Devotions
Rev Gav
Influence
Luke 4.14-16
Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.
Reflect
After being tempted in the wilderness, Jesus began his ministry — teaching and preaching across the region of Galilee. On the Sabbath (that is the seventh day of the week), Jesus could be found teaching in the synagogues.
A typical synagogue worship would have been very similar to a traditional Christian church worship today. There would have been a confession, set prayers, open prayers, and two readings from the Hebrew Bible (what we call the Old Testament) — one from the Torah (sometimes called the law) and one from the prophets. This would have been followed by a short talk linking the two readings together, and the whole thing would have finished with a closing prayer.
Jesus’ message was to the Jewish people, and the best place to reach them was in the synagogues on the Sabbath. Jesus knew that if you want to influence a system or way of thinking, then you have to do it from within its own walls. You have to be ‘in it to win it’.
We often moan about groups, systems, organisations, and institutions — friendship groups, clubs, health care, schools, churches — but change does not happen by pointing a finger from the outside, no, change happens from the inside. If we want to influence a system or way of thinking then we, like Jesus, have to be ‘in it to win it’.
Think of a social group to which you belong. Today, commit to being an agent for positivity within that group.
What social groups, systems, organisations, or institutions can we identify that need change? How can we get involved?
Pray
Holy God
You call us to be your representatives in the world;
bringers of peace, reconciliation, and justice.
Help me be an agent for positive change;
a bringer of enthusiasm, positivity, and prayer,
Help me be in it to win it,
this day and for ever.
and then