The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, June 14, 2020 — 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

SUNDAY, June 14, 2020 — 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

[Ordinary 11, Proper 6]

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Compassion & Action

Exodus 19:2-8a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35—10:8 [9-23]

Opening Statement

Today we read Paul's letter to the Romans where he writes about a community suffering over a long period of time; living in faith that the message of Christ leads to life and peace. The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the Twelve sent forth taking nothing for their journey—only peace, and the word of the Gospel. They will encounter resistance—what could be at the root of their struggle to preach the word of Peace?

Opening Prayer

Out of deep need, we enter your holy temple, O Lord, seeking your presence and your guidance. As Jesus charged his waiting disciples, deliver now your charge to us. And lead us, as he led them, into the fields white unto harvest, that we may become faithful laborers in your vineyard. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Holy and eternal God, you created us in your image and gave us special responsibilities toward creation and our fellow human beings. You set us as caretakers for the earth and all its plants and animals. You anointed us as disciples and told us to make fellow disciples the world over. Dear God, as we look at our polluted earth, where we consume resources at an unsustainable rate, we know that we have failed to be good stewards. In many ways, we have failed to live as disciples ourselves, to say nothing of making disciples of all nations. We beg your mercy for our sins and await with expectancy the renewal of our minds and hearts, that we may devote the rest of our days to protecting the earth and making disciples of all nations in accordance to your will. Amen.

Words of Assurance

This is the good news: Christ died for us that we might have life. We are called to give our lives to ministries of justice. God is with us in this and all righteous endeavors. Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Collect

(from the Book of Common Prayers)

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer of the Day

God of compassion, you have opened the way for us and brought us to yourself. Pour your love into our hearts, that, overflowing with joy, we may freely share the blessings of your realm and faithfully proclaim the good news of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

First Reading

Exodus 19:2-8a

The covenant with Israel at Sinai

19:2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8a The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”

Psalm 100

We are God’s people

1  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2    Worship the Lord with gladness;
     come before him with joyful songs.
3  Know that the Lord is God.
     It is he who made us, and we are his;
     we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving
     and his courts with praise;
     give thanks to him and praise his name.
5  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
     his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Second Reading

Romans 5:1-8

While we were sinners Christ died for us

5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Gospel Acclamation

(Mark 1:15)

Alleluia.

The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!

Alleluia.

The Gospel

Matthew 9:35—10:8 [9-23]

The sending of the twelve

9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

[9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.]

Here end the Readings

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Apostles’ Creed

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

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

• I 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

Holy Communion

A nondenominational serving of bread and wine

Many churches around the world are working hard to adapt to online worship, and one challenge is how our members can celebrate communion from home. Though no video can truly replace the experience of celebrating together in our places of worship, we know that where two or more are gathered, the Lord is present.

Benediction

The fields of peace and justice and love are not ripe unto harvest. They have been plowed and planted, but they have yet to be cultivated with care and diligence. Send us forth into those fields, O God, as laborers in your service. Let them be made ready for the harvest. Let us and our neighbors around the globe live in love and peace, with justice for all. Amen.

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 for SUNDAY, June 14, 2020 — 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
Compassion & Action
Exodus 19:2-8a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35—10:8 [9-23]

“The Handoff”

Today, our gospel message comes to us from the 9th chapter of Matthew, beginning with the 35th verse, “The sending of the twelve.”

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 9:35—10:8)

Father, You sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them, we come to know the mystery of your life. Help us worship you, one God in three persons, And reveal yourself in the depths of our being, by proclaiming and living our faith in you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

“The Handoff”

There are times the people image Jesus traveling around Judea and Galilee in something other than the traditional dress of the time. Instead of a loose-fitting coat and sandals, they picture Jesus clothed in blue tights, with a red cape and a large “S” on his chest. This might be a bit of an overstatement, but people do picture Jesus as a first-century, mid-eastern superman. He swoops down to those in need, performs whatever miracle is necessary to save them, and then flies off to the next town.

In reality, Jesus is anything but a superman. Superman was a type of lone wolf. He never needed anyone’s assistance, not even Lois Lane or Jimmy. Jesus establishes a community and works with other people. Jesus willingly shares his ministry, and he spends three years training his disciples to take over his ministry after his resurrection and ascension.

Our gospel text today records a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus sends his disciples out into the “real world,” and he bestows on them the same calling, and power that he has himself. As Jesus’s latter-day disciples, we learn a great deal from this story about how we are called to live and serve.

