The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020

Psalm 146; Isaiah 60:17-22; Matthew 9:27-34

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 146

God opens the eyes of the blind

1  Praise the Lord.

   Praise the Lord, my soul.

2  I will praise the Lord all my life;
     I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3  Do not put your trust in princes,
     in human beings, who cannot save.
4  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
     on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5  Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
     whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6  He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
     the sea, and everything in them—
     he remains faithful forever.
7  He upholds the cause of the oppressed
     and gives food to the hungry.
   The Lord sets prisoners free,
8    the Lord gives sight to the blind,
   the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
     the Lord loves the righteous.
9  The Lord watches over the foreigner
     and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
     but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns forever,
     your God, O Zion, for all generations.

   Praise the Lord.

Isaiah 60:17-22

God our light

17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,
     and silver in place of iron.
   Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
     and iron in place of stones.
   I will make peace your governor
     and well-being your ruler.
18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,
     nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
   but you will call your walls Salvation
     and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
     nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
   for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
     and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again,
     and your moon will wane no more;
   the Lord will be your everlasting light,
     and your days of sorrow will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous
     and they will possess the land forever.
   They are the shoot I have planted,
     the work of my hands,
     for the display of my splendor.
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
     the smallest a mighty nation.
   I am the Lord;
     in its time I will do this swiftly.”

Matthew 9:27-34

Jesus heals the blind

9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Daily Lectionary is a three-year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2019 was Year C. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020
Psalm 146; Isaiah 60:17-22; Matthew 9:27-34

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020

The Daily Prayer

WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020

The Annunciation

On March 25 we remember the special role that Mary plays in the redemption of the world and celebrate the example she is to each of us as disciples of Jesus. When the angel Gabriel visited Mary, she was a teenager in occupied Palestine, as anonymous and apparently insignificant as the billions of people who live and die today in the slums of megacities. But the angel of the Lord called Mary by name and proclaimed that she would carry inside her womb God in flesh. It is a miracle we remember even as we put it into practice: however humble our circumstances, God proposes to live in and through our bodies. As a sign to remind us that anything is possible with our God, we remember that Mary conceived Jesus without the help of any man.

Twentieth-century Trappist and spiritual writer Thomas Merton said, “The Christian life—and especially the contemplative life—is a continual discovery of Christ in new and unexpected places.”

Thank you, Lord, for Mary’s witness to joyful obedience, courageous faith, and the merciful truth that you dwell among those the world would forget. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Read all of 1 John 1

Listen to 1 John 1

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

The Lenten Prayer for WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020 - Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

40 Days of Lenten Prayers

Day 25 - Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Loving and merciful God,

I am so aware of my sins and weaknesses.

But as painfully aware of my faults as I am,

Let me also remember your tender love,

your gentle and limitless forgiveness.

I come before you filled with pain and guilt

but look into your eyes and see the forgiving love

I so long for in my life.

Help me to forgive the same way.

Teach me to love as you love.

Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Miércoles 25 de marzo de 2020

Oración por madurez espiritual

No juzguen a nadie, para que nadie los juzgue a ustedes. Porque tal como juzguen se les juzgará.

— Mateo 7:1-2 (NVI)

¡Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos! Acudo a ti porque me he dado cuenta que con mis palabras y con mis comentarios muchas veces he ofendido y herido a otros.

Dios mío, deseo ser una persona más espiritual sin caer en el fanatismo. Guíame a fin de que, cuando vea o escuche cosas que no me gustan o no me parezcan bien, no sea quien levante ni una palabra en contra de nadie.

Si me has perdonado y me has aceptado como soy, ¿quién soy yo para juzgar a los demás?

Te pido que me des la oportunidad de cambiar y poder ser sabio y prudente.

Enséñame a medir las consecuencias de mis palabras y pon en mí misericordia por los demás. También ayúdame a comprender que cuando señalo a alguien, hay otros cuatro dedos señalándome a mí.

