PrayerBits
A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church
Tuesday
Scripture lesson: Matthew 3:1-11 Trying to limit doing good
Time to reflect: A debate in the time of Jesus was on the boundary between obeying the Sabbath law and doing good. Jesus obviously fell on the side of helping others no matter what. A recent state law in the Midwest declared it a “crime” to help an illegal alien and that all churches should check for documentation before helping someone in need. The church, from liberal to conservative, and everything in between said explicitly or implicitly – We will help those in need whether it is a crime or not.
Moving through the day: Can you think of situations where helping other is limited unnaturally like these two examples?
Scripture:
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.' "[a]
4John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11"I baptize you with[b] water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
