Pentecost • 12

reading for: Tuesday Night, 6 Aug

John 6:35-51

  • READ

    Scripture Reference: John 6:35–51

    35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

    41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

    Commentary

    John 6 takes place near the Sea of Galilee during the time of Passover, a major Jewish festival. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus performs the miracle of feeding the five thousand, demonstrating His ability to provide abundantly. This sets the stage for His declaration as the Bread of Life, contrasting the manna given in the wilderness with the true bread from heaven.

    In today’s lectionary reading, Jesus continues his discussion with the crowd, speaking of Himself as the bread of life that came down from heaven. Jesus wants us to eat of this bread, to eat of his flesh so that he can give us life.

    What is Jesus speaking about? These words are difficult for many to understand for how can we eat of Jesus if he is now in heaven seated at the right hand of God? Even if we could, wouldn’t that be cannibalism? Jesus does not leave us guessing for he tells us exactly what he means by eating of this bread.

    Jesus tells us that to eat of him is to come to him, for those who come to him will never hunger or thirst. He wants us to come, to look upon and to believe in him. Those who do so will have eternal life.

    How can we come to him? We come to him by letting him speak to us and speaking to him. We come to him by being in the community of believers every week. We come to him by praying to him for others.

    A closer look at the passage shows that major theme of Love and Sacrifice is central to this passage. Jesus offers Himself as the Bread of Life, a profound act of love and sacrifice. By giving His flesh for the life of the world, He demonstrates the ultimate expression of divine love. This act of giving His life so that others may live eternally is at the heart of His message.

    Jesus' sacrificial love calls us to respond by coming to Him, believing in Him, and embracing the life He offers. This sacrificial love is echoed throughout the scriptures, as seen in David's grief over Absalom, the call to live in love in Ephesians, and the psalmist's plea for God's mercy in Psalm 130. Each of these passages reflects aspects of sacrificial love and the transformative power it holds.

    Reflect

    Are we coming to him? Do we let him speak to us and speak to him regularly? Are we in the community of believers every week? Are we praying to him for others?

    Prayer

    Father, you sent your Son Jesus into this earth, taking on human flesh so that he can be our Lord, the bread of life. We want to come to Jesus, to eat of this bread, which is his flesh. We want to hear your words of life and speak words of life to you. We want to be immersed in and pray for the others who also come to you.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 7 aug

2 Samuel 18:5-33

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    Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 18:5-33

     5 And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

    6 So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7 And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.

    9 And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. 10 And a certain man saw it and told Joab, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” 11 Joab said to the man who told him, “What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” 12 But the man said to Joab, “Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not reach out my hand against the king's son, for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake protect the young man Absalom.’ 13 On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” 14 Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak. 15 And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.

    16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them. 17 And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home. 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King's Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day.

    David Hears of Absalom's Death

    19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and carry news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.” 20 And Joab said to him, “You are not to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you shall carry no news, because the king's son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran. 22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?” 23 “Come what may,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

    24 Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he drew nearer and nearer. 26 The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, “See, another man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.” 27 The watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.”

    28 Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.” 29 And the king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king's servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.” 30 And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

    David's Grief

    31 And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” 33 And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

    Commentary

     In 2 Samuel 18:5-33, we find the dramatic and emotional story of King David and his son Absalom. Absalom had led a rebellion against his father, King David, in an attempt to seize the throne of Israel. Despite Absalom’s betrayal, David’s love for his son remained strong. This passage highlights the battle between David’s forces and Absalom’s followers, culminating in Absalom’s tragic death. David’s reaction to his son’s death reveals the depth of his love and the sacrificial nature of a father’s heart.

    King David’s son, Absalom, had rebelled against him, trying to take over his kingdom. Despite Absalom’s actions, David still loved him very much. This is shown clearly when David tells his soldiers, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom” (2 Samuel 18:5, ESV). Even though Absalom was an enemy, David wanted him to be treated kindly.

