March 6, 2024
Wenesde for Week Three of Lent
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“I no come to cancel di Law, but to fulfil am. Amen, I dey tell una, until heaven and earth pass away, even di smallest letter or di smallest part of any letter no go pass from di Law, until everything don happen.” Matthew 5:17–18
Di Old Law, wey be di law from di Old Testament, give different rules about right and wrong, and rules for worship ceremonies too. Jesus make am clear say He no dey cancel everything wey God teach through Moses and di Prophets. Na because di New Testament bring di Old Testament reach im fullest point and complete am. So, nothing from di old one dey cancelled; instead, e don reach fulfilment and completion.
Di rules about right and wrong for di Old Testament na laws wey come mainly from di reasoning wey human beings get. E make sense say person no suppose kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, and other things like that. E still make sense say people suppose honour and respect God. Di Ten Commandments and di other laws about right and wrong still dey stand today. But Jesus carry us go much further. No be only say He call us to obey these commandments more deeply; He still promise us di gift of grace so that we fit fulfil dem. So, “No kill person” come get deeper meaning: we must forgive people wey dey persecute us completely, without holding anything back.
E good to notice say di deeper meaning wey Jesus give di law about right and wrong actually pass wetin human reasoning fit reach. “No kill person” make sense to almost everybody, but “love una enemies and pray for people wey dey persecute una” na new law about right and wrong wey person fit understand only with di help of grace. But without grace, di natural human mind alone no fit reach this new commandment.
To understand this one dey help us well-well, because many times, we dey live our life by relying only on our human reasoning when we wan decide wetin right and wetin wrong. Even though our human reasoning go always direct us away from di wrong things wey dey very clear, e alone no go fit guide us reach di highest level of perfection for doing wetin right. We need grace to understand this high calling. Na only through grace we fit understand and fulfil di call to carry our crosses and follow Christ.
Today, think deeply about di call wey you yourself receive to become perfect. If you no understand how God fit expect you to become perfect, then pause and think about di fact say you dey right—human reasoning alone no fit understand am! Pray make di light of grace fill your human reasoning, so that no be only to understand your high calling to perfection you go fit do, but you go still receive di grace wey you need to reach am.
My Jesus, wey high pass all, You don call us to reach new height for holy life. You don call us to dey perfect. Give my mind light, dear Lord, so that I go fit understand this high calling, and pour Your grace on me, so that I go fit accept and fully carry out my duty to do wetin good and right. Jesus, na You I trust.
Meditations for Day Nineteen:
40 Days for the Desert & 40 Days for the Cross
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Scripture Meditation Dem for Lent
Pictures wey dey up: Moses and Aaron with the 10 Commandments, wey Aron de Chaves make, from Wikimedia Commons & Moses with the Ten Commandments, wey Philippe de Champaigne make, from Wikimedia Commons
