The Upper Room Daily Reflections from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Prayer and Compassion" for Sunday, 26 June 2016

The Upper Room Daily Reflections from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Prayer and Compassion" for Sunday, 26 June 2016
Today’s Reflection:

PRAYER LEADS to a loving union with the Holy One but not for private enjoyment. Prayer draws us into unity with Christ, into communion and community. Compassionate action results, growing out of the love of God. We receive the love of God and return that love in grateful devotion. We pray, not to get what we want from God but to consent to what God wants. Prayer expresses relationship, sometimes with words, sometimes deeper than words can express.[J. David Muyskens, Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God: The Practice of Centering Prayer]
From page 58 of Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God: The Practice of Centering Prayer by J. David Muyskens. Copyright © 2006 by J. David Muyskens. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books.http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question:
When have you experienced compassion growing out of prayer?
Today’s Scripture:
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”[Luke 9:57-58, NRSV]
This Week: pray for someone with physical challenges.

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Did You Know?
In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center website.
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This week we remember: Ephrem (June 18).

Ephrem
June 18
Ephrem of Syria was born about 306 in Nisibis, Syria, and was baptized Christian in 324. After he was ordained a deacon he was the leader at a cathedral school. When the Persians captured Nisibis in 363, Ephrem and thousands of other refugees fled. He lived an acetic life as a monk in a cave, praying, fasting, and studying holy scripture.
While Ephrem lived in this remote location he composed countless hymns (between four and five hundred songs and hymns still exist), poetic sermons, and other theological writings, all based on scripture. Some called him "the Harp of the Holy Spirit."
In 373 in the last months of his life, Ephrem organized a relief effort for famine relief in the Edessa area. He died a month later.
Ephrem is the patron saint of spiritual directors and spiritual leaders.
If Ephrem had taken the Spiritual Types Test, he probably would have been a Mystic. Ephrem is remembered on June 18.
"Mor Ephrem icon" by Anonymous - [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mor_Ephrem_icon.jpg#/media/File:Mor_Ephrem_icon.jpg

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Lectionary Readings
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday, June 26, 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62
Scripture Texts for: 2 Kings 2:1 The time came for Adonai to take Eliyahu up into heaven in a whirlwind. Eliyahu and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal, 2 when Eliyahu said to Elisha, “Please wait here, because Adonai has sent me all the way to Beit-El.” But Elisha said, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Beit-El.
6 Eliyahu said to him, “Please wait here, because Adonai has sent me to the Yarden.” He replied, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty of the guild prophets went and stood watching them from a distance, while they stood by the Yarden. 8 Then Eliyahu took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it; and the water divided itself to the left and to the right; so that they crossed on dry ground. 9 After they had crossed, Eliyahu said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away from you.” Elisha said, “Please! Let a double share of your spirit be on me!” 10 He replied, “You have requested a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, you will get what you asked for; but if not, you won’t.”
11 Suddenly, as they were walking on and talking, there appeared a fiery chariot with horses of fire; and as it separated the two of them from each other, Eliyahu went up into heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Isra’el!” Then he lost sight of him. Seizing his clothes, he tore them in half. 13 Then he picked up Eliyahu’s cloak, which had fallen off him. Standing on the bank of the Yarden, 14 he took the cloak that had fallen off Eliyahu, struck the water and said, “Where is Adonai, the God of Eliyahu?” But when he actually did strike the water, it divided itself to the left and to the right; then Elisha crossed over.
Psalm 77:1 (0) For the leader. For Y’dutun. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God; and he hears me.
11 (10) Then I add, “That’s my weakness —
[supposing] the Most High’s right hand could change.”
12 (11) So I will remind myself of Yah’s doings;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
13 (12) I will meditate on your work
and think about what you have done.
14 (13) God, your way is in holiness.
What god is as great as God?
15 (14) You are the God who does wonders,
you revealed your strength to the peoples.
