Sunday 27th June - 4th after Trinity (green)
Theme: Christian Character
Readings: Galatians 5:1,13-25
2 Kings 2:1-2,6-14 Luke 9:51-62 Ps 16
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Theme: Christian Character
Readings: Galatians 5:1,13-25
2 Kings 2:1-2,6-14 Luke 9:51-62 Ps 16
Collect:
Gracious Father,
by the obedience of Jesus
you brought salvation to our wayward world:
draw us into harmony with your will,
that we may find all things restored in him,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Comment
Jesus’ disciples felt that Elijah’s example was a good one to follow. The king had sent a company of soldiers to bring Elijah; the officer, despite calling Elijah, ‘Man of God’, only recognised the king’s authority and assumed that what the king ordered had to be obeyed. Elijah picked up on this, and demonstrated that his authority as a Man of God could not be treated lightly. Elijah also felt his personal safety was under threat; he needed the fire of God for his own protection. The second officer made the same mistake as the first; the third one learnt his lesson, and saved his life and the lives of his men.
James and John knew that Jesus had an authority from God that was as much if not more than Elijah’s. They saw that the Samaritan village he had wanted to pass through had failed to accept Jesus’ authority, and thought that was an insult too much to bear. Surely here was a time when fire from heaven should be called down to consume them! If Elijah was justified in doing it, surely they had a greater right, even though their personal safety was not an issue. Especially since hated Samaritans were the problem!
Jesus turned and rebuked them. Some ancient manuscripts of Luke’s gospel add the words, ‘And he said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.”’ Those words were probably added in by way of explanation, but they hit the nail on the head: the new life we have gives us a new character, which even godly people like Elijah did not have. God’s Holy Spirit lives in us! He works in us to make us more and more like Jesus. Jesus was not interested in defending his honour or insisting on his rights, His majesty was matched by meekness – not weakness, but love without any self-defensiveness or prickliness.
Another side to Christian character is seen in the verses that follow. Service in the kingdom of God demands loyalty and perseverance. First things first!
Questions
1) What would you expect to see in a person with a well developed Christian character? How do you compare?
2) How can we become more like Jesus – what is the process?
Gracious Father,
by the obedience of Jesus
you brought salvation to our wayward world:
draw us into harmony with your will,
that we may find all things restored in him,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Comment
Jesus’ disciples felt that Elijah’s example was a good one to follow. The king had sent a company of soldiers to bring Elijah; the officer, despite calling Elijah, ‘Man of God’, only recognised the king’s authority and assumed that what the king ordered had to be obeyed. Elijah picked up on this, and demonstrated that his authority as a Man of God could not be treated lightly. Elijah also felt his personal safety was under threat; he needed the fire of God for his own protection. The second officer made the same mistake as the first; the third one learnt his lesson, and saved his life and the lives of his men.
James and John knew that Jesus had an authority from God that was as much if not more than Elijah’s. They saw that the Samaritan village he had wanted to pass through had failed to accept Jesus’ authority, and thought that was an insult too much to bear. Surely here was a time when fire from heaven should be called down to consume them! If Elijah was justified in doing it, surely they had a greater right, even though their personal safety was not an issue. Especially since hated Samaritans were the problem!
Jesus turned and rebuked them. Some ancient manuscripts of Luke’s gospel add the words, ‘And he said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.”’ Those words were probably added in by way of explanation, but they hit the nail on the head: the new life we have gives us a new character, which even godly people like Elijah did not have. God’s Holy Spirit lives in us! He works in us to make us more and more like Jesus. Jesus was not interested in defending his honour or insisting on his rights, His majesty was matched by meekness – not weakness, but love without any self-defensiveness or prickliness.
Another side to Christian character is seen in the verses that follow. Service in the kingdom of God demands loyalty and perseverance. First things first!
Questions
1) What would you expect to see in a person with a well developed Christian character? How do you compare?
2) How can we become more like Jesus – what is the process?
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