Christ the King

Preface

Matthew 1.1-17 One with Us

Christ is Here!

Matthew 1.18-25 God with Us

Come Celebrate!

Matthew 2.1-12 Wise Men and Foolish King

New-born star for new-born King

Matthew 2.13-23 Out of Egypt

Out of Egypt

Matthew 3.1-17 My Son Whom I Love

Image of God

Matthew 4.1-11 Tempted!

Tempted too!

Matthew 5:1-12 Truly Happy!

If Only…

Matthew 5.13-16 Salt and Light

Here I am, Lord!

Matthew 5.17-20,43-47 Fulfilling the Law

The Right to Love

Matthew 6:1-18 Living Before God

In Quietness I Come

Matthew 6.19-34 Why Worry?

Children of the Most High

Matthew 7.1-14 Ask, Seek, Knock

Ask! Seek! Knock!

Matthew 7.15-27 Saying “Lord, Lord”

Kept Safe

Matthew 8.1-17 Just as you believed

Sufficient

Matthew 8.18-27 Following wherever

Wherever

Matthew 8.28-34 Casting out Demons

Be Still!

Matthew 9.1-13 He came to call sinners

Even Me!

Matthew 9:14-17 Fasting and Feasting

The Festive Table’s Spread!

Matthew 9.18-34 By What Authority…?

Jesus Alone

Matthew 9.35-10.15 Harvest Time

Until I know

Matthew 10.16-31 Sheep among Wolves

The Forever Life

Matthew 11.1-19 Jesus and John

In the Name

Matthew 11.20-30 Rest under the Yoke of Christ

Be of Good Cheer

Matthew 12.1-21 Lord of the Sabbath

Be Still!

Matthew 12.22-48 Doing the Will of the Father

The Father’s Will

Matthew 13.1-23 Looking for a Good Crop

A Life Complete

Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43 Weeds among the Wheat

Weeds, Lord?

Matthew 13.31-35,44-58 The Kingdom Grows

The Cross of God

Matthew 14.1-21 Feeding the Multitudes

Available

Matthew 14.22-36 Freedom from Fear

Above the Wind and Waves

Matthew 15.1-20 Clean from Within

Justified!

Matthew 15.21-31 The Canaanite Woman

Great Lord!

Matthew 15.29-39 Feeding the Four Thousand

Compassion

Matthew 16.1-12 Demanding a Sign

A White Cross

Matthew 16.13-28 Who do You Say I am?

In His Grip

Matthew 17.1-23 Transfigured!

Glorious Lord!

Matthew 17.24-18.9 The Greatest in the Kingdom

All-Glorious!

Matthew 18.15-35 Forgiving

Forgiven, Forgive!

Matthew 19.16-30 The Rich Young Ruler

A Life Complete

Matthew 20.1-19 Workers in the Vineyard

Generous Love

Matthew 20.20-34 True Greatness

The Greatest!

Matthew 21.1-17 Hosanna!

Hosanna!

Matthew 21.18-27 Withered Fig Tree

Only a Tree

Matthew 21.28-46 Doing the Work of God

To Live Each Day

Matthew 22.1-14 The Wedding Banquet

Taste and See

Matthew 22.15-46 Setting the Trap

My Lord and my God!

Matthew 23.1-12 Humble before God

Time runs on ahead

Matthew 23.13-39 On the Inside

Justified!

Matthew 24.1-35 Watch out, but don’t be alarmed!

Alert!

Matthew 24.36-51 Be Ready!

Ready or Not!

Matthew 25.1-14 The Bridegroom is Coming!

Too Late?

Matthew 25.14-30 Serving the King

To Live the Gift

Matthew 25.31-46 Meeting the King

Inasmuch…

Matthew 26.1-16 The Preparation

Preparing for Burial

Matthew 26.17-35 Passover

Surely not me!

Matthew 26.36-46 Gethsemane

Watch and Pray

Matthew 26.47-56 Betrayed with a Kiss

Judas! Judas!

Matthew 26.57-75 The Christ, the Son of God?

The Rooster Crowed

Matthew 27.1-10 Remorse and Tragedy

Turn Back!

Matthew 27.11-26 Jesus or Barabbas?

Jesus or Barabbas?

