The following resource is from desiring God.org.

Let's pray.

Father, I ask for a dethroning of pride in our lives, the lives of your people.

This text is so manifestly about humility and servanthood and going low.

So Grant that I would be humbled and we as a church would be a humble church, a servant church, a happy glad-hearted going low church

and a church knowing how to be cleansed daily and once for all.

And Father, I pray that you would make this text clear that the word of God would be made

mighty in the minds and in the hearts of everyone in the hearing of my voice.

There are a thousand things that need to be done

in our souls, our minds, our bodies, our families, our work that only you can do.

So do more than we can imagine to ask right now through your all relevant work and word.

I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

So we're going to tackle this text at two levels.

I think there's a clear upfront what you see on the first reading meaning

that is prominent and intended to be powerful in our lives? That's one level.

And then we'll go back and we'll ask, is there another level here? Is there something

else going on besides which you get the first time through?

So that's the way we're going to go about it.

I think the first time through, everybody should be able to say, yes, that's just right there on the surface and

clear and applicable to my life. So verse one is a banner flying over the ministry of Jesus past and future.

There isn't much left about a day.

Three years gone by, it's Thursday, it's going to die tomorrow morning.

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