Have you ever received an honour that you felt you didn’t deserve? In today’s readings, we see the concept of divine election- God choosing the unlikely to carry out His purpose.
In Genesis 25, God chose Jacob, the younger son, over the elder, to be the lineage through which Jesus the Messiah would come. Firstborns were considered superior as they had the birthright and would receive the largest share of the inheritance. It would’ve been expected for Esau, the first son, to be chosen, but to show His Sovereignty, God chose Jacob, the younger son.
Similarly, in Matthew 9, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to be His disciple. At that time, tax collectors were despised by everyone. They were seen as disloyal Israelites because the Romans had hired them to tax other Israelites for personal profit. Nonetheless, Jesus chose a tax collector to be part of His disciples. Matthew would go on to write a book named after himself in the New Testament.
Today, God is still doing the same, calling and saving all kinds of people, transforming those who seemingly had nothing to offer into great tools in His Kingdom.
Dear believer, God has chosen you to proclaim His name. You are an ambassador called to show forth the glory of God (2 Corinthians 5:20). You may not feel qualified, but He has qualified you through the sacrifice of Christ. Chin up!
Today’s reading
Genesis 25-26
1 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
3 Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim
Matthew 8:28-9:13
28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.