Tuesday after the Eighth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on July 23, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. John 7:14-24 (NKJV)
7:14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”
16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Devotion
“Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.’”
Jesus is concerned about doctrine! You would never know it from listening to some people. The message you get is something like, “it does not matter what you believe; it only matters that you are a ‘good person’ like Jesus.” Those who say such things fail to recognize that they, too, have just made a doctrinal statement; and it is wrong.
There is no difference in Jesus’ doctrine and that of the Father, of course, since they are one God. But being perfect man, Jesus presents His doctrine not as His, but as coming from God the Father. What stands between Him and His hearers is that they cling more tightly to their preconceived notions than they do to God and to His Word.
Be not like unto them! Recognize that Scripture has the authority to correct you; allow God’s Word to do that very thing. Thus shall we continually be made wise unto salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect: Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; 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.
