Morning Psalms 143; 147:12-20

First Reading Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3

Second Reading Galatians 3:1-14

Gospel Reading Matthew 14:13-21

Evening Psalms 81; 116

 

Galatians 3:1-14

1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! 2The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4Did you experience so much for nothing? – if it really was for nothing. 5Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” 7so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. 8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” 9For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

10For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.” 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” 12But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law will live by them.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” – 14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is maybe his angriest. Paul taught this young church about faith in Jesus Christ. But, in his absence, others have come along behind Paul to teach the church that there are parts of Jewish law necessary for salvation. Paul’s subsequent letter pits law against grace. The church hears again that its salvation comes from faith in Christ alone, not from anything they can do or earn themselves. This is classic Paul, and a well-rehearsed argument from Protestant theology. It’s the sort of thing hardly worth mentioning in a Presbyterian church anymore . . . . which is exactly why we need to hear it. We may not think of outward religious observances as necessary for God’s favor anymore. But it’s not too hard to think about all the other things we use to measure our life—jobs, relationships, parenthood, politics, the food we eat. These are identity markers just as much as any ancient law; and to the extent that we use them to build our lives and ourselves outside of faith in Christ, we lose perspective on what’s ultimately important. All these are important parts of a life, but not life itself. The distinction is always worth remembering.

 

Holy God, renew our faith, to know the depths of your love for us in the savior, Jesus Christ. Help us to remove any of those things that obscure your vision for our lives—rather turn all that we have to your glory, that we might always turn towards you. We Pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.