Leviticus 16:1-24 - Sin is a serious problem. Aaron and the later priests had a lot to do in order to atone for the sins of the people. And even to stand in the presence of God, Aaron had to carry out some extravagant rituals. It can almost seem silly to us, but perhaps that's because we have taken the sacrifice of Jesus and the closeness we have to God for granted. How does God encourage us to avoid such "cheap grace"?
Luke 10:1-22 - Jesus sends out the 72, and when they enter a town that accepts their message they are to say, "The kingdom of God has come near you." If they go to a town that does not accept their message they're supposed to warn the people and say, "the kingdom of God has come near." God's kingdom does not come dependent on our response. It's coming whether we want it to or not. This is powerful in terms of our witness to the world. We are not in charge of how people respond to the message of Jesus' death and resurrection. We are responsible only for our words and actions. It is a freeing thing to know that Christ's kingdom comes even without our prayer, but that we can pray for it to come among us even now.
No comments:
Post a Comment