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A Reflection from the Fuel Daily Readings App for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Click here to read the reading.
Did you know that psalms were the song lyrics of the B.C times? Song lyrics are powerful. They speak into the landscape of our culture. I don’t often notice the psalms, but this one rung and stung: “Too long our soul has been sated with the scorn of those who are at ease, the contempt of the proud.”
Those who are at ease! The couch sitters, the keyboard warriors! Man it pierced my gut, because so often I sit on my couch with a tea and devour a season on Netflix and complain – I’m just so comfortable.
The people in Jesus’ hometown were comfortable too. So set in their ways, that Jesus could do no work there. Nothing! Jesus couldn’t perform miracles because the people in the town wouldn’t let him! They did not believe he was who he said he was, they sneered at his radical ideas and slumped back into their status quo sofa, and were not changed…
He marvelled at their disbelief.
Do you know who was changed though? Paul. Crazy, Apostolic, Holy Spirit-filled Paul. He listened to Jesus, changed the current of his time and we are here because of it. He was also very uncomfortable. Listen to him sing a song of praise for the thorn in his side! He loves it like a crazy man because it reminds him of his weakness. It makes him uncomfortable.
“Jesus is not the Lord of comfort, security and ease… Jesus is the Lord of Risk.”
I want to make Jesus proud. I want to be Paul, not the people. And I want you to join me, because we are the generation that has more capacity than any to create change. So I challenge you to live a life off the couch this week and to take one action to actively pursue Jesus. Let’s not be remembered as comfortable, but hungry for change.
+ Jesus, You made us to make a mark. You expect something from us, and gave us aspirations and hopes not for a good daydream but for a reality. Give us the courage to seek You, and to fight the promises of the sofa. Amen