Devotion for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity 27 June
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for the week following the Fourth Sunday after Trinity is taken from the Epistle to the Galatians, Chapter 6 verse 2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ,” (NRSVB). The Apostle Paul explained, with the verse contained in the watchword, that we become like Jesus unto our neighbour if we are helping them to carry the loads that oppress and depress them. Jesus called out in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter 11 verse 28, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and over-burdened, and I will cause you to rest.” Carrying our loads alone will wear us down. Receiving a helping hand from a caring stranger has helped countless people across the world managing a heaving parcel, carrying baggage onto a train and walking up a stairwell, to mention only a few helping incidents. How grateful are we when some kind individual volunteer a helping hand to safe-guard that our parcels will not fall out of our hands? If we who are mere mortals know how to help each other, how much more does our Father in heaven not know and reach out, and helps us along our journey?
Despite the reports carried in the world-wide media, there are always people who see the need of others and reach out and help to make this world a better place for all. We have witnessed countless acts of kindness and burden-bearing during this pandemic, as people try to help others to heal and stay healthy, not only in body, but also in mind and spirit. We do not know how our acts of burden-bearing will influence the lives of those we help, but we do know that being like Jesus unto those around us, will bring a little ray of light and hope, a little sprinkling of joy in that moment. Our lives are made up of moments and our reflections are made up of reliving and recreating moments of joy or sorrow in our lives. When we look back over the moments of our lives we recount with thanksgiving those times when we were helped by the kind smile and helping hand of a stranger who was present to help us in our times of need. God has created humans to be help-meets for each other and he has given us the capacity and the mercy to act with empathy, “Be ye merciful, as your Father is merciful,” Luke 6 verse 36.
The Apostle Peter writes in his first letter, Chapter 5 verse 7, “Casting the whole of your cares, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you,” (Amplified Bible). In casting our cares on the Lord, we are free to help others by carrying their loads and pointing their eyes to the One who will carry their burdens and care for them. The Apostle Peter carried a great burden that Jesus lifted from him when he was reinstated to “Feed the Lambs.” Jesus knew that Peter was devastated by his act of denying him. Jesus came to Peter and lifted this burden. He gave him a new commission, to take the gospel, the Good News, and share it with the world, taking care of the vulnerable little lambs, the new believers. God sends his help out in this world in many shapes and forms. He instructs his angels, but he also instructs his creatures to act towards each other with the all encompassing love of Jesus, who has laid down his life for the lambs. When we look around the world we can marvel with the psalmists singing the words of the one hundred and forty seventh psalm, verse 5, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure,” (NRSVB).
As we come to dwell in the word of the Lord and think on his work for us this Sunday, we ask with the disciples, How can this world and her people be saved? Jesus knew how the world would be saved and assured his disciples, as he assures us, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God,” (Amplified Bible). We are invited to roll our burdens on our Lord, the One who came to save us, for with him everything is possible. He is the Lord of all and he plans for the future for his world that he loves so much so that he gave his Son, he is our hope and salvation.
Father, we thank you that you have invited us to come to you and bring our burdens to you so that we can have rest, and become free to help those around us to carry their burdens and bring them to you. Give us your strength and fill us with your hope and love, this we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God now and for ever, Amen.
