21 September 2026 - in need of the divine physician

Today's Readings

(Audio)

  

He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.

Jesus called us to follow him and we did follow, but not nearly so immediately and wholeheartedly as did Matthew. He continues to call us to follow him more closely, but we continue to hesitate and second guess his call. The way we experience encountering Jesus must be qualitatively quite different from the way Matthew experienced it. Jesus upended everything Matthew thought he knew about who he was and his place in the world. But somehow we don't receive the invitation from Jesus with similar power. We can see from Scripture that not everyone did. For some people the invitation was revolutionary and transformational. But others found reasons to ignore or reject it. It seems that we may be trying to straddle the issue, with one foot in and one foot out. We may not fully trust Jesus or his intentions if we believe too much of the world tells us about him. Is he really good? Does he really want want is best for us? Yet the hardest part of believing his call can sometimes be the fact that he would call us specifically. We believe ourselves to be unworthy of his love. We may wonder what of value we have to contribute to his Kingdom project. 

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Jesus did not come to call those who were already worthy of him. He came to give us the grace to make us worthy. He did not come to call those already equipped, but rather to equip those whom he called. As Paul explained to the Ephesians, "he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ". But many of us put up a false pretense of worthiness and skill that prevent us from receiving all that Jesus has for us. We are like the Pharisees in this way. Even if we may recognize that our situation is imperfection and needs improvement we imagine our need to be mild and incremental. We don't realize that we stand in the same desperate need as any tax collector or sinner. We've been projecting this aura of competence because the world all but insists upon it. Unfortunately we often come to believe it to one degree or another We think that if we need Jesus at all we need him just a bit, in some measure, but that much of our lives are fine without him. Thus we try to slot him in to specifically religious segments of our schedules. But Jesus is not willing to play the role of our life enhancer. He wants to be our lord and our king. To experience this we may have to tear the band-aids off of our wounded hearts, revealing the full truth of who we are to him, so that we can receive the healing and transformation that he so longs to give us.

Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

We do need the healing hands of the divine physician in our own lives. We are doing ourselves a disservice when we pretend otherwise. But this does not apply only to ourselves. It means there are many people who are merely pretending, though perhaps they themselves believe, that they are fine, complete, needing nothing and no one. The more people insist on this the more suspicious the claim becomes. Obviously the point is not that we should attack them, shouting 'You're just as pathetic as the rest of us', or something like that. Rather we should be sympathetic and willing to put the invitation of Jesus in front of them even if they don't seem interested. They may not appear to be on the surface. But somewhere inside every person is interested. We are made to be so.

Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.

 

  

David Crowder Band - How He Loves

 

 

20 September 2026 - not our ways

Today's Readings

(Audio)

  

And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'

Although the Jews had been the Lord's people since the beginning of history it was no violation of justice for God to share his benefits with the Gentiles as well. This had in fact been his plan the whole time. Though they had been idle while the Jewish people had been in the vineyard of the Lord it did not imply that they should receive less as a result. It wasn't as though God truly needed the involvement of either people. Rather he involved them both in different ways and at different times to demonstrate his generosity and his mercy through them. Part of the lesson was precisely the gratuitous nature of the gift. God did not need anyone, was in fact able, "from these stones to raise up children for Abraham" (see Matthew 3:9).

What was true about periods of history and the difference between the other nations and Israel was also true about the calling of different people at different times in their lives. Whether one is called in youth, in middle age, or repented like the good thief on the cross moments before death, the fundamental reward was still the same: eternal life. Yet it is also true that there is a sense in which some were rewarded more than others, but it requires a reversal of assumptions to understand it. Only when we come to see that the work in the vineyard is a privilege and not a mere obligation do we begin to see how those who are able to show greater love and mercy while still in this life, and perhaps in spite of great suffering, are actually uniquely privileged. It seems clear to us that the landowner sees things this way. He is borderline obsessed with putting as many people to work as possible, going again and again to find any he might have missed on earlier visits. He seems to do this, not so much because he needs the help, since, after all, how much will it really contribute to have people working the last hour of the day? But he appears to sense the indignity endured by those who were standing around idle and without purpose. They are, he knows, meant for more.

'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'

This is good news for those of us who have turned to the Lord later in life. But it is also good news for those who have labored long in the Lord's vineyard. We can see something of this attitude in Paul, who would have been content to receive the reward of eternal life common to all, which is, in one sense, incomparable. But he did not begrudge the importance of the ongoing work he could do in the vineyard during his mortal life.

For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. 
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me. 

A more selfish man who was similarly convinced of his eternal destiny and in love with Jesus might have been less willing to put up with longer years of suffering and service before seeing him face to face. But not Paul. He wanted what the landowner wanted. He knew that human ways were different from God's ways and he decided to relinquish his own right to preference when it came to the God's judgment.

Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. 

 

Randy Rothwell - Salvation Belongs To Our God

 

19 September 2026 - sown and raised

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.

The opportunity to receive the word of God is fairly abundant in our world today. But we know that there is a difference between the abstract possibility of receiving it and actually doing so. There is so much set against our reception of the word. The general cultural view of Christianity is that it is a myth that has given way to a more enlightened scientific understanding. Among Christians there are many who claim to adhere to the word of God but who have not allowed it to significantly change their lives. The Devil is highly invested in preventing people from receiving the word and in taking it from those who do begin to receive it. As a liar and the father of lies, we should not be surprised that he does this by spreading false rumors and partial truths about Christianity. These tend to prevent people from receiving the seed in the first place. But they can also weaken the potency of what is received such that is unable to take deep enough root. If the Devil managed to make the Corinthians believe in a false and limited view of the resurrection it would have meant that their beliefs were less able to resist worldly temptations, and more subject to their passions, such anxiety, pleasure, and the pursuit of wealth.