Te amo y te necesito.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
No juzguen a nadie, para que nadie los juzgue a ustedes. Porque tal como juzguen se les juzgará.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, March 25, 2020

SUPERHUMAN FORGIVENESS: THE CROSS

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

— Luke 23:34 (NIV)

Today’s devotional again comes from a Chinese house church pastor who was arrested and held for three weeks just prior to this talk. He says his experience was going with Christ to the Garden and to the Cross. Today he explains The Cross:

This is what amazed me the most. Whenever I was beaten up (and that was quite often during those three weeks), I would first feel searing pain, and then another feeling would flood in, almost wiping the pain away. Do you know what that feeling was? Pity. Pity for the man who was beating me.

I kept seeing my interrogator as a man gone wrong. I felt sorry for his mother, who would be so ashamed of him. I wondered what kind of father he must have had, to turn him into such a monster. I felt sad to be in the presence of one of God’s creatures that could treat another human so badly with so little concern.

Then I would get amazed at myself. Through the pain I would think, “I should be angry, but I’m not, all I want is for this man to be saved.” I had three ribs and a wrist broken, two teeth knocked out, my kidneys were malfunctioning, and yet all I could wish for was for the man beating me to find Christ and forgiveness.

Now I agree with that young sister. It sounds very strange. It doesn’t even ring true. It’s more human to be angry or to be afraid. But I can only say this was not myself making me feel that way, but Christ within me. It was superhuman. It was Divine. And to this day, it serves as the greatest assurance I have that I am saved.

Again, this is also the way of Christ. In Luke 23:34, He says from the Cross itself, in the midst of excruciating pain, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” I tell you, it gives you such a thrill to know that you feel as Christ felt. That’s why suffering is counted as such a joy, such a privilege. It confirms to the sufferers that they are Christ’s, and He lives in them. We don’t have to trust a word that this is so. We feel it in our very breastbones.

RESPONSE: Today I will forgive those who are causing me grief as Jesus would and did on the cross.

PRAYER: God, fill me with Your superhuman forgiveness so that I may walk today as Jesus did in forgiving those harming Him. Help me also feel pity and compassion for those who so easily treat others badly.

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

LHM Daily Devotions March 25, 2020 - FREE TO LOVE

"FREE TO LOVE"

March 25, 2020

So they gave a dinner for Him (Jesus) there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

— John 12:2-3, ESV

Did you grow up in a family that said "I love you" a lot? For some people, this is very easy; for others, they have a terribly hard time getting out the words—except in really unusual circumstances.

There had certainly been enough unusual circumstances in the life of Mary and Martha. Not long before the dinner party, Jesus had raised their brother Lazarus from the dead. Their hearts were still overflowing with thankfulness and love. And so, Martha did what she did best—she took care of getting dinner ready. Lazarus himself was at the table with Jesus. And Mary?

What Mary did was scandalous. Not only did she use the best ointment she could get her hands on, but she poured it over Jesus' feet as if it were nothing but water. Then she took down her hair and used it to wipe His feet clean—in public, in front of all the other guests, kneeling at Jesus' feet.

What Mary did was nothing short of spectacular. But did she care? No, not at all. Jesus had raised her brother from the dead, and her heart was overflowing with love.

Jesus still inspires this sort of love in the people who know Him. We have even more to be grateful for than Mary did; only a few days later Jesus willingly went to the cross to rescue us all, laying down His life so that we could be freed from the power of evil and given new, everlasting life. And this is personal; He did it not for humanity-as-a-whole, but for each of us, personally. He loves us that much.

That sets us free to love Him in return. Granted, we will have to get creative about it, since we don't have access to His physical body in the same way Mary did. But this is the same Lord who said, "As you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40b). How will you show your love for Jesus?

THE PRAYER: Lord, give me a heart that responds to Your love with love of my own. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Think of someone you love. How does that person know you love them?
2. Do you think love is a matter of feelings or of actions?
3. What is the hardest or most unusual thing you have done for your love of Jesus?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Think of someone you love. How does that person know you love them?

CPTLN devocional del 25 de Marzo de 2020 - Libre para amar

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Libre para amar

25 de Marzo de 2020

Allí le ofrecieron una cena, y Marta servía, y Lázaro era uno de los que estaban sentados con él a la mesa. Entonces María tomó unos trescientos gramos de perfume de nardo puro, que era muy caro, y con él ungió los pies de Jesús, y con sus cabellos los enjugó. Y la casa se llenó con el olor del perfume.

