Devotions: Ps 72, 119:73-96; Jer 3:6-18; Rom 1:28-2:11; Jn 5:19-29
God gives justice to His royal Son and judges people impartially. He defends the poor and lowly. He rules over all creation, heaven and earth. Blessed be His glorious name forever. Amen! Lord, You made me and I have given myself to You; I know that You judge rightly, and You are merciful and loving. Comfort and challenge me as You will, and I'll meditate on Your precepts. My hungers find their only satisfaction in You, Lord. Spare me to serve and to worship You. There is no limit to Your goodness, and the merit of Your commandments.
YHWH confided in Jeremiah His outrage at the unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah, and He directed the prophet to address Israel thus: 'Return, faithless Israel; I will not look on you in anger, for I Am merciful. I will not be angry forever; just admit your guilt and rebellion. Return to your Master and I will bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will care for you with knowledge and understanding. Jerusalem will be known as YHWH's throne and the nations will come there to meet the Lord in Jerusalem. Judah and Israel will join together and return to Zion from exile in the north.
Paul continued his discussion of faithless pagans: Since they did not acknowledge God, He gave them over to wrong thinking and immoral conduct. They were stained by all wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, gossip, slander, hating God, insolence, disobedient and disrectful to God and parents, haughty, bragging, inventing evil, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. They know what to do, but they refuse to do it. So, mortals, you have no excuse for judging others; in doing so, you condemn yourselves. We know that God rightly judges all who do these things. And all face His judgment; don't presume on God's kindness, forbearance and patience. God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance; but by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of His judgment and wrath revealed. He will render to everyone according to their response to His commands: eternal life to those who by patience in well-doing seek glory and honor and immortality; wrath and fury for those who are factions, disobedient and wicked. Tribulation and distress for evil-doers, Jews first and then Gentiles; and glory and honor and peace for all who do good, Jews first, then Gentiles. God shows no partiality.
Jesus told those hearing Him, 'Truly, truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, but only what He sees the Father doing; whatever He does, the Son does also. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everthing that the Father Himself is doing. You'll see Him do greater works than the ones you have witnessed so far, and you will marvel. As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever He will. The Father has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son cannot honor the Father Who sent Him. Truly, truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you truly, the hour has come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man. Don't marvel at this, for othe hour is coming when all in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
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