Thursday, July 14, 2022

 

Thursday, July 14, 2022


Psalm 34

Amos 3

Galatians 6:11-18


The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?


When Peter Parker first discovered his new superpowers as Spiderman, his uncle Ben told him that “with great power comes great responsibility”. Uncle Ben was paraphrasing the words of our Lord in Luke 12:48: “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” Two thousand, seven hundred years ago the Israelites discovered what happens when we misuse, abuse, and take for granted the fact that God chose us to be His own before the foundation of the world.


“See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!” writes Paul, desperate for the church to listen and understand. Nothing matters except the “new creation”. Paul doesn’t care that he is physically scarred from his missionary work. Neither does he care whether the Law of Moses is followed or not. What Paul wants, echoing the ancient prophets speaking the Word of God, is for our hearts to be turned from stone into something gentle: the new creation. We are remade into the true Image of God, held close within the love of the Trinity. We do not take it for granted; rather, we take this power and privilege and use it to bless the world.




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