Our story opens with Jesus traveling around the countryside. In his description of the scene, Matthew gives us a summary of Jesus’ ministry while he was on earth. Jesus was reaching out to the people around him, proclaiming the good news and that the kingdom of God had come near, casting out demons and healing the sick.

Even though the people had many obvious physical needs, Jesus saw a greater need. Jesus perceived that the people were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. The people were experiencing inward anxiety. They were heavily burdened with cares that they were never meant to carry. Jesus saw their predicament and was moved with compassion.

In the person of Jesus, we discover that God is a carry God. God feels our pain, shares our tears and walks with us through the triumphs and trials of life. His compassion motivates Jesus in his ministry, but Jesus realizes that more people are required to meet the great need that faces him. He tells his disciples to pray for more laborers in the field because the harvest is so plentiful. After having them pray for more laborers, he tells them that their prayers have been answered and sends them as laborers out into the fields to reap the rich harvest.

Jesus sends his disciples out to supplement his ministry. Matthew lists their names for us in this story. The list is remarkable because it is so ordinary. Four of the disciples are fishermen. One is a tax collector, and another is a political/religious zealot. We’re not sure of the backgrounds of the rest. None, however, are of noble birth. Except for their association with Jesus and their role in the Church, none are historically significant.

Jesus doesn’t send angels to minister to other people. Neither does Jesus send the politically powerful or the financially wealthy. Jesus sends ordinary people, who have struggled as the people to whom they have been called to minister have struggled. This group of people proclaims the good news, tells of the nearness of the kingdom, casts out demons, and heals the sick.

The disciples make an impact on the lives of the people around them because they have a purpose in life. They clearly understand what they are to do, and it is way beyond merely existing or making ends meet. Their mission was to continue Jesus’ ministry.

Not only were the disciples given a purpose in life, the Holy Spirit also empowered them. They did the impossible because God moved through them.

Today we carry on the ministry of Jesus and share the same purpose and power of the disciples.

Like the disciples, we are sent out. They were sent to the cities of the surrounding countryside. When we say that we are sent out, we mean that we are called to leave our personal comfort zones and enter into the world and touch the lives of the people we encounter.

We have good news to share with the people around us (and they have a hunger to hear it). We proclaim God’s love, forgiveness, and grace. These are more than theological concepts to us. We have experienced God’s steadfast love and forgiveness. We have been overwhelmed by God’s grace. Our encounter with God has transformed our lives.

We proclaim that the kingdom of God is near. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, we are offered a new relationship with God. God’s presence in our lives is heaven on earth.

We have been empowered to overcome evil in whatever form it takes and meet the physical needs of the people around us. We do this as individuals and as a community of believers.

We do not need to be foreign missionaries to answer the call of Jesus. Nor do we need to be ordained pastors. We are missionaries—people who have been sent out—wherever we live and whatever we do. Empowered by the Spirit, we bring life and light to the situations that we are in.

Jesus told his disciples as he neared Jerusalem and the cross that they would do greater works than he did. Certainly, he did not mean that they would see still greater storms or walk longer distances on water. The church has been able to do great works because we have been able to touch more lives. There are more of us than one God/man.

I realize that in many ways, we are in as much need as the people around us. Though we walk with Jesus, we still struggle. In the ways of the world, we would seek to meet our own needs before we try to help others. God calls us to act differently. He sends us out, commissions us to minister to others. When we involve ourselves in the lives of others, we discover that our burdens grow lighter, and our needs are met in ways that we could not have imagined.

Let us pray: O God of grace abounding and love unlimited, we thank you for your infinite mercy. It has been the source of our life and faith through all our days, and before that, through the days of our ancestors.

Father, the fields of peace and justice and love are not yet ripe unto harvest. They have been plowed and planted, but they have yet to be cultivated with care and diligence. Send us forth into those fields, O God, as laborers in your service. Let them be made ready for the harvest. Let us and our neighbors around the globe live in love and peace, with justice for all. Amen.

Are you seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Sermon contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn.
Jesus calls his disciples and then sends them out to continue his ministry of preaching, teaching, casting out demons, and healing.

The Daily Prayer for SUNDAY, June 14, 2020

The Daily Prayer

SUNDAY, June 14, 2020

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874—1936)

A towering presence, G. K. Chesterton was an excitable and opinionated man who was also blessed with a sense of humor that has much to offer a world polarized by politics. He passionately critiqued liberals and conservatives, and maintained a lively and genuine friendship with George Bernard Shaw, with whom he disagreed on nearly everything. Chesterton set out to rethink the faith, but laughingly compared his quest to a voyager who set out to find a lost land only to rediscover England. At forty-eight, he formally converted to Catholicism. Amid very serious discourse, he insisted that despair comes not from being weary of suffering but from being weary of joy. He died on this day, and his epitaph describes him as one who helped restore the world to sanity by exaggerating whatever the world neglects.

