Forward Movement is an official, non-profit agency of the Episcopal Church whose mission is to create compelling content for Christian living. Since 1935 we have published the quarterly devotional Forward Day by Day, as well as pamphlets, booklets, and books that encourage and nourish people in their lives of prayer and faith.
SATURDAY, June 6 Ember Saturday
Luke 18:15-30. Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
Noisy, irreverent, coffee-hour locusts...the kingdom of God belongs to these? Why?
The Sunday school lesson was Luke's story of Mary and Martha in which Jesus commends lazy Mary over busy Martha. Jesus has recently fed five thousand without doing anything really; Martha wants human help to feed her single guest.
I am a Yankee, industrious, all Martha. For years I did not get this parable. I am a human doing, rather than a human being. I like control; so does Martha. Subconsciously I feel responsible for running the world. And herein is the problem. The more I try to do God's job, the more I shut him out.
Knowing finally why Jesus commends Mary, I felt prepared for class, but my class didn't get it. Third and fourth graders worry very little, have no inflated sense of self-importance, and are very much present and open to the Holy Spirit. I, Martha, was trying to teach a class of Marys when I could but learn from them, "for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."
PRAY for the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania (Province III, U.S.)
Ps 55 * 138, 139; Deuteronomy 29:2-15; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15
View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com.
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