Saturday after the Third Sunday after Epiphany
Posted on January 28, 2023 by under
Scripture: Romans 11:13-22 (NKJV)
11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
Devotion
“Do not be haughty, but fear.” St. Paul gives a sobering reminder to the saints that we should not be pompous in our salvation, but humble. God’s grace is a free blessing. No one deserves it. And just because some reject it or fall away, no one has the right to think himself better than those pitiable souls.
The theme for this week’s devotions has been humility and service in faith. God gives us His Spirit and power. He gives us our good vocations. He forgives us and blesses us in His Church. And we are still lowly sinners and unprofitable servants, even if we are converted from being enemies of God. In all this we must remember that all glory and thanks belong to God, and that He came to save sinners! Furthermore, pride and laziness can easily cause us to fall away from true faith and become as lost, or worse, than those who are not faithful.
Like St. Paul, any boasting that might come from us is not to be about us. It must be about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And even in that, we do so with humble awareness for all that He teaches us and all that He does to bless and sustain us. Satan never stops attacking us or trying to tempt us back into rebellion and disobedience. But the right hand of our Lord truly does deliver us from evil.
Prayer: Almighty and Everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities, stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty, to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
