Author: David Short

Sirach 11:9

Do not argue about a matter that does not concern you,
And do not sit together with sinners when they judge a case.

Personal Challenge

Throughout the Scriptures there are many instances of guidelines on how to live a righteous life. We must take these guidelines as boundaries to live our lives within and not absolute laws or rules. Effectively, Jesus left us with only two rules, or commandments, in order to be recognized as His followers. They are to love God and love your neighbor. These guidelines presented here in Sirach can help us through life on a smoother road. It does me no good, as well as no good to others, to enter into the argument about a matter that does not concern me. Another way to say this is, “Mind my own business!” The other guideline is not to join in with those who are in the wrong when they judge others. Great food for thought. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Encouraging Words

Paul sends this prayer for Christians to the church in Thessalonica. It is still relevant for today. Our desire as followers of Christ should always be to live our lives with blameless hearts. This passage reminds us that one thing we can do to achieve this desire is to increase and abound in love to another and to all. If we can learn to practice the two commandments that Jesus gave us, then this becomes an attainable goal. These commandments are to love God and love our neighbor. Glory be to God!

Sirach 11:7-8

Do not find fault before you examine a situation.
First, understand it, and then make your judgment.
Do not answer before you have listened,
And do not interrupt someone while he is talking.

Personal Challenge

There are so many tidbits of great wisdom spread throughout the scriptures. We just need to take the time to find them and then most importantly, apply them to our lives. Here we find advise from Sirach to slow down before we respond to situations. Before we pass judgment, we are to examine the situation and understand it. Before we answer someone, we should listen to them and not interrupt them with our commentary. I guess I have opportunities for improvement before me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

Personal Challenge

As a follower of Christ, my responsibility is to say and do things that please God. I am not to worry how other people will accept my words or actions as long as I am striving to please God. We must remember to put this in the context of God’s commandments to love Him and to love our neighbor. Pleasing God means saying and doing everything from these perspectives of love. By doing this my actions will show respect and love for all others. This is often a far cry from how we see those who proclaim to be Christians behaving today. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

IN GOD’S HAND

Sirach 10:4

The authority of the earth is in the hand of the Lord,
And He will raise up the right man for an appointed time.

Encouraging Words

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Personal Challenge

As followers of Christ, our speech, whether verbal or written, should always be delivered with grace toward the recipient. There is no room, no excuse, for nasty ad hominins or other derisive means of hurting the other person. This is an aspect of being a Christian that seems to have been abandoned. Lord, have Mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Sirach 7:32-36

Stretch forth your hand to the poor,
That your blessing may be complete.
Let the kindness of giving be shown
In the presence of all the living,
And do not withhold kindness from the dead.
Do not withdraw yourself from those who weep,
And mourn with those who mourn.
Do not hesitate to visit a sick man,
For by such visits you will be loved.
With all your words, remember the time you will die,
And you will never sin.

Personal Challenge

At the very beginning of Christianity, those who had been longing for their Messiah, did not recognize Him when He arrived. To use a modern term, He was too “woke” for what they were looking for. I often wonder that if Jesus were to show up today and do what He did 2,000 years ago, how many professing Christians would join the religious leaders yelling, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Jesus would have been fully aware of this book of Sirach. His sermon on the mount and other teachings proclaims these truths in Sirach. Stretch forth your hand to the poor, which includes the widow, the orphan and the alien (migrant) amongst us. Live showing the kindness of giving, not taking and hoarding like so many wealthy, including many megachurch leaders of today. Do not withhold kindness, do not withdraw from those who weep, mourn with those who mourn, visit the sick person without hesitation, speak carefully. These are things that followers of Christ strive to do with their lives. These are the “Christians” that make up the true body of Christ. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Colossians 4:2

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

Personal Challenge

One of the things that we, the followers of Christ, are consistently encouraged to do throughout the New Testament is to pray with thanksgiving. We do not offer up prayers to change the mind and will of God but that our mind and will might be changed to conform with His. We are to always pray with a thankful heart knowing that God hears us and that His responses will always be what is best for us. Glory be to God!

Sirach 7:29-31

Fear the Lord with all your soul
And honor His priests.
Love Him who made you
And do not forsake His ministers.
Fear the Lord and honor His priests,
And give them their portion as commanded:
The firstfruits, the trespass offering,
The gift of the shoulder offering,
The sacrifice of sanctification,
And the firstfruits of the holy things.

Personal Challenge

Sirach admonishes us to give honor and support to our spiritual leaders. A true spiritual leader will follow many other precepts in the scriptures commensurate with the role that they have either been called to or pursued. Those precepts carry their own expectations for these leaders and the consequences for not living up to those expectations. It is not our responsibility to judge these leaders but let God do that in His way and time. We will be held accountable for what we do in our role. Glory be to God!