November 1 | John 8:48-59
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
For All the Saints
By Elaine Pierce
When Jesus is challenged by a hostile crowd - mostly the Jewish religious leadership - he doesn't back down, does he?
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered "before Abraham was born, I am!" (v. 58)
They are furious with this unequivocal answer that He indeed is one with the Father, and the same people who were ready to stone the woman caught in adultery (see John 8:1-11) now grab stones to hurl at Jesus.
The pharisees challenged him with false claims:
You are a Samaritan
You are demon possessed
You are too young to have seen Abraham
I love this one: Who do you think you are??
When you challenge Jesus, you will lose. But Jesus' goal is not to win debates; it's to win hearts and souls for life eternal.
Today we celebrate All Saints Day, when we honor the saints and martyrs of the church, both the well known and the countless ordinary believers who have attained heaven. You will hear a long list of names read, and it might be easy to think about something else while this list is read. But each name is a unique person, dearly loved by God and by family and friends who are still here on Earth. What joy it will be when we reunite with them.
Jesus clearly tells us who he is, and he lovingly invites us to follow him. Rejoice that today and every day, you can call him Lord, you can sit at his feet, and you can receive grace, hope, and live everlasting.
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, that one day I will join the saints in worship in heaven. Continue to praise him as you listen to this hymn. https://tinyurl.com/5czn6t2m Amen!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ELAINE PIERCE
It is a delight and joy to write Sunday's UALC Blog post. I have been a UALC member for 20+ years and I value our community of believers. I draw strength from God's Word, and it is my hope that you join me in seeking to grow closer to Him as we read, study, and pray together. I've been married to Gene for 47 years, and we have four grown children and nine grandchildren. It is an exciting time to be alive, and I count it all joy to serve him, even in the midst of challenges. To God be the glory, for the great things he is doing!
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