Background for Gospel:
To get to Jerusalem Jesus doesn’t have to travel through Samaria. He could take the long way around Samaria, but his journey is too urgent for that. Although no one recognizes it yet, Jesus has another reason for traveling through Samaria: his work in Jerusalem, the sacrifice and triumph, is meant for the Samaritans just as much as for the Jews. Although these Samaritans reject him now, the Gospel message will soon come back to include them.
Consider the contrast between Jesus’ understanding of Heaven (where he will be “taken up” for the purpose of salvation) and John’s and James’ who want to bring the fire of judgment from that same Heaven. James and John seem to think that Heaven is a place of fire and judgment, not grace. What do we think God’s purposes entail? Is there a place for judgment? Mercy? Both? If we are not thinking that God’s purposes are fulfilled in fire and judgment, what are we doing to proclaim an alternative message of salvation?
Jesus’ words are harsh. His journey and cause are so urgent now that not even legitimate excuses can stand in his way. What does this tell us about our own discipleship? Are we missing something by not being so single-minded? Are there ways we find ourselves looking back or making excuses that are getting in the way of who we want to be?
Background for the Epistle:
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose….” Paul doesn’t think so. For him, Christ brings freedom from the law’s burdens so that we can live lives of meaning and grace. This is a tricky argument for Paul to make, however, on the one hand to claim that our behavior cannot earn us salvation and yet on the other hand to claim that what we do does matter. How to understand the balance between good works and faith bothers Christians even to our own day. Paul’s point is that salvation means that we are free to live by the Spirit.
Thoughts to ponder:
Paul defines salvation as freedom to fulfill the Law (by loving our neighbor as ourselves). He makes it clear that he does not mean Christian freedom means we can do whatever we want—-he carefully describes the things of the flesh that Christians are not supposed to do. Christians are continually berated as being narrow-minded and uptight. Can we be both free and uphold standards of behavior? How do we possibly do this?
Paul’s answer to the above question is that we live by the Spirit, and he then lists the ways we can show that we are living by that Spirit: fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. How do we find these fruits to be part of our lives? Can you identify ways that you have grown in any of these fruits? Are any of these particularly challenging for you (often a sign of God’s call)?
Summer project ideas:
Freedom is a good word to contemplate this week. In writing to the Galatians, Paul emphasizes the freedom that comes through Christ. This freedom from legalistic perfectionism isn’t license to run amok. This is freedom to as much as freedom from; the freedom to live by the Holy Spirit, being freed from other expectations or demands. Use your growing art project this week to contemplate your freedom. How can you symbolize the freedom you have as a Christian to live for something more?