Matthew 27.27-44 On that Cross

Simon of Cyrene

Matthew 27.45-56 Forsaken!

King of the Jews!

Matthew 27.57-66 Dead and Buried

Dead and Buried

Matthew 28.1-10 Jesus is Alive!

Easter Glory!

Matthew 28.16-20 Christ the King

Glorious Lord!

Preface

Jesus spoke a great deal about “the Kingdom of heaven”. The theme was introduced in the preaching of John the Baptist who called people to “repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” – a call which also marked the beginning of the preaching of Jesus himself.

But when Jesus presented himself to John for baptism, John immediately recognised that here was the one whose coming he had come to announce. He declared himself unworthy even to untie his sandals.

The Messiah/Christ is here, son of David, fulfilment of the promises. The King has come.

The magi from the east had come seeking the one born to be “the King of the Jews”. Pilate had stubbornly insisted on putting above his head on the cross, “the King of the Jews”.

At the end of Matthew’s gospel, we hear him claim “all authority in heaven and on earth” and committing to his small band of followers the task of making disciples of all nations.

These sermons/reflections and poems have come together within a small weekly devotional service of elderly folk at BlueHaven Lodge, Ingham, Queensland. We have been walking through the Gospel of Matthew over a period of nearly two years.

These are not a commentary, nor a detailed exposition. We read every verse in the Gospel and looked at the main themes, but had to leave many issues unanswered in this series.

In preparation week by week, I have often made use of earlier sermons and poems already available on my website – http://www.peterjblackburn.net – as well as material prepared specially for the folk at BlueHaven.

Except where otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version , © International Bible Society, 1984.

© Peter J Blackburn,

Forrest Beach, Queensland,

December 2012

Matthew 1.1-17 One with Us

In Jewish society one’s genealogy was treasured. In our society, some people are passionately researching their genealogy. It can be a fascinating hobby, but be warned – you may find some “skeletons” in the cupboard! Of course, if some ancestor came to Australia as a convict, that may now be a matter of pride!

A devout Hindu approached a Christian missionary in India wanting to read some of the story of Jesus. The missionary looked through his resources and gave the man a copy of Matthew’s gospel. As the man went off, the missionary wondered how the Hindu would cope with all the “begats” in chapter 1.

A week later the Hindu returned quite excited. “He has a genealogy! He’s one of us!” That is in stark contrast with the Hindu deities.

We tend to skip over the “begats”, anxious to get onto the “important stuff” – the birth of Jesus. Yet it is “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham” (v 1).

The Lord had said to Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12.2-3). So Jesus was in the line of Abraham – one of the chosen race through whom God was revealing his purposes to the human race.

But Jesus was also in the royal line of David to whom God had promised, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7.16). With all the ups and downs of national fortune, that didn’t look like the situation at the moment, but the Jews looked forward to the promised anointed one, the Messiah, and the restoration of David’s kingdom.

That’s why Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register in the census. As we read in Luke 2.4-5, “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

The genealogy is organised into three fourteens. This was for ease of memorisation. So some names had to be skipped without compromising the integrity of the whole. But the “awkward” elements in the genealogy are not only there but highlighted.

Traditionally, the genealogy recorded the father’s line. But four women are mentioned by Matthew. We read, “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah , whose mother was Tamar ” (Matthew 1.3). The house of Judah is the royal line, but what is this reference to Tamar ? Judah’s first son, Er , married Tamar but died without leaving any children. So the next son, Onan , was expected to lie with Tamar to produce offspring in the name of Er. He refused and also died. Judah told Tamar , “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up” (Genesis 38.11). Judah had no intention of giving his third son to Tamar , fearful that he too would die. Judah’s wife died and Shelah had grown up and nothing was happening. So Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and became pregnant to her father-in-law and gave birth to the twins mentioned in the genealogy.

Next there is Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho. The two spies whom Joshua sent to spy out the city “entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there” (Joshua 1.1). She protected the spies and obviously came to a healthy fear of the God of Israel. She could see that judgment was coming. Her house was built into the wall and a scarlet cord hung out the window through which she had lowered them to safety would be the promise of protection for her and her family. She receives mention in the genealogy.

