Wichita St. Mark
Wichita East District
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2nd Sunday after the Epiphany – Green
Lectionary Scriptures:
I Samuel 3:1-20
Psalm 139:1-6;13-18
I Corinthians 6:12-20
John 1:43-51
1 Samuel 3: The Lord Speaks to Samuel
1-2 Samuel served the Lord by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, the Lord hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room, 3 and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the Lord’s house. They had not been asleep very long[a] 4 when the Lord called out Samuel’s name.
“Here I am!” Samuel answered. 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel went back.
6 Again the Lord called out Samuel’s name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?”
Eli told him, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to sleep.”
7 The Lord had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice. 8 When the Lord called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Eli finally realized that it was the Lord who was speaking to Samuel. 9 So he said, “Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I’m listening, Lord. What do you want me to do?’”
Once again Samuel went back and lay down.
10 The Lord then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
“I’m listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”
11 The Lord said:
Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it! 12 I will punish Eli and his family, just as I promised. 13 He knew that his sons refused to respect me,[b] and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever. 14 I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things.
15 The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the Lord’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said. 16 But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!”
“Here I am,” Samuel answered.
17 Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I pray that God will punish you terribly if you don’t tell me every word he said!”
18 Samuel told Eli everything. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord, and he will do what’s right.”
The Lord Helps Samuel
19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord helped him and made everything Samuel said come true. 20 From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the Lord’s prophet.
[Footnotes:
3.3 They. . . long: The Hebrew text has “The lamp was still burning.” An olive oil lamp would go out after a few hours if the wick was not adjusted.
3.13 refused. . . me: Or “were insulting everyone.”]
Psalm 139: (A psalm by David for the music leader.)
The Lord Is Always Near
1 You have looked deep
into my heart, Lord,
and you know all about me.
2 You know when I am resting
or when I am working,
and from heaven
you discover my thoughts.
3 You notice everything I do
and everywhere I go.
4 Before I even speak a word,
you know what I will say,
5 and with your powerful arm
you protect me
from every side.
6 I can’t understand all of this!
Such wonderful knowledge
is far above me.
13 You are the one
who put me together
inside my mother’s body,
14 and I praise you
because of
the wonderful way
you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous!
Of this I have no doubt.
15 Nothing about me
is hidden from you!
I was secretly woven together
deep in the earth below,
16 but with your own eyes
you saw
my body being formed.
Even before I was born,
you had written in your book
everything I would do.
17 Your thoughts are far beyond
my understanding,
much more than I
could ever imagine.
18 I try to count your thoughts,
but they outnumber the grains
of sand on the beach.
And when I awake,
I will find you nearby.
1 Corinthians 6: Honor God with Your Body
12 Some of you say, “We can do anything we want to.” But I tell you that not everything is good for us. So I refuse to let anything have power over me. 13 You also say, “Food is meant for our bodies, and our bodies are meant for food.” But I tell you that God will destroy them both. We are not supposed to do indecent things with our bodies. We are to use them for the Lord who is in charge of our bodies. 14 God will raise us from death by the same power that he used when he raised our Lord to life.
15 Don’t you know that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? Is it right for me to join part of the body of Christ to a prostitute? No, it isn’t! 16 Don’t you know that a man who does that becomes part of her body? The Scriptures say, “The two of them will be like one person.” 17 But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit with him.
18 Don’t be immoral in matters of sex. That is a sin against your own body in a way that no other sin is. 19 You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. 20 God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.
John 1: Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael
43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, “Come with me.”
45 Philip then found Nathanael and said, “We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets[a] wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46 Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip answered, “Come and see.”
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn’t deceitful.”[b]
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered, “Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. 51 I tell you for certain that you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”[c]
[Footnotes:
1.45 Moses and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
1.47 Israel. . . isn’t deceitful: Israel (meaning “a man who wrestled with God” or “a prince of God”) was the name that the Lord gave to Jacob (meaning “cheater” or “deceiver”), the famous ancestor of the Jewish people.
1.51 going up and coming down on the Son of Man: When Jacob (see the note at verse 47) was running from his brother Esau, he had a dream in which he saw angels going up and down on a ladder from earth to heaven (see Genesis 32.22-32).]
