Weekly Bible Notes
Ordinary 19 - Year B
Liturgical Colour - Green
Introduction
We live in a consumer society in which it is assumed that happiness is determined by the ability to purchase and enjoy material possessions. This is not just a modern problem. Jesus warned of the dangers of gathering more than we need, telling people to be more concerned with the stuff that rust and moths cannot destroy. Jesus understood the real needs of the human heart, it is not what you have that counts, but what you are. It isn't what we can purchase that matters but what we can give of ourselves to others.
In our reading from John today, Jesus tells people that they need to be concerned about their spiritual diet, to be discriminating about what we allow into our minds and hearts. It makes little sense to be concerned about our calorie intake if randomly inundate our minds with malicious gossip and hateful thoughts. What use is daily exercise if we never exercise our minds with new learning or our souls with prayer?
Real life transcends our physical needs and involves our spirits, only when we recognise do we have the possibility of finding true happiness and fulfilment.
Opening Verses of Scripture John 6:35
"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who
believes in me will never be thirsty.
Collect Prayer for the Day - Before
we read we pray
Almighty God, who sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your
Church: open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth
the fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace; through Jesus Christ your
Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Common Worship
Gracious Father, revive your Church in our day, and make her holy, strong and faithful, for your glory’s sake in Jesus Christ our Lord. Common Worship Shorter Collect
Living God, you have placed in the hearts of your children a longing for your word and a hunger for your truth. Grant that, believing in the One whom you have sent, we may know him to be the true bread of heaven, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Methodist Worship
O God, the protector of all who put their trust in you, without whom nothing
is strong, nothing is holy: increase and multiply upon us your mercy that
with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal that
we finally lose not the things eternal; grant this, heavenly Father, for the
sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Methodist Worship
First Bible Reading 1 Kings 19:4-8
Verse 3 (Not sure why the lectionary does not include this verse!)
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah,
he left his servant there,
4-8 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he travelled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Alternate reading 2 Samuel 18: 5-9, 15, 31-33
The king [David] commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the
young man Absolom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving
orders concerning Absolom to each of the commanders. The army marched into
the field to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of
Ephraim. There the army of Israel was defeated by David’s men, and the
casualties that day were great – twenty thousand men. The battle spread out
over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than
the sword. Now Absolom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule,
and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absolom’s head
got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in mid-air, while the mule he
was riding on kept going. And ten of Joab’s armour-bearers surrounded
Absolom, struck him and killed him.
Then the Cushite arrived [before David] and said,” My lord the king, hear
the good news! The Lord has delivered you today from all who rose up against
you.” The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absolom safe?” The
Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to
harm you be like that young man.” The king was shaken. He went up to the
room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said, “O my son Absolom! My
son, my son Absolom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absolom, my son,
my son.”
Second Reading Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his
neighbour, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin.
Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the
devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must
work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something
to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is
helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit
those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and
anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and
live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a
fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Gospel Reading John 6:35, 41-51
35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to
me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
36-40 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.