The antidote to the lies of the Devil is the truth, since, as Jesus tells us, "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (see John 8:32). We fight the spiritual battle against the Devil in a variety of ways. But one way is by making sure he doesn't steal from us our Christian birthright of access to the truth, the fullness of divine revelation contained in the word of God and the Sacred Tradition as expressed authentically through the magesterium of the Bride of Christ. This implies understanding the resurrection, which in turn means understanding what Jesus did for us, how it applies to us now, and how it will apply to us in the future. Far from an abstraction, it helps us see that this world is not ultimate and death is not the end. This does prepare us for the harvest, but it also motivates us from the long haul since we know that our efforts are not hopeless. We "embrace it [the word] with a generous and good heart" and bear fruit here and now precisely because we know that we are meant to live now in a way that embraces we hope our eternal destiny will be. We live now by the power of the Spirit because we hope to one day receive resurrection in which all that we are, including our physical bodies, will be fully transformed by the Spirit into something glorious. If there is a resurrection then no love is ever wasted. But if the resurrection is a myth, or something that happened to Jesus as a one time unique event, then it is only natural to infer that it doesn't have much to do with us. What is left but anxiety, riches, and pleasure in that case?

It might seem like a stretch to imagine a future so different from the present world we know. But this present world is only the beginning. It is still in the mold shaped and left to us by Adam, full of the heritage of sin and death that taints ourselves and everything around us. This was allowed to be the beginning precisely so that something better and more lasting could meaningfully supersede it. The happy fault of Adam was permitted because God saw that he could bring from it an even greater good. He gave life and breath to humans through Adam. But he gave us his Spirit through Christ Jesus, and through that same Spirit he will one day raise us up. 

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you (see Romans 8:11).

So let us treasure the precious seed of the word of God, knowing that there is a real opponent out there doing all he can to make us second guess what we believe. Let us seek to learn how to make it a true root, one that can anchor us even in the face of real world difficulties, and help us resist the allure of worldly temptations. We begin to bear fruit in this life, love, joy, peace, and the rest. But it does not end here.

So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.

Kutless - Word Of God Speak

 

18 September 2026 - accompanying him

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities

We too are called to accompany Jesus, to provide for him from out of our resources, and to serve him with our talents. We are called to do so regardless of our social standing, and are not disqualified by our past, whatever it may have been. Even for those of us who did not have lifestyles of debauchery and dissipation before our eventual conversions it is nevertheless true that we have all sinned, all fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). We have all done what we ought not do, and not done many things we ought to do. We have never once adequately responded to the many gifts of grace given us by God. Even our thanksgiving is paltry compared to what we receive. Yet none of this defines us. None of it puts a limit on who we can become now that we are walking with Christ. We may have a past as sinners but it in no way precludes our future as saints. Things that the world tells us should define us and limit us are not limitations in Christ in whom, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (see Galatians 3:28).  Our lives now transcend the narrow horizon of mortality. Paul wants us to understand that the resurrection of Christ does not merely tell us about Jesus but also about ourselves and our own destinies.

If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?

It is not the case that resurrection was merely a one-time event, an outlier that happened to Jesus, but without ongoing effects on reality. The problem it addressed was not a temporary problem, as though it merely removed an obstacle for Jesus himself. It was not just a continue after a game over. It was the victory in a battle in which death was defeated and sin was conquered. Our own sin would still remain were it not for the resurrection. Our own past would still define us. It is the resurrection which opens a new horizon of life for us and makes us new creations in Christ (see Second Corinthians 5:17). This is why Paul writes, "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins". This is the reason why we're here. Without it Christianity doesn't really have anything to offer. Without the resurrection all that remains is a distraction from the harsh reality of our impending death. There are ways in which our lives will be better as Christians regardless, since being virtuous does lead to fulfillment of a sort. But living as though our treasure is in heaven if there were really no heaven awaiting us would truly be sad and hollow. The payoff from Christianity is meant to be more than the side benefits that may accrue during our mortal lives, which is why Paul tells us, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all". But the thing to remember, the thing on which Paul insists, and the fundamental core of the Good News of Christianity is precisely that "Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep". Let us not only believe it but let's allow it to transform us, as it did all who encountered the risen Christ.

 

Matt Maher - Christ Is Risen

 

17 September 2026 - hence, she has shown great love

Today's Readings
(Audio)

 

Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.

The primary thing that differentiated the Pharisee from the so-called sinful woman was that she recognized the depth of her need for Jesus, whereas the Pharisee took a more casual academic interest. The woman came in desperate hope. The Pharisee was as ready to be disappointed as impressed, seeing himself as better than Jesus, able to recognize the fact that the woman was a sinner, which Jesus had apparently missed. The Pharisee didn't recognize that he too ought to have wept for his sins at the feet of Jesus. Because he didn't recognize his need for forgiveness his was unable to receive it, and was therefore not  motivated to do anything for Jesus in response. Although he invited Jesus to dinner he did not give water to wash his feet, or kiss him in welcome, or anoint his head with oil. 

The woman knew her need for Jesus, sought him, and, this is key, he welcomed and did not reject her. It was this loving acceptance that motivated her response, since it represented the forgiveness she desired. It made it clear that her contrition was received and accepted. Thus she was forgiven much and then loved much in response. She washed his feet with her tears, kissed them, and anointed them with oil. This extravagant response was provoked by recognizing and receiving the extravagant love of Jesus himself. We can see too that her love represented a kind of "reparation" to the heart of Jesus for the omissions of the Pharisee since Jesus himself saw it as filling the omissions of hospitality by Simon the Pharisee.

Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?

It isn't so much that any of us owes so much more or less than any other. The point is that some of us recognize it more, and our lives are changed as a result. We do ourselves no favors by pretending to be perfect, strong, and flawless. When we do so, we fail to give Jesus the access to our hearts that he needs in order to transform us. The risk is that we remain like Simon, stingy, judgmental, indifferent to others, and trapped in the prison of our egos. But when we recognize our need for Jesus he breaks open the shell of our egos, transforms us, and makes us both capable of love and motivated to do so.
We can infer from our first reading the degree to which Paul knew the transforming love of Jesus for himself. Since he saw himself as foremost among sinners (see First Timothy 1:15) and yet forgiven he received grace that allowed him to toil "harder than all of them". Let us not neglect the source of strength we find when we cast ourselves at the feet of Jesus, holding nothing back.

Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.

Matt Maher - Your Love Is Extravagant

 

16 September 2026 - acceptable answers

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

 

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.

When John came they thought he was too extreme, too single-mindedly focused on only his mission. They thought that they way he ate and the fact that he avoided wine entirely were entirely unreasonable and unacceptable. Rather than his approach, they preferred to slot religion in more as a hobby or an abstraction than as a way of life. If it was important to them at all it was important as one thing among many. This would lead one to believe that if someone else came eating and drinking they would be more open to it. But it was not so.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

If the Son Of Man had merely been a believable excuse for them to eat and drink they might have welcomed him. But there was a difference between the feast being offered by the king for the wedding of his son and mere gluttony and indulgence. In order to reap the benefits of the festive and joyful mood of the wedding feast they would need to accept the invitation. As we know from the parable, they had better things to do. They could not imitate Zacchaeus who welcomed Jesus to his table but who also transformed his life as a consequence.

In short, the crowds who could not accept either John or Jesus did not really do so because they were hugely averse to fasting or feasting. These were convenient excuses to impugn the character of individuals whose doctrine they found to be difficult. It is ever thus. In ages marked by excess conservatism the Church is regarded as too liberal for permitting music, dancing, and moderate alcohol consumption. In ages marked by excess liberality the Church is condemned as too conservative for condemning the excesses of sexual license and other moral failings. Her character is impugned not because it is really too extreme in one direction or the other, but because she is too right, and we don't want to change.

In spite of our reluctance to dance and weep when we ought the Father does not cease playing the music of his invitation to us. The world may tell us that this invitation will, in one way or another, destroy us. But we know that it will not because "wisdom is vindicated by all her children". We can see that it worked in the lives of others, notably in the lives of Saint Cyprian and Cornelius whom we remember today. And we can recognize that it works in us as we ourselves believe and begin to bear fruit in the joy and power of the Holy Spirit.

It ultimately isn't about a competition among competing spiritual ideologies, as though the group who could demonstrate the greatest spiritual gifts were superior. It is rather about something far more fundamental: the path of love. This path means necessarily following and uniting ourselves to God who is love, and to Jesus, who took on flesh for our salvation, to be the face of love for us. Among the childish things we are called to put aside are these instincts that make us compete, even in spiritual matters, rather than focusing on the one thing that really matters. Whether we call that one thing love or we call it God, we are talking about the same thing. The music of his invitation is ongoing. Let us take up our part in the dance.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

 

David Ruis - We Will Dance

 

15 September 2026 - her station keeping

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.

Mary was so united to her Son that she felt the pain that he felt, just as Simeon prophesied, saying, "you yourself a sword will pierce". She was preeminently part of the body of Christ of which, as Paul tells us, all the baptized are members. This means not only sharing the charismatic gifts that flow from Christ but also and especially sharing his heart, being motivated by what motivates him, moved to compassion as he was, desiring the Father's will above all as he did. Being united to the heart of Christ means resisting the diabolical temptation to avoid the cross to which Peter momentarily succumbed. It means being willing to stand up and be counted with Jesus rather than denying and betraying him before men. It means a willingness to be present with him in dark and difficult times and not only in moments of glory. 

 If we try to be members of his body without receiving everything that flows to us from his heart we are obviously going to have, at best, impaired function. Mary is a stellar example of an unfiltered reception of the heart of Jesus into her own heart. It began with her fiat to the angel Gabriel, continued as she took up her station by his cross, and culminated in her assumption and coronation in heaven. None of this did she earn through her own merit. It was a gift, and one not intended for her alone.

Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

We are meant to be the disciples who are meant to take Mary into our home. United to Jesus we not only cry "Abba! Father!" but we also call Mary our mother. Just as she was perfectly united to her Son so too is Mary united to his Body. What Mary became by grace she helps her other children, those who keep the commandments and the testimony of Jesus (see Revelation 12:17), to become. She treasured everything she received about the Lord in her heart. And now she helps us to learn what she learned through contemplating the face of her Son. One particular way she does this is in the mysteries of the rosary that she has given us. But, as should be clear by now, these are not meant to be pious abstractions. They are meant to increase our own union with Jesus so that we can love him as completely as Mary herself did, and then, in turn, love our neighbors for his sake, as Mary also clearly did. We will not do this all in the same way or with the same gifts. But we are all meant to be united to Jesus and used by him as Mary allowed herself to be. This may mean that we too will be signs to the world that are "contradicted". But at such times we can know that we are not alone at our cross. Mary is there with us, together with her Son, bringing the image of Jesus to perfection in us through her motherly care.

