07/07 – Luke 9:23-26 – God Doesn’t Work?

Old Testament: Job 42:1-6

Job [said to] the Lord, “I know that you can do everything and that your plans are unstoppable. You said, ‘Who is this that belittles my advice without having any knowledge about it?’ Yes, I have stated things I did not understand, things too mysterious for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will ask you, and you will teach me.’ I had heard about you with my own ears, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. That is why I take back what I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show that I am sorry.”

Epistle Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

If I ever wanted to brag I wouldn’t be a fool. In fact I would be speaking the truth. I’m going to refrain from bragging to you so that no one may think more of me than what he sees or hears about me, especially because of the excessive number of revelations that I’ve had.

To keep me from becoming conceited, I am forced to endure a physical problem. That problem, Satan’s messenger, torments me to keep me from being conceited. I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me, but he told me, “My grace is enough for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will brag even more about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power will live in me. Therefore, I accept weakness, mistreatment, hardship, persecution and difficulties suffered for Christ. It is clear that when I am weak, I am strong.

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:23-26

Jesus said to all of them, “Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses every day, and follow me. Those who want to save their lives will lose them. Those who lose their lives for me will save them. What good does it do for people to win the whole world but lose their lives by destroying them? If people are ashamed of me and what I say, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes in the glory that he shares with the Father and the holy angels.