[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, July 6, 2025, the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This week's episode is entitled: The Rewards of Discipleship, and in these readings, we will come to know that all are called to follow Jesus, but the paths of discipleship we traverse are as varied as the people called to follow them.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
While we are all called to be disciples, no one ever promised us that our path would be easy. Sometimes we are rewarded for our efforts in this life, more often we are not. Nevertheless, discipleship is a choice, so what will we decide?
[00:00:59] Let's begin.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the season of Ordinary Time in which we learn about the life and teachings of your Incarnate Son and learn to love and follow him. Strengthen us to become truly faithful disciples, hearing his call and following where he leads. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:27] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:32] Our Gospel this week is from Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20.
[00:01:39] “After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house!” And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; heal the sick in it and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into the streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.” I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town. The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’”
After the Easter Season ended on Pentecost, we observed a series of Solemnities that marked our transition to the Season of Ordinary Time. We began by celebrating the Most Holy Trinity, followed by the Body and Blood of Christ, and we ended with Peter and Paul, which always occurs on June 29th but not always on a Sunday. This weekend we will finally look like we're in Ordinary Time with our Celebrants wearing green vestments, although if you attend daily Mass regularly, you've already seen our priests in green and have since the middle of last month.
[00:04:18] When we consider the Season of Ordinary Time, as a whole, we learn that it is not ordinary in terms of being boring or unimportant, it is - in fact - extraordinary because it invites us every year to grow in faith… to see and understand Jesus’ life, his mission, and his love for us.
[00:04:41] It reminds us that every moment belongs to God and not a single second of our lives passes without his awareness of it!
[00:04:52] As I said, the liturgical color of Ordinary Time is green, and that is because green represents growth. Just as the summer months bring new life and growth to all of creation, Ordinary time helps us grow in our knowledge and love of God as we are guided through the bulk of Jesus' preaching, teaching, and miracles in the Scriptures.
[00:05:17] Now, if we think back to the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we heard that Jesus sent his disciples out on mission to preach the good news of the kingdom, and that afterwards they intended to go to a deserted place to pray. That didn't go quite according to plan because the crowds followed them. So, instead of having the opportunity to rest and pray, Jesus and his disciples fed Five Thousand people. In this reading, we have another mission and what - you may reasonably ask - is the difference between the two?
[00:05:52] Well, the answer to that question is in the first few words of this passage. On the first mission, Jesus sent out the Twelve… on this mission he sends “seventy others.” It's easy to confuse the two missions if we don't pay close attention to who exactly is being sent! We should also note that Jesus is essentially establishing a paradigm for missionary discipleship… one that shows us that disciples aren't sent out to conquer the entire world at one time. They are sent… we are sent to accomplish a specific purpose. It may be easier to understand why this paradigm works so well if we compare disciples to pebbles thrown into a pond.
[00:06:46] Each disciple's path is like a ripple created by a pebble. Those ripples, those little waves, spread far beyond the point where they started, just as the impact of even one disciple can spread far beyond his or her original mission. That greater impact, like ripples spreading in a pond, is the gift of faith at work in the hearts and minds of those who are touched by God's message… it is Jesus at work through Scripture and Sacrament, it is the Holy Spirit continuing his work in the world.
And we see that, in a way, mirrored in these two different missions. The mission of the Twelve (back in chapter 9) was directed toward fellow Jews; while the mission of the seventy others (here in chapter 10) is directed not just to the nation of Israel, but even beyond! Meaning, it should have a bigger impact - a larger ripple, a bigger wave - continuing that pebble in a pond metaphor, since the seventy are sent not just to their fellow Jews, but into Gentile territory as well.
The last thing I want to mention before we go on is that parishes are given the option of using a shorter or longer version of this reading this week. The shorter version is just the first nine verses, so be aware of that possibility if you hear something a bit different at your home parish this weekend. So, let's break open what Luke is telling us…
“After this, the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him,”
The NAB translates that number as 72 - other ancient manuscripts also record that number as 72. There are a couple of arguments that support the number being 72 rather than 70, one is that 72 is an exact multiple of 12, meaning that the original mission undertaken by the Twelve Apostles is now being directly multiplied. The other is that 72 would have represented the number of Gentile nations in existence at the time, which anticipates the future mission to the Gentiles that Jesus, after his Resurrection, will assign to Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.