Norbertines of St. Michael's Abbey - Stabat Mater Dolorosa

14 September 2026 - God so loved

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

  

No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

Fallen humanity often expressed the desire to go up to heaven in order to make a name for themselves, as was first recorded at the tower of Babel (see Genesis 11:4). But this project of bridging the gap between humanity and divinity, of transcending our own limitations and weaknesses by our own effort and ingenuity, was never going to succeed. Thus, while our knowledge of earthly things was  incomplete but real, our knowledge of heavenly realities was only possible if one from heaven revealed them to us. It was for this reason that Jesus came. He unveiled the mystery of the new birth of baptism to which human birth pointed, and explained to Nicodemus that it was the only way to enter the kingdom of God. Yet there was more above and beyond individual heavenly mysteries and their earthly counterparts. What Jesus came to reveal above all else was his Father, and the love of the Triune God for mankind.

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

In the time of Moses the serpents were sent as punishment for disobedience, leading to death for those bitten by them. In this they were a sign of sin itself, of which death was unavoidable consequence. But we may infer that God was not merely expecting the serpents to destroy his people. He was counting on people turning toward him in there affliction and on Moses interceding for forgiveness and life for his people. So too in the case of Adam and Eve: death was not merely issued as a punishment from a vindictive and angry God. Rather it was meant to be medicinal, preventing people from seeking permanence in impermanent things. For hearts made for immortality it presented two choices: turn to God in hope or despair. God intended to nourish precisely this longing for himself in his creatures so that he could ultimately satisfy it.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.

God the Father deeply desired that people would receive his Son, and through him salvation and eternal life. But this was about more than simply listening to his teaching, though that came from heaven. It was about seeing him lifted up, first on the cross, and then risen and glorified. But the severity of sin made it so that the cross was not optional or accidental. There was no way to Easter that did not proceed through the cross. Salvation made it normatively necessary for people to reckon with what the cross meant for them specifically. It revealed exactly what we were being saved from, just as did the seraph serpents. It did this precisely to reveal the depths of the love of God who did not abandon us even in spite of the price of our disobedience for his beloved only Son. Indeed, even seeing the suffering of his Son from his vantage point of eternity, his love for humanity never wavered. He never second guessed his plan to save us through him.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.

In terms of what God asked of humanity in order to receive salvation we can say it was pretty minimal compared to what might have been. Basically it came down to believing in Jesus and allowing that belief to change our lives. He didn't demand pilgrimages or penances or any other great works of ours, much less the building of a tower to heaven. He offered us salvation as a free gift and an open invitation. But the reality of the situation was that it was a rescue mission. And those who willfully and obstinately refused to welcome it would remain unrescued. It was terrifyingly possible to go down with the sinking ship of the world in its present form. Yet some might prefer to do this because we know the alternative is to have the attitude and follow the example set for us by Christ Jesus, who did not cling to what was his own by right, but trusted in his Father to care for him and provide for him. We too must surrender our own lives into the hands of the Father in humility if we hope to be raised up with Jesus and to live with him forever. We could call that difficult. But the only thing harder, ultimately, is any other path.

But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.

 

 

We The Kingdom - God So Loved

 

13 September 2026 - learning the right lesson

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan. 

It is possible to receive forgiveness but take a lesson from it that is entirely wrong, the opposite of what we ought learn. We all stand before God with a debt even larger than the massive debt of the servant in this parable. Hopefully we all do in fact come to God for forgiveness. But some of us come to see this forgiveness in such a way that we believe that we have discharged our obligations toward our heavenly King, that we no longer stand in a relationship of dependence toward him. The idea that gets us in trouble is that our lives are ours to do with what we please once we have forgiveness. This has an initial appeal. But it leads to existential terror when we realize that on our own we have nothing to protect us from the various negative circumstances that might occur in life. We must, as it were, become the gods of our own lives, jobs to which we are not well suited. Without remaining rooted in the compassion of the king we can only root our identity in changing and corruptible things. We can't shake the vague sense that we our very selves might be destroyed by any negative change of our fortune. And so we become desperate, even though we have been forgiven and should know better.

When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount. 
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’

If we want to know how deeply we have received the mercy of God into our own hearts we ought to look at how we treat others more than our subjective feelings about it or whether we enjoy singing songs praising him for it. We are more than able to plaster over the exterior of our hearts, but still try to extract all we can from others as though our very continued existence depends upon it. The point of forgiveness is not that we can henceforth be independent of God and then flail around desperately as we try to fend for ourselves. It is so that we will learn to trust his love and remain rooted in it. Given that we know all this, and yet still sometimes demand from creatures what we ought to receive from God alone, how can we take precautions against such flawed tenancies? Our first and second readings have some pointed suggestions.

remember death and decay, and cease from sin!

If we remember our own finitude we won't try to extract from creatures a security or certainty that they cannot offer. We will thus be more free to show them compassion, to let the mercy we first receive from God flow through us to them.

For if we live, we live for the Lord,
and if we die, we die for the Lord;

If we remember that our lives are no longer meant to be about us but about Jesus we will not make the mistake of forgetting his agenda to pursue our own. We will treat our brothers and sisters as those who should be shown mercy and love since this is God's will for them just as it is for us.

remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.

If we remember the covenant of the Lord we will recognize that the entire story of salvation history is built on the tender mercy of our loving heavenly Father. We won't attempt or desire to be free and independent of one who has loved us so constantly and so well. We will see the story would have ended long ago if God was committed to strict justice, but which continues precisely because his heart is one of mercy. His mercy is meant to be the firm foundation of our own lives, and the basis of our own relationship with others. This should not become for us a mere obligation or a duty to avoid certain kinds of stingy behavior. It is at least that. But it is meant to give us the confidence in God's love that transforms our own hearts so that we genuinely want to show others the love we have received from him.

