Daily Lesson for May 18, 2015

Today's daily lesson comes from Luke chapter 9 verses 

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them as Elijah did?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." And they went on to another village.

Not unlike many other holy books, the Bible can be misused to justify all manner of things -- including very violence, bloodshed, and great evil against others. If someone wants to do something, they can always find their legitimation in the pages of holy writ. Scary!

While not denying that the Bible has its share of violent stories, Jesus refused to allow his disciples to misuse those stories for their own misguided purposes.

For example, in today's lesson the disciples' message had been rejected and they felt hurt and wounded, and in their hurt they wanted to act in retaliation. They wanted to call fire down from heaven to consume the Samaritan village which had rejected them -- and they pointed to the prophet Elijah's having done it before as their justification.  But Jesus refused. "The son of man has come not to take life, but to give life," he said.

We live in a time when many destructive things are being justified by pointing to various stories and words in various holy books.  But we know things by their fruits. If their end is the up upbuilding of life and human community then they are of the Son of Man; but if their end is death and destruction and the tearing down of people then they are not. 

This is the litmus test. Many will try to contort things and confuse us and many will be deceived. But this is the litmus test. The son of man has come to give life and not take it away.