Good day dear friends.
We pray this morning for Kit and Leslie as they travel to be with family at the funeral of a great aunt. Pastor Leslie also stopped in to visit with Doris Kyle who is in the hospital in Austin. Doris suffered a heart attack and later this afternoon will have tests to determine what damage her heart may have suffered. Please keep Doris and the Pennington family in your prayers.
We studied yesterday what it meant to have compassion as one of our marks as a disciple. Compassion was defined as caring for someone enough to do something about it. Further explanations including compassion being love in action. Our 10:30 service equipped with the projector and slide saw photos of our junior high kids who just returned from a week at UMYIM (United Methodist Youth In Mission) a service project that this year was in nearby Gonzalez, Texas. Those photos showed how blessed we are to have kids in our midst and especially a group willing to show compassion to the less fortunate. Those who worshiped with us received their third bead, a purple one, to signify the King who showed us compassion.
Here is our study guide:
Monday: As we reflect on yesterday’s passage, compassion is that which we should exercise before God and God’s creation. Read Exodus 20:1-17. This passage is that which we know as The Ten Commandments, literally “The Ten Words” from God about how we should treat God and our neighbor. What message do you hear for your life as you read these 10 Commandments? Which one is lacking in your life?
20:1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Our text yesterday was the passage from Luke that tells us the story of The Good Samaritan. Just typing that I remembered the number of churches named El Buen Samaritano in my former conference, the Rio Grande Conference. Funny there wasn't any El Buen Judio United Methodist churches! Jesus' definition of neighbor in his story showed a man who shows compassion is one who isn't afraid to get involved. A compassionate person isn't afraid to get his/her hands dirty; or to spend his/her own money and use personal items in caring for another. We talked about how compassion is shown at all levels not just the "big picture, man left for dead by the side of the road" type illustrated by Jesus. Today's text shows the foundation for compassion as we study The Ten Commandments.
As much as they've been in the news lately and even ruled on by the Supreme Court, how many folks know these by heart or read them on a regular basis? More importantly, how many have hung these in their heart and live by them?
The first commandments remind us of what we heard yesterday: God loves us and showed us compassion first. In the garden when God could have easily destroyed the first couple and started over, did not. In the story of Noah, he spared humanity again. The commandments when shared with Moses came to a people in the wilderness who were shown God's compassion by pulling them out of slavery and suffering and taking them to a promised land where a better life was promised them.
Compassion in the commandments includes one for us to take at least one day off to rest and be renewed in God. There is one where we are told to show compassion towards our parents. There is one where we are told to show compassion even towards those we would love to kill. We are told to have compassion on our spouse by respecting and showing compassion to another married couple. If we take what is not ours, we have not shown compassion to the owner of that property. Even in our words and thoughts we are told to show compassion.
Which one is the weakest for you? What can you do about it? You can pray and ask the Lord to give you the strength to be the compassion disciple He has called you to be.
PRAYER: God of compassion, shower us with Your strength that we might be the disciples you've asked us to be. Let us walk with You in a way that reflects the love we have to be compassionate to those around us. Let compassion begin in our hearts towards You, towards ourselves, towards those around us, and towards our neighbor, all who are in need. We pray in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
