February 12, 2017

Saying Yes to Life

Abby Thornton Hailey | Read Psalm 119:1-8

(Image: Pixabay)

If hearts are not on your mind this week, perhaps they should
be! We are days away from that annual holiday of conversation
hearts, heart doilies, and hearts poured out in love. In the
United States, we also observe American Heart Month. With
heart disease the leading cause of death nationally, campaigns
this month encourage people to take steps toward improved
heart health by exercising, eating well, and ceasing smoking.

What makes a heart healthy and happy? The psalmist has
very different ideas than those just named. The heart, in ancient
Hebrew thought, was not an organ that pumped to keep us
alive, nor was it a sentimental symbol. The heart served not only
as the location of emotion but of persons’ entire personality,
intellect, desire, and will—everything that makes us who we
are. The heart was the seat of those intangibles that make us
human, encapsulating what makes us tick—the dynamic forces
that make us unique individuals. The heart served as the center
of all that we have been, are, and will be.

How does the knowledge above inform how you hear the
psalmist’s declaration that it is those who seek God with their
whole heart who are happy? The secret to a happy, healthy
heart—a self fully alive and on a life-giving course—comes from
centering our core being on the law of the Lord. The observance
of God’s decrees, statutes, commandments, ordinances, and
precepts shapes the deepest part of who we are and who we
become. How happy and healthy is your heart today?

God, help me follow you with my whole heart—not just to feel love toward you or think loving thoughts about you but to live in a way that shows I center my whole being on your desires for our world. Amen.

Pray the Scriptures Using Audio Lectio
Read Matthew 5:21-37

Matthew 5:21-37

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. If they say to their brother or sister, ‘You idiot,’ they will be in danger of being condemned by the governing council. And if they say, ‘You fool,’ they will be in danger of fiery hell. ²³ Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift. ²⁵ Be sure to make friends quickly with your opponents while you are with them on the way to court. Otherwise, they will haul you before the judge, the judge will turn you over to the officer of the court, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶ I say to you in all seriousness that you won’t get out of there until you’ve paid the very last penny. ²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. ²⁸ But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell. ³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’ ³² But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. ³⁴ But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. ³⁵ You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. ³⁶ And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

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Lectionary Week

February 6–12, 2017

Scripture Overview

How are Christians to understand and relate to the Jewish law? The text from Deuteronomy confronts Israel with a sharp choice: Follow the commandments of Yahweh or bow to the gods of the Canaanites. Choosing the law means choosing a way of life. Psalm 119 praises the Torah as God’s gift bestowed on Israel to be the authentic guide as to how life should be lived. Jesus becomes the authoritative interpreter of the Torah, the one who pushes beyond external behavior to a consistency between disposition and deed. Christians are invited by the text to be different and become what Paul describes as “spiritual people.”

Questions and Suggestions for Reflection

• Read Deuteronomy 30:15-20. How do you go about choosing between the call of God and the call of the idols that surround you?
• Read Psalm 119:1-8. How has keeping God’s command- ments been a joyful experience in your life?
• Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. What do you consider to be the “milk” of the gospel versus the “solid food” of the gospel?
• Read Matthew 5:21-37. Which of the “But I say to you” teachings of Jesus surprise you the most? Why?

Respond by posting a prayer.

Saying Yes to Life

The Wisdom of the Body

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Saying Yes to Life

Psalm 119:1-8

Matthew 5:21-37

The Wisdom of the Body

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