Scripture: Matthew 22:19
Jesus responded, “You are wrong because you don’t know either the scriptures or God’s power…”
Thought for the Day: Rachel Held Evan, a Christian author, wrote the following:
With Scripture, we’ve been entrusted with some of the most powerful stories ever told. How we harness that power, whether for good or evil, oppression or liberation, changes everything.
I love Evan’s use of the word harness. When speaking of scripture, and harnessing its power, there needs to be plenty of humility, awe and respect. Too often scripture is taken out of context, misused, and employed as leverage for achieving something other than God’s dream for this world. In Matthew 22, there were certain people who were trying to entrap Jesus. They put forth a rather unthinkable scenario hoping he’d say something absurd. Instead, he turned it back on them, and by doing so, showed how they were using scripture for something other than its intended purpose. It’s not a rule book or answers to a trivia competition. Bible stories are, as Rachel Held Evan suggests, powerful stories because they deal with the complex and perplexing nature of life. You could say, “Love is always the answer,” and you would be right. But how that love is shared or expressed or embodied can be a bit more challenging than the one word answer.
Prayer: Let your love for me, O Good and Kind God, provide me the peace I need to tackle life’s tough issues with faith and humility and grace. Amen.
Do You Have Any
QUESTIONS
or
THOUGHTS
For Wedensday’s Class?