“[the Lord sent them out] two by two,”
[00:09:22] Being sent out in pairs means that each person has someone to travel with for safety. It also means that they can support each other along the way, and they can keep each other on the right track – they won't deviate from their message. Another layer to that is that the testimony of two men would have been required in a Jewish court of law. So, if they got into any sort of trouble, or if their message was challenged, then they could serve as authentic, legal witnesses in court, if need be.
[00:09:59] “[they were sent] into every town and place where [Jesus] himself was about to come.”
[00:10:04] In other words, they are serving as heralds preparing for Jesus’ arrival. In a way, they are now carrying on the mission of John the Baptist - they are preparing the way for Jesus.
“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
That is still the case today, isn't it? God the Father is, of course, the Lord of the harvest, and he is always in need of additional laborers to do his work.
[00:10:40] “Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”
What Jesus means is that the disciples are being sent out as gentle, peaceful teachers, not warriors, but they will face danger, hardship, and resistance. Then he says…
“Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals;”
Meaning that they are to take no provisions with them, nothing extra that might slow them down or delay their progress.
“and salute no one on the road.”
Okay, that seems like a strange instruction, but the disciples would probably have understood it. Those words echo the words of the prophet Elisha to Gehazi. In 2 Kings 4. Gehazi was a Shunammite woman whose son had suddenly and mysteriously died, so she went to Elisha to ask for help. Elisha said to Gehazi: “If you meet any one, do not salute him; and if any one salutes you, do not reply” meaning your mission is urgent… don't delay for any reason, don't stop to chat, have a strict and unwavering sense of purpose. That was the meaning of Elisha's words to Gehazi - that is the meaning of Jesus’ words to the disciples.
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’”
The word peace used there comes from the Hebrew word shalom, which was a traditional greeting, certainly, but it was also a form of blessing. Jesus is telling his disciples to offer a blessing to whatever house they are welcomed into.
“And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him;”
What Jesus means by a “son of peace” is a person who is kind, humble, open to the message the disciples will share, open to the mission they have been given - and if they find such a person, then the disciples’ peace, their blessing, will rest upon that person.
“but if not, it shall return to you.”
And that's the other possible outcome, that the household will not be willing to accept the message and the mission of the disciples - in which case their peace, their blessing, will return to them. Then Jesus says…
“remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.”
[00:13:17] Remember, I said that Jesus is establishing a paradigm for missionary discipleship and this teaches us that the work the disciples have undertaken is deserving of some sort of payment… food and shelter, at the very least. Remember, he told them to take no provisions with them. But Jesus tells them, be gracious, be thankful, and be satisfied with what you're given. Don't look around for better lodging, better food, or more generous hosts. The disciples are there to do the work Jesus sent them to do, not pursue their own ease and comfort.
[00:13:59] “Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you;”
[00:14:05] Again, be grateful! They are sharing what they have with you - be gracious and appreciative. Jesus goes on…
“heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
And thus ends the shorter version of this reading. What Jesus tells his followers to do is what Jesus himself did… it is what he taught all of his disciples to do… it is still the mission of the Church - to heal the sick, to give comfort, and to preach the good news of the kingdom of God.
[00:14:47] “But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into the streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, will we wipe off against you.’”
[00:15:00] Meaning that if Jesus’ message is openly rejected, then don't waste precious time trying to change closed minds. Remember, these seventy others are going out as heralds to prepare the way for Jesus.
[00:15:17] Jesus may be able to soften hearts that the disciples could not, but there's no guarantee even of that… and Jesus himself was rejected by many.
To shake or wipe the dust off was a gesture usually associated with removing defilement caused by contact with Gentile territories… and there will be some of that because, as I said, they are being sent into Gentile territory. But even more so, Jesus means not everyone will accept what these disciples have to say.
[00:15:54] But they cannot allow themselves to be dejected or demoralized by that.
