Paul expresses his continued intercession in prayer for the Colossians' continued spiritual growth.
Paul rejoices that the Gospel is bearing fruit in the Colossians' lives, throughout the world, and through the preaching of the gospel.
In this short parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus tells us of the stark contrast of the prayer of a self-righteous man and the one of a contrite sinner. But this parable is not about prayer. In very short order, Jesus masterfully gets to the root of our human problem of sin and the solution to that problem. Just as Jesus said later to the real tax collector, Zaccheus, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost”.
God gave us the Ten Commandments to teach us what it looks like to love God above all and to love our neighbors. God begins to teach us to love our neighbors with the command, “Honor your father and your mother.” Love begins at home. As we dig into the commandment, we see God’s heart that this would not be confined to the parent-child relationship, but that in all things we grow in Leading and Following Well. May God continue to Order Our Steps and Shape Our Hearts by his word.
The fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath is likely the most contested of the ten when it comes to interpretation and practice. Is Sunday the new Sabbath? What does it mean to honor it? As we listen to the Spirit speak through the Bible, we don't get direct answers to all our questions. We do, however, hear a gracious and serious command from God to receive and Honor the Gift of Rest. May God Order Our Steps and Shape Our Hearts according to his word.