Jesus’ Ministry
March 3, 2019
Scripture Reading: Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)
On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God. –Luke 9:37-42
Who would have ever thought that some 2,000 years after Jesus healed the child with seizures, we would still be seeking cures for seizures and to discover that ingredients in what we previously identified as an illegal drug, marijuana, could markedly reduce the number of seizures patients with this disorder have? God created the earth with all that we need to sustain life and gave us dominion* over it.
Dominion means a supremacy in determining and directing the actions of others or in governing politically, socially, or personally: acknowledged ascendancy over human or nonhuman forces such as assures cogency in commanding or restraining and being obeyed . . . the exercise of such supremacy**
God made us sentient beings with the ability to perceive and feel things. We have been given a grave responsibility to care for the earth and all that is in it, to choose wisely how to use its abundance for good and not for greedy gain and for health and not overindulgence. We must use all our skills and talents to address the problems we face from starvation in many parts of a world able to produce and abundance of food, to finding cures for diseases that destroy life, and to controlling our habits that contribute to global warming. God gave us resources; we must use them wisely.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we misuse the abundance of resources you provided us. Guide us in always seeking the better way of caring for your earth and all that is in it. Amen.
*Genesis 1:28-31
**http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/dominion