[00:16:01] They should shake the dust of unbelief off of their feet and move on to more fertile territory.
[00:16:08] “nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.”
[00:16:13] Jesus instructs his disciples to offer that very stern warning when they leave any place that has rejected them.
[00:16:21] Because those towns have rejected not just the disciples, they have rejected the kingdom of God.
[00:16:30] “I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”
[00:16:37] Jesus is reminding his disciples there of the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 19.
[00:16:43] At this point, the Lectionary omits the next four verses… that takes us to what is a truly festive homecoming.
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’”
Well, of course the disciples are happy. Think of how we feel when we return home from a great vacation or a successful business trip, or after we've been on retreat for a weekend, when we are excited and we want to share our experience with everyone.
[00:17:18] The disciples felt the same way. Their mission was successful, and they were excited.
“And [Jesus] said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’”
That seems like an interesting observation for Jesus to offer to his joyful disciples, but bear with me, because there are actually two different meanings there.
[00:17:44] First, Jesus himself would have actually witnessed Lucifer's downfall - and Lucifer is who we call Satan. For the benefit of his disciples, Jesus is more likely quoting Isaiah 14, where Isaiah warns the king of Babylon that his reign will be cut short and his kingdom will be destroyed. That tracks because Babylon was often seen as the symbolic representation of evil on earth and the capital of Satan's kingdom in the world.
[00:18:19] “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.”
Jesus’ disciples would have been quite familiar with that reference as well.
[00:18:34] It's another one of those that sounds weird to us, but they would have understood it. It is based on Exodus 8, when Moses reminded the Chosen People that God had guided them through “the vast and terrible wilderness with its seraph serpents and scorpions” and Jesus uses those words to assure his disciples that no matter the danger they encounter, they will be protected from harm… God will protect them.
“Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus is telling his disciples: do not be proud of your accomplishments, for they do not belong to you… they belong to God.
[00:19:24] And he issues the same warning to us!
[00:19:28] The disciples were able to rejoice BECAUSE they had been called and chosen to do God's work, and their efforts, their labors, meant that God looked favorably upon what they'd done. But that struggle is nowhere near over.
[00:19:45] Each and every one of us, by virtue of our baptism, has a share in Christ's mission still today. Pope Saint John Paul II wrote: it is necessary that all the faithful make a full and lifelong commitment to the mission of Jesus and be prepared to go forth into the whole world to achieve it.
[00:20:11] Each of us is called to do some work for God, each one of us has a unique path to follow as a disciple.
[00:20:22] What is our path? What labors are we called to undertake?
[00:20:27] Well, again, those answers are as varied as each and every one of us.
[00:20:33] Each of us has our own path… it may be kindness, it may be gentleness, it may be an example of prayer, it may just be a smile in a grocery store, who knows?
[00:20:47] But we're still left with a question… what will we decide to do?
[00:20:53] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Isaiah 66: 10-14b.
[00:21:01] “[Thus says the LORD:] ‘Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and fondled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies.’”
[00:22:09] Remember the book of the prophet Isaiah is divided into three sections: First Isaiah (chapters 1 to 39) that was written before the Babylonian captivity; Second Isaiah (chapters 40 to 55) was written during the exile in Babylon; and Third Isaiah (chapters 56 to 66) was written after the return from Babylon.
[00:22:36] This particular Passage is from Third Isaiah, and it is a mixture of prose and poetry, hope and despair. The people have returned from their long exile, which should be a cause for rejoicing, but they returned to see the utter destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the temple, which causes sadness and dejection. So, let's break open here what Isaiah is saying…
[00:23:14] “[Thus says the LORD:]”
Remember, when a prophet uses those words, it means that they are speaking for God… they are speaking the truth God has given them to say. And what is that truth?
[00:23:28] “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her;”
Again the city has been destroyed, so it's difficult to find cause for rejoicing if that's the only thing that the returning exiles can see.
[00:23:44] But the Israelites are reminded that there is more to the story than just what is before their human eyes. That they should see not just damaged walls and buildings, but their true home. That they should look not just to present misfortune, but to the glory of the future. Isaiah continues…
“rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory.”