Then there’s Ruth, the Moabite widow who returned to Bethlehem with her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi. We recall Ruth’s commitment as Naomi began her sad journey back to Bethlehem, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1.16). Boaz says to her, “May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (2.12). After going through the proper procedures, Boaz married Ruth. They had a son, Obed , who became the grandfather of David.

As we follow the line from David – “David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife” (Matthew 1.6). Matthew doesn’t mention her name – Bathsheba – but rather records the sordid affair that led to her being in the list. David wasn’t with his men in the battlefield. One evening walking around the roof of his palace David saw a beautiful woman bathing. He knew that she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite – a soldier in the army – but sent for her and slept with her. When she sent him word that she was pregnant, David did all he could to cover up and ended up arranging for Uriah’s death. So the record of David’s rule is – “David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD’s commands all the days of his life – except in the case of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15.5). And it receives a mention in the genealogy.

Why draw attention to these awkward and irregular elements in the genealogy? The coming of Jesus was about the grace of God. As we read in Hebrews, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4.15).

Jesus was truly one with us – Immanuel, God with us, come to redeem us from the thralldom of sin.

And the angelic word to the shepherds is truly a word for all people – “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2.10).

PRAYER: Eternal Father, when you planned the coming of your Son, your chosen race was far from perfect, far from ready, and your chosen line had all the marks of human brokenness and sin. You sent Jesus to be one with us, but, unlike us, to be the sinless one and to give his life for sinners. Amazing love! Amazing grace! Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Christ is Here!

Hear the strains of carol-singing,

bells are ringing,

Christmas coming.

Many lights on houses twinkle –

hang the tinsel,

give the cheer,

Christ is here!

Dismal night so long and gloomy –

come, be roomy!

Here’s another

needs to know the Father’s loving

and his giving –

spread the cheer,

Christ is here!

Angels from the realms of glory

told the story.

Shepherds heard it,

saw a Baby in a manger –

heaven’s Stranger

come to earth

for his birth.

Hear again the carol-singing,

bells a-ringing,

Christmas coming.

Open wide our hearts to greet him,

here to meet him,

welcoming

the King of kings!

Matthew 1.18-25 God with Us

A family was holidaying with the country cousins. Away from the city lights, the stars shone clearly against the velvet sky. The little girl was petrified of the dark. Her mother sought to reassure her, “God is here. He will look after you.” The little girl protested, “But I want God with a skin on!”

God with a skin on…

It was dark days for God’s people. Ahaz wasn’t a good king. He had been playing around with other gods. He didn’t really trust the Lord. Yet the Lord still cared for his people. That was when the promise came, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Is. 7.14).

Immanuel means “God with us” – God with a skin on.

Of course, there must have been some particular immediate birth as a sign of God’s presence in their dark situation. But there was far more to it. No mere human child could be Immanuel. Part of the prophecy was “left dangling,” as it were, for completion (fulfilment) later on.

Hard times came on God’s people again and again. Some eight hundred years later they were subject to the Roman Empire. It was against that background that Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth, faced a personal crisis. He was engaged to be married to Mary. Now she had told him she was pregnant – but don’t worry, Joseph, I haven’t been unfaithful to you. It’s God – this is the work of the Holy Spirit!

Pregnant? Faithful? Holy Spirit? Unlikely story! If any young woman in Nazareth became pregnant out of wedlock, there was always some fellow involved. And the penalties for unfaithfulness during betrothal were as severe as for adultery in marriage.

Joseph wasn’t a vindictive man. He truly loved Mary. He wanted to act in a way that would protect her. He could quietly break off the betrothal, but that would leave Mary with the load of unwed motherhood in little Nazareth.

That was when the message came to Joseph – “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” And Matthew added, “All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us’.” (Matthew 1.20-23)

Immanuel, God with us – God with a skin on.

John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1.1,14).

Jesus could say, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (5.19). “I and the Father are one" (10.30). “So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say” (12.50). “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (14.9).

Humanly speaking, that cost him his life. But… you can’t kill God! That could only happen because it was part of God’s plan. Peter told the crowd on the Day of Pentecost, “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth... was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2.22-24). The cross, a sign of human hatred and rejection, is a sign of God’s love and a means of forgiveness.

Immanuel, God with us – God with a skin on.

For the moment he’s gone. We can’t dial him up on some earthly telephone. But we can talk to him in prayer. And we have his promise, “… surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 18.20).

