Wichita, Kansas, United
States - Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church Daily
Devotional for Monday, 31 March 2014
Today please be in
prayer for:
1. Claudia Hubbard
Children's Mercy
Chaplain
Kansas City District
2. Gary Davison
Glade
Phillipsburg
Hays District
3. Jason Kennedy
Lincoln Horizons
Community UMC
Blue River District
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This Week's Lectionary
4th Sunday in Lent -
Purple
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
Lectionary Scripture:
1 Samuel 16:1 Yahweh
said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him
from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you
to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his
sons.”
2 Samuel said, “How can
I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
Yahweh said, “Take a
heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. 3 Call Jesse to
the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me
him whom I name to you.”
4 Samuel did that which
Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him
trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
5 He said, “Peaceably;
I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to
the sacrifice.” He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the
sacrifice. 6 When they had come, he looked at Eliab, and said, “Surely Yahweh’s
anointed is before him.”
7 But Yahweh said to Samuel,
“Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have
rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward
appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and
made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one,
either.” 10 Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to
Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen these.” 11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your
children here?”
He said, “There remains
yet the youngest. Behold, he is keeping the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send and get him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
12 He sent, and brought
him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. Yahweh
said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.”
13 Then Samuel took the
horn of oil, and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. Then Yahweh’s
Spirit came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went
to Ramah.
Psalm 23: A Psalm by
David.
1 Yahweh is my
shepherd:
I shall lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down
in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your
staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table
before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with
oil.
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and
loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.
Ephesians 5:8 For you
were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9
for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, 10
proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. 11 Have no fellowship with the
unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. 12 For the things
which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. 13 But all
things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that
reveals is light. 14 Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from
the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
John 9:1 As he passed
by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who
sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus answered,
“Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be
revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day.
The night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the
light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud
with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, 7 and said to him,
“Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed,
and came back seeing. 8 The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was
blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” 9 Others were saying,
“It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.”
He said, “I am he.” 10
They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?”
11 He answered, “A man
called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of
Siloam, and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.”
12 Then they asked him,
“Where is he?”
He said, “I don’t
know.”
13 They brought him who
had been blind to the Pharisees. 14 It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud
and opened his eyes. 15 Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he
received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I
see.”
16 Some therefore of
the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the
Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was
division among them. 17 Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you
say about him, because he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a
prophet.”
18 The Jews therefore
did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his
sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight, 19 and
asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he
now see?”
20 His parents answered
them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he
now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age.
Ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because
they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would
confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his
parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”
24 So they called the
man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know
that this man is a sinner.”
25 He therefore
answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I
was blind, now I see.”
26 They said to him
again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered them, “I
told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You
don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?”
28 They insulted him
and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that
God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes
from.”
30 The man answered
them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of
God, and does his will, he listens to him.[a] 32 Since the world began it has
never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If
this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 They answered him,
“You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” They threw him out.
35 Jesus heard that
they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son
of God?”
36 He answered, “Who is
he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”
37 Jesus said to him,
“You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”
38 He said, “Lord, I
believe!” and he worshiped him.
39 Jesus said, “I came
into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those
who see may become blind.”
40 Those of the Pharisees
who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”
41 Jesus said to them,
“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore
your sin remains.
Footnotes:
a. John 9:31 Psalm
66:18, Proverbs 15:29; 28:9
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John Wesley’s
Notes-Commentary for:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
XVI Samuel is appointed
to anoint one of the sons of Jesse king, ver. 1-5. The elder sons are passed
by, and David anointed, ver. 6- 13. Saul growing melancholy is eased by David's
music, ver. 14- 23.
Verse 1. Mourn - And
pray for his restitution, which the following words imply he did. Oil - Which
was used in the inauguration of kings. But here it is used in the designation
of a king; for David was not actually made king by it, but still remained a
subject. And the reason of this anticipation was the comfort of Samuel, and
other good men, against their fears in case of Saul's death, and the assurance
of David's title, which otherwise would have been doubtful. I have provided -
This phrase is very emphatical, and implies the difference between this and the
former king. Saul was a king of the people's providing, he was the product of
their sinful desires: but this is a king of my own providing, to fulfil all my
will, and to serve my glory.
Verse 4. Trembled -
Because it was strange and unexpected to them, this being but an obscure town,
and remote from Samuel, and therefore they justly thought there was some
extraordinary reason for it. Peaceable - The Hebrew phrase, comest thou in
peace, is as much as to say (in our phrase) is all well?
