Nashville, Tennessee, United States - Upper Room Daily Reflections - daily words of wisdom and faith “God Hears Our Prayers" for Sunday, 28 September 2014Today’s Reflection:
PLEASE PRAY FOR ME, a friend asks. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them,” we say in response to tragedy. Much of our praying involves intercession for others. It carries our compassion.Though any sincere prayer of the heart seems valid to me, I must admit that my own practice of intercessory prayer has changed over the years. One day I received a disturbing phone call about a friend’s illness; my heart twisted in concern and love. At the same time my head raised the question “How should you pray for her?” From somewhere deep inside me, I heard “You just did.”
Maybe the quickening of compassion formed the heart of the prayer. Maybe the actual words were for me, not God. Maybe God hears the soul’s sincere desire, not only our carefully crafted words. We pray more unspoken prayers than we realize.(Linda Douty, Rhythms of Growth)
From page 191 of Rhythms of Growth: 365 Meditations to Nurture the Soul by Linda Douty. Copyright © 2014 by Linda Douty. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question:
Spend time in silent prayer today.
Today’s Scripture:
For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.(Matthew 21:32, NRSV)
This Week: pray for family counselors.
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Did You Know?
In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers, call 1-800-251-2468.
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This week we remember:.
Matthew (September 21).
Jesus called Matthew from the tax office in Capernaum where he presumably worked as a tax collector. Matthew (also called Levi) immediately walked away from his former life and became one of the Twelve. His first act was to host a dinner in Jesus' honor to which he invited tax collectors and others. This caused the Pharisees to complain about Jesus socializing with the wrong sorts of people, and gave Jesus the chance to explain his ministry: "I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32, NRSV).Matthew is traditionally given credit for writing the first gospel. A tax collector would likely have been literate, probably in Greek and Aramaic and Matthew would certainly have had a firsthand view of Jesus' life and ministry.
Acts 1:13 is the last scriptural mention of Matthew. Tradition says he preached the gospel in Judea or Ethiopia or other countries. He may have been martyred, but again, there is no existing evidence.
Because the Gospel of Matthew ends with the disciples being sent out into the world, Matthew is known as the patron saint of the church's mission. He is also considered patron saint of ships, hospitals, and alcoholics.
If Matthew had taken the Spiritual Types Test he probably would have been Sage. Matthew is remembered on September 21.
(This image of Matthew is from the carving of da Vinci's "Last Supper." The carving can be viewed in The Upper Room Chapel in Nashville, TN.)
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Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Lectionary Scriptures:
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32
Scripture Texts:
Psalm 78: An Asaph Psalm
1-4 Listen, dear friends, to God’s truth,
bend your ears to what I tell you.
I’m chewing on the morsel of a proverb;
I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths,
Stories we heard from our fathers,
counsel we learned at our mother’s knee.
We’re not keeping this to ourselves,
we’re passing it along to the next generation—
God’s fame and fortune,
the marvelous things he has done.
9-16 The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth,
ran off when the battle began.
They were cowards to God’s Covenant,
refused to walk by his Word.
They forgot what he had done—
marvels he’d done right before their eyes.
He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents
in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan.
He split the Sea and they walked right through it;
he piled the waters to the right and the left.
He led them by day with a cloud,
led them all the night long with a fiery torch.
He split rocks in the wilderness,
gave them all they could drink from underground springs;
He made creeks flow out from sheer rock,
and water pour out like a river.
Philippians 2: He Took on the Status of a Slave
1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
9-11 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.
Rejoicing Together
12-13 What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
Matthew 21: True Authority
23 Then he was back in the Temple, teaching. The high priests and leaders of the people came up and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to teach here?”
24-25 Jesus responded, “First let me ask you a question. You answer my question and I’ll answer yours. About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven or humans?”
25-27 They were on the spot and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, “If we say ‘heaven,’ he’ll ask us why we didn’t believe him; if we say ‘humans,’ we’re up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet.” They decided to concede that round to Jesus. “We don’t know,” they answered.
Jesus said, “Then neither will I answer your question.
The Story of Two Sons
28 “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’
29 “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.
30 “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.
31-32 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said, “Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God’s kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.
John Wesley Notes-Commentary:
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Verse 1
[1] Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
My law — The doctrine which I am about to deliver.
Verse 2
[2] I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
Parable — Weighty sentences.
Dark sayings — Not that the words are hard to be understood, but the things, God's transcendent goodness, their unparallel'd ingratitude; and their stupid ignorance and insensibleness, under such excellent teachings of God's word and works, are prodigious and hard to be believed.
Of old — Of things done in ancient times.
Verse 12
[12] Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
Field — In the territory.
Zoan — An ancient and eminent city of Egypt.
Verse 15
[15] He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
Wilderness — In Rephidim, and again in Kadesh.
Verse 16
[16] He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
Streams — Which miraculously followed them in all their travels, even to the borders of Canaan.
Philippians 2:1-13
Verse 1
[1] If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
If there be therefore any consolation — In the grace of Christ.
If any comfort — In the love of God. If any fellowship of the Holy Ghost; if any bowels of mercies - Resulting therefrom; any tender affection towards each other.
Verse 2
[2] Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Think the same thing — Seeing Christ is your common Head.
Having the same love — To God, your common Father.
Being of one soul — Animated with the same affections and tempers, as ye have all drank ill to one spirit.
Of one mind — Tenderly rejoicing and grieving together.
Verse 3
[3] Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Do nothing through contention — Which is inconsistent with your thinking the same thing.