Immanuel isn’t here as a physical presence. Paul calls the church – the people who believe in Jesus – the “body” of Christ (as in Ephesians 1.23). Folk will see what God is like through us. Perhaps that seems a bit scary! And it would be if he wasn’t with us as the constant unseen Presence.

Keep in touch with him. Live in unity with one another – a body needs all the “members” (1 Corinthians 12.16-20). Allow the love and grace of God to reach others through you.

PRAYER: Glad tidings of great joy! To us a Child is born! To us a Son is given! Eternal Lord, we praise you! We thank you! We celebrate Immanuel, God with us! We come to you in his name. Through him we receive your saving grace. Enable us to be your body – living and showing your presence and love and grace to others day by day. In Immanuel’s name, Amen.

Come Celebrate!

Come,

celebrate

the love of God –

Immanuel,

God with us!

Born

in days

of loneliness

and fear,

dark

with sin

and unbelief,

he came –

born a baby,

laid in feed-box, no other room!

Come,

celebrate

the love of God –

Immanuel,

God with us!

Lonely cross

on rugged hill,

taunting cries

of human spite,

yet hear him now,

“Forgive them,

Father!”

Come,

celebrate

the love of God –

Immanuel,

God with us!

Tomb

was empty,

stone

rolled back –

“He is risen!”

Come,

celebrate

the love of God –

Immanuel,

God with us!

Baby born,

weak and helpless –

King

and Ruler

over all!

Come,

celebrate

the love of God –

Immanuel,

God with us!

Immanuel,

we welcome you.

You come to us,

we come to you.

We give you room –

come,

fill our life.

Overflow

your love

and grace

through us

to others.

Come,

celebrate

the love of God –

Immanuel,

God with us!

Matthew 2.1-12 Wise Men and Foolish King

Back in 1988 Brisbane hosted Expo. There was no doubt that it was on! For some families living in the vicinity there came a noisy reminder with fireworks at 10 pm each night!

Yet people responded to it differently. For some it was the experience of a lifetime – an opportunity to glimpse the wider world, to meet people and to learn, a positive force for reconciliation in a divided world. Others regarded it as an obscenity – a distortion which glossed over world problems, which ignored the needs of people displaced from their homes by the site itself, which helped celebrate a bicentenary which bypassed the aspirations, needs and culture of the aboriginal people. Some watched with longing eyes, enjoying their glimpses but unable to afford the entry charge. Others set up their protest flags to greet those passing through the gates.

Expo was on all right – people were responding to it differently! In fact, probably no one was totally indifferent to it!

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. There is no question, really, that he was born. Yet for us today, just as for the people of that time, the questions remain – who is he? and how will I respond to him?

Matthew 2 focuses on two very different responses to the birth of Jesus and yet also on an amazing agreement on the answer to the first question – who is he?

It is not at all clear to us just who these “wise men” (or magi) really were. What we are told is that they studied the skies for clues about life and history and had come on a long journey because of a strong conviction that the “King of the Jews” had been born. Why? Because “We saw his star in the east (or when it rose) and have come to worship him”.

Again, the identity of the “star” is unclear. Halley's Comet, a supernova or a conjunction of three of the planets… such events are known to have occurred around that time. But whatever they saw hadn’t been noticed by Herod or the people of Jerusalem. Apparently the conjunction of planets occurred in the part of the sky they called “the house of the Hebrews”.

There were colonies of Jews scattered throughout the empire. So these magi would have been well aware that the Jews were expecting a Messiah, and that the Jewish Scriptures predicted that “a star will come out of Jacob” (Numbers 24.17). So they set off. The Messiah, King of the Jews, has been born – they were quite sure of it – we must find him, lay our treasures before him and worship him.

It seemed natural to them to head straight to Jerusalem and enquire at the palace of King Herod. But Herod was troubled. To understand why, we need to note that Herod the Great was appointed King of Judea by the Roman authorities. He sought to strengthen his throne by a series of atrocities, including the murder of his wife Mariamne and his sons Alexander and Aristobulus. No wonder all Jerusalem was troubled too! He couldn’t afford to have a Messiah (even a baby one!) on the scene!

