Day 3

‘Help the weak.’
1 Thessalonians 5.14

Reflection
Many Christians in Britain and Ireland are only too aware of their own weakness. Some remember a time when stronger congregations supported the weaker but now even some of them are weak. As Christians joining together in united witness and social action we find a new strength and common purpose.

When we are strong in this way we realize we cannot manage without the rest, and that our part of the Body of Christ is not the only part that matters. The standard by which we should treat one another is how God treats us. God helps the weak and so must we.

Prayer
Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who was crucified in weakness but lives by the power of God, help us to know our own weaknesses as well as those of others, that together with them we might experience your risen power. Amen.

Action
Find out about Fair Trade.
Find out how you can support it and how it strengthens some of the weakest people in the world.
Readings
Isaiah 35.1–10
Strengthen the weak knees

Psalm 86.5–10
Listen to my cry

Romans 14.1–4
Welcome those who are weak

Luke 5.1–8
Help from another boat

Dulverton Sermon

During this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we think a lot about the Church but today's gospel (John1.29-42) draws us back to Jesus. We learn about his identity and his mission through John the Baptist. We need to know who Jesus is if we want to be His disciples and we need to understand His mission if we are to discover our own to be His Body in the world today.

Who is Jesus? "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world".

There are at least 4 scripture pictures that John may have had in his mind when he said this:
1. The Passover Lamb - When God's people were rescued from slavery in Egypt God sent plagues on the Egyptians concluding with the slaying of every first born child. When the angel struck he passed over the houses where the door posts had been smeared with the blood of a lamb.
2.The Temple Lamb - The daily ritual in the Temple, morning and evening, involved the killing of a lamb to atone for the people's sins.
3.The Messianic Lamb - The prophets wrote about a messiah who would come as a humble lamb led to slaughter. It was a dream of a saviour who would save the people through loving, suffering, and dying for them.
4.The Horned Lamb - In the Apocrypha the Maccabees looked to the rescue of the Jews by a conquering champion of God symbolised by a majestic horned lamb.

John was Jesus' cousin yet he says he doesn't know him. He must have been inspired to call his cousin 'Lamb of God' not realising how apt a description it was for the one who was to love, sacrifice, suffer, and triumph as Christ, the Son of God, and Saviour of mankind. He drew back the curtain leaving Jesus centre stage for others to be drawn to him as he fulfils his mission.

What was Jesus' mission? "If I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself".

In today's gospel he draws his first disciples. Others follow and he wants them to keep coming by a mission chain reaction. He wants them to find salvation and entry into God's kingdom through him. It is an unfinished mission which continues today. It is what the church is about. The mission of Jesus is to bring all people back to God, their Creator, their Beginning, and their End. The mission of Jesus is also our mission. We cannot be good disciples of Jesus if we are not also good apostles. Our duty is not only to save our own souls. It is to share our faith with others.

Christian unity is so important for the mission of the church. Jesus prayed that "we all may be one that the world might believe". So let us seriously ask God to help us work together with Jesus, and with all his disciples, to establish the kingdom throughout the world but especially where we live, and move, and have our being.