Thursday 2 May 2013

Thursday - triangulation

Prayer:  Almighty God,  may we return to You this and each day.  May we  always remember how much You love us.  From the first thing in the morning when we open our eyes may we see Your glory until the last thing at night when we are ready for sleep may we dwell in Your presence for ever.   Amen.

Luke  13:  1 – 5

Some people came to Jesus and told him about some Galileans who were offering sacrifices and Pilate ordered these Galileans to be slain.   Some people,  some Galileans. Have you ever been in a situation where a friend tells you about something that happened between themselves and another person that you can do nothing about? The friend is extremely irate about the situation but you can not do anything at all?   
In psychology this is called triangulation.   Instead of your friend going directly to  the other person and making peace or resolving the situation,  your friend decides to involve more and more people in the drama of the situation by telling them what happened (from their perspective).   And then the situation grows into horrid proportions until more and more people get hurt and the situation is never resolved.
Here some people have come to Jesus.   Perhaps they were wanting Jesus to be a military hero and confront Pilate.  Perhaps they were wanting Jesus to make disparaging remarks against Pilate.   
Yet what does Jesus say?  He reminds the people of another tragedy as well.  The tragedy was of those Galileans who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them.  Jesus asks which group of people were guilty?   (In Jewish understanding,  tragedy and accidents were thought to have been caused by God’s anger on the people for a sin that the people did).   So which group of people were guilty of sin?  Neither group.
Jesus says that the “some people”   themselves must repent.  Unless they repent,  they too will perish.   Jesus is reminding the “some people” that he has come not to be a military hero nor to say disparaging remarks about Pilate but to turn the “some people” back to God.

Prayer:  Holy God,  we know that everything comes from You.  Everything happens through You.  Everything ends up with You.  You are always glory and always praise.  May we dwell in Your presence with glory and praise in our hearts.  Amen.

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