So he gathered the chief priests and scribes together to check out from the scriptures the expected birthplace of the Messiah. “Bethlehem”, he was told, on the authority of Micah 5.2. Calling the magi, he sent them off in the direction of Bethlehem. The Messiah has been born, he was agreeing, you must find him and let me know “so that I too may go and worship him”.

So something undeniable has happened, someone has been born with extraordinary signs, the Messiah promised from of old. The second question surfaces – how will we respond to him?

Matthew gives us two contrasting responses to the birth of the Messiah.

With sincerity and integrity, the magi, having reached their goal, brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and worshipped him. Baby still, they were acknowledging him as their Lord. Truly wise, they were submitting their lives to him.

On the other hand, Herod, knowing worship to be the appropriate response, was filled with murderous intentions. Not this child, not even God himself would stand in the way of his rule. So the Messiah has been born? Then I must get rid of him! And Matthew records the murderous action of Herod in having all the baby boys of Bethlehem and district slaughtered – too late, for Joseph, warned in a dream, had taken Mary and Jesus to the safety of Egypt.

The question comes to us today. Jesus was born – Messiah, Son of God – born for us. How do we respond to him? He is truly the one who cannot be ignored.

Some still respond with hostility. They like Christmas, but are offended at any suggestion that the coming of Jesus has any bearing on how they should live. Others “go along” with anything – accepting Christmas, but not living with reference to the Christ who came and who still comes to us.

How we need to welcome him – and to know his welcome! to love him – and to experience his love! to trust him as our Saviour – and to know we are his children! to live for him – and know that he lives within us!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, when you were born, the announcement came to humble shepherds. The signs were read by foreigners. Ordinary people passed you by. The cruel angry king wanted you gone. Yet you came for all! Again we celebrate your birth. Forgive our foolish ways. Make us wise to come and lay our lives before you, the Lord of all. Thank you, Jesus, Amen.

New-born star for new-born King

In the east we scan the night

to trace the stars and watch their light.

One night, in “Hebrew house”,

we saw a new-born star.

“It is the promised Star”, we said.

New-born star for new-born King,

our costliest treasures we must bring

to go and find and worship him.

Long the road but great the joy

that led towards this palace boy,

but not in halls of Jerusalem –

they pointed us to Bethlehem.

New-born star for new-born King,

our costliest treasures now we bring

and lay them down and worship him.

But Herod is a man of hate –

his wife and sons he’d killed of late.

To any threatened rival king

no worship would this tyrant bring

but seek him out for violent fate.

We traveled back to eastern lands

with joyful hearts and ready hands –

New-born star for new-born King.

He isn’t just the Jewish King

but ours as now we daily bring

our lives to worship him.

Matthew 2.13-23 Out of Egypt

We love a good story and, at all costs, must have a happy ending. Perhaps that’s why much of society has gone for Santa Claus as the main character of Christmas. Well-separated from the original St Nicholas, he deals with us genially with a not-too-heavy encouragement to goodness. There is no “dark” side to the story of Santa.

The birth of Jesus is fine – provided we hold the script to all the nice aspects – the manger, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, the star… We like the theme of “peace and goodwill”, giving hope in the fragility of human history. So Christmas becomes a break from the normality of life, an escape from its harsh realities…

Yet, embedded in the account is the foreshadowing of the cross – “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1.21) – and Herod…Not that we forget the evil king was there, for, after all, he didn’t “get” Jesus.

But in the real story, the Magi were warned in a dream (2.12) not to go back to Herod, and they returned to their country by another way.

It would appear from the record that Joseph and Mary were settling into Bethlehem as their permanent home. With the crowds gone, they were now living in a “house” (v. 11).

But it was not safe for the holy family to remain in Bethlehem, so close as it is to Jerusalem. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, “ Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him” (v. 13).

So they set off in the dark of night for Egypt – quite a journey without our modern means of transport. Many have seen symbolic significance in the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But right then it gave them the immediate financial support for this journey.

Egypt, of course, had been the place of refuge for their forefathers in time of famine. It had become a place of bondage and slavery. The exodus under Moses’ leadership had bonded them together into a nation and was forever a grand picture of the Lord’s deliverance. There is some evidence that Jewish people, as they looked forward to the coming Messiah, were expecting in some sense a re-enactment of the exodus in his life. Matthew picks up the words of Hosea 11.1, “Out of Egypt I called my son” (v. 15).

