"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 7:21)
READING OF THE DAY
A reading from the Second Book of Kings
2 Kgs 24:8-17
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
His mother's name was Nehushta,
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.
At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
himself arrived at the city
while his servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
And he carried off all the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,
and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.
He deported all Jerusalem:
all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,
and all the craftsmen and smiths.
None were left among the people of the land except the poor.
He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,
and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
the king's mother and wives,
his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.
The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon
all seven thousand men of the army,
and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,
all of them trained soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin,
the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,
and changed his name to Zedekiah.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
THURSDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 7:21-29
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
In God's Word today, God the Father calls His children to follow the lifestyle of God the Father's only Son, which is to practice the Word of God the Father according to His teachings.
Jesus Christ obeyed God the Father, came to earth to become a human being, sacrificed Himself, died, and was resurrected to atone for all human sins and save humanity. It is the carrying out of the will of God the Father by God's only Son that brings eternal life to humans. Therefore, the Words He teaches are the Words of the strength and power of God the Father, expressed in His authority. The Word has the power to attract humanity to God the Father and has the power to expel Satan from human bodies and souls.
By living and carrying out the will of God the Father through His only Son, Jesus Christ, God the Father also teaches His children that If we want to enjoy the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven, we must follow God the Father's teachings, which is to live with justice, charity, and love, knowing how to sacrifice for our fellow human beings, that is true love because there is no greater love than the love of one who sacrifices his life for his loved one and for all creation.
God the Father is the One who understands every thought, word, action, and deed of mankind. If people do not live by but only speak with their lips and mouths, then they will not please God the Father. If they do not please God the Father, they will not be welcome by Him to receive happiness in His Kingdom.
God the Father calls humans to live and do exactly what God the Father teaches, then Satan will lose. Because Satan dislikes any humans who obey God the Father's will, they will find every way to tempt people to live hypocritically before God the Father to only make promises on their lips and mouths but not to live by them. That is the Word of God the Father warning people living in the world today.
To fully attain the reward of entering the Kingdom of Heaven, it is essential to follow the teachings of God the Father, through the example of obedience set by God the Father's only Son, Jesus Christ.
By following His way of life of sacrificing Himself for His fellow brothers and sisters.
That is giving up our selfish ego, letting go of feelings of hatred, jealousy, and envy, and relinquishing our pride to live lowly, meek, humble, and loving like God's only Son, Jesus Christ.
By practicing like this, only then will the power of our preaching reach our brothers and sisters. We will be able to expel Satan who is controlling and imprisoning the souls of our brothers and sisters. Just like the strength and power of God the Father's only Son, Jesus Christ: when His Word echoes calling everyone to repentance, it becomes the Word of authority, because He is God the Father. He is love, authority, and power that exists from all eternity and for all generations.
God's Word today, God the Father calls humanity to believe in God's Word that teaches people so that people can listen and follow. Only then can the power of the Word spread over one's own being, only then will we be able to expel the Satanic demons that are controlling and imprisoning the soul, thereby giving people enough strength from God to enter and enjoy the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven in the future.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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