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for
I Samuel 3:1-20
Verse 1
[1] And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
Before Eli — That is, under his inspection and direction.
Word — The word of prophecy, or the revelation of God's will to and by the prophets.
Precious — Rare or scarce, such things being most precious in mens' esteem, whereas common things are generally despised.
Open vision — God did not impart his Mind by way of vision or revelation openly, or to any public person, to whom others might resort for satisfaction, though he might privately reveal himself to some pious persons for their particular direction. This is premised, as a reason why Samuel understood not, when God called him once or twice.
Verse 2
[2] And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
His place — In the court of the tabernacle.
Verse 3
[3] And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
Went out — Before the lights of the golden candlestick were put out in the morning.
Verse 7
[7] Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
Did not know — He was not acquainted with God in that extraordinary or prophetical way. And this ignorance of Samuel's served God's design, that his simplicity might give Eli the better assurance of the truth of God's call, and message to Samuel.
Verse 10
[10] And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Came and stood — Before, he spake to him at a distance, even from the holy oracle between the cherubim: but now, to prevent all farther mistake, the voice came near to him, as if the person speaking had been standing near him.
Verse 12
[12] In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
In that day — In that time which I have appointed for this work, which was about twenty or thirty years after this threatning. So long space of repentance God allows to this wicked generation.
When I begin, … — Tho' this vengeance shall be delayed for a season, to manifest my patience, and incite them to repentance; yet when once I begin to inflict, I shall not desist 'till I have made a full end.
Verse 13
[13] For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
Restrained them not — He contented himself with a cold reproof, and did not punish, and effectually restrain them. They who can, and do not restrain others from sin, make themselves partakers of the guilt. Those in authority will have a great deal to answer for, if the sword they bear be not a terror to evil-doers.
Verse 14
[14] And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
Have sworn — Or, I do swear: the past tense being commonly put for the present in the Hebrew tongue.
Unto — Or, concerning it.
Purged — That is, the punishment threatened against Eli and his family, shall not he prevented by all their sacrifices, but shall infallibly be executed.
Verse 15
[15] And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
Doors — Altho' the tabernacle, whilst it was to be removed from place to place in the wilderness, had no doors, but consisted only of curtains, and had hangings before the entrance, instead of doors; yet when it was settled in one place, as now it was in Shiloh, it was enclosed within some solid building, which had doors and posts, and other parts belonging to it.
Feared — The matter of the vision or revelation, partly from the reverence he bore to his person, to whom he was loth to be a messenger of such sad tidings; partly, lest if he had been hasty to utter it, Eli might think him guilty of arrogancy or secret complacency in his calamity.
Verse 17
[17] And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
God do so, … — God inflict the same evils upon thee, which I suspect he hath pronounced against me, and greater evils too.
Verse 18
[18] And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
It is the Lord — This severe sentence is from the sovereign Lord of the world, who hath an absolute right to dispose of me and all his creatures; who is in a special manner the ruler of the people of Israel, to whom it properly belongs to punish all mine offences; whose chastisement I therefore accept.
Verse 19
[19] And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
Fail, … — That is, want its effect: God made good all his predictions. A metaphor from precious liquors, which when they are spilt upon the ground, are altogether useless.
Verse 20
[20] And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
From Dan, … — Thro' the whole Land, from the northern bound Dan, to the southern, Beersheba; which was the whole length of the Land.
Psalm 139:1-6;13-18
Verse 2
[2] Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Afar off — Thou knowest what my thoughts will be in such and such circumstances, long before I know it, yea from all eternity.
Verse 3
[3] Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Compassest — Thou discernest every step I take. It is a metaphor from soldiers besieging their enemies, and setting watches round about them.
Verse 5
[5] Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Beset me — With thy all-seeing providence.
And laid — Thou keepest me, as it were with a strong hand, in thy sight and under thy power.
Verse 6
[6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
I cannot — Apprehend in what manner thou dost so presently know all things.
Verse 16
[16] Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Imperfect — When I was first conceived.
Book — In thy counsel and providence, by which thou didst contrive and effect this great work, according to that model which thou hadst appointed.
