Skip to main content

Advent Challenge Day 6


Luke 6



One of the major contentions in today’s world involves working on Sundays – but it isn’t a new issue!  Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field and picked some heads of wheat and ate them – constituting working on a Sabbath!  When the Pharisees challenged him, Jesus’ answer astounded them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”



On another Sabbath, Jesus was preaching in a synagogue, and a man with a withered (paralysed) hand appeared.  The Pharisees watched closely, but Jesus wasn’t to be deterred, and healed the man!  Notice at this point that the Pharisees were already plotting to see what they could do about Jesus – early into his ministry.



Having chosen his twelve disciples, Jesus goes to a plain, and delivers the Sermon on the Mount – with Luke recording the Beatitudes, albeit in a shorter fashion, before warning against judging others, lest we too would be judged.



Finally, Jesus explains that we need to listen to his words and put them into practice,  like the person who builds their house upon a foundation of bedrock, able to withstand the flood when it comes.  How are your own flood defences? 



Note v46 – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and don’t do what I tell you?”  This could be Jesus’ very message to today’s world – or more specifically, to the very Church itself!  Perhaps we all need to consider our obedience to God.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AccessNI Check process

 Hi folks Please see the following pages for the process of getting our AccessNI accreditation for our Sunday School and GFS leaders and helpers. You will need to print out the pages and keep a special note of the long number provided to you by email and let me know as soon as possible. We require an Enhanced check for everyone - and use the PIN number 918066 as detailed on the first page. The second page details the forms of identification you will need to provide - one from the first group, and two from the second group. The quicker we can all get the checks completed, the sooner we can get everything back to normal and put this whole process behind us for another three years! If you can photograph yourself (by smartphone or tablet) and email (revdjohnny@gmail.com) or WhatsApp (07488371680) them to me, that'd be great. I will also be available at the Parish Hall on Monday evening from 7pm to 8pm to help you with anything you would like assistance with! If you need any help at all
Post a Comment
Read more

Pray for Peace

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9   The Holy Land, the place sanctified by the presence of prophets, poets, and priests, crying out for justice, urging on towards hope, and seeking after peace, has been, and continues to be a place sacred to millions of people around the world. We have watched with horror the appalling violence that has been unleashed over the last few days around this sacred place. We have seen families devastated, communities shattered, and countless lives lost.   We, as followers of Jesus are called in this time to pray.    Pray for the end of hostilities, pray for the protection of the most vulnerable on both sides in Israel and Gaza, and pray for a recommitment to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. We also pray that God might grant comfort to the afflicted, healing to the broken, strength to the weak, and courage to those in authority to lay down the instruments of violence and destruction and stud
Post a Comment
Read more

Where is forgiveness?

Hi folks I was thinking about the passages for next Sunday, and it brought me to considering the current press coverage regarding the This Morning presenters.  This might be a little controversial - but please, hear me out.  I have no great opinion on what's happening in the media regarding the "This Morning" saga. It seems mistakes have been made, and certainly people misled - but the frenzy and hounding of Phillip Schofield is both unnecessary and unwarranted. I'm very uncomfortable that some members the press and celebrities have made it their lives mission to destroy everything  Mr Schofield has ever done!  It cannot be easy to listen and read so much vitriol being used against him! There's certainly no Christian love being shown to him on the media these days. I remember the words of Jesus when he told us to love one another, and that whoever has not sinned should cast the first stone. I'm certainly not perfect in any way, and don't believe that anyon
Post a Comment
Read more