G. K. Chesterton said, “The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.”

Lord, free us from our self-deception and attune our hearts to your Spirit, that we might remember how you humbled yourself, and learn to serve one another, whatever our disagreements. Amen.

Verse of the Day SUNDAY, June 14, 2020

Philippians 3:20

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Read all of Philippians 3

Listen to Philippians 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 - Domingo 14 de junio de 2020

¿Temor a Dios?

El principio de la sabiduría es el temor del Señor; buen juicio demuestran quienes cumplen sus preceptos.

— Salmo 111:10 (NVI)

Ayer el versículo con que finalicé la enseñanza encierra esta frase: «El temor del Señor». Quise retomarlo porque cuando se empieza a conocer un poco más la Palabra, cuando comenzamos a asistir a una iglesia evangélica o cuando escuchamos a pastores o cristianos, es muy común escuchar acerca del temor al Señor o a Dios. A menudo, en esto se ve el miedo que sienten algunos a lo que pudiera hacerles Dios, como el temor que sintieron Adán y Eva después de desobedecerlo en el jardín del Edén al comer del árbol prohibido.

Sin embargo, el libro de Proverbios no se refiere al temor de que nos haga daño Dios, sino que se refiere a no querer ofenderlo sabiendo que Él tiene un corazón amoroso. En conclusión, esta palabra bajo este contexto de Proverbios significa reverencia y respeto.

También dice otro versículo que «el comienzo de la sabiduría es el temor del Señor» y que «conocer al Santo es tener discernimiento» (Proverbios 9:10).

Lo más importante es que cada día le pidamos a Dios sabiduría a fin de ser obedientes y agradarlo siempre. No hay nada más hermoso que poder vivir respetando y agradando a nuestro Padre, en lugar de hacer las cosas por miedo o cobardía.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Ayer el versículo con que finalicé la enseñanza encierra esta frase: «El temor del Señor».

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Sunday, June 14, 2020

PERSISTENT PRAYER

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.

— 1 Samuel 12:23a (NIV)

An important aspect of prayer is to pray patiently. God meets our needs “at the proper time” (Galatians 6:9). Too often Christians weary of praying, and give up. This is often justified on the basis that God's failure to answer means the request is not according to His will. Remember, God can:

Deliver - whatever we ask in His name;

Delay - to fit His perfect timing (only He sees the end from the beginning);

Deny - and say ‘No’ because we ask amiss or give a

Different and better answer.

Jesus urges us to be persistent in prayer (Luke 11:5-8). This does not mean that God does not want to meet our needs and that we need to try to persuade Him. It simply means that only God, who completely understands the whole situation, can know when and how to answer. Only when we have assurance in our hearts from the Lord, should we remove a matter from our prayer list.

Many times Christians lose heart in prayer because they do not recognize when the Lord does answer their prayers. Sometimes this is due to the fact that they did not pray specifically enough and sometimes because they have decided in advance how God must answer. Perhaps they think that only a great miracle can meet their need.

But the Lord may change the circumstances so that the need seems to be supplied “naturally.” Mature believers will recognize that the events of everyday life also come from the Lord. Our daily bread and safety are miracles of God in this troubled world Let us not presume to tell God how to answer, and let us praise Him for His daily care.

RESPONSE: Today I will acknowledge God gives His best to those who leave the choices to Him.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to be patient and persistent…and leave the answers to my prayers in Your hands.

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 June 14, 2020 - "Jesus Loves Me"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Jesus Loves Me"

June 14, 2020

♫ "Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so." ♫

The simple words of this children's song express a profound truth: the Bible tells me that Jesus loves me and that I belong to Him! The apostle John expresses a similar thought as he explains the purpose of the inspired Scriptures: "These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name" (John 20:31).

The Scriptures are written that we might believe in Jesus, who is present in Genesis from the first creating Word. The earliest Gospel promise points to Jesus, the woman's offspring, who would crush the tempting serpent (see Genesis 3:15). Jesus makes the final promise of Scripture, "Surely I am coming soon" (Revelation 22:20b). The Law and the prophets foretell Jesus' coming. The slaughtered lambs of the first Passover and the temple sacrifices foreshadow the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. The psalms sing of the Son of Man, who for a time was made lower than the angels. The psalms foretell Jesus' suffering and provide the prayer He cried out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1a). The prophet Hosea looks into a future filled with hope to say, "On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him" (Hosea 6:2b). From beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible shouts the same joyful news: "Jesus loves me!"