Verse 5. He sanctified
- It seems evident that there was something peculiar in Jesse's invitation. For
first, both he and his sons were invited, whereas the others were only invited
for their own persons. Secondly, the different phrase here used, that he
sanctified these, when he only bade the other sanctify themselves; argues a
singular care of Samuel in their sanctification. Which makes it probable, that
the rest were only to join with them in the act of sacrificing; but these, and
only these, were invited to feast upon the remainders of the sacrifices.
Verse 6. Before him -
That is, in this place where God is now present. For it is observable, that not
only the sacrifice is said to be offered, but even the feast upon the
remainders of it is said, to be eaten before the Lord, Deut. xii, 7, that is,
before or near his altar, where God was present in a special manner. This I
take to be the person I am sent to anoint: wherein yet be was mistaken, as
other prophets sometimes were, when they hastily spake their own thoughts,
before they had consulted God.
Verse 10. Seven - There
are but seven named, 1 Chron. ii, 13-15, because one of them was either born of
a concubine: or, died immediately after this time.
Verse 11. Keepeth sheep
- And consequently is the most unfit of all my sons for that high employment.
Either therefore he did not understand David's wisdom and valour, or he judged
him unfit, by reason of his mean education. And God so ordered it by his
providence, that David's choice might plainly appear to be God's work, and not
Samuel's, or Jesse's. David signifies beloved: a fit name for so eminent a type
of the Beloved Son. It is supposed, David was now about twenty years old. If
so, his troubles by Saul lasted near ten years: for he was thirty years old
when Saul died. Samuel having done this went to Ramah. He retired to die in
peace, since his eyes had seen the salvation, even the scepter brought into the
tribe of Judah.
Verse 13. Anointed him
- David's brethren saw David's unction, yet did not understand, that he was
anointed to the kingdom; but were only told by Samuel, that he was anointed to
some great service, which hereafter they should know. Thus Jesse only, and
David, understood the whole business, and his brethren were able to attest to
that act of Samuel's anointing him, which, with other collateral evidences, was
abundantly sufficient to prove David's right to the kingdom, if need should be.
The spirit,&c., - That is, he was immediately endowed with extraordinary
gifts of God's Spirit, as strength, and courage, and wisdom, and other
excellent qualities which fitted him for, and put him upon noble attempts.
Psalm 23
PS 23 David extolls the
goodness of God as his shepherd, and expresses his confidence in him, ver. 1-6.
A psalm of David.
Verse 2. Lie down - To
repose myself at noon, as the manner was in those hot countries. Green - Where
there is both delight and plenty of provisions.
Verse 3. Restoreth -
Hebrew. He bringeth it back; from its errors and wandering. For - Not for any
worth in me, but for the glory of his justice, and faithfulness, and goodness.
Verse 4. Thy rod and
thy staff - Two words denoting the same thing, and both designing God's
pastoral care over him.
Verse 5. A table - Thou
furnishest me with plenty of provisions and comforts. Oil - With aromatic
ointments, which were then used at great feasts; thy comforts delight my soul.
Runneth over - Thou hast given me a plentiful portions, signified by the cup,
given to the guests by the master of the feast.
Ephesians 5:8-14
Verse 8. Ye were once
darkness - Total blindness and ignorance. Walk as children of light - Suitably
to your present knowledge.
Verse 9. The fruit of
the light - Opposite to " the unfruitful works of darkness," chap.
iv, 11. Is in - That is, consists in. Goodness and righteousness and truth -
Opposite to the sins spoken of, chap. iv, 25,&c.
Verse 11. Reprove them
- To avoid them is not enough.
Verse 12. In secret -
As flying the light.
Verse 13. But all
things which are reproved, are thereby dragged out into the light, and made
manifest - Shown in their proper colours, by the light. For whatsoever doth
make manifest is light - That is, for nothing but light, yea, light from
heaven, can make anything manifest.
Verse 14. Wherefore he
- God. Saith - In the general tenor of his word, to all who are still in
darkness. Awake thou that steepest - In ignorance of God and thyself; in stupid
insensibility. And arise from the dead - From the death of sin. And Christ
shall give thee light - Knowledge, holiness, happiness.
John 9:1-41
Verse 2. Who sinned,
this man or his parents, that he was born blind? - That is, was it for his own
sins, or the sins of his parents? They suppose (as many of the Jews did, though
without any ground from Scripture) that he might have sinned in a pre-existent
state, before he came into the world.
Verse 3. Jesus
answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents - It was not the manner
of our Lord to answer any questions that were of no use, but to gratify an idle
curiosity. Therefore he determines nothing concerning this. The scope of his
answer is, It was neither for any sins of his own, nor yet of his parents; but
that the power of God might be displayed.
