The Daily Office for February 9, 2012
Scriptures
Psalm 146
Genesis 27:30-45
Romans 12:9-21
John 8:21-32
Reading (Romans 12:9-21)
Reflection
The opening verses of today's Epistle reading are a practical outworking of the Sermon on the Mount. The worldwide fellowship of believers are expected to have mutual love toward one another. As Paul says, "Let love be genuine." The word used here (Gr anypokritos) literally means without hypocrisy or insincerity. We must genuinely love one another. He next, by contrast, commands us to abhor that which is evil. We should not expect God to remove sin from us until we actually hate it and have rooted out of our transformed lives any secret love that we still hold for that which is evil.
Returning, then, to his theme Paul states that we are to have tender regard for those who are our brothers in the Lord. Brotherly love (Gr philadelphia) is a love for all members of the local assembly, regardless of their heritage or financial status. Since personal conceit is taken away on the basis of our salvation, which is grace, we must not count ourselves better than other believers Philippians 2:3. We need a devalued opinion of our own worth before the Lord, but a greatly inflated opinion of what He can do through a devalued person who has yielded to Him.
Collect for the Day
Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.