Voice: Kae Chee
Today is Wednesday, 10th of December. Let us pause to gather our scattered thoughts and focus our spirit on His presence.
Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires
of our own hearts.
We have offended against your holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done,
and we have done those things which we ought not
to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us.
O Lord, have mercy upon us.
Spare all those who confess their faults.
Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises
declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.
We read Psalm 63
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Matthew 15:1-9
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Obeying from the Heart
The context of Jesus’ teaching here arose from the Pharisees’ criticism that His disciples did not wash their hands before eating.
In reply, Jesus quoted from Isaiah 29:13, the passage we reflected on last Friday. We see again how “a commandment taught by men” was elevated above the commandment that comes from the Lord.
The word Corban refers to something — money, property, or goods — formally declared as a gift devoted to God. Once declared Corban, it was considered sacred, set apart for religious purposes, often benefiting the temple and priesthood.
Over time, the Pharisees and scribes allowed people to make a Corban vow for self-protection, not devotion. Technically, the item was “dedicated to God” in the future but remained in one’s possession in the present. By tagging some of their finances as designated for the temple, they could avoid using them to support their parents. In this way, a human tradition superseded God’s clear command.
It is in our human nature to stay within the legal limits yet miss the whole heart of the law. We understand this well in a society ruled by policies, procedures, and regulations. This same attitude can easily creep into our spiritual lives. We may obey “technically,” but our intentions are elsewhere. We honor God with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him, just as Isaiah said.
For example, we may appear to uphold Christian principles in front of our family or friends, while inwardly our hearts are not set to please God.
Jesus then moved on to teach that the heart is the seedbed of all that is good or evil. He was not referring to the blood-pumping organ. The heart, or kardia, represents the real you. Cultivating a heart that genuinely desires to please God is the lifelong work of discipleship. Letting God search our hearts, keeping them soft and surrendered before Him, is vital. We need to continually invite God to do His refining work within us.
In this season of Advent, will you allow the Lord to do a new work in your heart?
We end with this collect :
Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being:
We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit,
that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you,
but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Be blessed by this song, Restore my Soul
Restore my soul, revive my heart
Renew my life in every part
Reveal to me what sin remains
Then lead me to the cross again
Restore my soul, revive my heart
Renew my life in every part
Reveal to me what sin remains
Then lead me to the cross again
At the cross I’ll find the way
To live the life Your hand has made
So find me there, Lord, and help me stay
In true surrender with You, my Savior
Relight the fire that burned so strong
Reminding me what You have done
My one request is to be changed, Lord
So lead me to the cross again
At the cross I’ll find the way
To live the life Your hand has made
So find me there, Lord, and help me stay
In true surrender with You, my Savior
So find me there, Lord, and help me stay
In true surrender with You, my Savior
With You my Savior
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
Daily Devotion 
Leave a comment