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Thursday
First Lesson
Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field
which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea,
hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit
of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,
God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch
it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For
God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to
make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they
were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves
aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves
from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where
art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid,
because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou
eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest
not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me,
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou
hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I
did eat.
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast
done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every
beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow
and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;
and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over
thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded
thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground
for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of
thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and
thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return
unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother
of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats
of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of
us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand,
and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the
garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every
way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
1st Lesson Questions -
"Ye shall be as gods..." the serpent said. (V. 5) What deadly sin was he encouraging? The tree of life was ours, but in eating of the tree of knowledge we lost access to it. Has it been given back? How so? (Look up the Preface of the Passion and of the Holy Cross, as contained in the People's Anglican Missal). RESOLVE.
Second Lesson
Mark 6:45-56
45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the
ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while
he sent away the people.
46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain
to pray.
47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea,
and he alone on the land.
48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary
unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh
unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed
it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he
talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is
I; be not afraid.
51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased:
and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
52 For
they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart
was hardened.
53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of
Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
54 And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they
knew him,
55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to
carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he
was.
56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or
country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him
that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment:
and as many as touched him were made whole.
2nd Lesson Questions -
When I see Jesus face to face (after the winds of this life), will I be joyous or terrified? Which is my hopeful response? When's the last time my heart was hardened to the workings of Christ Jesus, as the disciples' hearts were in this passage? (V. 52). RESOLVE.