Daily Readings (Page 247)

Hearing the word alone is not enough; doing (obeying) completes the hearing process.  How do we obey carefully what we hear from God?

We must guard against not just the false prophets but also false disciples.  Does your oral confession of Christ’s Lordship truly comes from a repentant heart?

There are consequences for bearing bad fruits.  How would this challenge us to be a healthy tree?

We are what we are inside us. How would we ensure proper nurturing of our “inward” being?

The older brother, though he remained at home, was indeed in need of repentance as well.  How may some of our actions, similar to this brother’s attitude, are in need of repentance?

The young man reflected on his state and realised his folly and the privileges he had forsaken.  Yet he was willing to return even to a lesser privileged state.  Repentance is needed when we realise our folly.

The younger son who does not want to wait for his father’s death to receive his inheritance indicates his impatience and lack of maturity.  Nonetheless it also shows him deciding his own course of action.  How have some of your decisions reveal your impatience and immaturity?

When the lost coin was found, the woman called together her neighbours and friends for a celebration.  It revealed how precious that coin must have been to her.  So it is when one sinner repents and enters the Kingdom of God.

The lost sheep placed on the shepherd’s shoulder was probably injured.  Reflect on the shepherd’s care and concern for his own sheep.

Tax collectors are associated with sinners but they came together to hear Jesus.  So too the Pharisees and scribes who came with different reasons.  Why would you want to listen to what Jesus has to say?