January 2
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WHAT ONE SOWS, ONE REAPS ALSO
6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. -Galatians 6:6-10
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Luther comments “If we carefully weigh the words of Paul, the apostle, we perceive that he does not speak of doctrinal faults and errors, but of much lesser faults by which a person is overtaken through the weakness of his flesh. This explains why the Apostle chooses the softer term ‘fault.’ To minimize the offense still more, as if he meant to excuse it altogether and to take the whole blame away from the person who has committed the fault, he speaks of him as having been ‘overtaken,’ seduced by the devil and of the flesh”
Another commentary says that this job of restoration is often neglected in the church. We have a tendency to either pretend the sin never happened, or we tend to react too harshly towards the one who has sinned. The balance between these two extremes can only be negotiated by the spiritual. It should be normal to do what God says here, but it isn’t. It is all too easy to respond to someone’s sin with gossip, harsh judgment, or undiscerning approval.
In verse 1, Paul stresses the importance of the accountability between disciples. In verse 2, Paul emphasizes the importance of the law of sowing and reaping told by Jesus in Mark 4:26-29. He cautions the Galatians to ensure that they shouldn’t expect anything that they haven’t sown. In verse 8, he explains that if one sows what the flesh wants, he will reap destruction but quite the opposite if a person sows to the Spirit. They will reap eternal life instead. Verse 9 is a warning to be persistent in doing good so that discouragement won’t take over and make one hopeless and frustrated. In verse 10, he also reminds us to care for others but most especially to those who belongs in faith.
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REFLECTION
• Why do people have a discrepancy from what they expect and what they are actually sowing?
• What have you sown in the Spirit that you are now reaping in your life?