25th. August. 2021. Daily Devotion.
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’ Matthew 16:21-23
“In that moment there came back to him with cruel force the temptations which he had faced in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. There he had been tempted to take the way of power. ‘Give them bread, give them material things,’ said the tempter, ‘and they will follow you.’ ‘Give them sensational acts,’ said the tempter, ‘give them wonders, and they will follow you.’ ‘Compromise with the world,’ said the tempter. ‘Reduce your standards, and they will follow you.’ It was precisely the same temptations with which Peter was confronting Jesus all over again.” William Barclay
We all endeavour to keep our standards as high as Christ commands us to do so. This we call zeal which is good in itself. When we fail but continue to hold to our standards, others may call us hypocrites.
The word hypocrisy generally connotes a self-satisfied person who will defend and rationalize his spiritual shortcomings, not a person actively seeking out his shortcomings and attempting to grow in the Spirit. God does not expect that we will be perfect; if He did, we would not need Christ. But He does expect us to give it an honest try. Alcoholics Anonymous has a nice phrase for this: “We expect spiritual growth, not spiritual perfection.”
Samuel Johnson took note of this distinction several hundred years ago: “Nothing is more unjust, however common, than to charge with hypocrisy him that expresses zeal for those virtues which he neglects to practice; since he may be sincerely convinced of the advantages of conquering his passions, without having yet obtained the victory, as a man may be confident of the advantages of a voyage, or a journey, without having courage or industry to undertake it, and may honestly recommend to others, those attempts which he neglects himself.”
Lord, lead me to never deny your commandments, even where I fall short. Amen.
Prayer to Be Filled with Flowing Spirit
Oh heavenly Father, make me an empty vessel for your Spirit to fill. Purge me of the world, of pride and lust and greed and foolish wanderings of mind, that I may be prepared to hear your truth.
Let me pour myself out continuously all day long, so that you may refill me with your Spirit; for I know that the more I give away, the more I will have for myself. Oh Lord, I truly believe that you will keep me filled with all goodness as long as I am giving to others. Do not let me become blocked off from You, mighty Lord, by selfishness; keep me like a crystal brook, flowing always, less I become stagnant and fetid. Let me look to my outflow and trust to you for my inflow, today and always. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
Prayer of Praise for the Evening
When the sun is setting, when quietness falls like the peace of eternal sleep, and the silence of the spent day reigns, then in the splendour of its declining rays, filtering through the clouds, I see your dwelling-place: fiery and purple, gold and blue, they speak prophet-like of the ineffable beauty of your presence, and call to me in their majesty. I turn to you in the evening, to remember your majesty.
Glory to you at the hushed hour of nightfall; Glory to you for covering the earth with peace; Glory to you for the last ray of the sun as it sets; and Glory to you for sleep’s repose that restores us and for your pledge of our reawakening. Through Christ I pray, Amen.
Bless those who give, who go the extra mile in their care for others, and whose love expands to fill the present need, not dwelling on the cost. Bless their generosity, and those receiving it. By their good example may others’ needs be met. Amen.