The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion

 

Songs In His Presence - So Bless The Lord

 

12 September 2026 - saying vs doing

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Many people have philosophies of life or religious beliefs that apparently have little to no direct impact on how they actually live. These are more like aesthetic choices than convictions that result in concrete actions in the lives of those who profess them. For example, people, particularly in the West, may claim to be Buddhist because they like the chill vibes, but without undertaking the moral rigor that be required of a real traditional practitioner. They like it because they believe they can continue to be conformed to the culture and morality of the world around them while still holding beliefs that they can rehearse to comfort themselves. We expect that the lack of rigorous moral standards is also what makes the new age movement and the modern variations of paganism to be as popular as they seem to have become. Professing these beliefs is like a life style choice by which people create themselves as characters in their own fantasy stories. Yet it is doubtless better than staring into the void of an uncaring universe. They desire the comfort of self-expression, and the comfort of knowing that there truly is a spiritual aspect of reality, but without being forced to do anything difficult, anything that contravenes their natural instincts and desires. People in the world being this way is not surprising. More sad, however, is that there are also Christians who treat their own religion this way. Many of us use it more as an accessory of self-expression and a story to comfort ourselves in difficult times but without any concrete reality in our lives. 

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?

We may claim to care about the words of Jesus, even to study them and learn their meaning. But we often do so without putting his words into practice in our lives. It is not at all clear that we can truly call such a response faith. The words themselves are only one part of what we need for a solid foundation for our lives. The other part is to let those words change us in such a way that our lives and actions are actually different as a consequence. If we do not do this his words may provide some emotional comfort but will not withstand the real storms of our lives. Only when we hear his word, believe it, and respond, do we actually begin to build a foundation that is adequate to the difficult life circumstances we will also inevitable face eventually. And it is definitely better to do this building while the weather is still pleasant than when after the floods are already here.

We are often easily convinced that we not only believe the words of Jesus, but that are also doing them. Or, if not doing them exactly, at least not egregiously transgressing them. But we ought to inspect ourselves more closely. It isn't important only that we do not murder others, or that we don't insult them. We must be kind. It isn't important only that we don't commit adultery, or that we avoid pornography. We must be chaste. We should look to ourselves to see if we are bearing the fruit that Paul tells us should be normal for Christians filled with the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (see Galatians 5:22-23).

Importantly, we ourselves are not the source of the fruits we hope to bear, even though the actions that produce them are our own genuinely human actions. They are called fruits of the Spirit for a reason. We can't hope to produce them without his presence in our hearts. He himself is in  fact "the store of goodness" in and "the fullness of the heart" about which Jesus speaks in today's Gospel. The Holy Spirit is already within those of us who are baptized. What remains is to let him out.

Let's take a page from Paul and refuse to participate in the false spiritualities that still surround us in our world (including all versions of Christianity lite). We have in Jesus a better feast.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.

Brandon Lake - Son Of Heaven

 

11 September 2026 - misguided?

 

 

Today's Readings

(Audio)

 

Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?

If the teacher has a wooden beam in his eye, as did the Pharisees, it is inevitable that he will lead his students into a pit. The Pharisees were exceptionally practiced at finding all of the splinters in the eyes of others, but were unable to recognize the beams occluding their own vision. They pointed out all of the subtle and nuanced ways in which others did not meet their standards for adherence to the law. But they failed to recognize the corruption in their own hearts. There was no way for students who were being fed a curriculum like this to become superior to the teachers from whom they received it. They would instead become like their teacher. With the Pharisees this was not what one would want. But in the case of the disciples of Jesus it was good news indeed that his disciples could become like him. Only Jesus had the clarity of vision to help others remove the beams from their eyes, since his own eyes were not affected by any splinter of sin. This clarity that was within him was what made him light to others, not to all, but to those who would accept him (see John 1:9-13) and walk by his light.

The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going (see John 12:35).

Who is our teacher? We would like to say that it is Jesus. But are our lives becoming more like his? Are we first addressing the issues in our own lives and in our own hearts so that we can have a similar clarity of vision to that of Jesus? Or are we distracting ourselves from our own issues by focusing on those of others? We do want to be able to be of assistance to others working through their own moral issues. But in order to do more harm than good for them we must first ensure that our motives are as pure as possible. If we act in ways that seem superficially helpful but are intrinsically selfish we will do damage to both them and to ourselves.

We want to be sufficiently free from our own sinful compulsions that they don't interfere with our ability to preach the Gospel, since we all might say with Paul, "woe to me if I do not preach it!". Rather than being controlled by our own egos and living for ourselves we need the freedom to give ourselves to others "for the sake of the Gospel" in order to "win over as many as possible". Doing so take diligence and discipline. But it is worth it since the reward a crown that is"imperishable".

 

Vineyard Music - Shine Jesus Shine

 

10 September 2026 - the other cheek

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

 

To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.

Jesus didn't add, "Unless they are a politician", or "Unless they should know better", or "Unless we gave them several chances already". He would not have excluded any forum, family, the public square, or comments section on social media. Our real enemies are not necessarily those with whom we are at war. Often we prefer not even to address our enemies as enemies so that we can think of ourselves as people too nice to have them. But generally, other people could probably identify our enemies from how we speak about them and behave toward them. They are the ones toward whom we refuse to do good because, we imagine, they don't deserve it. They are the ones that we would rather curse than say anything nice about, those we would rather publicize their failures rather than to pray for them.

To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.