Verse 4. The night is
coming - Christ is the light. When the light is withdrawn night comes, when no
man can work - No man can do any thing toward working out his salvation after
this life is ended. Yet Christ can work always. But he was not to work upon
earth, only during the day, or season which was appointed for him.
Verse 5. I am the light
of the world - I teach men inwardly by my Spirit, and outwardly by my
preaching, what is the will of God; and I show them, by my example, how they
must do it.
Verse 6. He anointed
the eyes of the blind man with the clay - This might almost have blinded a man
that had sight. But what could it do toward curing the blind? It reminds us
that God is no farther from the event, when he works either with, or without
means, and that all the creatures are only that which his almighty operation
makes them.
Verse 7. Go, wash at
the pool of Siloam - Perhaps our Lord intended to make the miracle more taken
notice of. For a crowd of people would naturally gather round him to observe
the event of so strange a prescription, and it is exceeding probable, the guide
who must have led him in traversing a great part of the city, would mention the
errand he was going upon, and so call all those who saw him to a greater
attention. From the fountain of Siloam, which was without the walls of Jerusalem,
a little stream flowed into the city, and was received in a kind of basin, near
the temple, and called the pool of Siloam. Which is, by interpretation, Sent -
And so was a type of the Messiah, who was sent of God. He went and washed, and
came seeing - He believed, and obeyed, and found a blessing. Had he been wise
in his own eyes, and reasoned, like Naaman, on the impropriety of the means, he
had justly been left in darkness. Lord, may our proud hearts be subdued to the
methods of thy recovering grace! May we leave thee to choose how thou wilt
bestow favours, which it is our highest interest to receive on any terms.
Verse 11. A man called
Jesus - He seems to have been before totally ignorant of him.
Verse 14. Anointing the
eyes - With any kind of medicine on the Sabbath, was particularly forbidden by
the tradition of the elders.
Verse 16. This man is
not of God - Not sent of God. How can a man that is a sinner - That is, one
living in wilful sin, do such miracles?
Verse 17. What sayest
thou of him, for that he hath opened thine eyes? - What inference dost thou
draw herefrom?
Verse 22. He should be
put out of the synagogue - That is be excommunicated.
Verse 27. Are ye also -
As well as I, at length convinced and willing to be his disciples?
Verse 29. We know not
whence he is - By what power and authority he does these things.
Verse 30. The man
answered - Utterly illiterate as he was. And with what strength and clearness
of reason! So had God opened the eyes of his understanding, as well as his
bodily eyes. Why, herein is a marvelous thing, that ye - The teachers and
guides of the people, should not know, that a man who has wrought a miracle,
the like of which was never heard of before, must be from heaven, sent by God.
Verse 31. We - Even we
of the populace, know that God heareth not sinners - Not impenitent sinners, so
as to answer their prayers in this manner. The honest courage of this man in
adhering to the truth, though he knew the consequence, ver. 22, gives him claim
to the title of a confessor.
Verse 33. He could do
nothing - Of this kind; nothing miraculous.
Verse 34. Born in sin -
And therefore, they supposed, born blind. They cast him out - Of the synagogue;
excommunicated him.
Verse 35. Having found
him - For he had sought him.
Verse 36. Who is he,
that I may believe? - This implies some degree of faith already. He was ready
to receive whatever Jesus said.
Verse 37. Lord, I
believe - What an excellent spirit was this man of! Of so deep and strong an
understanding; (as he had just shown to the confusion of the Pharisees,) and
yet of so teachable a temper!
Verse 39. For judgment
am I come into the world - That is, the consequence of my coming will be, that
by the just judgment of God, while the blind in body and soul receive their
sight, they who boast they see, will be given up to still greater blindness
than before.
Verse 41. If ye had
been blind - Invincibly ignorant; if ye had not had so many means of knowing:
ye would have had no sin - Comparatively to what ye have now. But now ye say -
Ye yourselves acknowledge, Ye see, therefore your sin remaineth - Without
excuse, without remedy.
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Today’s Scripture:
Luke 14:22 “The servant
said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’
23 “The lord said to
the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in,
that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you that none of those men who were
invited will taste of my supper.’”
25 Now great multitudes
were going with him. He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me, and
doesn’t disregard[a] his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and
sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. 27 Whoever
doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my disciple. 28 For
which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the
cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Or perhaps, when he has laid a
foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, 30
saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 Or what king,
as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and
consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him
with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he
sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace. 33 So therefore whoever of
you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.
Footnotes:
a. Luke 14:26 or, hate
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Contact Information
Great Plains Episcopal
Office
9440 E Boston, Suite
160
Wichita KS 67207
316-686-0600
800-745-2350
info@greatplainsumc.org
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