Verse 17
[17] How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
Thoughts — Thy counsels on my behalf. Thou didst not only form me at first, but ever since my conception and birth, thy thoughts have been employed for me.
Verse 18
[18] If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Them — Thy wonderful counsels and works on my behalf come constantly into my mind.
I Corinthians 6:12-20
Verse 12
[12] All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
All things — Which are lawful for you.
Are lawful for me, but all things are not always expedient — Particularly when anything would offend my weak brother; or when it would enslave my own soul. For though all things are lawful for me, yet I will not be brought under the power of any - So as to be uneasy when I abstain from it; for, if so, then I am under the power of it.
Verse 13
[13] Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
As if he had said, I speak this chiefly with regard to meats; (and would to God all Christians would consider it!) particularly with regard to those offered to idols, and those forbidden in the Mosaic law. These, I grant, are all indifferent, and have their use, though it is only for a time: then meats, and the organs which receive them, will together moulder into dust. But the case is quite otherwise with fornication. This is not indifferent, but at all times evil.
For the body is for the Lord — Designed only for his service. And the Lord, in an important sense, for the body - Being the Saviour of this, as well as of the soul; in proof of which God hath already raised him from the dead.
Verse 16
[16] What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24.
Verse 17
[17] But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
But he that is joined to the Lord — By faith.
Is one spirit with him — And shall he make himself one flesh with an harlot?
Verse 18
[18] Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Flee fornication — All unlawful commerce with women, with speed, with abhorrence, with all your might. Every sin that a man commits against his neighbour terminates upon an object out of himself, and does not so immediately pollute his body, though it does his soul.
But he that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body — Pollutes, dishonours, and degrades it to a level with brute beasts.
Verse 19
[19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
And even your body is not, strictly speaking, your own even this is the temple of the Holy Ghost - Dedicated to him, and inhabited by him. What the apostle calls elsewhere "the temple of God," 1 Corinthians 3:16,17, and "the temple of the living God," 2 Corinthians 6:16, he here styles the temple of the Holy Ghost; plainly showing that the Holy Ghost is the living God.
Verse 20
[20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Glorify God with your body, and your spirit — Yield your bodies and all their members, as well as your souls and all their faculties, as instruments of righteousness to God. Devote and employ all ye have, and all ye are, entirely, unreservedly, and for ever, to his glory.
John 1:43-51
Verse 45
[45] Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Jesus of Nazareth — So Philip thought, not knowing he was born in Bethlehem. Nathanael was probably the same with Bartholomew, that is, the son of Tholomew. St. Matthew joins Bartholomew with Philip, Matthew 10:3, and St. John places Nathanael in the midst of the apostles, immediately after Thomas, John 21:2, just as Bartholomew is placed, Acts 1:13.
Verse 46
[46] And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? — How cautiously should we guard against popular prejudices? When these had once possessed so honest a heart as that of Nathanael, they led him to suspect the blessed Jesus himself for an impostor, because he had been brought up at Nazareth. But his integrity prevailed over that foolish bias, and laid him open to the force of evidence, which a candid inquirer will always be glad to admit, even when it brings the most unexpected discoveries.
Can any good thing — That is, have we ground from Scripture to expect the Messiah, or any eminent prophet from Nazareth? Philip saith, Come and see - The same answer which he had received himself from our Lord the day before.
Verse 48
[48] Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Under the fig tree I saw thee — Perhaps at prayer.
Verse 49
[49] Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Nathanael answered — Happy are they that are ready to believe, swift to receive the truth and grace of God.
Thou art the Son of God — So he acknowledges now more than he had heard from Philip: The Son of God, the king of Israel - A confession both of the person and office of Christ.
Verse 51
[51] And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Hereafter ye shall see — All of these, as well as thou, who believe on me now in my state of humiliation, shall hereafter see me come in my glory, and all the angels of God with me. This seems the most natural sense of the words, though they may also refer to his ascension.
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Today's Devotional:
The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Getting Rid of Worry" for Friday, 23 January 2015 - Scripture: Luke 8: A Story about a Farmer
4 When a large crowd from several towns had gathered around Jesus, he told them this story:
5 A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was doing it, some of the seeds fell along the road and were stepped on or eaten by birds. 6 Other seeds fell on rocky ground and started growing. But the plants did not have enough water and soon dried up. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. 8 The rest of the seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a hundred times as many seeds.
