Saturday, February 26, 2022                                     (today’s lectionary)
Listen to the trumpet of Jesus, while the world hears a different sound
Beloved, is anyone among you suffering, is anyone in good spirits, is anyone among you sick?
James concludes his letter, which has been filled with ideas about how to live well with each other and with God, and this last half of the last chapter is rich and filling too, full of spiritual cream.
Then let us pray. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
But we need not pray alone. Call the elders of the church, call someone you trust to pray with you.
Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Here is a prayer for peace in Ukraine, which Andi posted on her Facebook page.
And I must not doubt my righteousness: of course I’m a sinner, of course I sin over and over and ask forgiveness over and over. My righteousness cannot come from myself, but only from God. Oh Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.
Elijah was a man like us.
In 1 Kings 19 we get a glimpse of Elijah the Powerful falling back on his heels, feeling his fear, doubting his vision. And this must be in James’ mind as he uses Elijah as an example of a righteous praying prophet for the rest of us.
He prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain for three years. Then Elijah prayed again, and it rained.
Elijah was determined to bring his people back to worshipping the One True God, and Jezebel was determined to worship Baal. They clashed, Elijah and his priests won the battle, but Elijah ran for his life.
Elijah was a man like us. He doubted what he saw with his own eyes and what he heard with his own ears, and he fled in fear from the determined queen who vowed to kill him.
Deep in the desert Elijah had time to know his fear and his doubt of himself, of his people, his doubt even of God. But as he confessed all this, God listened and came to him.
When God appeared, Elijah knew Him. Not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire … but in a still, small voice – a silent sound, a sheer silence. And in this God-filled Silence, Elijah was reassured, strengthened and given a new task.
O Lord, set a watch before my mouth, a guard at the door of my lips. For toward you, O God, my eyes are turned; in you I take refuge, strip me not of life. Let my prayer come like incense before you.
As James wrote, he was growing older. As Elijah prayed he was growing older. Jesus loves the little children. Were they becoming more like children even then? I hope so. I hope I am too; I am growing older every day.
The Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. And he embraced the children, and blessed them, and laid his hands on them.
Lord, please embrace us, and bless us, and lay his hands on us.
(James 5, Psalm 141, Matthew 11, Mark 10)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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