The Holy Spirit enlightens our hearts and minds through the Word, through the promise of the Gospel, the good news of all that Jesus accomplished for us in His death and resurrection. We may have been brought as infants to the baptismal font, learning about Jesus from parents, pastors, and teachers, as we grew. Or enlightened by the Holy Spirit as adults, we learned about Jesus in church or through the witness of a Christian friend.

Jesus is there in the sacred pages, visible to the eyes of faith, to understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Jesus' opponents—those who rejected Him as Messiah and Savior—searched the Scriptures to find eternal life. But they could not find what only Jesus can give. Jesus said to them, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life" (John 5:39-40). The Scriptures, beginning to end, testify to the mighty acts of God, to all that He has done to bring about our salvation. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we see the Savior with nearly every turn of the sacred pages, for what the Bible tells us—over and over again—is that ringing, joyful news: Jesus loves me!

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we praise You for Your saving love, and for the gift of Holy Scripture, which reveals that love to us. Lead us to treasure and to study Your Word until we live in Your presence forever. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you have any favorite hymns or campfire songs you enjoyed as a kid? What are they?

2. How does the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts and minds and bring us to faith?

3. Have you worked through the Bible's many references and prophesies about Jesus, trying to see how He is portrayed in the Old and New Testaments?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Jesus Loves Me." Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you have any favorite hymns or campfire songs you enjoyed as a kid? What are they?

Unser Täglich Brot - Für einander gemacht

Für einander gemacht

Lesung: 1. Mose 2,18-24 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: Esra 9-10; Apostelgeschichte 1

MP3 herunterladen

Es ist nicht gut für den Menschen allein zu sein. Ich will ihm ein Wesen schaffen, das zu ihm passt.

— 1. Mose 2,18

„Ich passe auf ihn auf. Wenn er glücklich ist, bin ich glücklich“, sagt Elisabeth. Edgar antwortet: „Ich bin glücklich, wenn sie da ist.“ Edgar und Elisabeth sind seit 79 Jahren verheiratet. Als Edgar kürzlich in ein Pflegeheim musste, ging es ihm schlecht—also brachte Elisabeth ihn nach Hause. Er ist 101 Jahre alt, sie ist 95. Auch wenn sie einen Rollator braucht, um sich vorwärtszubewegen, tut sie liebevoll alles für ihren Mann, was ihr möglich ist. Gerne bereitet sie ihm seine Lieblingsmahlzeiten zu. Aber sie schafft es nicht alleine. Enkel und Nachbarn helfen bei den Dingen, die Elisabeth nicht mehr schafft.

Elisabeths und Edgars gemeinsames Leben ist ein Beispiel für 1. Mose 2, wo Gott sagt: „Es ist nicht gut für den Menschen allein zu sein. Ich will ihm ein Wesen schaffen, das zu ihm passt“ (V. 18). Keine der Kreaturen, die Gott zu Adam brachte, erfüllten diese Beschreibung. Nur in Eva, die aus der Rippe Adams erschaffen wurde, fand Adam eine passende Helferin und Gefährtin (V. 19-24).

Eva war für Adam die perfekte Gefährtin, und durch sie stiftete Gott die Ehe. Hier ging es nicht nur um die gegenseitige Hilfe für Einzelne, sondern auch darum, eine Familie zu gründen und die Schöpfung zu versorgen, was wiederum andere Menschen miteinschließt (1. Mose 1,28). Aus dieser ersten Familie entstand eine Gemeinschaft, damit niemand, ob verheiratet oder Single, alt oder jung, alleine sein würde. Als Gemeinschaft hat Gott uns das Vorrecht geschenkt, uns gegenseitig „bei unseren Problemen zu helfen“ (Galater 6,2).

Wie hilft es dir zu wissen, dass unabhängig von unserem Familienstand wir als Gläubige in Jesus niemals allein sind? Wie hast du den Leib Christi in Aktion gesehen?

Lieber Herr, danke, dass du Mann und Frau füreinander erschaffen und die Gemeinschaft der Gläubigen gegründet hast, damit niemand von uns wirklich alleine ist.

Von Alyson Kieda

© 2020 Unser Täglich Brot
„Ich passe auf ihn auf. Wenn er glücklich ist, bin ich glücklich.“