Scripture: Matthew 28:20
…teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.
Thought for the Day: This is a passage from the end of Matthew’s Gospel, yet this is the season for us to focus on the beginning of the Gospel. I’m drawn to it because of a specific word – obey. That’s the word I have always heard associated with this passage, but it’s not necessarily the best (maybe I should say not necessarily the only) translation. The Greek word is: Tereo, which some believe might be related to another Greek word Theoreo, which means to behold. There are some translations of Matthew 28:20 that read, “…teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you.” Using observe seems to fit if it is related to the word behold. I raise this because I see a common happening in today’s world. There is an expectation for people to obey the teachings of Jesus, even some forcefully demanding that we must strictly obey them. It is not for me to disagree, but I would like to suggest that many people haven’t a clue what they are to obey. They hear a lot of religious cliches and cute trivialities, but they have not observed Jesus enough to know him and to understand what needs to be obeyed. As we turn to the beginning of both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels for this Advent season, I invite you to closely observe the Jesus of scripture.
Prayer: Awaken me and clear my eyes so that I can observe your gift to the world, O Lord whose presence comes anew. I desire to observe Jesus, and then to follow and obey. Help me to spend some quality tim during this Advent Season with my eyes and mind on the birth stories found in the Gospels. Amen.
