The Daily Readings for SUNDAY, June 10, 2018 - Third Sunday after Pentecost

Mark 3:25

The Daily Readings

SUNDAY, June 10, 2018 - Third Sunday after Pentecost

(Revised Common Lectionary Year B)

Opening Sentence

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

~ Phillipians 1:2

Prayer of the Day (Collect)

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Confession and Forgiveness

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;  but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

~ 1 John 1:5b-8

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is nothing good in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent; according to Your promises declared unto men in Christ Jesus our Lord. Grant that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; to the glory of His name. Amen.

The Lessons

Old Testament

Genesis 3:8-15
3:8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The Response

Psalm 130 De profundis
1   Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice;

let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2   If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss,

O LORD, who could stand?

3   For there is forgiveness with you;

therefore you shall be feared.

4   I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him;

in his word is my hope.

5   My soul waits for the LORD, more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

6   O Israel, wait for the LORD,

for with the LORD there is mercy;

7   With him there is plenteous redemption,

and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
4:13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. 15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Living by Faith
16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The Gospel

Mark 3:20-35
3:20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. 28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
The True Kindred of Jesus
31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Apostle's Creed

We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Benediction

Now to Him who has given me grace in accordance with His gospel, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for many ages past, but now revealed and made known by the command of the eternal God, so that all mankind might find the obedience that comes from faith; to the only God, the God of wisdom and truth, be glory forever through His only son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

~ Numbers 6:24-26

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

“Who Do You Say Jesus Is?” - The Sermon for SUNDAY, June 10, 2018 - Third Sunday after Pentecost

“Who Do You Say Jesus Is?”

by Rev. Daniel Habben

St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church (WELS)

St. Albert, Alberta, Canada

3:20 ¶ and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. 28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

~ Mark 3:20-35

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen.

Have you ever been mistaken for someone else - a movie star perhaps or some stranger’s long-lost cousin? How about being mistaken for a criminal? That happened to Pastor Taylor who used to serve at Mountain View Lutheran Church. We were coming back from conference one January when we were detained at the border because Pastor Taylor’s name and birthday matched a known felon from England. It took a while, but Pastor Taylor managed to convince the border guards that he was not that Brad Taylor.

No one here works as a border guard but we do need to make proper identification of others lest we throw our arms around a stranger in the mall thinking it’s someone we know. Embarrassing! There is one person in particular that we will want to identify correctly: Jesus. Get his identity wrong and you’ll be more than embarrassed come Judgment Day. So who do you say Jesus is? Some in our sermon text thought Jesus was a madman. Others said he was a double agent! Still others considered him family. Let’s find out how Jesus himself wants us to identify him.

The first identification attempt in our text comes from those who should have known Jesus best of all: his mother and his siblings. However, when they heard that Jesus was so busy teaching and healing that he didn’t have time to eat, they told anyone who would listen that Jesus was out of his mind (Mark 3:21). Mary call Jesus a madman? Perhaps that’s not surprising considering how we often think the same thing. “You want 10%, 20% of my income, weekly worship and midweek Bible class attendance? You want me to honor my parents who are so un-cool? You want me to keep my body for my spouse alone? Really, Jesus? You’ve got to be out of your mind!”

The thing is Jesus is out of his mind. He’s crazy about you and doesn’t want to lose you to Satan and to eternal damnation. Wasn’t that Jesus’ point when he told the parable about the shepherd who left behind 99 perfectly good sheep to go looking for the one lost sheep? Why didn’t the shepherd just cut his losses? Why spend the time and effort looking for an animal that had probably wandered off before? Or take the parable of the lost coin. There Jesus compared himself to a woman who gets down on hands and knees to find a coin she has lost. There’s nothing unusual about that but when the woman finds the coin she calls in friends and family to celebrate. I’ve often wondered whether that party cost her more than the silver coin was worth. It certainly would illustrate how our rescue from sin cost Jesus a price that makes us marvel he was willing to pay it: a painful death on the cross and rejection by his heavenly Father. So should it really surprise us to hear that Jesus willingly skipped meals to help sinners he had come to save? He seemed out of his mind because he had given his mind and his heart over to serving and saving lost souls. How comforting that thought is for you and me who keep falling into sin. It would be easy to believe that Jesus could never love us. But he does. He’s crazy about us. I’m glad Jesus is a madman or I’d be eternally lost, man, and so would you.

