{"id":22978,"date":"2025-01-01T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/urc-daily-devotion-1st-january-2025"},"modified":"2025-01-01T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-01T06:00:00","slug":"urc-daily-devotion-1st-january-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/urc-daily-devotion-1st-january-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"URC Daily Devotion 1st January 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

St Luke 7: 18 – 35<\/strong><\/p>\n

The disciples of John reported all these things to Jesus. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, \u2018Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?\u2019  When the men had come to him, they said, \u2018John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, \u201cAre you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?\u201d\u2019  Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind.  And he answered them, \u2018Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.  And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.\u2019 When John\u2019s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: \u2018What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?  What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces.  What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,<\/p>\n

\u201cSee, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way before you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.\u2019  (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John\u2019s baptism.  But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God\u2019s purpose for themselves.) \u2018To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another,<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we wailed, and you did not weep.\u201d<\/p>\n

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, \u201cHe has a demon\u201d;  the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, \u201cLook, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!\u201d  Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.\u2019<\/p>\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

A very happy and revolutionary New Year!<\/p>\n

I struggle to think of a better encounter with Jesus to inspire us as we take a breath to ponder the past, present, and future.<\/p>\n

John the Baptist has sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus \u2018are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?\u2019. We have just spent the glorious period of Advent pondering the same question; perhaps wondering what we wait for in our own lives, the life of the Church and the wider world – so I hope we don\u2019t have more waiting to do!<\/p>\n

There is just the slightest sense of exasperation in Luke\u2019s words. Jesus has been doing all these amazing things, so go, and tell John everything you\u2019ve seen!
Go and tell. Perhaps Luke is echoing Isaiah 52 and those beautiful feet bringing good news on the mountain. My feet may not be beautiful, but I hope the good news they carry is!<\/p>\n

The answer to the question \u2018are you the one\u2019, as we get ourselves prepared for 2025, is \u2018go and tell what you have seen\u2019. In other words, as we look to the future of such a struggling world, there is something important in opening our senses to the ever-present glimpses of God\u2019s love and peace, then following the call to go and tell!<\/p>\n

This verse struck me: \u2018Blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me\u2019.  I wonder if there is something in this about being willing to listen, willing to change, willing to tell. Is there a blessing to be found in being open to the potential offence and challenge in Jesus’ words and actions?<\/p>\n

I think there is, so may this New Year be filled with the blessing of noticing the surprising and rebellious love of God. May we be blessed by the potential to change and grow and then get out there and share that blessing with others!<\/p>\n

Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gracious God,
we give thanks for the past and pay attention to its lessons.
We notice the present and dwell in its richness.
We look to the future with its hope and potential.
Bless us, we pray, with open hearts and vital senses;
alert to the truth that Jesus has come
and is leading us to a new kin-dom.
So be it. Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St Luke 7: 18 – 35 The disciples of John reported all these things to Jesus. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, \u2018Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?\u2019  When the men had come to him, they said, … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “URC Daily Devotion 1st January 2025”<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22978\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}