Today’s scripture: Luke 22:14-23 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Robert Ferguson):
I often find myself amazed at the lengths God is willing to go in order to have relationship with us. So often when we try to imagine the depth and intensity of God’s love for us, our minds fall short. Even when we try to envision the love between parent and child, husband and wife, or dear friends and relatives these relationships pale in comparison.
At some point all human relationships and mutually entered into agreements have limits. I have joked that if I served Kraft boxed macaroni and cheese at Thanksgiving dinner my mother would disown me. And while withholding her love over such a trivial affront to our home-cooked sensibilities may be a drastic idea, I do believe there are heinous acts that I could commit which might render our mother-son contract null and void. At what point do husbands and wives find themselves in lawyer’s offices hammering out the details in what will essentially amount to the end of their covenant with one another? Covenants between humans, though potentially beautiful, are fragile affairs.
In our reading today we find God offering a “new” covenant. Clearly the old covenant wasn’t working. God’s initial offering of hesed loyal unwavering love seemed to be met with an inability on the part of the people of Israel to love God in return. So God draws up a new contract through Christ, but this time God says in Jeremiah, I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer do humans have to keep the law to be righteous, but it is now by faith in the work of another, Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus’ life and work on cross, our past, present, and future sins are forgiven and God places us “in Christ” where we are made a new creation with a new heart that loves like Jesus Christ loves.
Through this New Covenant, God has made it possible for me and you to be righteous, as the requirement of the law is now fulfilled in Christ. God has done everything and all we can bring is our faith — and even that faith comes from God.
Thought for the day: Lord Jesus, you are the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. May I always follow in the narrow way of the cross toward the heavenly banquet at the table of your kingdom.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.