23rd Sunday after Pentecost
2 Thessalonians 3:1-15 NLT
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2 Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. 13 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.
For Reflection:
Begin by praying for God to reveal what He wants you to see, understand, and do.
Read Matthew 25:34-40 and Acts 2:42-47. Pay particular attention to what the passage says about hunger, eating, compassion and generosity.
Read Thessalonians 3:6-13. Observe what it seems to be conveying. How does the message here compare with the passages above? Reflect and discuss. What does this stir in you? Then read the whole chapter, pausing after verse 15; then continue through 18. Observe and reflect what you see and hear now. How would you describe “grace”? Reflect on verse 5. How does this relate to 1:1-2 and 3:16-18? Pray about what thoughts, feelings, and questions stir in you. Ask God to help you experience the fullness of these promises through His grace.