Thought for Parish Pewslip – 15th March 2009
Lent 3 (But reading following Lent Course)
Readings: Psalm 40: 1-8 Luke 19: 1-10
In our reading from Psalm 40, the psalmist pours out a song of thanksgiving for the good that God has done for him. God has delivered him from a bad place and set him somewhere secure. God has given him a new song of praise to sing and he emphasises the great value of trusting God. The last part of the reading reiterates a theme of many psalms. Obedience to God is worth more than sacrifice; our outward acts of religious worship are worthless unless the inward attitudes of our hearts and minds are orientated towards God.
Our gospel reading today is the story of Zacchaeus, the rich tax collector. Wealthy tax collectors were seen as sinners who collaborated with the occupying forces of the Roman Empire. The Jews treated them rather like our tabloid newspapers treat failed bankers who retire on huge pensions. Zaccheaus repented and made reparations for his sins. Jesus affirmed that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house. “The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” When people are vilified by our newspapers we must remember that, however bad their sins, Jesus came to save even them. Jesus’ hope is that their repentance (and ours!) will allow us to share together in the life of heaven, for all eternity.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment