As we start a new year and all that it may hold, and all we may be looking forward to or be concerned about, remember that the blessing was spoken before the Israelites set off to the desert. Blessing belongs to the moment of departure, not the moment of completion; it cannot be earned and is not dependent on outcomes. God's favour is not a reward for getting it right; it is the ground on which we stand and the place we move out from.
Following the reading Luke 9:57-62, where there are three responses to Jesus' invitation to follow him.
The first man may not even have been asked directly, but seems gung-ho to get involved.
The second seems to be bound by duty and "doing the right thing" in wanting to bury his father first.
The third wants to go back to sort out things with his family first.
Jesus appears to be harsh in his responses, but is emphasising that there is a cost to following him. What is it in our lives that is holding us back?
Because Jesus is our Great High Priest and has opened the way to God through his sacrificial death on the cross we must:
Draw near to God
Hold fast to the faith.
Support each other
The examples of the Heroes of the Faith should provide encouragement.
Some people will fall away because they haven't really understood/committed to Jesus.
Other of us will not, because we trust in Jesus alone for salvation.
Epiphany readings shed light on the purpose of Jesus's coning. Piecing together the picture is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. But as we add more pieces (throughout our lives), we come to see that the picture is bigger and more wonderful than we thought...
The third in a series of miracles where Jesus heals someone from a minority or disadvantaged group - a leper, a Roman servant, a woman. Matthew tells us that the Servant that Isaiah speaks of is here - there is a God of compassion and power at work in the world and Jesus shows us what this looks like.
Comments
As we start a new year and all that it may hold, and all we may be looking forward to or be concerned about, remember that the blessing was spoken before the Israelites set off to the desert. Blessing belongs to the moment of departure, not the moment of completion; it cannot be earned and is not dependent on outcomes. God's favour is not a reward for getting it right; it is the ground on which we stand and the place we move out from.
The first man may not even have been asked directly, but seems gung-ho to get involved.
The second seems to be bound by duty and "doing the right thing" in wanting to bury his father first.
The third wants to go back to sort out things with his family first.
Jesus appears to be harsh in his responses, but is emphasising that there is a cost to following him. What is it in our lives that is holding us back?
Because Jesus is our Great High Priest and has opened the way to God through his sacrificial death on the cross we must:
- Draw near to God
- Hold fast to the faith.
- Support each other
The examples of the Heroes of the Faith should provide encouragement.Some people will fall away because they haven't really understood/committed to Jesus.
Other of us will not, because we trust in Jesus alone for salvation.
The third in a series of miracles where Jesus heals someone from a minority or disadvantaged group - a leper, a Roman servant, a woman. Matthew tells us that the Servant that Isaiah speaks of is here - there is a God of compassion and power at work in the world and Jesus shows us what this looks like.