Daily Readings for Friday, 28 February 2014

Daily Readings for Friday, 28 February 2014

Meditation: Mark 10:1 He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them. 2 Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3 He answered, “What did Moses command you?”

4 They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”

5 But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.[a] 7 For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh,[b] so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

10 In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her. 12 If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Footnotes:

a. Mark 10:6 Genesis 1:27

b. Mark 10:8 Genesis 2:24

James 5: 9 Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we call them blessed who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the Lord in the outcome, and how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear— not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”; so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.[a]

Footnotes:

a. James 5:12 TR reads “under judgment” instead of “into hypocrisy”

Psalm 103:  By David.

1 Praise Yahweh, my soul!

    All that is within me, praise his holy name!

2 Praise Yahweh, my soul,

    and don’t forget all his benefits;

3 who forgives all your sins;

    who heals all your diseases;

4 who redeems your life from destruction;

    who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;

8 Yahweh is merciful and gracious,

    slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.

9 He will not always accuse;

    neither will he stay angry forever.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

    so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west,

    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

-------