Meantime, the families of Bethlehem felt the full fury of Herod. He had been meticulous in his plot to snare and eliminate this new-born king. Prophetically he had been told the birthplace was to be Bethlehem. Based on the information from the Magi concerning the exact time of the star’s appearance, he gave orders that every boy child two years old or younger in Bethlehem was to be killed.

What overwhelming cruelty and grief! Jeremiah had pictured Rachel, as mother of the nation, weeping over the death of children at the time of the Babylonian captivity (586BC). Rachel’s tomb was near Bethlehem and the prophecy now found fulfilment in the outpouring of grief for the loss of these children at Herod’s hands.

“Out of Egypt…” Herod died and Joseph was told in a dream that it was now safe to return to Israel. They continued to assume that Bethlehem should be their place of residence, until they heard that the new ruler was Herod’s son, Archelaus – as bad as his father. Again guided by an angel, they headed north to Galilee and settled back in Nazareth.

There is no direct prophetic reference to the words, “He will be called a Nazarene”, though several prophecies come close to this expression. Here in Nazareth, Jesus’ identity was hidden from both the religious and political authorities. He came to be known simply as “Jesus of Nazareth”.

For the Israelites, “out of Egypt” had been a move from bondage to freedom, from oppression to the opportunity of expression of the presence and life of God in their national life. For Jesus, “out of Egypt” meant moving from refuge to the place where he would learn and grow and express the mission of the Father – and be crucified. In what ways does God call us “out of Egypt”?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, as a child you were brought out of Egypt, the place of refuge, into Israel, to live and grow, to fulfil your mission – even to death on the cross for sinners. Search out our hiding-places – where we refuse to face our brokenness and sin and fail to receive your redeeming grace. Search out our hiding-places – where we do not hear and heed your call to reach out to others. We want to live in your Name, Amen.

Out of Egypt

Out of Egypt,

the place

of refuge

and bondage

into Canaan,

the promised land

flowing

with milk and honey.

Out of Egypt,

the place

of protection

from Herod

into Israel

to grow

and learn,

to teach and heal,

to become,

as Victim

of a cruel

human death,

the Victor

over human sin,

to rise

victorious,

to ascend

to divine

honour

and glory!

Out of Egypt –

out of self-centredness

and sin,

out of anger

and frustration,

out of depression

and despair,

out of loneliness

and loss,

into forgiveness

and hope,

into love

and life,

into wholeness restored…

Forever free,

forever bound

to you,

my Lord

and my God!

Matthew 3.1-17 My Son Whom I Love

In Genesis 1.26 we read the amazing statement, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground .”

This doesn’t mean that God is like us, but that in very important ways we have been created to be like him.

So we have a drive to understand the divine Mind expressed in creation (what we call “the laws of nature”) and a drive to be creative ourselves. But above all, we have a very deep need to know, love and trust God.

However, we don’t see the human race quite the way things were meant to be. There has been a Fall – a deliberate choice to live as if God isn’t there, the ultimate standard of Truth, Beauty and Goodness, the One to be known, loved and trusted. The “image of God” is twisted, yet not totally destroyed. We are a mixture of brilliance and brokenness. We show off our brilliance and struggle with our brokenness.

The third commandment specifically tells us not to make graven images (idols) (Exodus 20.4). They were not simply to avoid worshipping idols – or, worse, to imagine that they could represent God in wood, stone or metal. They themselves were intended – by their lives, their character, their actions – to be the only “images of God” on the earth.

John the Baptist – he seems such a strange character in the New Testament, “clothes... made of camel’s hair... a leather belt round his waist,” and a diet of “locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3.4), the last of the Old Testament prophets... John the Baptist says, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near!” Repentance is a change of mind leading to a change of actions, turning away from the way things are to the way they were always intended to be.

There was an urgency about John’s preaching. The coming Kingdom will be a time of reckoning. No one should presume on their place in the Kingdom. The Pharisees and Sadducees will not escape “the coming wrath” by claiming their descent from Abraham. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (v. 8).

Each of us was “made in the image of God”. But there is one coming who is truly and fully “the image of God.” Hebrews describes him as “ the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word ” (Hebrews 1.3).

