September: Be Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak 

1 September, 2024, Pentecost 15: James 1:17-27

James views the gift of human speech very critically. The power of human speech builds up our relationships and community. Also, it destroys them as well. He alerts us of our revengeful or evil speech, which only spreads destruction. He strongly focuses on anger. Anger is an emotion that has destructive power. So, he says, “Be quick to listen, and slow to speak and (therefore) slow to anger” (v19). This is not easy. Especially when we are in disagreement or have already made up our minds, we might pull out what is in our minds. James teaches us to act out rather than speak words. Words may touch our emotional life and help us anticipate what is going to happen. But our actions bring us greater strengths. Our actions of loving, caring, and trusting each other create and re-create ourselves and help build our community of Christ.  

8 September, 2024, Pentecost 16: Mark 7:24-37 

A Canaanite woman came out and cried before Jesus. She came from the coastal region of Syria, where strange gods were worshiped. She was both an outsider and untouched. Like her, all those who were near death, ill, or marginalised came to Jesus. They were healed, and problems were solved. Also, Jesus often had a deep conversation with women: a Samaritan woman, Martha and Mary, and a nearly stoned prostitute. How did Jesus speak to the Samaritan woman by the well? Jesus listened first and then asked questions. If Jesus had not heard with such sincerity, she would not have dared to tell her story. Jesus continued the dialogue so that the Samaritan woman was pulled out of the misery in her life. Jesus was not in a hurry. He waited, listened, and spoke. Jesus waited with patience, listened carefully, and praised the Syrophoenician woman. 

15 September, 2024, Pentecost 17: Mark 8:27-38

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. Mark records that Jesus was greatly pleased with Peter’s answer. But Peter soon returned to his thoughts. He didn’t want to admit the suffering the Messiah had to face. We also have a question: why did Jesus take the cross and put himself to death? Anselm, a medieval theologian, says that’s because God is both righteous and merciful. Jesus Christ shows God’s mercy in paying the debt, and his payment simultaneously fulfils divine justice. In this sense, according to him, Christ’s suffering and death are necessary. Messiah Jesus is a name of mystery and miracle; it refers to the mysterious and miraculous ability to make resurrection possible despite pain and death. It is about bearing the cross and losing life so that life may, in the end, be saved. The Messiah Jesus is our God.  

22 September, 2024, Pentcost 18: Psalm 1 

We desire many blessings. We want to be healthier, have happier times with families, see our churches grow and revive, live prosperous lives, lack nothing financially, and feel safe in all relationships. However, the blessed person described in today’s Psalm is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on his law day and night. For the Jewish people, the law was not just a set of rules but their way of life. It was a beacon of light, guiding them through the dark wilderness of life and a steadfast companion in tumultuous times. Like a tree planted by streams of water that bears fruit in each season and whose leaf does not wither, a person guided by God’s law, that is, God’s Word, undergoes suffering but gains insight, carries pain but remains humble, and lives a life loving and sharing with others.  

29 September, 2024, Pentecost 19: James 5:13-20 

Just as the tongue in our body functions like the rudder of a ship, the tongue of prayer shapes the relationship between God and us, God and the community we belong to, our families, and our nation. James teaches when to pray: when we are suffering (v13), happy (v13), or sick in body and spirit (v15, 16); and what to pray for: for ourselves (v13) and for others (v14, 16, 19-20). Our prayer is not just a personal act but a communal one. We inspire each other to pray, and by praying together, we worship God, confess our sins and weaknesses, express thanksgiving, and make petitions. These diverse forms of prayer help us interpret our suffering and find the strength to overcome it. Therefore, all the suffering we endure has significance and becomes a form of praise and prayer. 

These lectionary reflections were prepared by Rev. Sunny Lee.