For Sunday the 13th of July, 2025 (Proper 10)
As we gather for worship this Sunday the readings address the question of pleasing God. An expert in the law asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). The answer is an echo of Moses’ words in the reading from Leviticus, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (19:18). A simple enough answer to be sure, but simply impossible for us to carry out. How then can we inherit eternal life? Paul explains, “[The Father] delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). By His power—and His alone—we are qualified “to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12). That is a powerful motivation to live a life of thanks and service!