Scripture: The Good Samaritan 'A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘’Teacher’, he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus replied ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And Jesus said to him ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’ But wanting to justify himself the lawyer said to Jesus ‘And who is my neighbour?’ (Luke 10.25-29)Reflection:The question comes from a lawyer, professionally concerned with all the minutiae of the law. His question seems to imply that if an individual does not qualify as a neighbour in the eyes of the law we are not compelled to ‘love him as ourself’. Jesus does not give a direct answer. Instead he tells a story about a traveller who is mugged on a lonely road, stripped, robbed, beaten up and left for dead. Two people pass that way, people of his own nationality and faith, but for good reasons of their own (fear of being attacked themselves, haste, risk of pollution?) they hurry on past him. The man who stops and takes care of the victim is of a different faith and culture, a despised Samaritan. Definitely not to be regarded as ‘one of us’. As Christians we are called to reflect God’s love for us in love and service to all those we encounter, without prejudice of culture, gender, ethnicity, religion or social standing. Work out the implications for yourself, says Jesus, not only to the lawyer but to you and me. ‘Go’, he says, ‘and do likewise’. Revd Rosemary
Scripture & Reflection: Second Sunday after Trinity Sunday, 29th June, and for the week ahead:Scripture: Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” (Luke 20 4-5)Reflection:Taking each day as it comes is, more often than not, easier said than done - but that is exactly what Jesus is asking us to do. Leaving our troubles or “baggage” behind and to keep moving forward, treading lightly on the earth as we go.Being grateful for all of the gifts we are given each day, the food on our plate, the sun on our face, the wind in our hair, is something that we are all able to do but we are also called to trust in a God who offers these gifts freely and to accept His love and to live in peace with each other. So may God’s peace rest on us all this week. Lyn Hayes, ALM
Scripture & Reflection: Second Sunday after Trinity Sunday, 29th June, and for the week ahead:Scripture:Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. (Galatians 5: 19-23) Reflection:When children and young and struggling to make sense of the world, parents and carers, alongside teachers and other family members, do their best to teach them right from wrong. This can be simple to begin with; don’t hit your brother, don’t snatch things from friends, share your toys. However, it doesn’t get any easier. Trying to explain a white lie to a child is a challenge. As is trying to shield them from all the wrongs in the world in an effort to protect their innocence, yet knowing that they will have to face the world one day. How many of the works of the flesh from the first list have you crossed off? At least one for many people, as no-one is perfect. But we don’t need to wrestle with our failings, we have the perfect antidote. The second list shows us where we need to be putting our attention and efforts. When writing this, it was tempting to only take the second list as the point for the reflection. But only when we understand how low we can go as humans do we really begin to grasp the incredible gift of grace that we’ve been given. We are invited to come to the Spirit just as we are, because we’ve already been saved. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t practice and share the gifts of the Spirit in our daily lives. Which one can you live out best this week? Victoria Bray
