A biblical covenant is a sacred agreement between God and his children. God sets specific conditions, and he promises to bless us as we obey these conditions. Making and keeping covenants qualifies us to receive the blessings God has promised. When we choose not to keep covenants, we cannot receive the blessings. God always keeps his side of the promise in the covenant, but we humans often fail to trust him completely to receive his blessing. Those who are in Jesus are in the new covenant with the Father. The sealing of the covenant was with the blood of Jesus on the Cross on Calvary. In the Lord Jesus the blessing of the Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts. In today’s Gospel proclamation, the scribes have a singular goal: to condemn Jesus’ work even after watching him do so many miracles. It is their hardness of heart which bound them in their sin, without receiving the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ that is highlighted in the Gospel proclamation.

Prayer: Abba Father, I pray that I may have a heart that ponders and gratefully accepts your everlasting covenant. Amen.