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| GAZEBO CONSTRUCTION December 14, 2021 |
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Amen, I say to you, among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
MATTHEW 11:11
Jesus praised John as the greatest among those born of women, meaning that he had a unique and important role in God’s plan of salvation. John’s humility and faithfulness are admirable qualities that we can learn from. John was humble because he recognized his role and mission as the forerunner of Christ, and he did not seek his own glory or popularity. He was faithful because he obeyed God’s call and preached the message of repentance and the coming of the kingdom of God, even when he faced opposition and persecution. However, Jesus also said that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John, meaning that those who enter God’s kingdom by faith in Jesus have a higher status and privilege than John, who belonged to the old covenant.
Jesus said to the crowds: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Matthew 11:11-15)
Seeing and knowing, observing and understanding God’s hand in our lives and in the world today can help us grow in our faith, gratitude, and joy. We can see and know God’s hand through His Son. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, to reveal His love, His grace, and His truth. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of His being, and the radiance of His glory (John 3:16; Hebrews 1:3). We can look to Jesus, and see His hand in the way He lived, taught, healed, died, and rose again. We can also see His hand in the way He saves us, forgives us, and reconciles us to God (John 14:6; Colossians 1:19-22).
I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the Lord; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. I will make of you a threshing sledge, sharp, new, and double- edged, to thresh the mountains and crush them, to make the hills like chaff. When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off and the storm shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel. The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water. I will plant in the desert the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive; I will set in the wasteland the cypress, together with the plane tree and the pine, that all may see and know, observe and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Isaiah 41:13-20)
The works of the Lord are the things that God has done, is doing, and will do in the world and in the lives of his people. They include his creation, his providence, his miracles, his salvation, his judgment, and his glory. The works of the Lord are great, marvelous, wonderful, and righteous, and that they reveal his character, his power, and his wisdom (Psalm 111:2-4)1. We should praise, thank, remember, study, and declare the works of the Lord, and that we should seek, follow, and do his will (Psalm 105:1-5; Psalm 119:27; Psalm 145:4-7).
I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. Let them make known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:1, 9, 10-11, 12-13)
Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you for you are the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them. You are the source of all life and love, the giver of every good and perfect gift. You are worthy of all praise and honor and glory, for your works are marvelous and your ways are wonderful. You are faithful to your promises and loyal to your covenant, for your love endures forever and your kindness never fails. Amen.
Pericope:
IV: Opposition from Israel
JESUS' TESTIMONY TO JOHN
Matthew 11:7-19
B: The Book of Consolation, I: The Lord's Glory in Israel's Liberation
THE LIBERATOR OF ISRAEL
Isaiah 41:1-29
Fifth Book of Psalms 107-150
THE GREATNESS AND GOODNESS OF GOD
Psalm 145:1-21
Reflection Source:
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