16 (15) With your arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Ya‘akov and Yosef. (Selah)
17 (16) The water saw you, God;
the water saw you and writhed in anguish,
agitated to its depths.
18 (17) The clouds poured water, the skies thundered,
and your arrows flashed here and there.
19 (18) The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind,
the lightning flashes lit up the world,
the earth trembled and shook.
20 (19) Your way went through the sea,
your path through the turbulent waters;
but your footsteps could not be traced.
Galatians 5: What the Messiah has freed us for is freedom! Therefore, stand firm, and don’t let yourselves be tied up again to a yoke of slavery.
13 For, brothers, you were called to be free. Only do not let that freedom become an excuse for allowing your old nature to have its way. Instead, serve one another in love. 14 For the whole of the Torah is summed up in this one sentence: “Love your neighbor as yourself”;[Galatians 5:14 Leviticus 19:18] 15 but if you go on snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other!
16 What I am saying is this: run your lives by the Spirit. Then you will not do what your old nature wants. 17 For the old nature wants what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is contrary to the old nature. These oppose each other, so that you find yourselves unable to carry out your good intentions. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism.
19 And it is perfectly evident what the old nature does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; 20 involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding, fighting, becoming jealous and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism, intrigue 21 and envy; in drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God!
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.
24 Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires. 25 Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day.
Luke 9:51 As the time approached for him to be taken up into heaven, he made his decision to set out for Yerushalayim. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village in Shomron to make preparations for him. 53 However, the people there would not let him stay, because his destination was Yerushalayim. 54 When the talmidim Ya‘akov and Yochanan saw this, they said, “Sir, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?”[Luke 9:54 2 Kings 1:9–16] 55 But he turned and rebuked them.[Luke 9:55 Some manuscripts have verses 9:55b–56a: . . . and he said, “You don’t know what Spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save.”] 56 And they went on to another village.
57 As they were traveling on the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Yeshua answered him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds flying about have nests, but the Son of Man has no home of his own.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me!” but the man replied, “Sir, first let me go away and bury my father.” 60 Yeshua said, “Let the dead bury their own dead; you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God!” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, sir, but first let me say good-by to the people at home.” 62 To him Yeshua said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back is fit to serve in the Kingdom of God.”
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Verse 1
[1] And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
About to take, … — It is supposed, (tho' not expressly revealed) that Elijah flourished about twenty years, before he was translated, body and soul, to heaven, only undergoing such a change, as was necessary to qualify him for being an inhabitant in that world of Spirits. By translating him, God gave in that dark and degenerate age, a very sensible proof of another life, together with a type of the ascension of Christ, and the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Verse 2
[2] And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
Tarry here — This he desires, either, 1. That being left alone, he might better prepare himself for his great change. Or, 2. Out of indulgence to Elisha, that he might not be overwhelmed with grief at so sad a sight. Or, 3. That he might try his love, and whet his desire to accompany him; it being highly convenient for God's honour, that there should be witnesses of so glorious a translation.
To Beth-el — Which was truth, tho' not the whole truth: for he was to go a far longer journey. But he was first to go to Beth-el, as also to Jericho, to the schools of the prophets there, that he might comfort, and strengthen their hearts in God's work, and give them his dying counsels.
Verse 7
[7] And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
To view — To observe this great event, Elijah's translation to heaven, which they expected every moment: and whereof they desired to be spectators, not to satisfy their own curiosity, but that they might be witnesses of it to others.
Verse 8
[8] And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
Smote the waters — These waters of old yielded to the ark, now to the prophet's mantle; which to those that wanted the ark, was an equivalent token of God's presence. When God will take his children to himself, death is the Jordan, which they must pass through. And they find a way thro' it, a safe and comfortable way. The death of Christ has divided those waters, that the ransomed of the Lord may pass over.
