Saturday, Mar 15

Scriptures: Matthew 7:1–2 (NIV) – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Matthew 25:44-45 (NIV) – “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Message: A Sunday Bible Class Question was: “How do you judge someone with weaker faith?” This brought to mind an article in Time Magazine about Sir Elton John who was asked about his faith. His answer was that he has faith, but not in God of the Bible. He did not mention whom he had faith in. It was left to the reader to determine if he had faith in a superior being, or in himself, or in some other entity? For several years, Sir Elton wore a beautiful golden cross which was personally fashioned for him. However, wearing a cross does necessarily signify that the wearer is a believer in Jesus’ Resurrection.

Without Jesus’ Resurrection, Christianity would probably have developed into a cult. Would faith in Jesus have survived without the Resurrection? A Jewish rabbi commented that without Judaism there would not have been Jesus. The Jews use the Talmud¹ in conjunction with the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) in their services and prayers. So, perhaps without Jesus’ Resurrection Judaism would not have survived. Christianity spread God’s Word, including the Old Testament as the precursor to the New Testament. The definition of faith is so well described in Hebrews 11.1.

Jesus came as God Incarnate to show us how to live a perfect life: to love God, to love one another, to be humble and to care for others. Jesus assured us that whatever we do for the least of these (all God’s children without reservation), we have done it for Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our Lord and God, please make us Your instrument to care for all who need help, and give us strength and compassion never to turn our backs on Your children. Amen.

Olga Shearer

1. There are two versions of the Talmud: The Jerusalem/Palestinian Talmud from 5^th Century AD; and the Babylonian Talmud from 7^th Century AD. Both Talmuds are a collection of rabbinic notes based on the Hebrew oral tradition known as the Mishnah. The Jerusalem/Palestinian Talmud was compiled in a Jewish scholarship center in Galilee using Western Aramaic language. The Babylonian Talmud was compiled in a Jewish scholarship center in Babylonia using Babylonian Aramaic language

There is no devotional for tomorrow, Sunday, March 16.

Sundays are not included in the Lenten Devotionals as, traditionally, Sundays as Holy Days, were not considered to be part of Lent.