Once Elijah reached Mount Horeb, he spent a night there in a cave. In the morning, he is told by God to stand before Him. God wanted to speak to Elijah. Then one by one, a mighty wind, an earthquake and a fire came and went, but God was not present in them. After this, came the sound of a gentle breeze, and on hearing this, Elijah recognised the presence and voice of God.

When questioned by God as to why he has come to the mountain, Elijah gave his response: the people of Israel have abandoned God and killed His prophets. Only I, Elijah, remains, and my life is in danger too.

At this, we could have expected God to feel sorry for Elijah or at least praise him for his faithfulness. But it seems that God was unhappy with Elijah and his place was not to be on the mountain. What God wanted him to do was that he be obedient to His will even in the face of danger.

Jesus helps his followers realise that true disciple-ship is not about mere compliance with the laws, but instead to the spirit behind the laws. It is not about obeying this or that law, but about being obedient to the Source of all laws, God Himself.

Ultimately, what is expected of a Christian disci-ple? In other words, is a Christian judged by his or her meticulous observance of God's laws or how complete-ly he or she dedicates his or her life to God? This seems to be the question before us today.