Old Testament reading: Genesis 30-31
“Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill?… He who swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Psalm 15:1, 4). Today’s reading details Jacob’s dealings with his sorry father-in-law Laban. In brief, Laban was deceitful and covetous, and his sons were like him and worse. By his own admission, Laban recognized that his own wealth and success were due to his relationship with Jacob (30:27). Yet, Laban was minded to abuse Jacob’s faithfulness and, by extension, his own daughter and grandchildren. Despite this treachery, Jacob dealt faithfully with Laban for many years, certainly giving better than he deserved. All the while Jacob trusted in God to take care of him, which God most certainly did (30:43). Though Laban had changed Jacob’s wages ten times (31:7), he remained faithful to his word. The treachery and deceit of others toward us is no excuse for us to practice the same in return.
New Testament reading: Matthew 26
Today’s New Testament reading is the first record of the institution of the Lord’s Supper (26:26-28). Of particular interest in this text is Jesus’ use of the phrase, “for the remission of sins (v 28)”. This phase appears four times in the New King James Version, elsewhere twice in regard to John’s baptism (Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3) and once in Acts 2:38 in Peter’s sermon at Pentecost. Whatever the phrase means in Matthew 26 is what it means in the other appearances. For example, those who submitted to John’s baptism did so with the understanding that they would receive remission of sins (Mark 1:4). However, some argue the same phrase in Acts 2:38 means “because of remission of sins,” meaning one’s sins are already remitted before one is baptized. But if this be the case, and we are going to be consistent in our usage of the text, then Jesus’ death and the shedding of His blood were because sins were already remitted. However, no one wants to take that position. Instead, they would have the same phrase have opposite meanings. Let us always exercise diligence to be honest and consistent in our use of God’s word (cf 2 Tim 2:15). In so doing we can dispel and correct many of the errors taught in the religious world today.
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