Things really picked up at Hogwarts over the course of these chapters with the arrival of the delegations from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang, the naming of champions and Sirius hanging out in a fire. I’m about halfway through The Goblet of Fire and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Below are some thoughts from chapters 15-19 of The Goblet of Fire.
The Goblet of Fire
It was nice to finally learn what the Goblet of Fire is. Instead a foreboding place of fear like the Chamber of Secrets, the Goblet of Fire is basically a magical standardized test. Instead of Dumbledore picking the champions himself or passing the selection off to a committee, the magic Goblet does the job. Much like the Sorting Hat, the Goblet of Fire knows something about the potential candidates; it knows what they’re capable of and whether or not they can truly succeed. God is like the Goblet in that way. He knows what we’re capable of and he knows how we can truly succeed in making a difference for his kingdom. Thankfully God doesn’t only choose four of us; he chooses all of us. All of us are chosen by God to make a difference for his kingdom and that’s better than participating in any Triwizard Tournament.
Personal Glory
Even though he’s not trying to garner it for himself, Harry keeps getting a lot of personal glory. Everything seems to revolve around Harry Potter. He was famous before his second birthday, he’s a star Quidditch player and he ended up as the fourth of three champions. Harry gets a lot of attention and it seemingly doesn’t go to his head. Instead of seeking personal glory for himself, Harry seems more interested in fitting in and spending time with his friends. Things would be much different if I were Harry Potter. I would love the attention, I would let it go to my head and I would do everything in my power to seek out personal glory. There’s a part of me that wants glory for myself and maybe you wrestle with the same thing. Our lives shouldn’t be about or own personal glory and drawing attention to ourselves. We should live our lives with the intention of glorifying God in all that we do. Every day we should strive to live out Jesus’ words: that people would see our good deeds and praise our father in heaven.
Anger
One of the hardest parts about these chapters was watching the unresolved conflict between Harry and Ron. Ron is envious of Harry and Harry is angry that Ron thought Harry lied about not putting his name into the Goblet of Fire. There are some unresolved issues that, if addressed, could become resolved issues, allowing Harry and Ron could go back to being BFF. The Bible is very clear on how we are supposed to address conflict: early and often. Ephesians tells us that if we don’t address conflict quickly it gives the devil a foothold in our lives. Unaddressed conflict turns into grudges, which can poison every area of our lives, including other relationships. Hopefully Harry and Ron will address their conflict soon; I just want them to be friends again.
I’ve really enjoyed the role Sirius has played in The Goblet of Fire. For so long Harry didn’t have an adult in whom he could confide, but Sirius has been a caring and listening ear. I’m excited for the tournament to get underway and to find out who put Harry’s name in the Goblet in the first place.
What thoughts do you have from chapters 15-19 of The Goblet of Fire?
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