|
Morning Devotion for the Season of Easter Week
April 10, 2024
William Law
The Invitatory
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Reading: Matthew 6:1-8
‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones
Some Christians have fallen into the trap of assuming that their salvation depends on their being sufficiently virtuous, and they need to be reminded that salvation is the gift of God. Salvation cannot be earned or deserved. Other Christians have fallen into the opposite error of supposing that the infinite mercy of God means that we are not called on to inconvenience ourselves. William Law saw this latter error -- that of complacency and presumption -- as the chief danger in his time. He and others undertook to remind their fellow Christians of the importance of both halves of the saying of Our Lord to a sinner: "I do not condemn you; go and sin no more." Law’s consciences brought him into conflict with the monarchy, and he paid a price for it. As a Fellow of Emmanuel College. In 1714, upon Queen Anne’s death, Law became a non-Juror: he found himself unable to take the required oath of allegiance to the Hanoverian dynasty as the lawful rulers of the United Kingdom. He was ineligible to serve as a university teacher or parish minister. Forbidden the use of the pulpit and the lecture-hall, he preached through his books.
We are accustomed to beginning the Lenten season with this text. Yet, the attention we pay to whom we impress and to whom we owe our allegiance frequently conflict. That is the conflict William Law addressed and for which he suffered the consequences of putting aside his ambition in favor of his faithfulness to God first. Inevitably, this is a conflict that will perpetually confront us.
Sometimes when we strive to impress people, it is to score points for some ulterior motive—even if the motive is as simple as a wish that they think better of us. Our reputation becomes our aim. Or it may simply be the achievements we believe we must accumulate, again to impress, curry favor, bring us security - economic or personal. This text questions us as to where our focus is. Is the point to enhance our reputation? Is it material evidence that we’re successful in our careers?
Our priority should be our focus on God and not our concern about who is watching or on other human beings. Let our actions be focused on God alone; let them be only for God. Our good actions are not to assure us that others respect us, admire us, approve of us, love us—though that may surely be an unintended and ancillary result of our service.
In each case Jesus instructs his disciples and us to consider our interior life with God, that which is completely exclusive to God and, therefore, the bedrock of our intimacy with God. It is from this intimacy and for that reason that we are cautioned to honor and respect that intimacy in our acts. These activities truly are between God and ourselves. We recognize and respect the acts that arise from our intimacy with our family members and dearest friends. Our intimacy with God should receive the very same measure of respect. We should cherish it.
Prayer of Self-Dedication
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and aways to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
| 
