Thanks for understanding the schedule change this week. I am feeling much better.
You can find this week’s readings here. As always, I encourage you to check out our subscriptions, including the “Deep Dive” which expands upon these notes. Included in the Deep Dive is a weekly conversation with other pastors on the readings (via Zoom).
*Footnotes are Works Consulted. Illustrations are original unless otherwise cited*
In 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, we are drawn to the prophetic lives of two figures: Elijah and Elisha. Both represent a challenge to the leadership of Israel and a powerful reminder that God is the one who liberates, who cleanses his people and makes all things new. We are reminded that we are part of a story of such prophetic liberation, passed down from generation to generation. The driving force of such liberation are not the prophets or saints on their own, but God himself.
If Elijah and Elisha represent a challenge from outsiders to the status quo, a deep and cleansing reminder of Israel’s identity, the message of Galatians 5:1, 13-25 does something very similar. In places where many define themselves by cultural affiliation and practices, by who has the right pedigree, by categories which provide us a certain level of comfort (I am an “insider,” which means that you are an “outsider), Paul reminds the church that such defining works are more than useless, they are harmful and cause the church to devour one another! No, we need something altogether different. Not works (which allow us to be in control) but fruit which grows organically out of life in the Spirit. This fruit is not measurable, but you know it when you see it. It looks like Jesus and is always others-oriented. Paul spells it out as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
In our gospel reading (Luke 9:51-62), Jesus challenges the idols of power, material possessions, security and family in his prospective disciples. His words call us to an often difficult re-orientation of our lives as his Church.
We, the church, are not bound together by power. No matter how some Christians may act, the Church is always called as a counter-society, not seeking power, but laying our life down for the world. Because of this, there is no tangible benefit to being part of the Church. Though some may experience a sense of peace, connection to community, or encouragement, this is not the point. We are not called as Christians because of what it can do for us.
In the same way, We are not bound together by success or the accumulation of material possessions. The way of Jesus is not “Seven Steps” to anything! Only in Christ do we have a proper understanding of how to steward what he has given us. We hold our possessions loosely.
We are not bound together by security. There are Christians in the world who will gather this Sunday under threat of persecution. We are not even promised the next day. We do not know what might happen in our lives. Jesus promised that we will have trouble in the world, but he says that he has overcome the world (John 16:32-33). There is a better way than the idol of security.
Likewise, we are not bound together by our desire to be a good parent, spouse, or sibling. These are noble goals, but our families must not be idols. In Christ, we understand self-sacrificial love, grace for difficult times, and true forgiveness. Being a Christian provides a new (and often alien) center for family life.
What does bind us together? The one who has created and redeems the world. The one who is making all things new. We are bound together by our trust in Jesus Christ. We are called to yield to what He does. No conditions. No “But, ifs…” Each of our readings are jarring and call the hearers to reflect the ways in which our lives are inside out and upside down.