Today’s scripture: Luke 9:51-56 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Angie Eden):
But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?” Jesus turned on them: “Of course not!”
Another American presidential election has come and gone. In the weeks leading up to the actual day of voting, there were days I often passed on watching television. The older I get, the more difficult it becomes to stomach the negativity that engulfs many campaigns. One of my fears is that these heated personal attacks will one day manifest as physical attacks and violence will crash its way into our elections.
As a psychologist, I am alarmed at how prevalent violence is in our society. After reading today’s scripture, I see that inflicting harm on others whenever they do not act like we think they should is nothing new. Did these disciples really want to “incinerate” a group of people for not welcoming Christ? Did James and John miss the memo highlighting the entirety of Christ’s ministry?
I suspect these two guys wrestle with the very same impulses we wrestle with today. As humans, we want to strike first, talk second. But what a beautiful example of the pacifism of Jesus we read here. Though he had all that power and force at his will, he refused to use it. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. summed up what Jesus was trying to show: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
Thought for the day: For today, give God thanks for the power of love. Ask God to help you change the world through words, not weapons. Show true strength by resisting the impulse to use it. Leave a peaceful trail wherever you walk today.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.