In our own day these individuals are not often striking us physically or demanding our actual clothing of us. But they do these things in ways that are metaphorical and yet still quite real. They insult our dignity and make it harder for us to get by in an already challenging world. Left to our own devices, our first strategies would probably involve dodging, if not hitting back. We would try clinging to the cloak, not letting go even of the tunic. The command of Jesus to do otherwise doesn't make sense to us and in fact probably seems dangerous or foolish. But we should consider if his command could in fact be the truly loving path, not because it empowers the enemy to do whatever he wants for as long as he wants, but because it might expose and interrupt his patterns of sin. We can reveal that we stand on higher ground and are playing a different game when we heed the words of Jesus. If real injury were possible we would not stick around to be maimed or crippled. But if the risk is mostly to our pride we can remain present for the sake of the other, giving him the opportunity to see that our dignity does not depend on anything he can do to us. It also shows that we care enough not to stick around rather than choosing an option that would be easier for us.

Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.

There are valid reasons not to give to others if we suspect that we would be enabling dangerous behavior or if we put our own livelihood at risk. But the real reason we are often afraid to do so is because we don't want to be compelled by others to do so. We want to be the ones that determine where and how we give. We don't want to feel as though we are giving power over ourselves to others who shouldn't have it. And yet, if we can stand above this in a way that demonstrates that we are in fact free in spite of appearances to the contrary it has the potential to change those who see it. They think they are in charge because they make demands? What if we love them by giving them even more than they ask? Who is truly the most free then?

Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.

Our criteria are often excuses to exclude others and to not show love when showing love would be difficult. We condemn others to excuse ourselves. But when we create categories of those unworthy of love, acceptance, and forgiveness, we create parts of our own hearts that are worthy of condemnation. We need to counteract this tendency by doing the opposite of what our impulses dictate:

Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.

When we do so we not only serve others but also eliminate barriers in our own hearts to receiving all that God has for us.

For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.

 

Newsboys - Breathe (Benediction)

 

9 September 2026 - plainly speaking

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

 

Today's Gospel reading gives us Jesus's Sermon on the Plain, similar, but not identical to the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew. This suggests to us that the Jesus referred to the same general teachings at multiple times, but in slightly different forms, modified to meet the needs of a specific time and place. Since the content of this sermon is considered to be among the most important of the core teachings of Jesus it should not surprise us if he preached about it more than once.

Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.

The blessings of the beatitudes all refer to people who are blessed now and will attain a better state in the future. The more surprising part of that is the  idea that the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and those hated for the sake of the Son of Man are all already blessed even while the negative conditions continue. We can understand why it is fair to say that people who will be satisfied, laugh, and receive a great reward in heaven, will be blessed when those things come to pass. But it is harder to grasp in what way they are already blessed. Is it based simply on the fact that they have promises to which they can look forward? We can interrogate this idea better if we look at the contrary woes presented next by Luke.

But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.

Those who are rich, filled, laugh, and are well spoken of now would seem to be the ones that are blessed now. But the point is that this is not actually the case. They are like people who are too anesthetized to realize the danger of their condition. They are enjoying the ride on the first half of a collapsed bridge, or appreciating the light from an oncoming train. They are too numbed by what they have to realize how briefly they can hold it. They live as the this world is the final reality, but, as Paul tells us, "the world in its present form is passing away". This will, of course, be bad for them in the future. But it is also bad now. It is actually beneath human dignity to live at the level of appearances, to indulge in a shadow play as though it will never end. When we see no connection between our lives in the present and our eternal destiny, when we forget that, "time is running out", we begin to act in ways that are not only unsustainable, but also pathetic and sad. We begin to treat the sources of our riches, our food, our joy, and our reputation, as idols that can offer us ultimate happiness. Yet all they ever do is string us along. 

By contrast, those who are not rich, or at least not dominated by their riches, have the freedom to live lives of meaning and dignity. They have consolation amidst their current trials of the rewards that will one day be theirs. Not only that, faith makes it possible for them to experience those rewards even here and now. It does this, not through the health and wealth Gospel giving them winning lottery tickets or sports cars, but by helping them to see wealth differently, to recognize the true riches that are theirs in Christ and in his Church. They may still be hungry, but at the same time they receive the food of eternal life that is the end of all hunger. They may still mourn, and that for many valid reasons. But they do so with the deeper underlying joy of the Spirit to sustain them. They may lose our worldly reputation. But they discover their true worth in the eyes of Christ and in his love for them.

They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.

 

 

Matt Maher - Lay It Down

 

8 September 2026 - part to play

Today's Readings
(Audio)

 

We don't celebrate many birthdays on the liturgical calendar. There is John the Baptist, and of course Jesus himself, and today's feast of the Nativity of Mary. And that's it. This ought to lead us to conclude that her birthday is a big deal. However, the emphasis of the celebration is different from the modern cultural institution which, if it has any meaning, is something like affirming the existence and worth of the individual. Fine and good. But biblical birthdays are important because of what the represent in the plan of God for salvation history. 

We can see the emphasis on the divine plan in our first reading, which is a prophetic prediction of the role that the son of Mary was to play as one who would shepherd the flock of Israel "by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God" leading to a time when "his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth". According to Micah what was the watershed moment when things in the world will finally begin to change? He tells us that it was "the time when she who is to give birth has borne". Therefore, if the birth of her Son is so significant, we can by no means underestimate her own birth. It was a sign of the imminence of the coming kingdom of God.

The alternative first reading from Romans also emphasized the divine plan of God that would be realized in his Son. Part of the reality that was to be realized in Jesus was the way that many brothers would be conformed to his image. They would become sons (and daughters) in the Son. But if this primarily implied that they would come to experience the Fatherhood of God in a special way it also alluded to the way in which Mary's role was always meant to be the mother, not only of Jesus, but also "those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" (see Revelation 12:17). 

Both readings want us to appreciate the Mary's involvement in the story of Jesus was not incidental, much less accidental. It was an important part of the divine plan. Thus when we celebrate her birth we honor her by recognizing it as among the most important milestones in the story of our salvation. The role played by Mary could not have been filled by just anyone. It had to be the one who God knew would accept his call, cooperate with his grace, and give the full assent of her mind and heart in her fiat. Few births (in fact, only one) changed the world more than hers, and so it is worthy of celebration.