There were others in our text who thought they knew who Jesus really was. When the religious leaders saw Jesus cast out demons they said he did so by Satan’s power – as if Jesus was a double agent trying to make it look like he was from God by driving out these demons, but was really doing that to gain people’s confidence so he could later mislead them. You’ve watched enough spy movies to wonder if the Pharisees didn’t have a point. But Jesus hadn’t just cast out one or two demons; it was a regular part of his ministry. And he gave his disciples this power as well. How many times can you bend a piece of plastic back and forth before it snaps in two? Likewise how often could Satan afford to attack his own before they would snap?

Jesus wasn’t a double agent working for Satan. Instead he compared himself to a strongman who had come to bind Satan so that he could rescue those who had been held hostage by the prince of evil. The Apostle John saw that truth illustrated in our second lesson this morning (Revelation 20). There he witnessed an angel bind Satan for a thousand years. Jesus did that, not just by casting out demons, but by preaching the truth of God’s Word and pointing out man’s inability to save himself. He urges us all to put our faith in him. When we believe this truth, we are no longer held hostage to Satan’s lies.

Jesus’ little story about the strongman tying up the owner of a house so he can rob him of his possessions reveals again that he is not a madman. Only a madman would tie up the owner of a house and then sit down to eat and drink and flip through the channels on TV as if he was there to visit. No, if you’re robbing a place, you want to get in and get out as quickly as possible! Jesus always treated his ministry on earth with such focused intensity. Once Jesus told his disciples that night was coming when no more mission work could be done. Therefore it was imperative for them (and for us) to get to work and share God’s Word with those who don’t know it yet so they don’t end being eternally lost.

Because Jesus was intense about saving everyone – even those religious leaders who kept rejecting him, he issued a serious warning in our text. Jesus said that if the religious leaders continued to willfully reject his witness and all the miracles he had done, and if they continued to call his activities “satanic,” they would become guilty of the sin against the Holy Spirit for which there is no forgiveness. “But I thought all sins are forgivable, and in fact forgiven? What’s Jesus talking about here?”

Yes, Jesus died and paid for every sin. However we only receive the benefit of that forgiveness when we trust in Jesus. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to bring us to such faith. So if we keep rejecting him, we’ll never come to faith and never benefit from the forgiveness that Jesus won for us. Think of it like this. If a hiker carelessly strays off the trail and gets himself into a situation he can’t get himself out of, he should be glad when he sees the rescue party arrive to take him to safety. However, if he should rebuff their rescue attempts, there is nothing the rescuers can do but leave the stranded hiker to fend for himself, and of course, eventually die. The foolish hiker would perish, not so much because he strayed off the trail, but because he refused those who had come to rescue him. That’s also the nature of the sin against the Holy Spirit.

So here’s the application for us. Whenever we ignore God’s Word or even just treat it with a bored indifference, we’re telling the Holy Spirit to buzz off as if he’s a bothersome fly. But if he does that, we will lose our faith. And without faith in Jesus there is no salvation – only a fearful expectation of eternal wrath.

So far we’ve heard Jesus identified as a mad man and as a double agent. But how does Jesus identify himself? When word reached Jesus that his mother and brothers were looking for him, Jesus looked around and said: “Who are my mother and my brothers?...Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:33-35). Jesus identified himself as family to all who do God’s will. God’s will is that we repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus for salvation. Jesus considers such people his own flesh and blood. Jesus literally said: “Whoever does God’s will [he/she] is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). In other words Jesus treats you as if you’re his mother or the only sibling in the world he has! It’s sadly ironic then when many insist that it’s better to offer prayers to Mary than to Jesus. The thinking is that Jesus wouldn’t turn down any of his mother’s requests so it would be better for us to ask Mary to pass along our requests to her son. But what does Jesus say? If you put your faith in him, you are a Mary to him! Go directly to Jesus yourself and share with him whatever is on your heart.

Of course this doesn’t mean that Jesus will give you whatever you ask for. Think of how Jesus treated Mary in Cana when shed indirectly asked Jesus to provide wine. Jesus flatly told her that his time had not yet come. Still, Jesus did do what was best for that wedding couple, and he did so in a way that was probably better than anything Mary had in mind. Therefore we too will go boldly to Jesus with our prayers but at the same time we’ll trust that he knows what is best and will give us what we need when we need it. After all, Jesus is family.

On my travels last week I saw one man approach another with hand outstretched say, “Hey, it’s been a long time. How are you?” The other man replied with a bemused smile on his face, “Sorry, do I know you?” Oops. It was a case of mistaken identity. The two laughed it off and went their separate ways.

