So let's talk about today's readings 10/17/09

[cheeto1]

October 17, 2009

Reading 1
Rom 4:13, 16-18

Brothers and sisters:
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 105:6-7, 8-9, 42-43

R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
For he remembered his holy word
to his servant Abraham.
And he led forth his people with joy;
with shouts of joy, his chosen ones.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Gospel
Lk 12:8-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God. “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”

 

[cheeto1]

"not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith "
– this is the third day in a row that faith has been emphasized above works.
How can a person “follow the faith” without following the commandments of Jesus?

“He, the LORD, is our God”
– This line of the psalm I love, because we can all agree on it.

“everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God”
– Is He speaking about words? Supposing the actions don’t go along with the words?
Is He speaking about actions? Then supposing a do-gooder denies Christ?
Is He speaking about both? Then which of us can stand?

 

[Beachcomber]

Here’s a few of my thoughts.

I think when Jesus speaks about denying Him and being denied, that refers to apostates. It’s on a spiritual level, not on a practical level. We’re all flawed humans and our actions don’t always match up with our words.

A person doesn’t have to believe in Jesus to do good deeds and the good deeds done by an apostate person are still good deeds on the practical level. The Bible has many examples of the deeds and actions of non-believers being honored.

As for how we can stand, it is always by the grace of the God.

Just my ideas.

 

[cheeto1]

You are right, our actions don’t always match up with our words. But can’t we
deny Jesus with our actions? If that counts in what He is saying here, then they
not only must match up with our words, but they must acknowledge Jesus before
men. In all our ways, our words and actions must acknowledge Him. Yes, we
are flawed, and stand only by the grace of God, but here Jesus says that anyone
who denies Him here, will be denied in heaven.

So, was Peter an apostate, destined to be denied in heaven by Jesus, before
Jesus had that little talk with him at breakfast? What do you think?
Are we apostates, if our actions deny Him?