who always restores the humanity and bring them back to vigor and vitality. The path in which He leads His faithful are the roadmaps of their lives that ultimately leads to righteousness and fulness of life. We see the risen Christ restoring the disciples who had lost hope, became desperate, stayed in locked rooms for few days fearing the Jews and the Romans and finally deciding to go back to their old profession. The ancient Israelites thrived in the land of Egypt despite harsh conditions. The king and the slave drivers of Egypt forced them to do hard work and made their life miserable. But God was always with them, delivered them, allowed them to go through the parted red sea, the difficult desert journey and...

  JESUS CHRIST WHO RESTORES Ephesians 2: 1-10 “ For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus “ vs 10 “I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord" Ezekiel 36:11 Restoration is a process whereby God takes the initiative from the beginning of the creation to bring back His people, who have strayed away, back to him. When God restores, the restoration happens in abundance. God promises His people to turn back to Him for peace and comfort. Mathew  11:28  says “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”. The humanity is hopeless and helpless without Christ. We were dead in sin as children of Adam and were disobedient to God. We were subjected to God’s condemnation and wrath. But by the Grace God has favored us, He sent His only son to the world to save us from the p...

  Jesus Christ Who Restores Col 3:1-11 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. vs 2   In Chapter  3, of St.  Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he lays down the rules for a Holy living. Paul had to do this because the Church in Colossae had been infiltrated by false teaching and doctrines that were confusing the believers. Paul tells the Colossians to seek the things that are above since they have been saved by Christ, who is above, seated at the right hand of God. He again reiterates that they should set their hearts and minds on the things that are above because that is where Christ is. He wants their affections, their wills and their choices to be guided by the life of Christ. This will keep them from loving the world too much and creating idols of worldly things. This will help them to guard against despair and strengthen them when their faith is tested. It will be a motivation for them to fight against sin and help them ...

  JESUS CHRIST WHO RESTORES Ruth 4: 1-11 v 11 “Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem” We are all familiar with the story of Ruth. It is a story that shows how God moves in in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform. A unique book in which people wonder where God is when there are no dreams, no visions, or prophets. It is one of those rare books which makes you wonder where God is when one tragedy after another attacks their faith. According to Ruth 1:1, the story took place during the time of Judges. Now at the end of judges we can see it was a very dark time in Israel.  The people sinned, God would send enemies against them, the people would cry for help, and God would mercifully rise up a judge to deliver them. This was a vicious cycle; again, and again ...