The Tuesday after the Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on November 5, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. John 7:1-13 (NKJV)
7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
Devotion
Christians do not seek out martyrdom for the faith, as if it were something they would achieve for themselves. Martyrdom is not just a chance to prove one’s devotion or display one’s zeal. It will find those for whom our Lord has appointed it. As with all things, God appoints times and seasons for everything. For some, success and victory; for some, resistance; for some, remaining in the secret place; and for others, martyrdom. We are not greater than our Master. If He waited on the Father’s time, so should we.
Sometimes it is prudent to avoid conflict. We should live in peace with the world as much as it is in our power to do so. Hostility will come soon enough. Sometimes patience and quiet witness works in the end. Jesus’ own relatives from Galilee could not be counted as genuine believers at this time. Eventually, they did come to believe. When the time was right, Jesus stood against the powers of His day and won our salvation. Like our Lord, we are to submit to God and allow Him to choose our path. He will direct our steps at His right time.
Collect: Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy people from their offences, that from the bonds of our sins which, by reason of our frailty, we have brought upon us, we may be delivered by Thy bountiful goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
