“For This Purpose I Have Come”
Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels, with love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark 1:29-39 MK 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
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Galilee is the city of Jesus’ first teaching and miracles in Mark’s Gospels. In a tender gesture toward Simon’s mother -n-law that ignores any fear of touching the ill. Jesus “helped her up” , literally he “raised her up” (egeiro) a verb used in resurrection accounts. Her healing is a sign of the fullness of life in the Kingdom of God. Once healed, she “waited on them” – which carries a rich meaning. Her action is one of “service” (diakoneo) that describes Christian Ministry. Once healed, she participates in the mission of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus also shows a sovereign power over anything unholy [see reference] and continues to announce the Good news- that the Kingdom of God is present among them.
Reference : Workbook For Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word 2018
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With Love and Gratitude, here is the Gospel of Matthew 18:15-20 MT 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
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The Word of the Lord is Profound because it is spoken with Divine Wisdom and Divine Truth- and is created as Spiritual Truth. The first part of the reading is about spiritually counseling someone to turn from their ways, while using Wisdom to assist- winning them over to God’s Mercy. God does not enjoy watching any son or daughter engage in sin and all of Heaven celebrates when someone turns from sin.
“Whatsoever two of you agree about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted them by my Heavenly Father.” and “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” are promises from God- from the Son of God, which every promise and Word spoken- stand Divinely Promised for us all throughout eternity.
I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life
Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of John 14: 1-12 JN 14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”
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There are many dwelling places in Heaven. God has created a place for all of us to dwell with Him and with Jesus. A place in Heaven of Peace and One in Love and with God. Through the Spirit of God-we are one with God the Father and with the Savior who are One in each other. We are one with them as they are One with Each other. The Father dwells in each of us as does the Son and the Spirit of God. Love one another because the Father is One with you-who will help you to Love because it glorifies Him when we do. “Love each other and Love God first” are the Words of the Lord. In this way, Love is what glorifies the One who sent Jesus to be with us, Love is what honors the Son. Christ is the Way and the Truth and the Light -and it is through Christ -the Christ Way-the way of our Highest Self that honors and glorifies God who sent Him.
“The Lord Has Truly Been Raised …!”
Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35. LK 24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen and Believed
Awhile back the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With Love and Gratitude, here is the Gospel of John 20:19-31.
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
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Jesus breathed life into his disciples and into all of us. For we were all given the Holy Spirit and the Light of Christ in our hearts. Faith gets God’s attention, and it is no different for the Son Jesus Christ, who loves us and reigns with God Himself, and is Lord over God’s Kingdom. Jesus, is extremely strong, yet gentle and believing in Him is something He is asking everyone through this conversation with Thomas the apostle. Jesus is still with us today and we can turn to him for anything! His promises stand throughout time.
Faith moves mountains, and believing in the Savior and knowing that with God all things are truly possible is believing in the One who sent the Lord, and in God’s Spiritual Truth, which will stand throughout eternity.
God is the God of the Living
Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Luke 20:27-38. With a loving message behind it.
Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out ‘Lord,’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
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The Pharisees set out to mock the belief in life after death by posing a preposterous scenario, which they believe will undermine the resurrection. But they have chosen the wrong target, for Jesus has no trouble besting their efforts to stump him.
Jesus easily brushes aside their simplistic logic, asserting that marriage is a thing of this “age” and those found worthy of the resurrection will not be defined or bound by such labels. That Heavenly Life will transcend our categories; there, death will be no more and we will be simply “children of God” enjoying life with the angels, in an angelic existence.
Jesus then cites their own law, that (Deuteronomy 3:6) how could Moses refer to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob if those patriarchs are no longer living? The declaration that the Lord is “not the God of the dead , but the God of the living” is the truth Jesus came to proclaim both through his life and teaching- but most of all, through His own Resurrection from the dead. [see reference]
Reference: Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word.
Welcome to all from Angel Love Blessings! 