“Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Friday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Endurance – Friday)

Almighty God, whose beloved Son first suffered pain and crucifixion before entering into glory: Mercifully grant that we, walking in his footsteps, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Matthew 23:23-39 (NLT)

Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders (Cont.)

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’

“But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

“Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
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Morning Reflection:

on hypocrites and hypocrisy

Hypocrisy: the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs
to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.

Jesus continues to describe the nature of hypocrisy in today’s reading.

sticklers for details, but blind to great principles
distortion of God’s will as revealed in Scripture
elevation of the authority of human interpretations
flawed doctrine leading to ruinous practice
concern for outward appearance instead of inward purity
self-righteousness preventing humility and self-awareness
self-righteousness preventing others from receiving Kingdom blessings

At the center of Jesus’ condemnation of hypocrites and hypocrisy is the failure to recognize and accept him as the Messiah – the Son of the Living God and the only way to the Father. The result is disastrous – they will receive the full force of God’s wrath on the day of judgement.

Questions for consideration

Can you think of areas in your life that reflect hypocrisy, i.e. your behavior doesn’t reflect your beliefs? Please explain.
Self-righteousness prevents self-awareness and results in false pride. Can you think of areas in your life that need honest examination in light of God’s word? Please explain.
What do you consider more important, outward appearance, or inward purity? How does that actually work out in your life? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer: For Holy Thought

O God, without whose beauty and goodness our souls are unfed, without whose truth our reason withers: Consecrate our lives to your will, giving us such purity of heart, such depth of faith, and such steadfastness of purpose, that in time we may come to think your own thoughts after you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
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“From the Inside Out” – Maranatha! Music

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Friday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Endurance – Friday)

Morning Reading – Matthew 20:29-21:11 (NLT)

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.

But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

“Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”

The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
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Morning Reflection:

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!””
– Matthew 21:9 –

The praises of the crowd on Palm Sunday are woven into the Eucharistic Liturgy as The Sanctus, whether sung or spoken –

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord”

And just as Jesus had compassion on the two blind men shouting at him, so too, I suspect, he had compassion on the crowds in Jerusalem, and, in turn, on us who are seeking “eyes to see” and “ears to hear,” and an open heart to receive King Jesus. But what happens when Jesus doesn’t fulfill our expectations of Kingship –

riding on a donkey’s colt instead of a war horse,
suffering torture and death at the hands of the governing authorities,
rising from the dead (wonder of wonders)
ascending into heaven (gone from sight)

It’s easy to fault the crowd for their obtuseness and obstinacy, but are we so different even though we know how the story ends? To welcome Jesus into our hearts, whether for the first time, or weekly through the Eucharistic Liturgy, requires that we take Him as He is, not as we would like Him to be.

Questions for consideration

How have your expectations regarding Jesus changed over time? Please explain.
How have you been disappointed; how have you been happily surprised by Jesus? Please explain.
What would it mean for you to allow Jesus to completely rule and reign in your heart? Please explain.
What would change? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer: – For the Coming of God’s Kingdom

Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

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“King Of My Heart” -John Mark McMillan, Sarah McMillan