There will be no laughing on Judgment Day, however, when many come up to Jesus and slap him on the back as if he’s been an old friend only to hear Jesus say: “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!” Is that what Jesus might say to us? That depends. Who do you say Jesus is? Do you think he’s a madman when he insists that you follow his Word and not just listen to it? Do you think he’s an agent of Satan as did the religious leaders of Jesus’ day? You would never dare say such a thing but do you treat coming to hear and study his Word as if it’s hell? Even if we have thought of Jesus in this terrible way he extends his hand of forgiveness to us. He assures us that he has paid for those sins. Jesus said in our text: “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter” (Mark 3:28). Believe it, for Jesus counts you as family. Amen.

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The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. Sermon contributed by Pastor Daniel Habben on Jun 18, 2012.
Have you ever been mistaken for someone else - a movie star perhaps or some stranger’s long-lost cousin?

The Morning Prayer for SUNDAY, June 10, 2018

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Verse of the Day for SUNDAY, June 10, 2018

Mark 3:35 (NIV) Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Read all of Mark 3

Listen to Mark 3

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un dia a la Vez - Semana de meditación: ¿Tu casa es un hotel?

Semana de meditación: ¿Tu casa es un hotel?

Quiero triunfar en el camino de perfección: ¿Cuándo me visitarás? Quiero conducirme en mi propia casa con integridad de corazón.

~ Salmo 101:2 (NVI)

Venimos analizando los diferentes tipos de hogares en los que quizá vivamos y sé que Dios nos está mostrando a cada uno lo que está mal y lo que debemos corregir con su ayuda. Tal parece que en la casa tipo hotel no vive nadie. Es posible que sean familias numerosas, pero como ninguno permanece allí, se asemeja más bien a un hotel. Cada uno tiene sus llaves y no hay un control de llegada ni de salida. La cocina en este hogar prácticamente no funciona, pues nunca se coincide en la casa a las horas de la comida.

Siempre que llega alguno de la familia, revisa si tiene mensajes y después se va a su habitación. Pueden pasar varios días sin verse a la cara los miembros de este tipo de hogar. Aquí en este hogar no hay koinonía, ni hay momentos para disfrutar en familia, muchísimo menos de orar, porque están muy ocupados.

En el hogar hotel no hay nadie que se preocupe por las necesidades de los demás a no ser que exista una emergencia que requiera la atención de todos sus huéspedes. Es un hogar muy frío donde se carece de la presencia de Dios.

¡Huy! ¿Habrá alguien que diga que así es su casa? ¿Que todo lo que se describe hoy es poco para el infierno en que vive?

Te recuerdo que Dios siempre tiene una oportunidad para ti. Solo necesitas un corazón arrepentido y entregarle al Señor esos errores. Entonces Él, con su amor, te dará un hogar como lo necesitan tus hijos. Un hogar en el que se respire a familia, a compartir la mesa y a orar juntos.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Venimos analizando los diferentes tipos de hogares en los que quizá vivamos y sé que Dios nos está mostrando a cada uno lo que está mal y lo que debemos corregir con su ayuda.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD

MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

~ Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

Over and over the Scriptures direct us to meditate on God’s Word. This activity takes time and discipline but brings much spiritual benefit and reward. Meditation is focused thinking about a Bible verse or passage in order to discover how we can apply its truth to our own lives.

In applying Scripture, we need to ask three primary questions.

• What did it mean to the original hearers?
• What is the underlying timeless principle?
• Where or how should I practice that principle?

Here are six specific ways to meditate on a verse or passage:

• Picture it. Visualize the scene in your mind.
• Pronounce it. Say it aloud each time, emphasizing a different word.
• Paraphrase it. Rewrite the verse in your own words.
• Personalize it. Replace the pronouns or people with your own name.
• Pray it. Turn the verse into a prayer and say it back to God.
• Probe it. Ask the following questions:

- Is there any sin to confess? Is there any promise to claim?
- Is there any attitude to change? Is there any command to keep?
- Is there any example to follow? Is there any prayer to pray?
- Is there any error to avoid? Is there any truth to believe?
- Is there something for which to thank God?

When Laos was taken over by a communist government, the leading pastor, Rev. Sail was put into a prison camp for three years of “re-education.” He referred to it later as his university experience. During that time he led five men to Christ in the camp. He had no Bible so he discipled these new believers on scriptures he had memorized and internalized. Later those men became leaders in the church.

RESPONSE: Today I will learn to meditate on God’s Word.

PRAYER: Pray for Christians in prisons of the world where they do not have a Bible.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

LHM Devotion - June 10, 2018 - No Strings Attached

Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"No Strings Attached"

Jun. 10, 2018

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

~ John 3:16-17 (ESV)

In the 1800s, the bars and pubs used to advertise they were serving a "free lunch."

Generally speaking, the "free lunch" consisted of various salty meats and snacks. All of these were designed to create a mighty thirst in those who ate there. Understandably, the parched soul would need something to wet his whistle, and he would order a brew. Occasionally, a fellow might come in and partake of the free lunch without having a beer or two. As he was being escorted out, he would find out that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Truly, there may be no such thing as a free lunch, but Walmart has come close with a program that offers U.S. employees and eligible family members an opportunity to get a degree in business or supply-chain management from one of three universities. The employee-student can stay on campus or take classes online. And if those universities are too confining, or the courses unsatisfactory, Walmart offers discounted classes at over 80 different accredited universities.

Now you might wonder: "Is there a catch?" Well, yes there is. The cost to the student-employee is $1 a day, while Wal-Mart takes care of tuition, books, and fees. And if you're wondering, "What does Walmart get out of this?" it will tell you:

1. Our associates become better educated and equipped to do their job.

2. They believe they will minimize frequent turnovers at their stores.

Now it appears to be a great program but, as you can see, even in great programs run by well-intentioned earthly companies, there is still no such thing as a free lunch. In all honesty, if you want to talk about gifts that are given without any strings attached, you have to look to our Lord. The text above is one of the most familiar in all of Scripture. You see how it begins: "For God so loved the world that He gave ..."

You will note that the text says nothing about the world being especially lovable. No, the gift of a Savior begins, completely and totally, with the Lord.

Now, if you look closely at the phrase and yes, the rest of the verse, you will find the Lord's gift of love has no hidden clauses, no outrageous demands, no rules of performance, which have to be met before anyone is able to receive this gift.

So that we might be saved,

* our Heavenly Father made a promise to send a Savior, His perfect Son to redeem the fallen children of men;

* God's Son kept that promise when He was born in Bethlehem and lived a perfect life on our behalf. Then, when the work was near completion, Jesus shouldered our sins and took them to the cross;

* now, by the work of the Holy Spirit, that gift of a forgiving, living Savior becomes ours, and we have eternal life.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, in this world we don't get to see many free gifts. Which is why, because of this free gift of a Savior and all the blessings He bestows, we offer up unending thanks. He is the gift we need the most. In His Name. Amen.

The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by the Good News Network on May 31, 2018. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/walmart-is-offering-workers-and-their-family-members-the-chance-to-get-college-degrees-debt-free/

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
In the 1800s, the bars and pubs used to advertise they were serving a "free lunch."

Notre Pain Quotidien - Un accueil chaleureux

Un accueil chaleureux

Lisez : 1 Pierre 4.7-11

La Bible en un an : 2 Chroniques 34 – 36 ; Jean 19.1-22

Exercez l’hospitalité les uns envers les autres, sans murmures. (V. 9)

« Qui donnera l’accolade à tout le monde ? »

Voilà une des questions que notre ami Steve s’est posées après avoir reçu le diagnostic de son cancer et qu’il a compris qu’il allait devoir s’absenter de notre église pendant un certain temps. Steve est le genre d’homme qui amène tout le monde à se sentir le bienvenu – par une salutation amicale, une chaleureuse poignée de main et même une « sainte accolade » dans le cas de certaines personnes. Il met ainsi en application Romains 16.16, qui dit : « Saluez‑vous les uns les autres par un saint baiser. »

Et maintenant que nous prions Dieu pour qu’il guérisse Steve, celui‑ci s’inquiète de ce que pendant son opération et ses traitements – alors qu’il s’absentera de notre église un certain temps – son accueil chaleureux nous manque.

Nous ne sommes peut‑être pas tous capables de nous accueillir aussi ouvertement que Steve le fait, mais son exemple de bonté envers les gens nous rappelle l’exhortation de Pierre : « Exercez l’hospitalité les uns envers les autres, sans murmures » (1 PI 4.9 ; voir PH 2.14). Même si l’hospitalité au I^er siècle incluait l’hébergement des voyageurs, elle commençait toujours elle aussi par une salutation chaleureuse.

En interagissant avec amour, que ce soit par une accolade ou juste un sourire amical, nous le faisons « afin qu’en toutes choses Dieu soit glorifié par Jésus‑Christ » (1 PI 4.11).

En exerçant l’hospitalité, nous transmettons la bonté de Dieu.

par Dave Branon

© 2018 Ministères NPQ
Qui donnera l’accolade à tout le monde ?