PREACHER ON THE RUN
  • Home
  • My Story
  • My Ministry
  • Thoughts for the Journey
  • Prayers for the Journey
  • Running by Faith
  • Preaching the Good News
  • Contact
  • Prayer Request
  • Where in the World?
  • Through the Cross
        Thoughts for the Journey

Today's Thoughts...

6/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Today’s Thoughts: In today's Gospel reading, Mark considers the problem of life after death and its implications.  Jesus takes the side of the Pharisees, believing in resurrection from the dead, as opposed to the view of the Sadducees.  This is one of the reasons why Jesus frustrated the Pharisees so much:  although he seemed to be one of them according to this criterion, he refused to interpret Scripture as literally as they did or to put as much importance on a strict and literal interpretation of the Law.  He goes beyond (not against) what many Old Testament texts seem to assume concerning both life after death.
 
The wider question which Jesus is addressing here is how we are to interpret Scripture.  A literal interpretation is easy for us to understand and so to follow, at least insofar as our having confidence in doing the right thing is concerned.  Anyone who is actually willing to come to grips with Scripture, however, soon recognizes that this approach has its problems. The interpretation of the Scriptures is best left to the scholars, what is important for us is how we as individuals read Scripture and draw sustenance from God through it.
 
What I am referring to here is prayer. If we are to have a living friendship with God we need to be in conversation with him.  Scripture, as the Word of God, plays an important role here but cannot be taken literally or assumed to have only one "message" in a given passage. Prayer is a place where we listen to what God says through a particular passage of scripture.  The Spirit will lead us to pay attention to one aspect of that reading, to a word or expression, or will inspire us with a new understanding of ourselves and who we are. 
 
What is most important here for us is first that we actually pray, regularly, with or without using the Scripture, and then that we reflect on what we are doing and what we experience in prayer.  And then go on to live in the strength of that Word.
 
Mark’s Gospel today ends with the great affirmation that God is the God of the living and we encounter this living God first and foremost through prayer. God is not just waiting for us to just survive life, God is actively nudging us in the midst of prayer and other ways to give life to his kingdom each and every day.
 
Have a great Wednesday everyone!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"

    Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think...

    Archives

    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • My Story
  • My Ministry
  • Thoughts for the Journey
  • Prayers for the Journey
  • Running by Faith
  • Preaching the Good News
  • Contact
  • Prayer Request
  • Where in the World?
  • Through the Cross