[00:24:24] Isaiah compares Jerusalem to a mother who is ready to welcome the return of her lost children, and feed them with abundance, and comfort those who grieve.
“For thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream;”
[00:24:52] In those words, Isaiah now shifts his imagery from a maternal metaphor to one involving nature.
[00:24:59] The prosperity that God will bestow on Jerusalem is a promise that the restored nation will be successful… so much so that its prosperity will cascade over the city as a river or stream spills over its bank! That is how generous God will be and how prosperous Jerusalem will be as a result.
[00:25:25] “and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and fondled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Isaiah then returns to the maternal metaphor, but Isaiah combines those images precisely to illustrate both the tenderness and the overwhelming strength of God.
[00:25:57] Those images are meant to reassure the exiles that what they see is not the end… God is faithful and he keeps his promises, so the city and the temple will again rise to greatness.
[00:26:15] “You shall see, and your hearts shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants.”
Isaiah goes back to a pastoral, natural metaphor to bring that section to a close.
[00:26:37] And basically, what he's saying is that having brought Israel this far, God will not abandon her.
[00:26:46] The return of the exiles is but the beginning; the temple will be rebuilt; the city will be restored; the nation will be renewed.
[00:27:01] Okay, we now understand the lesson the Israelites were to learn from this passage, but what of us? What should we take away from this?
[00:27:12] Actually, pretty much the same lesson…
[00:27:15] God is faithful and he will not abandon us; he will always be there to comfort and nourish us; whatever work he assigns to us, he will strengthen us along the way and help us accomplish the task he set for us.
[00:27:34] Remember, I said in the beginning of this episode that the paths of discipleship are as varied as the people called to follow them… and that is true, but there is one constant - in every path, for every person - and that is God.
[00:27:53] He does not promise that we will be rewarded in this life, only in the next.
[00:28:00] And a lifetime may seem like a long time to wait to receive our reward, but eternity with God in heaven outweighs a million lifetimes.
[00:28:15] That brings us to our Responsorial Psalm, which this week is Psalm 66, and the refrain is:
“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth.”
And here are the verses:
[00:28:27] “Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give him glorious praise! Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!’”
“‘All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.’ Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among men.”
“He turned the sea into dry land; men passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, who rules by his might for ever.”
“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he has done for me. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his merciful love from me!”
[00:29:15] This Psalm is a Psalm of Praise, specifically a Communal Summons to Praise God for the wonderful deeds he has accomplished, deeds that not only accomplish his will, but also strike fear in the hearts of his enemies.
[00:29:34] The Psalmist references how the sea was turned into dry land and the people passed through the river on foot - that recalls, actually, a couple of different events.
[00:29:48] First, it recalls the escape from Egypt when Moses called on God to part the Red Sea in Exodus 14, but it also recalls the entry of the Chosen People into the Promised Land when the priests (bearing the Ark of the Covenant) stopped the flow of water in the Jordan River in Joshua 3. The last stanza in this Psalm, comprised of verses 16 and 20, are actually a call to wisdom, a call for all the faithful to hear of God's mighty deeds. And when the Psalmist uses the word “fear” – “all you who fear God” - he means the wonder and awe shown to God for his divine power and splendor. And that attitude - fear of the Lord, fear of God - is the foundation of a life of wisdom.
[00:30:45] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from Galatians 6: 14-18.
“[Brothers and sisters:] [F]ar be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.”
[00:31:29] This passage comes at the very end of Galatians, and Paul really spends the majority of his time in that entire letter rebuking the Galatian community.
[00:31:45] To be fair, they are in a difficult situation because they are caught between two contradictory teachings. Paul established the church in Galatia and preached the good news of Jesus and the importance of Baptism.
[00:32:03] Rival teachers then followed after Paul, infiltrating the Galatian Church and teaching them that circumcision and adherence to the Mosaic Law were necessary in order to attain salvation. Paul sees that message as a very real spiritual threat to the Galatian community, and he is frustrated by the Galatians’ lack of a consistent faith in Jesus.
