One Walk

Dear Lord God, as St John enlightens us today, no one wants to sin against You, yet we do sin. Whether our sin is against ourselves because of our weak and fallen nature through covertness, slothfulness, lust, gluttony, or whether we sin against our neighbor because our pride and selfishness or misguided righteousness, or when we sin against You with our disobedience. For seldom do we sin with the awareness and knowledge. Thus it is when we are absent from You and our hearts and minds are inwardly focused rather than outwardly focused that we open ourselves to the ways under the sun, but if we keep true to You our God through Jesus in the Holy Spirit our spiritual being nature rather than our human being (physical) nature can prevail. O Lord forgive me; let Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan be my example that I walk for You. Help me now to do and be as you intended in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

No one really wants to sin against God, even though we do all sin without being forced to do so.

— St. John Climacus

Deuteronomy 30:10-14

10 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 "For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, `Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?‘ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, `Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

Bible Study: [11-14] God has revealed his will so clearly that ignorance of his law can be no excuse. St. Paul in Romans 10:6-10, applies these words to the ease with which we can come to faith and salvation in Christ.

Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37

14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. 17 Hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in distress, make haste to answer me. 30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. 33 For the LORD hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds. 34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein. 36 the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

Bible Study: [Psalm 69] Of David – A lament complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical (Psalm 69:2-3; 15-16 the waters of chaos) and literal (Psalm 69:4, 5, 9, 11-13, exhaustion, alienation from family and community, false accusation). In the second part the psalmist prays with special emphasis that the enemies be punished for all to see (Psalm 69:23-29). Despite the pain, the psalmist does not lose hope that all be set right, and promises public praise (Psalm 69:30-36). The psalm, which depicts the suffering of the innocent just person vividly, is cited often by the New Testament especially in the passion accounts, e.g., Psalm 69:5 in John 15:25; Psalm 69:22 in Mark 15:23, 36 and parallels and in John 19:29. The psalm prays not so much for personal vengeance as for public vindication of God’s justice. There was, at this time, no belief in an afterlife where such vindication could take place. Redress had to take place now, in the sight of all.

Colossians 1:15-20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; 16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Bible Study: [15-20] As the poetic arrangement indicates, these lines are probably an early Christian hymn, known to the Colossians and taken up into the letter from liturgical use (cf Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Tim 3:16). They present Christ as the mediator of creation (Col 1:15-18a) and of redemption (Col 1:18b-20). There is a parallelism between firstborn of all creation (Col 1:15) and firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18). While many of the phrases were at home in Greek philosophical use and even in gnosticism, the basic ideas also reflect Old Testament themes about Wisdom found in Proverb 8:22-31; Wisdom 7:22-8:1; and Sirach 1:4. See also the notes on what is possibly a hymn in John 1:1-18. [15] Image: cf Genesis 1:27. Whereas the man and the woman were originally created in the image and likeness of God (see also Genesis 1:26), Christ as image (2 Cor 4:4) of the invisible God (John 1:18) now shares this new nature in baptism with those redeemed (cf Col 3:10-11). [16-17] Christ (though not mentioned by name) is preeminent and supreme as God’s agent in the creation of all things (cf John 1:3), as prior to all things (Col 1:17; cf Hebrews 1:3). [18] Church: such a reference seemingly belongs under "redemption" in the following lines, not under the "creation" section of the hymn. Stoic thought sometimes referred to the world as "the body of Zeus." Pauline usage is to speak of the church as the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-27; Romans 12:4-5). Some think that the author of Colossians has inserted the reference to the church here so as to define "head of the body" in Paul’s customary way. See Col 1:24. Preeminent: when Christ was raised by God as firstborn from the dead (cf Acts 26:23; Rev 1:5), he was placed over the community, the church, that he had brought into being, but he is also indicated as crown of the whole new creation, over all things. His further role is to reconcile all things (Col 1:20) for God or possibly "to himself." [19] Fullness: in gnostic usage this term referred to a spiritual world of beings above, between God and the world; many later interpreters take it to refer to the fullness of the deity (Col 2:9); the reference could also be to the fullness of grace (cf John 1:16). [20] The blood of his cross: the most specific reference in the hymn to redemption through Christ’s death, a central theme in Paul; cf Col 2:14-15; 1 Cor 1:17, 18, 23. [Through him]: the phrase, lacking in some manuscripts, seems superfluous but parallels the reference to reconciliation through Christ earlier in the verse.

Luke 10:25-37

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, 34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Bible Study: [25-37] In response to a question from a Jewish legal expert about inheriting eternal life, Jesus illustrates the superiority of love over legalism through the story of the good Samaritan. The law of love proclaimed in the "Sermon on the Plain" (Luke 6:27-36) is exemplified by one whom the legal expert would have considered ritually impure (see John 4:9). Moreover, the identity of the "neighbor" requested by the legal expert (Luke 10:29) turns out to be a Samaritan, the enemy of the Jew (see the note on Luke 9:52).