When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, “If you have ears, pay attention!”
Why Jesus Used Stories
9 Jesus' disciples asked him what the story meant. 10 So he answered:
I have explained the secrets about God’s kingdom to you, but for others I can only use stories. These people look, but they don’t see, and they hear, but they don’t understand.
Jesus Explains the Story about a Farmer
11 This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message, 12 and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.
14 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything. 15 Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.
Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.[Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)]
The pink flowers in my garden brought joy to my heart. On the day I planted them, the petals and leaves consumed all the available space. But sometime later weeds began to appear, and I was too busy to address the problem. By the end of summer, the bed that once overflowed with colorful flowers was filled with weeds. If only I had maintained the garden and pulled each weed as it appeared, I would still have an abundance of flowers.
I’ve noticed that this same phenomenon occurs in my spiritual life. When I ignore the worries that invade my mind, they eventually choke my spiritual growth and the beauty and fragrance of Christ disappear from my life. Like the flowers, I do not mature.
As with weeds, the key is to act when each worry arrives on the scene. I can maintain the soil of my heart by meditating on scripture, since its truth is the best tool for weeding out worry. If I look up verses that speak to the issues that worry me and meditate on those passages, I can be prepared when worry invades my mind. The result will be a life that produces a good crop instead of an abundance of weeds.
Read more from the author, here.
"Learning To Trust"
It usually happens at night. When I lie down to rest, a sense of dread washes over me as the worries I’ve avoided all day roll into my soul like waves on the shore. My niece needs a kidney. A nephew is fighting an addiction. My friend lost his job, and I’m trying to juggle too many competing responsibilities. If I’m not careful to address the problem, I can easily spend a sleepless night tossing and turning as each worry saturates my mind and heart.
Over the years I’ve discovered a method that helps me move beyond worry into a deeper level of trust in God. For me, the core issue is trust. I swim in the sea of worry when I focus on the impossible nature of the circumstances rather than on the possibilities available to my all-powerful God.
The method is based on 1 Peter 5:7, which tells me to cast all my worries on God because he cares for me, and Philippians 4:6-7, which promises me I will experience the peace of God if, instead of worrying, I will bring all my prayers and petitions to God in a spirit of thankfulness. Scripture is full of invitations to engage in prayer, but these two highlight the compassionate nature of God. Both remind me that God cares about all the details; nothing is too small or silly to bring to God.
So as I lie in bed, I capture each worry and carry it to God. I imagine lifting it up and placing it in God’s hands. Then I imagine the smile on his face as he takes the worry from me. I believe God is delighted when we come to him for help, just like we are delighted when our children ask us to help them. The realization that the Creator of the universe cares about me and my loved ones fills my heart with gratitude.
Then I think about Bible verses that speak to each worry. For example: when I think about my niece and her health issues, I remember Matthew 6:25-32, which reminds me that God not only knows she needs clothes and food, he also knows she needs a kidney. When I worry about my nephew and his addiction, I think about Psalm 103:2-3, which reminds me God is able to heal all our diseases. When I worry about my friend wandering in the land of unemployment, I think about God’s habit of going before his people and his promise to never leave or forsake them (Deut. 31:6, 8). And when I’m overwhelmed by everything I’m responsible to do, Philippians 4:13 reminds me that I can do all things when I rely on Christ to strengthen me.
It’s taken me years to form a habit of running to God with my worries. And sometimes I still cling to them and worry the night away. But as I’ve learned to take each worry to God when it rolls into my mind, I’ve experienced the peace God promises. It’s a peace that defies explanation. One that leads me into a gentle sleep and ushers me into a morning filled with new mercies from God.[Lynn Karidis]
The Author: Lynn Karidis (Michigan, USA)
Thought for the Day: God’s word can help us overcome worry.
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for providing a way to cope with worry. Help us to apply your word daily so you can produce abundant fruit in our lives. Amen.
Prayer focus: Gardeners
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Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church
9440 E Boston, Suite 160
Wichita KS 67207
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