Feb 22nd

Exodus 5     Job 22     Luke 8     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)


Blame
Moses and Aaron deliver God’s message to Pharaoh, to let his people go. As a result Pharaoh increases the workload of the Israelites, who in return blame Moses and Aaron for this injustice. Moses then complains to God, claiming that instead of rescuing his people, he has brought trouble on them.
In Job 22 Eliphaz continues accusations that Job has committed many sins, without any other evidence than Job’s present suffering. His advice to submit to God may seem sound in itself; however it is based on incorrect assumptions and therefore it is doing Job injustice.
The woman with the haemorrhage in Luke’s Gospel had been ceremonially unclean for twelve years. She must have been physically very weak but it is possible that her ongoing ceremonial uncleanliness was also a real source of grief for her. In Leviticus 15:25-30 we read that anything a woman in her situation lay or sat on would become ceremonially unclean and that anyone who touched these items would become unclean as well requiring ceremonial cleansing. She must have been terrified when Jesus asked who had touched him.
The reason, however, why Jesus calls her is not to blame but instead he wants to give her his blessing.
Thank you Jesus that you bless us and that through you we are free from blame. Help us to be like you, blessing, not blaming.  Amen.

(homegroup member)