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October 5, 2018

Redefining Blessing

Duan Alan Anders   |   Read Hebrews 2:5-12

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Lectionary Week
October 1–7, 2018
Scripture Overview

This month we read about Job, an upright man who faces severe trials but never loses his faith. Job’s story brings us face-to-face with the fact that living a godly life does not make us immune to suffering. Like Job, the psalmist wonders why he suffers, even though he lives according to God’s standards. Hebrews presents Jesus as the ultimate example of unwarranted suffering, yet because of his perseverance he is ultimately glorified. In Mark, some Pharisees test Jesus on the interpretation of the law concerning divorce. Jesus makes strong statements about marriage, but his larger concern is that their hearts have become hard. He contrasts them with little children, who model faith by receiving God with an open heart.

Questions and Suggestions for Reflection

• Read Job 1:1; 2:1-10. How do you live with integrity?
• Read Psalm 26. When have you turned to God, fully expecting divine intervention in a tough situation? What happened?
• Read Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12. When has your reaction to God’s showing up in unexpected ways resulted in a face-plant?
• Read Mark 10:2-16. How questioning a person are you? When have your questions helped you move below the surface of an issue to see the supporting understanding?

Respond by posting a prayer .

Hebrews 2:5-12

5 God didn’t put the world that is coming (the world we are talking about) under the angels’ control. 6 Instead, someone declared somewhere, What is humanity that you think about them? Or what are the human beings that you care about them? 7 For a while you made them lower than angels. You crowned the human beings with glory and honor. 8 You put everything under their control. When he puts everything under their control, he doesn’t leave anything out of control. But right now, we don’t see everything under their control yet. 9 However, we do see the one who was made lower in order than the angels for a little while—it’s Jesus! He’s the one who is now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of his death. He suffered death so that he could taste death for everyone through God’s grace. 10 It was appropriate for God, for whom and through whom everything exists, to use experiences of suffering to make perfect the pioneer of salvation. This salvation belongs to many sons and daughters whom he’s leading to glory. 11 This is because the one who makes people holy and the people who are being made holy all come from one source. That is why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters when he says, 12 I will publicly announce your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you in the middle of the assembly.

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible. Used by permission.

Who was in charge when you were a child and your parent or parents were not available? To whom were you subject? My wife and I left our children with their grandmother one day. My four-year-old daughter had a meltdown with her grandmother and let her know, “You’re not in...

Lord, help me be a voice for the voiceless, an advocate for those with no support. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear and feet to move as you call. Amen.


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