I was trying hard to connect the first and reading the gospel today. Let's see what comes out of this blog at the end :). In the Old Testament, God gave specific instructions to the Israelites regarding offerings. In my own little understanding, burnt and peace offerings are meant to offer sacrifice to God to repair their relationship with God, therefore making them friends with God again. But God looks beyond the sacrifices, He is clearly looking for what is in your heart. And so in Mark's Gospel, let's pay attention to Jesus' action. He went around those people seated in a circle, he did not spare anyone from His look and said "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother". So what does this mean to us Christians? It is one thing to offer sacrifices, it is another thing to do the will of God. How often did we go to church with hatred in our hearts? How often do we pray but have other things in our hearts?
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:22-24)
Why is this? I think that we defile ourselves and our sacrifices when we come in prayer and in the presence of God and know in our heart that we are not doing God's will. What is God's will? It is all summed up in the two greatest commandments.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’j
31The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)
Let's ask ourselves today...Do we love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength? Do we love our neighbor as our self? And so do you think Jesus considers you as part of His family? Are we doing God's will?
Jesus loves you!
No comments:
Post a Comment