Living the Lectionary is a weekly devotional tool intended to give you ideas for living out the Word of God that we encounter on Sundays in worship.
ABOUT THE WEEK STARTING April 10th: THE Second Week of Easter
God’s choice and the Worthy. Law: None of the people whom God chooses are worthy of the honor of His choice. Not Paul, not Peter, and much less us. Gospel: There is One who IS worthy, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, Whose worth is imputed to us. 
REFLECTING ON THE READINGS
(readings are linked to text on ESVbible.com – you can read all the readings together here.)
Acts 9:1-22– The Choice of Saul– The Apostle Paul (formerly known as Saul) seemed like an odd choice for God, since he was a zealot who was persecuting the early Christians. What might lead you to think that you are an odd choice for God to use? What things are in your past or present that seem like they might disqualify you? || God sent Ananias to Saul to heal him and Baptize him and explained to Ananias that Paul was God’s chosen instrument to reach the Gentiles. Where can you recognize God’s healing power in your life? What might this tell you about God’s choosing of you?
Psalm 30– The Choice to Heal – Psalm 30 has the description of being “a song at the dedication of the temple”. The writer has been ill, even to the point of death, and has recovered. When have you felt ill either physically or spiritually/metaphysically? Did you have feelings like that of the Psalmist? || During recoveries like these, it was typical to have a celebration and sing songs of praise to God. This song was to be sung specifically at the occasion at the temple dedication, which would have been a high honor. In this Psalm we see God choosing to heal a person, not being obliged to, but choosing to. When has God chosen to heal you physically or more metaphysically? How have you invited your friends and family into the experience of that healing so that they could see your thankfulness?
Revelation 5:1-14 – The Choice of the Lamb – We do not know why yet in the narrative of this section, but there is a lack of hope that seems to well up in John when he sees that no one is counted worthy enough to open the scroll. He begins to weep bitterly because no one is worthy enough. Lack of worth is something that we struggle with in our culture – the people around us feel that they are unworthy and unable. When have you felt these feelings of the lack of worth or inability to do something? What sins might be taking away from your ability or sense of worth? || God presents the Lamb (who is also the Lion of Judah), the One who is worthy, Jesus Christ. The Lamb uses His worthiness to open the seals of the scroll in this narrative. How is Jesus’ worthiness applied in your personal narrative?
John 21:1-19– The Choice of Peter – The Apostle Peter is well known for his three-fold denial of Jesus. For this reason, we could understand if Jesus would deny Peter – after all, Jesus did say that if we denied Him before men, He would deny us before His Father. When have you denied Jesus in your thoughts, words, or deeds this week? What do your sins show to yourself and to the world about what you are denying? || Jesus reinstates Peter, providing a three fold command to take care of His sheep and the command “Follow me”. What words or ways would Jesus use if He were speaking to you as He speaks to Peter? How would Jesus reinstate you?