    Sadly, Absalom was killed in the battle. When David heard the news, he was heartbroken. He cried out, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33, ESV). This shows how much David loved his son and how deeply he grieved for him, even though Absalom had betrayed him. David's love was sacrificial; he would have rather died himself than see his son harmed.

    David’s love for Absalom reminds us of God’s love for us. Just as David loved Absalom despite his rebellion, God loves us even when we sin against Him. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV). God’s love is so great that He sacrificed His own Son, Jesus, so we could be forgiven and have eternal life.

  • REFLECT

    1.     Think about a time when you showed love to someone who hurt you. How did it make you feel, and what did you learn from that experience?

    2.     How can we, as a Life Group, better show love and forgiveness to those who have wronged us, reflecting God’s sacrificial love in our relationships?

reading for: THURSDAY Night, 8 AUG

Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2

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    Scripture Reading: “1Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” - Ephesians 5:1-2:

    Commentary

    Today’s reading is a series of specific and real everyday invitations away from ungodly and orphan-like behavior (e.g. falsehood, stealing, anger-ing, laziness, unwholesome speech, and contentiousness – v4:25-31) towards God’s loving example shown forth to us in His Son Jesus Christ through whom we have been redeemed and adopted as His very own children (v1-2).

    One rampant rebuttal today is that God’s standard is too high and that we cannot be perfect like Him. “I am not God” and “I am not Jesus” are common phrases we hear even amongst older Christians who often use it as an expression of ‘being real’ and humility. However, we ought to then also consider our assertions in the light of Jesus’ call for us to be perfect just as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48). Was Jesus being cruel and unreasonable? Did God not also give us everything needed to succeed in that endeavor and process (v30)? Will God not also take care of all our needs (Matt 6:25-32)?

    Yes, we like Paul, who wrote this letter are not yet perfect. However, we can and ought to make it a most worthy and valuable pursuit considering the immense and precious love and grace we have received (Phil 3:12-14). We can also trust that His Grace is and will be sufficient for us even in our numerous and great weaknesses (2 Cor 12:9).

    We are all imitators and followers of something. Paul invites us to choose wisely.         

  • REFLECT

    Take time to honestly consider who you are imitating and who you resemble. Do you like what you see and who you are becoming? Take time to invite the Holy Spirit to restore a steadfast spirit within you and to help and meet you in your failings and struggles.   

    PRAYER

    Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your unfailing love and that I am your child. Thank You that you have said in your Word that your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. Forgive me for my waywardness and propensity to abandon you for others. Help me in my helplessness and sin. Save and deliver me dear Lord with your mighty hand. Take me and mold me that I may know you and become more and more like you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

reading for: FRIDAY Night, 9 AUG

Psalm 130

  • READ

    Scripture reference: Psalm 130

    I wait for the LORD; my soul waits, and in his word I hope

    Psalms 51:6

  • Commentary

    What does it mean to pray together at corporate prayer? What kind of posture are we to take?

    To pray is to wait in the LORD.

    To pray is to bring our soul and body to wait on the Lord.

    To pray is to wait and hope in His word.

    We can wait on the Lord because we have received forgiveness from Him. We can come before God our Father because of what He has done through His Son by forgiving us of all our sins and iniquities. Without which we won't be able to stand (v. 3-4)

    We can wait on Him also because He is full of steadfast love. His love is faithful, enduring, full of mercy and grace. He looks upon us with joy and delight.

    And because of this great and wonderful love from our Father in Heaven, redemption, salvation abounds. (V. 7)

    His word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11). And He is infinitely better than the best father on earth, for He will not withhold anything good from us (Matthew 7:11).

    Reflect

    What stops you from taking a posture of waiting during prayer?

    Prayer

    Father in Heaven, You are good and perfect. You are full of steadfast love. Your love knows no bounds. You delight and are full of joy and you look at me.

    Teach and enable me to come to you in a posture of waiting, kneeling and hoping in You. For in You my soul waits.

Season of LentCNL