Dear Lord God, no one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other; you cannot serve both God and money is what I awake to today. While I have been wrestling with this message in my head for some time now, since my meeting at work last Tuesday, it has begun to crystallize, and again this Tuesday and yesterday as I listened to the new evening radio host on 88.1 WayFM talk about the past year of his life leading up to his being offered and taking the job at a Christian station rather than a more high paying one within traditional radio. O Lord God it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, so why do we chase the things under the sun that will only become obstacles for us. So I looked up the actual verses Matthew 6:23-25 and Luke 12-14, and Matthew 19:23-25, Mark 10:24-26 and Luke 18:24-26, actual verses are listed below, and what jumps out at me is the differences between the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. First the use of ‘no one’ vs. ‘no servant’ can serve two masters; then the use of ‘again I tell you’ and ‘indeed’ by Matthew and Luke prior to it is easier, JUMPS out at me. It is like the difference in a statement of fact, faith and belief (acceptance) in within the scriptures. It is like Jesus is first telling it to me, then reminding me and finally acknowledging it to me as I believe and accept it. This is all to familiar with Father Guys Homily recent about faith being more powerful and true that fact. It is like You are first telling me a fact, ‘no one can serve two masters’, and then making it a statement of faith, ‘no servant can serve two masters’, leaving it to me to decide to believe and accept what I want to be a, believer and or true servant for no servant can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other, I cannot serve both You God and money. The same is true based on what I decide to be and do, You first tell me a fact ‘It is easier’, then make it a statement of faith by saying ‘again I tell you, it is easier’, and finally a statement of decision and acceptance ‘indeed, it is easier’ leaving me to realize then accept that if I continue to choose money or wrestle with the decision I may never become wealthy or rich and I will likely sacrifice my second chance, or it will definitely be harder for me to remain in Your kingdom. O Lord the depths of Your knowledge and wisdom amaze and confuse me; help me! Dear Lord Jesus help me! O my Jesus I need Your help! Hear my cries, listen to my prayers, do not let me waste any more time trying to do what is not Your will and purpose. The time is now for You to help me decide and to open the next door and let be the narrower one. In Jesus name I beg, ask and pray, Amen.
Matthew 6:24
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Luke 16:13
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Matthew 19:24
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Mark 10:25
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Luke 18:25
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him.
— St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 40
7 And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." 12 And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, 16 `After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, 17 that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, 18 says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.’ 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues."
Bible Study: [7-11] Paul’s refusal to impose the Mosaic law on the Gentile Christians is supported by Peter on the ground that within his own experience God bestowed the holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household without preconditions concerning the adoption of the Mosaic law (see Acts 10:44-47). [11] In support of Paul, Peter formulates the fundamental meaning of the gospel: that all are invited to be saved through faith in the power of Christ.
1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yea, the world is established, it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity."
Bible Study: Psalm 96] A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Psalm 96:1-3), who is the sole God (Psalm 96:4-6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Psalm 96:7-10); even inanimate creation is to offer praise (Psalm 96:11-13). This psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Isaiah 40-55, as does Psalm 98. Another version of the psalm is 1 Chron 16:23-33.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Bible Study: [15:1-16:4] Discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples. His words become a monologue and go beyond the immediate crisis of the departure of Jesus. [1-17] Like John 10:1-5, this passage resembles a parable. Israel is spoken of as a vineyard at Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 21:33-46 and as a vine at Psalm 80:9-17; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:2; 17:5-10; 19:10; Hosea 10:1. The identification of the vine as the Son of Man in Psalm 80:15 and Wisdom’s description of herself as a vine in Sirach 24:17 are further background for portrayal of Jesus by this figure. There may be secondary eucharistic symbolism here; cf Mark 14:25 "the fruit of the vine."
/ raangulo
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