February 7, 2017

Saying Yes to Life

Abby Thornton Hailey | Read Deuteronomy 30:15-20

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Lectionary Week

February 6–12, 2017

Scripture Overview

How are Christians to understand and relate to the Jewish law? The text from Deuteronomy confronts Israel with a sharp choice: Follow the commandments of Yahweh or bow to the gods of the Canaanites. Choosing the law means choosing a way of life. Psalm 119 praises the Torah as God’s gift bestowed on Israel to be the authentic guide as to how life should be lived. Jesus becomes the authoritative interpreter of the Torah, the one who pushes beyond external behavior to a consistency between disposition and deed. Christians are invited by the text to be different and become what Paul describes as “spiritual people.”

Questions and Suggestions for Reflection

• Read Deuteronomy 30:15-20. How do you go about choosing between the call of God and the call of the idols that surround you?
• Read Psalm 119:1-8. How has keeping God’s command- ments been a joyful experience in your life?
• Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. What do you consider to be the “milk” of the gospel versus the “solid food” of the gospel?
• Read Matthew 5:21-37. Which of the “But I say to you” teachings of Jesus surprise you the most? Why?

Respond by posting a prayer.

We live in a culture that celebrates choice. We have a vast
number of options for what airline to fly, what cell phone
carrier to use, what side we’d like with our combo meal. In a
recent interview, the chairman of Starbucks noted that on the
typical Starbucks menu there...

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God, many choices confront me every day. When it comes to setting the course for my life, help me choose the things that say yes to your way of being in this world. Amen.

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