One Walk

Dear Lord God, since the beginning, throughout the ages, through all the prophets and saints, Your message has been consistent in that You are our one true God and we are to love You, praise You and worship You above all else. Through Jesus Christ You provide fulfillment of the word, the same word which You used to create the entire universe and everything in it. O Lord forgive me for wanting to know so much, yet being so ignorant, weak and self-serving; when You are all I need to know and practice. Thank You for Your persistent nature which is filled with unconditional love for me and all Your creations. Come to me now, take my hand and lift me up into Your arms and set my feet on solid ground. Show me what I need to do, do not let me be foolish or take to wide road guide me, teach me, condition me to practice and apply that which You want me to know and use to serve You and You will. O Lord that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory; that Your hand would be with me to keep me from evil ad from causing pain. O Lord place Your healing, comforting hand I my baby and all those in need of rest, healing and comfort; help us all see the contentment which awaits us with You. Amen.

In the same way a powerful medicine cures an illness, so illness itself is a medicine to cure passion. And there is much profit of soul in bearing illness quietly and giving thanks to God.

— St. Amma Syncletice

2 Corinthians 4:6-11, 16, 17

6 For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Bible Study: [6] Autobiographical allusion to the episode at Damascus clarifies the origin and nature of Paul’s service; cf Acts 9:1-19; 22:3-16; 26:2-18. "Let light shine out of darkness": Paul seems to be thinking of Genesis 1:3 and presenting his apostolic ministry as a new creation. There may also be an allusion to Isaiah 9:1 suggesting his prophetic calling as servant of the Lord and light to the nations; cf Isaiah 42:6, 16; 49:6; 60:1-2, and the use of light imagery in Acts 26:13-23. To bring to light the knowledge: Paul’s role in the process of revelation, expressed at the beginning under the image of the odor and aroma (2 Cor 2:14-15), is restated now, at the end of this first moment of the development, in the imagery of light and glory (2 Cor 4:3-6). [4:7-5:10] Paul now confronts the difficulty that his present existence does not appear glorious at all; it is marked instead by suffering and death. He deals with this by developing the topic already announced in 2 Cor 3:3, 6, asserting his faith in the presence and ultimate triumph of life, in his own and every Christian existence, despite the experience of death. [7] This treasure: the glory that he preaches and into which they are being transformed. In earthen vessels: the instruments God uses are human and fragile; some imagine small terracotta lamps in which light is carried. [8-9] A catalogue of his apostolic trials and afflictions. Yet in these the negative never completely prevails; there is always some experience of rescue, of salvation. [10-11] Both the negative and the positive sides of the experience are grounded christologically. The logic is similar to that of 2 Cor 1:3-11. His sufferings are connected with Christ’s, and his deliverance is a sign that he is to share in Jesus’ resurrection. [12-15] His experience does not terminate in himself, but in others (12.15; cf 2 Cor 1, 4-5). Ultimately, everything is ordered even beyond the community, toward God (2 Cor 4:15; cf 2 Cor 1:11).  [13-14] Like the Psalmist, Paul clearly proclaims his faith, affirming life within himself despite death (2 Cor 4:10-11) and the life-giving effect of his experience upon the church (2 Cor 4:12, 14-15). And place us with you in his presence: Paul imagines God presenting him and them to Jesus at the parousia and the judgment; cf 2 Cor 11:2; Romans 14:10. [16-18] In a series of contrasts Paul explains the extent of his faith in life. Life is not only already present and revealing itself (2 Cor 4:8-11, 16) but will outlast his experience of affliction and dying: it is eternal (2 Cor 4:17-18).  [16] Not discouraged: i.e., despite the experience of death. Paul is still speaking of himself personally, but he assumes his faith and attitude will be shared by all Christians. Our outer self: the individual subject of ordinary perception and observation, in contrast to the interior and hidden self, which undergoes renewal. Is being renewed day by day: this suggests a process that has already begun; cf 2 Cor 3:18. The renewal already taking place even in Paul’s dying is a share in the life of Jesus, but this is recognized only by faith (2 Cor 4:13, 18; 2 Cor 5:7).

Psalm 59:2, 10, 17-18

2 deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. 10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. 17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee, for thou, O God, art my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.

Bible Study: [Psalm 59] A miktam of David, when Saul sent people to watch his house and kill him – A lament in two parts (Psalm 59:2-9, 11b-17), each ending in a refrain (Psalm 59:10, 17[18]). Both parts alternate prayer for vindication (Psalm 59:2-3, 4b-5; 11b-14) with vivid depictions of the psalmist’s enemies (Psalm 59:4-5a, 7-8, 15-16). The near curse in Psalm 59:12-13 is not a crude desire for revenge but a wish that God’s just rule over human affairs be recognized now.

Matthew 16:24-27

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? 27 For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.

Bible Study: [24-28] A readiness to follow Jesus even to giving up one’s life for him is the condition for true discipleship; this will be repaid by him at the final judgment. [24] Deny himself: to deny someone is to disown him (see Matthew 10:33; 26:34-35) and to deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence. [25] See the notes on Matthew 10:38, 39. [27] The parousia and final judgment are described in Matthew 25:31 in terms almost identical with these. [28] Coming in his kingdom: since the kingdom of the Son of Man has been described as "the world" and Jesus’ sovereignty precedes his final coming in glory (Matthew 13:38, 41), the coming in this verse is not the parousia as in the preceding but the manifestation of Jesus’ rule after his resurrection; see the notes on Matthew 13:38, 41.