2024_09_27 Insight Post- David Schleyer
This week’s reading- Mark 1:16-20, Mark 3:17, Mark 5:37-43, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 9:51-56, Mark 10:35-45, John 19:25-27, John 21:24-25, Acts 3:1-11, Revelation 1:1-4
John, one of Jesus’ closest followers, started out with a lot of passion, but it often needed to be reined in. In one story (Luke 9:51-56), John wanted to call down fire on a village that didn’t welcome Jesus. Instead, Jesus corrected him, showing that His mission was about patience and compassion, not punishment. Over time, John grew into a person who understood the importance of love and grace, rather than reacting with anger.
We, too, may feel the impulse to “call down fire from heaven” on those who frustrate or hurt us. For example, when someone is driving slowly in front of us or cuts us off in traffic, we might feel a surge of anger and want to retaliate by honking, speeding up, or even muttering unkind thoughts. Or when someone talks badly about us at work or among friends, making us look bad, our instinct might be to lash out or gossip in return. However, John’s experience with Jesus reminds us that these moments are opportunities to show grace rather than act out of frustration or revenge.
John’s journey from reacting in anger to responding with kindness shows us that a better way to handle conflict is with patience and understanding. Just as Jesus helped John grow, we can learn to choose grace (giving somebody what they need, not what they deserve), instead of reacting harshly when we’re upset or frustrated. Over time, we can strive to become more like the John who lived out love and kindness, focusing less on getting back at people and more on being a positive influence.
David Schleyer
Elementary Small Group Leader