March 24 - Lenten Devotional

John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you."

But they (the Samaritans) did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. (Luke 9: 49-50, 53-55)

Two stories back to back and look at the collections of words that have nothing to do with love of neighbor: tried to stop, does not follow with us, did not receive him, command fire... and consume them.

So far the disciples have tried to stop ministry from happening because they weren't the ones doing it... and they have sought to strike folk dead over lack of hospitality and creedal differences (the Samaritans broke from the Jews over Temple issues). The Samaritans of course aren't looking a whole lot better with their vindictive lack of welcome simply because Jesus was headed to Jerusalem.

I read this and it reminds me of all the sad parts of church... the politics, the sniping at people, the negativity, the exclusivity, the back stabbing... and of course the sense that its all about us.

'Master... they are doing good things and healing people...
you have to stop it!'

'Uhhh... okay I'm missing something... why am I stopping it?'

'Well I mean that's our job... we are the ones with you - we
are the ones doing it in your name - we are the ones
doing it "right" - we are the ones...'

'ENOUGH!'


I imagine that Jesus wants to fall down and cry... he formed the world and all of us in it, he loves us, calls us, leads us...

We debate who can be ordained, who has good theology, who is educated enough, who works hard enough, who... who isn't doing and being church in the way we decide it needs to look. Who isn't doing it in our name!

And I imagine Jesus saying... let it go. Just let it go - you look to yourself. Listen to what God is calling you to be and do... and let them be and do something different because God is big enough to work in more than one way.

Have you let go of the need to be right?
Are you making your ministry about Jesus, or is about you?
Are you attentive to the various ways God is at work in the world beyond you?

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God of All Creation,
It is so easy to slide into thinking it terms of right and wrong.
Help us to focus on our calling and our faithfulness
And live our lives in a myriad of ways that all point beyond us to you.
Amen.