July 2, 2013 - 7th Sunday of Pentecost

Breaking Open the Scriptures

Scriptures for  July 7^th:  2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20  theme:  fully equipped to serve  Song: We’ve a Story to tell the Nations – UMH 569

2 Kings:  This is the last of the stories that we will focus on concerning the legacy of Elijah.  Last week, we learned that Elijah had a protégé, Elisha.  Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.  In many ways Elisha did indeed get a reputation of his own as a healer.  In this final story, we learn of Naaman, a Syrian general who has discovered that he has leprosy.  He is told to go to Elisha.  Elisha tells him to bathe in the waters of the Jordan.  He feels that the waters of his country are just as good and he refuses the treatment.  Until he finds that a part of the treatment is learning to do what he is instructed to do.  That is the problem of a lot of us, we want healing, but we want it under our terms.  Elisha was just an agent of God, our healing is also a gift from God.  We all have to learn to obey God on his terms not ours.

                                                                                                                           

Luke: Even as he knows what is store for him, as Jesus journey’s throughout the countryside, he intends to continue to teach, preach and heal.  Jesus sends 70 disciples ahead of him, they are to go two by two into the villages to tell people that Jesus us coming.  Jesus gives specific instructions to the 70.  Go into peoples homes, bringing humbleness and happiness, and see how you are received.  He instructs them to take nothing with them and to take what is given to them.  If you receive love, your mission is complete, if you do not, then shake the dust off of your feet and keep on going.  As disciples, we both give and receive God’s love everyday.  We just have to be careful about how we carry our faith with us, and know when those in our lives have been sent by God to give us a message.

Questions:  How many times in your life have you lost a blessing because you had your preconceived notions of what the blessing should look like?  How easy is it for you to listen to the voice of God?  How do you recognize God in all people?  How do you spread the word of God to others?  How do you deal with rejection from others?  How do you regain your ability to love others anyway?