Morning Prayer
Luke 6: 46 – 49
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Reflection
Hear what I say and then DO what I say. So how is your foundation? We all know what Jesus has said, we hear it over again and again in church through our readings and in our discussions. If you are not sure about your foundation, about how much the pattern of your life (the things you say and do) are based in Jesus’ example and teaching, then go back to the source. Ask that the eyes of your heart be enlightened that you may see as Jesus saw and do as Jesus told you to do. This is not about “shoulda – woulda – coulda” guilt inducing thinking. Instead it is about purifying our hearts so that increasingly the way we see and act becomes as Jesus would. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on us!
Noon Day Prayers Question
You are rich and well fed when compared to many of your neighbours, when compared to your brothers and sisters around the world. Turn to Abba now, turn to your Lord and ask “What would you have me do?” Let that question continue to shimmer between you and God throughout the day and for God’s sake, and your own, do something about it today and perhaps something for the rest of Lent maybe even the rest of your life!
Evening Prayer
Luke 7: 1 – 10
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Reflection
Oh to have the faith of this centurion, to trust that Jesus had the authority to “make it so” whether it was by ordering an angel or by reaching out directly through the power of the word spoken or simply by bending his intent in that direction. How did Jesus heal? Was he a divine physician who looked into the soul and body to see what was wrong and then simply touched the wrong and told it to be right? How did he actually go about healing? It seems more likely that he was so full of God’s power (remember – the creator of the universe) that anyone who got close to him or was thought of by him became instantly well. God is so far beyond our comprehension but this Centurion knew that this power could be asked of someone with authority and received simply with “yes” or “make it so”.
The Centurion was an outsider, one who could ask for a favour because of his love of God and God’s people. We are insiders and followers of Jesus, so we can admire the faith of the Centurion who understood the magnitude of the power flowing through Jesus’ authority. He understood authority and how it functioned, whether it be in the spiritual or physical realm. Today we do not have the same relationship to authority, we do not naturally get the “make it so” that the Centurion did. But in our journey to become like Jesus we too can learn from the Centurion, we too can learn to pray in a way that gives God room to be God today in our lives. Think on these things…