Or vainglory — Desire of praise, which is directly opposite to the love of God.
But esteem each the others better than themselves — (For every one knows more evil of himself than he can of another:) Which is a glorious fruit of the Spirit, and an admirable help to your continuing "of one soul."
Verse 4
[4] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Aim not every one at his own things — Only. If so, ye have not bowels of mercies.
Verse 6
[6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Who being in the essential form — The incommunicable nature.
Of God — From eternity, as he was afterward in the form of man; real God, as real man.
Counted it no act of robbery — That is the precise meaning of the words,-no invasion of another's prerogative, but his own strict and unquestionable right.
To be equal with God — the word here translated equal, occurs in the adjective form five or six times in the New Testament, Matthew 20:12; Luke 6:34; John 5:18; Acts 11:17; Revelation 21:16. In all which places it expresses not a bare resemblance, but a real and proper equalitg. It here implies both the fulness and the supreme height of the Godhead; to which are opposed, he emptied and he humbled himself.
Verse 7
[7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Yet — He was so far from tenaciously insisting upon, that he willingly relinquished, his claim. He was content to forego the glories of the Creator, and to appear in the form of a creature; nay, to he made in the likeness of the fallen creatures; and not only to share the disgrace, but to suffer the punishment, due to the meanest and vilest among them all.
He emptied himself — Of that divine fulness, which he received again at his exaltation. Though he remained full, John 1:14, yet he appeared as if he had been empty; for he veiled his fulness from the sight of men and angels. Yea, he not only veiled, but, in some sense, renounced, the glory which he had before the world began.
Taking — And by that very act emptying himself.
The form of a servant — The form, the likeness, the fashion, though not exactly the same, are yet nearly related to each other. The form expresses something absolute; the likeness refers to other things of the same kind; the fashion respects what appears to sight and sense.
Being made in the likeness of men — A real man, like other men. Hereby he took the form of a servant.
Verse 8
[8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
And being found in fashion as a man — A common man, without any peculiar excellence or comeliness.
He humbled himself — To a still greater depth.
Becoming obedient — To God, though equal with him.
Even unto death — The greatest instance both of humiliation and obedience.
Yea, the death of the cross — Inflicted on few but servants or slaves.
Verse 9
[9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Wherefore — Because of his voluntary humiliation and obedience. He humbled himself; but God hath exalted him - So recompensing his humiliation.
And hath given him — So recompensing his emptying himself.
A name which is above every name — Dignity and majesty superior to every creature.
Verse 10
[10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
That every knee — That divine honour might be paid in every possible manner by every creature.
Might bow — Either with love or trembling.
Of those in heaven, earth, under the earth — That is, through the whole universe.
Verse 11
[11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And every tongue — Even of his enemies.
Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord — Jehovah; not now "in the form of a servant," but enthroned in the glory of God the Father.
Verse 12
[12] Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Wherefore — Having proposed Christ's example, he exhorts them to secure the salvation which Christ has purchased.
As ye have always — Hitherto.
Obeyed — Both God, and me his minister.
Now in my absence — When ye have not me to instruct, assist, and direct you.
Work out your own salvation — Herein let every man aim at his own things.
With fear and trembling — With the utmost care and diligence.
Verse 13
[13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
For it is God — God alone, who is with you, though I am not.
That worketh in you according to his good pleasure — Not for any merit of yours. Yet his influences are not to supersede, but to encourage, our own efforts.
Work out your own salvation — Here is our duty.
For it is God that worketh in you — Here is our encouragement. And O, what a glorious encouragement, to have the arm of Omnipotence stretched out for our support and our succour!
Matthew 21:23-32
Verse 23
[23] And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
When he was come into the temple, the chief priests came — Who thought he violated their right: and the elders of the people - Probably, members of the sanhedrim, to whom that title most properly belonged: which is the more probable, as they were the persons under whose cognizance the late action of Christ, in purging the temple, would naturally fall. These, with the chief priests, seem purposely to have appeared in a considerable company, to give the more weight to what they said, and if need were, to bear a united testimony against him.
As he was teaching — Which also they supposed he had no authority to do, being neither priest, nor Levite, nor scribe. Some of the priests (though not as priests) and all the scribes were authorized teachers.
By what authority dost thou these things — Publicly teach the people! And drive out those who had our commission to traffic in the outer court? Luke 20:1; Mark 11:27.
Verse 24
[24] And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
I will ask you one thing — Who have asked me many: The baptism, that is, the whole ministry of John, was it from heaven or from men? - By what authority did he act and teach? Did man or God give him that authority? Was it not God? But if so, the consequence was clear. For John testified that Jesus was the Christ.
Verse 25
[25] The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
Why did ye not believe him — Testifying this.
Verse 27
[27] And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Neither tell I you — Not again, in express terms: he had often told them before, and they would not believe him.
Verse 30
[30] And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
He answered, I go, sir: but went not — Just so did the scribes and Pharisees: they professed the greatest readiness and zeal in the service of God: but it was bare profession, contradicted by all their actions.
Verse 32
[32] For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
John came in a way of righteousness — Walking in it, as well as teaching it.
The publicans and harlots — The most notorious sinners were reformed, though at first they said, I will not. And ye seeing the amazing change which was wrought in them, though at first ye said, I go, sir, repented not afterward - Were no more convinced than before. O how is this scripture fulfilled at this day!
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Upper Room Daily Reflections, a ministry of Global Board of Discipleship
PO Box 340004
Nashville, TN 37203-0004 United States
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