No doubt the reason our Gospel includes the genealogy is also to emphasize the fulfillment of a plan that always existed in the heart of God since before time began. Once Joseph realized that something supernatural was happening in his betrothed, in the moment when she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, he began to question whether he himself could possibly be a part of that plan without bringing shame as a result of his own imperfection. But, although he was not immaculately conceived as Mary was, he was nevertheless also always meant to be a part of that plan. From him we can learn to not allow our own weakness to overcome us, but to be willing to do whatever part God has assigned for us. Although we are not righteous men and women to the degree that Joseph was, we nevertheless all have a part to play. We too are predestined and called to be brothers and sisters of Jesus, sons and daughters both of the Father and the mother of God. We must not shrink from this calling since in Jesus we have the presence of God in human flesh, "Emmanuel" meaning "God is with us". Therefore the promise of Micah is perfectly realized in him in a way that would be possible for no one else, "he shall be peace".

John Michael Talbot - Holy Is His Name

 Maranatha! Music - He Is Our Peace

 

7 September 2026 - keeping the feast

Today's Readings
(Audio)

  

The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.

The Pharisees were, in a fashion, working on the sabbath, though not in a way the obviously and explicitly violated that commandment. But they were doing evil, working to destroy life rather than save it, something wrong any day of the week, but especially egregious on the sabbath. 

But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."

Jesus was not about to allow the disordered motivations of the Pharisees to set the terms for this particular sabbath. He knew what they were about but refused to allow himself to be controlled by them. He did not compromise his jubilee program merely because of their hostile intentions. Rather, from his own divine abundance he welcomed those willing to receive him into a deeper experience of the sabbath. This was not only true for the one who received healing, but also the crowds who witnessed it. The restoration of the withered hand of the man was a microcosm of the restoration of Israel itself, the antidote to a nation which had not heeded the advice of the psalm, which said "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!" (see Psalm 137:5). 

 

The use of the word "restored" when Jesus healed this individual signaled more than a particular instance of his healing power. It implied that the larger restoration of Israel, divided, dispersed, and conquered, had begun, though not in the way people had expected. Even after the resurrection they didn't immediately realize everything that was implied, asking "are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (see Acts 1:6). They didn't fully understand until Pentecost. Once the Spirit came in power they began to participate already in a restored Israel, one that was transformed into a transnational, spiritual, and even heavenly reality. But the fullness of restoration, announced by Jesus on that sabbath long ago, still remains. It will not be fully accomplished until the eschaton, when there will be "times of universal restoration" (see Acts 3:21). No doubt this is closely tied to the final sabbath rest that still awaits us, mentioned by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, who wrote "there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God" (see Hebrews 4:9).

How do we prepare for this restoration and this final last sabbath rest? Our Christian communities need to open themselves to the healing touch of Jesus in order that we might excise from our midst the kind of "malice and wickedness" of which the Pharisees were guilty. So too do we need to be purified of other kinds of "immorality" that we still tolerate in our midst. We need to be brave enough to practice the sort of fraternal correction about which we read yesterday. We are not going to be the nourishing divine bread that we are meant to be while the old leaven is still present in our midst. It has a frightening ability to disproportionately spoil the larger batch. However, we cannot accomplish the transformation we need through complaining, criticizing, or virtue signaling. In fact, the transformation we need is only possible because "our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed" and in him we already have all we need to "celebrate the feast". All we need, really, is to be true to that original gift. Therefore, Paul writes to us the way with should celebrate: "with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth".

 

 

Matisyahu - Jerusalem

 

6 September 2026 - love is the fulfillment of the law

 

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

It is good to pay our debts as quickly as we are able. This is done out of respect for those to whom we owe such debts and also for the freedom that results when our debts our paid. When we owe money for this or that there are ways in which, not only our money, but our possible life choices are limited until payment is made. A loan or a mortgage requires that we be solicitous to maintain adequate employment to continue making payments. But once it is paid there are all kinds of new options available to us. We could move to a different country, or go on a mission trip, or accept a job that pays less but provides a greater sense of purpose.

However, there is one debt that takes precedence over all others, and that can never be fully or sufficiently paid and that is "to love one another". We can't love long enough or well enough that we can then forget about it and become selfish. We not only owe our neighbors for their own sakes which are finite, but also for the sake of the infinite God who made them. Therefore we can't allow ourselves to be content with weak or wishy-washy love. We certainly must avoid anything that would be harmful to them, as Paul writes, "Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law". But we can see from our other passages that the debt of love carries positive and not only negative demands.

I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel;
when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.

We are not all appointed watchmen over the house of Israel in the way that those with authority in the Church are so appointed. But even we are required to not remain silent when the spiritual life of a sister or brother is at risk. When a brother sins against us we are not meant to ignore it, much less to use it as fodder for gossip.  We are meant to take it seriously, taking whatever steps are necessary to win him over. We hope to be able to do this between ourselves and him lone. But, if not, objective third parties can be helpful. And when they are inadequate, someone who can speak clearly about the teaching of the Church whatever subject is in view can be invaluable.

If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

If our brother refuses to listen even to the church we are not thereby discharged from the debt of love we owe to him. Rather, it takes on a different form, since the terms with which we can communicate with him are different from that of a brother with a common understanding of the faith. The goal of winning over the brother remains. But the way we try to do so is now more in keeping with how we appeal to those who have not yet accepted the Gospel message. It does not mean shunning such a one. Jesus did not avoid table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. But he did recognize that they were not meant to remain in the condition in which he found them. What they needed, more than correction of individual behavior, was to hear the good news and come to saving faith. One who doubles down on sin to the degree that he will even ignore Church teaching on the matter is in a similar condition.

Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. 

We are not meant to seek and save our lost brothers and sisters merely through our own persistence and cleverness. Rather, it is only the presence of Jesus himself in the midst of us that is capable of changing human hearts. Without him present we really have nowhere to point, nothing to offer, no real meat to the appeal we want to make. He is the center, the goal, the purpose of the law and of our lives. Love fulfills the law especially and particularly when we bring others into contact with the living Christ, present here and now among his people.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.

Leeland - Way Maker

 

5 September 2026 - Lord of the sabbath

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”

The Pharisees probably convinced themselves that they meant well. They desired to call the nation to a high standard of holiness so that God would hear their prayers and vindicate them against their oppressors. But in pursuit of their plan they lost sight of the personhood of others, seeing them more like cogs that were either functioning properly in their scheme, or else not doing so. From there it wasn't too much of a stretch to see someone like Jesus as a saboteur, throwing a wrench in all of those gears leading to a systemic breakdown of the system they were attempting to build. Thus, without ever meaning to do so in a fully conscious way, they became opposed to the kingdom of Jesus in a way similar to how Saul opposed David. 

Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?

David and his men were hungry because they were fleeing from King Saul. Since David was the one anointed by the Lord to be the next king the mission he and his men were on had a divine origin. Thus they were permitted to share in the priestly privilege of eating the bread of offering. This may  hint at the unique way that the role of priest and the role of king were united in David, who was "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek" (see Psalm 110:4). At the least it demonstrated that the demands of fulfilling the divine plan superseded the liturgical norms that protected the sanctity of the bread of offering. That sanctity would have been tarnished if some random people from the road casually ate it to satiate their own hunger. But when David and his men, who had been maintaining their own purity for the sake of the mission, which itself was given by God, ate the bread, its purity was respected and maintained.

Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

The Pharisees fastidious focus on details was problematic because it made them lose sight of the big picture. In the way they taught, criticized, and argued, they trampled over others as collateral damage necessary for their agenda. And when God himself appeared before them with a different plan they not only did not consent to it, but even persecuted the one who revealed it. They were not merely rejecting a different plan, but the anointed of the Lord who made it known. They thus became like Saul who, in his pride, desired to cling to his own authority when God decreed it would pass to another.

Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

While pretending to respect the sabbath the Pharisees acted in some ways as though they believed themselves to be its lord. But their use of the sabbath regulations were not aligned to the true purpose of rest and relationship with God. After all, they were doing all they could to make it harder for the disciples of Jesus to rest and for the crowds to enjoy their relationship with he who was God in the flesh. They thus became creatures convinced that they knew better how the job of governing the universe should be performed than God himself. It only sounds absurd until we realize that we often do the like ourselves, rejecting what God has revealed in favor of what we think ought to be the case. 

Let us learn to trust God more than ourselves and to welcome the kingdom he came to reveal.

The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Housefires - Lift You High

4 September 2026 - while the bridegroom is with them

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.”

The disciples of Jesus didn't fit the mold of people who took religion seriously in his own day. They didn't do what others did, even though it was considered table stakes. They did what others did not, even though it was superficially somewhat scandalous. So too today, if Christians don't appear to others as they would expect, that is to be expected. Christians follow an internal logic that cannot be discerned merely from the order of the universe, human nature, or previous divine revelations. They live based on their relationship with the bridegroom.

Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days.”

When the world mourns Christians may well manifest an annoying aloof sense of joy. Those in the world see this as irresponsible, as though attending to one's duties in the world means treating it as an absolute good, which must be grieved whenever its inherent imperfections manifest. In the face of war, suffering, sickness, and death, Christians maintain an invincible hope and confidence in the Lord. This joy does not make them useless or incompetent to respond to those in material need. Rather, it allows them to be clearheaded enough to do so. But Christians often mourn the things the world celebrates, such as power, violence, sensuality, and celebrity. They are saddened by anything which might compromise the immortal soul for the sake of temporary benefits. This reversal, in which mortal sin is a cause for sadness, but even death, in the final analysis, calls for celebration, is paradoxical to those who do not yet know the bridegroom who stands at the center of it all.

Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

Even Christians can make the mistake of trying to use old wineskins for new wine, or of trying to patch an old cloak with a piece of new cloth. The Corinthians did so when they imported worldly concepts of  celebrity into their relationships with those doing apostolic work, such as Paul, Peter, and Apollos. They chose champions from among them as though these figures were in a popularity contest. In choosing one over another they seemed to assume that they themselves were made better by the strengths of the preferred preacher, as though it implied something about their own value. Paul attempted to put things in their proper context, explaining that he and the others were not celebrities to be celebrated, but servants and stewards working together for the good of all. If there were truly some kind of moral corruption, if any were not "found trustworthy" that would be a separate and potentially serious issue. But the human tribunal which motivated the divisions in Corinth was not competent to judge such matters. It was motivated only by self-interest. In this sense Paul did not even pass judgment on himself, whether he was superior or inferior to others. But he did take morality and having a clean conscience seriously, which is why he was able to say, "I am not conscious of anything against me".

Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.

Rather than the praise of men, leading to competition, divisions, and even schisms, what matters is praise from God. Not only in the time of Paul but even in our day we can get caught up in concern for what others think when the only thing the really matters is what God thinks. Let's resolve to keep the new wine of the Gospel in new wineskins of renewed hearts and minds, and to keep the new cloak given to us in baptism whole and unstained until his coming.

Elevation Worship Featuring Brandon Lake - There Is A King