Daily Devotions

So we arrive at 5 November when in 1609 Religion, Royalty and the Rule or parliament came into conflict with a group of dissidents. Known as Gunpowder Plot was a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London and kill the King James I was due to hold a ceremony on 5th November 1605 in the Houses of Parliament.

The plot was not only to kill the king, but also the queen, their son Prince Charles and every member of the government who would be at the ceremony. Beneath the Houses of Parliament, there were cellars that were used as storage spaces. These were rented out for the plot and gradually filled with a total of 36 barrels of gunpowder, with the intent of blowing up the buildings as well as everyone in them.

The most famous man involved in the plot was Guy Fawkes and a group of other Roman Catholics. During that period Catholics were not allowed practise their religion as they wanted to. James I’s mother had been Catholic, so the Roman Catholics of England had hoped that he would present a fairer rule, but he instead ordered for all Catholic priests to leave England.

I wonder how many folk know why they letting off fireworks today?

On one occasion Jesus had to rebuke the pharisees when he said, "Won’t you ever understand? Don’t you remember at all the five thousand I fed with five loaves, and the basketfuls left over?” Matthew 16:9 The controversy here was that Jesus was eating with sinners and the pharisees thought that this was all wrong; for sinners read the opposition, the other side even the enemy.

All Jesus wanted was that the very good religious people to know their need for his healing and mercy too. He knew that unless they knew their own weakness, they would never know the love of the Father. He tried a homely example that you don’t go to the doctor unless you are sick, nor to any health-care person unless you need help. We are all like that - people in need.

Jesus calls us to remembrance too. 

Lord, I used to think religion was a matter of keeping the rules. But when you walked this earth, you preferred to mix with those who had broken the rules – not because they broke the rules, but because their hearts were open and humble. As I move through this day, help me to quietly consider how you want to call all those around me. If I do not understand why, is it because I do not see what you see. Amen