Good day dear friends.
Nan J. Mitchell who a few years ago was a member of our church and a longtime educator in this area, will have her funeral today at 2 p.m. at Pennington's. Please hold her family in your prayers. Nan was 97 years old.
Here is our study guide recommendation for today:
Thursday: Let us read Luke 22. Jesus has spent three years with his disciples. He know his end is coming and worse, he knows that one of them is to betray him. Read especially verses 47 and 48. Do you think there was ever any anger or hatred toward Judas by Jesus? Why or why not? What would you have done?
Here are those two verses in Luke 22: 47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48 but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?"
We know Jesus was capable of anger as we saw in the Temple at the start of his last week on earth. When Jesus spoke about the meek he was using a word that justifies anger at the right time. However, I think he felt sadness that Judas still chose to do what he felt was best in betraying Jesus. Is sadness as bad as anger? It can be, but I believe Jesus kept loving Judas. The harder question, what would we have done? Besides saying, "I can't believe you're doing this to me," this is a difficult question. Betrayal goes directly against trust and commitment. Betrayal usually goes right into the betrayal's heart as saying I need to do this for me and I don't care what harm it may bring the other person.
What must you do today to enter into the fullness of life as promised by Jesus? Is forgiveness a part of agenda? Should it be?
PRAYER: Gracious loving God, love me today as I need to love others. Forgive me today as I need to forgive others. And let me be the person I need to be so that the fullness of life can be mine and my life can bless the lives of others. Let me be a blessing today! I pray in He who blesses me, Jesus my Lord. Amen.
Have a great day!
Blessings!
e.v.
