Readings, July 1, 2007

1 Kings
Chapter 19 16 Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel, and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you. 17 If anyone escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill him. If he escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill him. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand men in Israel--all those who have not knelt to Baal or kissed him." 19 1 Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him. 20 Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you." "Go back!" Elijah answered. "Have I done anything to you?" 21 Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

Galatians
Chapter 5 1 1 2 For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. 13 3 4 For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 5 15 But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. 16 I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. 6 17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. 18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Luke
Chapter 9 51 1 2 3 When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, 52 4 and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, 53 but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" 55 Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56 and they journeyed to another village. 57 5 As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." 59 And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "(Lord,) let me go first and bury my father." 60 But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. 6 But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." 62 (To him) Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."

Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretaton

It is the duty of the King to maintain control subjects, by death if necessary.  If he does not, the Prophet will.

A small fraction of men who have not worshipped Baal will be available for help in maintaining control.

Hard to imagine a huge team of 12 oxen being used.  The ground must have been very hard, or the plow very large!  Controlling such a team meant that Elisha had great power.

Catholic priests and bishops still have a cloak thrown over them during ordinations.  Elisha slaughtered the 12 oxen, burned the plowing equipment (again, a HUGE plow) to boil their flesh and gave it to his people to eat.  Then, he became Elijah's attendant.

When Jesus called Peter, Peter did not burn his boat to cook fish for his father's workers.

Christ set us free from sin, so stand firm against it and don't let yourself be enslaved by it.. 

Do not use your freedom as an opportunity to sin, but to serve.

Love your neighbor as yourself.  If you go on consuming one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.  Live by The Holy Wireless Connector's instructions, don't spend you life titillating the lesser pleasure centers.  They want to focus your spirit on them, and The Holy Wireless Connector wants you to focus on The Programmer and His Kingdom.

If you are under the spirit, you will not give into the transient pleasures that try to distract you. 

When the time came, Jesus made up his mind to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers ahead.  The Samaritans would not honor Him because He was going to Jerusalem, thus establishing it as being closer to God than they.

When James and John, who were aware of the power that they had, offered to destroy them all.  Jesus rebuked them.  While they went to another village, some one said "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but I have nowhere to rest (on earth).

He called another to follow him, and told him the life He offered was more important than burying his father.  (The father may have been alive, and going to die.  Could have lived for years.)  To another who offered to follow, He said, "No one who starts to follow me, and looks to the world is fit for the Kingdom of The Programmer.

Jesus ordered a stricter allegiance to The New Program than the Old Program Prophet, Elijah, ordered for the First Program.