Verse 9
[9] And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
A double portion — Or, rather double to what the rest of the sons of the prophets receive at thy request. He alludes to the double portion of the first-born, Deuteronomy 21:17. But though Elisha desired no more, yet God gave him more than he desired or expected; and he seems to have had a greater portion of the gifts of God's Spirit, than even Elijah had.
Verse 10
[10] And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
A hard thing — A rare and singular blessing, which I cannot promise thee, which only God can give; and he gives it only when, and to whom he pleaseth.
If thou seest — This sign he proposed, not without the direction of God's Spirit, that hereby he might engage him more earnestly to wait, and more fervently to pray for this mercy.
Verse 11
[11] And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
A chariot of fire — In this form the angels appeared. The souls of all the faithful, are carried by an invisible guard of angels, into the bosom of Abraham. But Elijah being to carry his body with him, this heavenly guard appeared visibly: Not in an human shape, tho' so they might have borne him in their arms, but in the form of a chariot and horses, that he may ride in state, may ride in triumph, like a prince, like a conqueror. See the readiness of the angels to do the will of God, even in the meanest services for the heirs of salvation! Thus he who had burned with holy zeal for God and his honour, was now conveyed in fire into his immediate presence.
Verse 12
[12] And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
My father — So he calls him for his fatherly affection to him, and for his fatherly authority which he had over him, in which respect the scholars of the prophets are called their sons. He saw his own condition like that of a fatherless child, and laments it accordingly.
The chariot, … — Who by thy example, and counsels, and prayers, and power with God, didst more for the defence and preservation of Israel than all their chariots and horses. The expression alludes to the form of chariots and horses which he had seen.
Verse 13
[13] He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
Which fell — God so ordering it for Elisha's comfort, and the strengthening of his faith, as a pledge, that together with Elijah's mantle, his Spirit should rest upon him. And Elijah himself was gone to a place, where he needed not the mantle, either to adorn him, or to shelter him from weather, or to wrap his face in.
Verse 14
[14] And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
The Lord — Who at Elijah's request divided these waters, and is as able to do it again.
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Verse 2
[2] In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
Night — Which to others was a time of rest and quietness.
Verse 13
[13] Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
In holiness — God is holy and just, and true in all his works.
Verse 16
[16] The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.
Afraid — And stood still, as men astonished, do.
Verse 17
[17] The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
Poured — When the Israelites passed over the sea.
Arrows — Hail-stones or lightnings.
Verse 19
[19] Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
Not known — Because the water returned and covered them.
Verse 20
[20] Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Leddest — First through the sea, and afterwards through the wilderness, with singular care and tenderness, as a shepherd doth his sheep.
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Verse 1
[1] Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty — From the ceremonial law.
Wherewith Christ hath made us — And all believers, free; and be not entangled again with the yoke of legal bondage.
Verse 13
[13] For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Ye have been called to liberty — From sin and misery, as well as from the ceremonial law.
Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh — Take not occasion from hence to gratify corrupt nature.
But by love serve one another — And hereby show that Christ has made you free.
Verse 14
[14] For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
For all the law is fulfilled in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself — inasmuch as none can do this without loving God, 1 John 4:12; and the love of God and man includes all perfection. Leviticus 19:18.
Verse 15
[15] But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
But if — On the contrary, in consequence of the divisions which those troublers have occasioned among you, ye bite one another by evil speaking.
And devour one another — By railing and clamour.
Take heed ye be not consumed one of another — By bitterness, strife, and contention, our health and strength, both of body and soul, are consumed, as well as our substance and reputation.
Verse 16
[16] This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
I say then — He now explains what he proposed, Galatians 5:13.
Walk by the Spirit — Follow his guidance in all things.
And fulfil not — In anything.
The desire of the flesh — Of corrupt nature.
Verse 17
[17] For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
For the flesh desireth against the Spirit — Nature desires what is quite contrary to the Spirit of God.
But the Spirit against the flesh- — But the Holy Spirit on his part opposes your evil nature.
These are contrary to each other — The flesh and the Spirit; there can be no agreement between them.