[00:32:34] This letter was probably Paul's earliest letter, written somewhere between 48 and 50 AD, possibly during his First Missionary Journey.
[00:32:48] But that also makes it one of the earliest written texts in the entire New Testament. And while it might be possible to classify this as an Occasional Letter, since Paul is refuting a rival teaching that was spreading amongst the community, it nevertheless stands alone amongst all of Paul's writings as a rebuke.
[00:33:13] So let's hear what Paul has to say…
[Brothers and Sisters:] [F]ar be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Remember, Paul is scolding the Galatians throughout this letter, and you can almost hear his deep disappointment in those words when he says: “far be it from me.”
[00:33:37] His intent is to remind the Galatians that the Cross of Jesus changes everything! There is no other message that will ever come along that will be more important or more impactful than that reality. The false teachers that have been presenting this message to them about the Old Covenant and about circumcision - what they're saying doesn't matter!
“by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Paul is not saying here that the world is bad - God created the world to be very good, but that goodness can be corrupted, right?
[00:34:21] We see that corruption creep into the world throughout Genesis chapters 3 to 11.
[00:34:29] What Paul means is that nothing that comes from the world can sway him from the path of righteousness and faith… and it shouldn't sway the Galatians either!
“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision,”
[00:34:46] Remember, circumcision was at the center of this controversy. Circumcision was the outward sign of the old Covenant. But, by his Passion and Death, Jesus established a New Covenant, one that supersedes the Old Covenant.
[00:35:08] Salvation comes not through circumcision and the Law, but through Jesus and his Sacrifice on the Cross.
[00:35:18] “Neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
And by that Paul means Baptism - rebirth through water and the Holy Spirit.
[00:35:32] Then Paul concludes with a surprisingly gracious ending to such a contentious letter.
“Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [and] upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me;”
That could also be translated as “let no man make trouble for me” - meaning stop listening to these rival teachers! I'm not trying to tear down the nation of Israel, but I have taught you the message of Jesus, and that is the message to which you need to remain faithful.
[00:36:13] Then he says something it's easy for us to misinterpret…
“for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”
[00:36:23] Paul is not saying that he has on his body what Christians have come to call the Stigmata - the wounds of Christ - present and visible on his body.
[00:36:36] The first account of the Stigmata was on the body of Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224.
[00:36:42] What Paul is saying is that he has undergone tremendous persecution and hardship and that he carries many scars on his body, scars that are signs of his love for Christ and his Church.
[00:37:01] The marks on Paul's flesh, although he never sought them out, were accepted willingly. And again, by that I do not mean that Paul asked to be beaten or stoned or shipwrecked or anything else that happened to him throughout his journeys.
[00:37:21] He didn't ask for any of that, but he did willingly undertake the mission Jesus set for him. Therefore, he did willingly accept the consequences of his actions… consequences that were a result of his preaching the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles.
[00:37:44] Then Paul concludes the letter…
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.”
[00:37:51] Paul ends his letter by praying that the grace of Jesus - which is a participation in the divine life of God freely shared with mankind - that that grace be with the Galatians.
[00:38:07] Again, a surprisingly gracious ending to a long and contentious rebuke.
[00:38:15] What we can learn from even this short segment of Galatians is that it can be easy to become confused about what the path of discipleship should be and how it should look. It certainly was for the Galatians, and it can be for us as well.
[00:38:38] Every path of discipleship is as unique as the person who walks it. It may be easy, although often it is not… it may bring us prominence or honors, but that's not necessarily the case… it may earn us some sort of earthly reward, but not always… yet each of us is still called by God to do him some service that only we can do.
[00:39:18] Saint John Henry Newman (a 19th century theologian, priest, and author) who actually spent the first half of his life as an Anglican before he converted to Catholicism, wrote the following: “God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. He does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about.”
[00:40:18] Those words are just as important for us today as they were when John Newman wrote them.
[00:40:28] If we believe in Jesus, then we are called to be his disciples… to follow where he leads and to do the work he assigns to us in whatever way we are able to. But it is a choice that we can accept or reject, so what will we decide?
[00:40:54] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
