Follow us
Posts Tagged ‘Attachment’
Reflective Questions
- Elijah is one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. But even he gets tired. God tells him to find his successor to continue the prophetʼs work. In your ministry and service of God are you ʻfinding a successorʼ to share the load and replace you? Have a conversation with God about this.
- Elijah is very wealthy. Most families would own only 1 Oxen. He kills the 12 Oxen and uses the farming tools to create a fire. He destroys everything so as to not be attracted back to his old life. He makes a decision that Godʼs work has primacy of place and is the first calling upon his life. Imagine living these actions within your own life and circumstances. What attracts you? In what areas of your life are you not ʻfreeʼ?
- St Paul continues to teach the Galatian community about the true nature of freedom. Freedom is really being ʻfree for othersʼ. To not be attached or enslaved to material possessions and self indulging desires (flesh) requires discipline and effort. In what area of your life could you make a daily prayer this week for God to help you? Is there an action you could do to enter this particular journey of ʻfreedomʼ this week
- From Luke 9,51 we meet a tougher Jesus. Some texts have Jesus ʻset his face like flintʼ toward Jerusalem. He is determined and makes large demands of his disciples. Going to Jerusalem represents Jesusʼ obedience to God to do ʻhis willʼ. Is there anything you have heard God ask you to do? What will it involve for you to ʻset your faceʼ resolutely toward doing it?
- Three unknown people have questions about discipleship in the Gospel. We are invited to hear their questions echo in our own hearts, enter the conversation, respond to Jesusʼ challenge. Jesus has nowhere to lay his head. Are you free enough to leave home, security, comfort?
- Care for and burial of oneʼs parents was a top social and cultural priority for Jewish people. Allegiance to parents and duties as a child is replaced by Jesus with ʻproclaiming the kingdom of Godʼ. What pressures or expectations does society or your family place upon you? Do these ʻlimitʼ your freedom to respond to God by living the values and lifestyle of Jesus? How? What will you now do?
- Jesus takes disciples on a special journey toward Jerusalem from this point in the Gospel. There is no turning back. The joy and success of ministry in Galilee changes to resistance by religious people and civil authorities. Jesus urgently teaches his disciples about mission and the Kingdom of God. Imagine a fire is burning and many peopleʼs lives are in danger. Would you let go of your ʻworkʼ to ʻsaveʼ these people? Such is the call of the Kingdom of God. How will you respond?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download 28th Sunday Yr B
Reflection Questions
- The Book of Wisdom is thought to have been written by King Solomon. Today’s text links to the story of young King Solomon, newly married to a princess of Egypt, heavily aware of leadership responsibilities and following the example of his Father, King David. In 1 Kings 3:6-9 Solomon prays for wisdom – a heart to understand what is good and what is evil. Today is Solomon’s reflection on just what a precious gift wisdom is. Have you ever needed to search for and find a wise person to offer direction and guidance? How would you describe your need? What happened?
- ‘I chose to have her rather than the light’. Wisdom is not a ‘possession’ or equal to worldly wealth of Gold of Silver. It is the spiritual gift of knowing the truth and the very will of God. ‘Discernment’ of God’s will is a discipleship skill. It literally means ‘to cut away’. Consider a choice that you need to make. List the choices. Pray for wisdom. ‘Cut away’ options that are shallow, unspiritually motivated. Pay attention to the desire beneath the choice. Ask a wise person for advice.
- Hebrews is written for Jewish Christians struggling with persecution and the difficulties and fragility of the early christian church.They remembered with joy the clear Jewish laws and customs and the sacrificial practices of the Temple. The author of Hebrews points them to the penetrating power of the Word. Have you every experienced the powerful and personal way the scriptures can reach deeply inside you and speak to you deepest pain and questions? Reveal you to yourself? Challenge you? Inspire you? What scripture passage has done this for you? What happened?
- The theme of wisdom is contrasted with wealth in the Gospel. A rich young man faithful to the ‘laws’ still finds himself unsatisfied in life. His question: ‘What must I do?’ is still focussed on external actions of obedience. Jesus wishes to lead him from ‘observance of laws’ to ‘living in love’. The invitation to change the base of his security from possessions to ‘treasure in heaven’ causes his face to fall. What possessions would you be terrified of letting go? Why? Do you trust that God will supply everything you need?
- The invitation to a deeper discipleship does not necessarily require letting go of ‘wealth’ but letting go of its ‘attachment’. Jesus uses an image. To get a camel loaded with items for trade through a ‘narrow gate’ in Jerusalem required unloading items, the camel sometimes having to kneel down and crawl through a small space (eye of a needle). Some scholars also suggest a misspelling of a word means it is a ‘cable’ that is trying to be threaded through the eye of a needle. How would you describe your ‘use of wealth’. Is it available for building the Kingdom of God? The needs of the poor? How much ‘security’ and ‘life’ does your bank balance or possessions bring you? What does this story reveal to you personally?
- Peter implies a disciples question about reward and security. 100% is an incredibly fruitful return. Normally a return would be 10%. It will be mixed up ‘with persecutions’ however. Consider asking a Priest, Brother, Sister, Christian friend how they have experienced God’s faithfulness in relying on God for their security.
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?