"the discipline of the lord" and the lord of the discipline
"Someone asked Him, 'Lord, are they few in number who are to be saved?' " —Luke 13:23
To be saved, we must confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord (Rm 10:9). However, we human beings have trouble saying "Yes" when we mean "Yes" and "No" when we mean "No" (Mt 5:37). We have trouble telling the truth because we speak from our hearts' abundance (Lk 6:45) and our hearts are twisted and deceitful (Jer 17:9). We must find a way to straighten out our twisted hearts so we can truly acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
The Lord has given His beloved sons and daughters the gift of discipline. By God's grace, discipline makes "straight the paths you walk on" (Heb 12:13). The Lord works through discipline to make straight even our twisted, deceitful hearts. Therefore, we must "not disdain the discipline of the Lord" (Heb 12:5). At first, "all discipline seems a cause for grief and not for joy, but later it brings forth the fruit of peace and justice" (Heb 12:11). By accepting the discipline of discipleship, we can truthfully accept Jesus as our Lord and our Justice (see 1 Cor 1:30). Thank the Lord for the discipline of our daily crosses (see Lk 9:23), of our vocations, of our call to almsgiving, prayer, and fasting (see Mt 6:16-18), and for our responsibility to forgive and love even our enemies (Mt 5:44).
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to teach me how Your discipline fits into Your plan of salvation.
Promise: "So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight the paths you walk on, that your halting limbs may not be dislocated but healed." —Heb 12:12-13
Praise: Risen Lord Jesus, You are our Hope and our Salvation. All praise and glory to You.
Reference: (For a related teaching on Obeying God, order, listen to, or download our CD 62-3 or DVD 62 on our website.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 15, 2019
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