That ye may not do the things which ye would- — That, being thus strengthened by the Spirit, ye may not fulfil the desire of the flesh, as otherwise ye would do.
Verse 18
[18] But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
But if ye are led by the Spirit — Of liberty and love, into all holiness.
Ye are not under the law — Not under the curse or bondage of it; not under the guilt or the power of sin.
Verse 19
[19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Now the works of the flesh — By which that inward principle is discovered.
Are manifest — Plain and undeniable. Works are mentioned in the plural because they are distinct from, and often inconsistent with, each other. But "the fruit of the Spirit" is mentioned in the singular, Galatians 5:22, as being all consistent and connected together.
Which are these — He enumerates those "works of the flesh" to which the Galatians were most inclined; and those parts of "the fruit of the Spirit" of which they stood in the greatest need.
Lasciviousness — The Greek word means anything inward or outward that is contrary to chastity, and yet short of actual uncleanness.
Verse 20
[20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Idolatry, witchcraft — That this means witchcraft, strictly speaking, (not poisoning,) appears from its being joined with the worship of devil-gods, and not with murder. This is frequently and solemnly forbidden in the Old Testament. To deny therefore that there is, or ever was, any such thing, is, by plain consequence, to deny the authority both of the Old and New Testament.
Divisions — In domestic or civil matters. Heresies are divisions in religious communities.
Verse 21
[21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Revellings — Luxurious entertainments. Some of the works here mentioned are wrought principally, if not entirely, in the mind; and yet they are called "works of the flesh." Hence it is clear, the apostle does not by "the flesh" mean the body, or sensual appetites and inclinations only, but the corruption of human nature, as it spreads through all the powers of the soul, as well as all the members of the body.
Of which I tell you before — Before the event, I forewarn you.
Verse 22
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Love — The root of all the rest.
Gentleness — Toward all men; ignorant and wicked men in particular.
Goodness — The Greek word means all that is benign, soft, winning, tender, either in temper or behaviour.
Verse 23
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Meekness — Holding all the affections and passions in even balance.
Verse 24
[24] And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
And they that are Christ's — True believers in him. Have thus crucified the flesh - Nailed it, as it were, to a cross whence it has no power to break loose, but is continually weaker and weaker.
With its affections and desires — All its evil passions, appetites, and inclinations.
Verse 25
[25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
If we live by the Spirit — If we are indeed raised from the dead, and are alive to God, by the operation of his Spirit.
Let us walk by the Spirit — Let us follow his guidance, in all our tempers, thoughts, words, and actions.
Luke 9:51-62
Verse 51
[51] And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
The days are fulfilled that he should be received up — That is, the time of his passion was now at hand. St. Luke looks through this, to the glory which was to follow.
He steadfastly set his face — Without fear of his enemies, or shame of the cross, Hebrews 12:2.
Verse 52
[52] And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
He sent messengers to make ready — A lodging and needful entertainment for him and those with him.
Verse 53
[53] And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
His face was as though he would go to Jerusalem — It plainly appeared, he was going to worship at the temple, and thereby, in effect, to condemn the Samaritan worship at Mount Gerizim.
Verse 54
[54] And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
As Elisha did — At or near this very place, which might put it into the minds of the apostles to make the motion now, rather than at any other time or place, where Christ had received the like affront.
Verse 55
[55] But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Ye know not what manner of spirit — The spirit of Christianity is. It is not a spirit of wrath and vengeance, but of peace, and gentleness, and love.
Verse 57
[57] And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Matthew 8:19.
Verse 58
[58] And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
But Jesus said to him — First understand the terms: consider on what conditions thou art to follow me.
Verse 61
[61] And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Suffer me first to bid them farewell that are in my house — As Elisha did after Elijah had called him from the plough, 1 Kings 19:19; to which our Lord's answer seems to allude.
Verse 62
[62] And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Is fit for the kingdom of God — Either to propagate or to receive it.

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