— Juan 12:2-3, RVC

A algunas personas les es muy fácil decir "te amo". A otros les cuesta mucho pronunciar estas palabras, excepto en circunstancias realmente inusuales.

Ciertamente, María y Marta habían pasado suficientes circunstancias inusuales en sus vidas. No mucho antes de la cena, Jesús había resucitado a su hermano Lázaro. Sus corazones aún estaban llenos de agradecimiento y amor. Y así, Marta hizo lo que mejor sabía hacer: se encargó de preparar la cena. Lázaro mismo estaba en la mesa con Jesús. ¿Y María?

Lo que María hizo fue escandaloso. No solo usó el mejor ungüento que pudo obtener, sino que lo vertió sobre los pies de Jesús como si fuera agua. Luego usó su cabello para secarle sus pies... ¡en público, frente a todos los demás invitados, arrodillándose a los pies de Jesús!

Lo que María hizo fue espectacular. ¿Pero le importó lo espectacular? Para nada. Jesús había resucitado a su hermano de la muerte, y su corazón estaba lleno de amor.

Jesús todavía inspira este tipo de amor en las personas que lo conocen. Tenemos aún más que agradecer que María. Solo unos días después, Jesús voluntariamente fue a la cruz para rescatarnos a todos, dando su vida para que pudiéramos ser liberados del poder del mal y recibir una vida nueva y eterna.

Eso nos libera para que podamos amar a Jesús. Es cierto que tendremos que ser creativos al respecto, ya que no tenemos acceso a su cuerpo físico de la misma manera que lo tuvo María. Pero este es el mismo Señor que dijo: "Lo que hicieron por uno de mis hermanos más pequeños, por mí lo hicieron" (Mateo 25:40). ¿Cómo mostrarás tu amor por Jesús?

ORACIÓN: Señor, dame un corazón que responda a tu amor con mi propio amor. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Crees que el amor es una cuestión de sentimientos o de acciones?
2. ¿Cuál es la cosa más difícil o más inusual que has hecho por amor a Jesús?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Crees que el amor es una cuestión de sentimientos o de acciones?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Quem é este?

Quem é este?

Leia: Lucas 19:28-40 | A Bíblia em um ano: JOSUÉ 19–21; LUCAS 2:25-52

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…Bendito é o Rei que vem em nome do Senhor!…

— Lucas 19:38

Imagine ficar lado a lado com pessoas numa estrada de terra. A mulher atrás de você está na ponta dos pés tentando ver quem está chegando. Ao longe, você vislumbra um homem montado num jumentinho. Conforme Ele se aproxima, as pessoas jogam seus mantos na estrada. De repente, você ouve o estalo de uma árvore atrás. Um homem está cortando galhos de palmeira, e as pessoas os espalham à frente do jumentinho.

Os seguidores de Jesus o honraram zelosamente em Sua entrada em Jerusalém, alguns dias antes de Sua crucificação. A multidão jubilava e louvava a Deus “por todos os milagres maravilhosos que tinham visto” (v.37). Os devotos cercavam Jesus, dizendo: “Bendito é o Rei que vem em nome do Senhor!” (v.38). A honraria entusiasmada emocionou o povo. Quando, finalmente, “Jesus entrou em Jerusalém, toda a cidade estava em grande alvoroço. “Quem é este?”, perguntavam” (MATEUS 21:10).

Hoje, as pessoas ainda estão curiosas sobre Jesus. Embora não possamos cobrir o Seu caminho com folhas de palmeiras ou gritar louvores a Ele em pessoa, ainda podemos honrá-lo. Podemos debater sobre as Suas obras notáveis, auxiliar as pessoas necessitadas, suportar insultos pacientemente e amar uns aos outros profundamente. E, também, devemos estar prontos para responder aos espectadores que nos perguntam: “Quem é Jesus?”.

Senhor, que a minha vida e as minhas palavras possam expressar o que sei sobre quem és. Quero que os outros te vejam em mim e também te conheçam.

Honramos o nome de Deus quando vivemos como Seus filhos.

por Jennifer Benson Schuldt

© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Imagine ficar lado a lado com pessoas numa estrada de terra.