Reflection for Sunday 29th June 2025

The Second Sunday After Trinity

1 Kings 19.15-16, 19-21, Galatians 5.1, 13-25, Luke 9.51-end

In our Gospel this week, we see Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” It’s a turning point—he’s resolute, unwavering, heading toward the cross. And those who would follow him? He makes the cost clear: “Let the dead bury their own dead… No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Challenging words. But they’re not heartless—they’re about urgency and focus. The Kingdom is breaking in, and Jesus is inviting us to participate wholeheartedly, not half-heartedly.

The Old Testament reading gives us a striking echo: Elijah throws his cloak over Elisha—an ancient sign of calling. Elisha asks to say goodbye to his parents. Elijah doesn’t stop him, but the moment is decisive. Elisha slaughters his oxen and burns his plough. There’s no going back. He is all in.

And then we come to Galatians, where Paul reminds us that “for freedom Christ has set us free.” But it’s not freedom for the sake of self-indulgence. It’s freedom to serve one another in love—to walk by the Spirit. The fruits of that Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and more—are not burdens. They are signs that we are truly alive in Christ.

Each of these readings invites us to consider what holds us back. Are we looking over our shoulders? Clinging to comforts or old ways? Or are we ready to step forward, to follow Jesus with courage, to burn our metaphorical ploughs and walk in the Spirit?

Sometimes, faith means letting go of good things in order to pursue the better thing: Christ himself. And the freedom we find in him is not aimless wandering—it’s purposeful, loving, and deeply joyful. So may we be people who don’t just believe in Jesus, but actually follow him—wherever he leads.

Blessings and prayers,

Emma