January 11, 2026

BE ZEALOUS AND REMEMBER

1 Maccabees 2:50-51 (not in the Protestant Bible)

Therefore, children, be zealous for the law, and offer your lives for the covenant of our fathers; and remember the deeds our fathers did in their generations, and receive great honor and an everlasting name.

Personal Challenge

Even though this passage was written in Old Testament times and was challenging us to be zealous for the law, it still applies to us today. Jesus told us that He fulfilled the law and then ushered in a new covenant based on love. In that case, we are called to be zealous for Jesus and the love for God and our neighbor that He has commanded us to live out. We are not to be zealous for rubrics or traditions. They are helpful for our worship, but not for our salvation. We are also encouraged to remember the deeds of our fathers, those who have gone before us, protecting and forming our church of today. We are to honor and follow 2,000 years of teaching and martyrdom for Christ. Glory be to God!