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LUKE 7:11-17 LECTIO DIVINA PART 2
GUIDED MEDITATION ON THE WORD
Stage 2. Guided Meditation (Meditatio).
Barely audible music Duration 5-10 seconds.
Group Leader:
Let us now relate this passage of Scripture to our lives in silence.
Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.
Two groups follow Jesus. Which group are we in?
Is Jesus at the centre of our lives or only for an hour or so when in church? Do we follow him at a distance, like the crowd and only when in need, out of a sense of duty? Of the crowd it is said "many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them. (John 2:23) There is no real relationship here, no real faith, no real trust.
Or is Jesus at the centre of our daily lives? Is he the focus at the beginning of the day, when we wake up and at the end of the day when we go to sleep? Are we aware of his presence within us during the day when going about our everyday activities?
Jesus said: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).
Are these words a wake-up call for us or are they reassuring? Do we have an active, personal relationship with Jesus or not? As Christians are we hot, cold or lukewarm? Are we true followers of Jesus?
Pause for reflection 3-4 minutes
Music Duration 5-10 seconds.
a man who had died was being carried out ... and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.
Are we in the procession of death? Are we indifferent to spiritual things? Do we feel a sense of inner emptiness, restlessness, a lack of peace within? Have we no interest in prayer? Do we feel indifferent to God and to his Word? Do we feel a lack of enthusiasm for life? Is Jesus saying to us: 'I say to you arise'? Do we want to change direction and start walking towards a new life? He says to us "Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
Pause for reflection 3-4 minutes
Music Duration 5-10 seconds.
a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow
Do we identify with the widow who has lost her son and only support she had in life and is now in despair for her future? Are we in difficult circumstances and risk being swallowed up by them? Are these circumstances depriving us of our inner well-being? Let us think of our circumstance and surrender to the Lord “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” and God “will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:7, 10).
Pause for reflection 3-4 minutes
Music Duration 5-10 seconds.
when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier
Do we identify with Jesus? Do we reach out to others in need or are we indifferent to the needs of others? Are we so focused on self that we are not aware of the needs of others? Do we reach out with the love of Christ even to those who are indifferent to us? Let us think of at least one person in need and how we can reach out to him or her without expecting anything in return.
Pause for reflection 3-4 minutes
Music Duration 5-10 seconds.
Jesus was not at Nain on this particular day and moment by chance. Neither is he here present today for each one of us by chance. The Spirit is at work here drawing each one of us to be a true disciple of Christ and not to be just one in a crowd. Do we want to move out of the group of death, out of the crowd to establish a relationship with Jesus and walk with him towards a new life? Jesus says "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you" (John 15:16).
Pause for reflection 3-4 minutes
Music Duration 5-10 seconds.
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© R W
bsgbiblestudyguide@gmail.com
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