To be compared with “the bloke next door” is fine, but don’t put me alongside Jesus! That’s not fair!

John’s message has been stern enough, but he envisages that the one who is coming will be even sterner – he will bring judgment, not just a warning!

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (vv. 11-12).

Even John, the prophet calling people to repent, knows himself unworthy, unqualified to serve this coming one. And the “baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire” that he envisages is a baptism of judgment.

Picture the eastern farmer winnowing his wheat. The sheaves were scattered over the hard threshing-floor. The stalks were beaten to separate the grain from the husks and chaff. Then, on a windy day, the farmer used his winnowing fork or shovel to toss it in the air. The grain fell back to the floor, but the husks and chaff were carried to one side. The farmer kept doing this again and again until the grain was clean. The chaff could now be burnt.

The Holy Spirit is the “Wind” of God. It is judgment time. The grain and the chaff are about to be separated and the chaff will be burnt.

Jesus arrives on the scene. John knows within himself that this is the coming one that he has been talking about. Jesus comes to be baptised by John. John protests, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (v. 14) John was baptising people for repentance from sin and Jesus has no need of John’s baptism. But Jesus replies, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (v. 15).

Jesus had no need of repentance. He was baptised to identify himself with sinners.

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’.” (vv. 16-17).

Paul wrote that Jesus, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2.6-8).

Jesus wasn’t a walking encyclopedia of life, the universe and everything. “He made himself nothing (emptied himself), taking the very nature of a servant.” He lived his life with all the limitations we have – and with all the resources God offers to make available to us all. There were some early flashes of insight that he knew his identity. Remember when, at age twelve, he stayed behind in the Temple? He said to a very concerned Mary and Joseph, “Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2.49)

And here he is, about to start his public ministry. He identifies himself in baptism with the sinful human race. As he comes out of the water, “heaven was opened to him.” The unique Son of God who gave up all he had to become a human being becomes aware at this moment of the presence of heaven and his heavenly Father – an awareness that he carries with him until that terrible moment on the cross when he cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27.46)

But now, as he comes out of the water, “ he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him .” Within the eternal inter-relationship of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit always relate closely with one another. But now the Son, living as a human being, is dependent on the in-filling of the Holy Spirit for his life and his work.

And the voice from heaven – “ This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased ” (v. 17). The Father bearing witness to the identity of the Son, the Spirit coming on the Son with enabling power.

Jesus, of course, in a unique way “ is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word ” (Hebrews 1.3). But he came to be the representative man – loving as we have never loved, obeying as we have never obeyed, trusting as we have never trusted… Paul writes to the Corinthians, “ For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive ” (1 Corinthians 15.22).

Made in the image of God? We certainly don’t see ourselves that way! Yet the one who is “the exact re presentation of God’s being” came into this world. At the very point at which he identified himself with sinners, he received witness that he is God’s own dear Son.

He came so we can be forgiven. He came so we can be made new. He came so that in u him, we can begin to express the image of God who loves us and wants to welcome us as his own dear children! Trust him – for all your life!

PRAYER: Dear Father, you made us to be like you, but we are a very poor representation! We deserve the “wrath to come” that John preached. But we see your Son Jesus – radiance of your glory, emptied, become a man, taking our baptism, enduring our cross, raised to glory! And now, amazingly, in Jesus you now welcome us into your family and call us your children whom you love. Thank you, Lord! Amen!

Image of God

Down the ages

men have crafted

idols –

images of men

and of men’s

imaginings,

weird

and binding

hearts and lives

in devoted

worship.

Yet at the beginning

God created

man –

male and female –

in his image

and likeness,

created to know,

to love,

to reflect

the life

and nature

of the Creator.

At the right time,

God sent

his Son, Jesus –

emptied of glory,

born a man

in the image

and likeness

of the Father.

He lived

and taught

and healed

and died

and rose again

for us –

so we can be

forgiven,

restored

to the true

image of God.

At his baptism

the Spirit came

and the Father’s voice,

“This is my Son

whom I love…”

And now in him

because of him

and his redemptive work,

I can cry,

“Abba! My Father!”,

for I too hear

the Father’s voice,

“This too is my child

whom I love!”

Matthew 4.1-11 Tempted!

The old hymn reminded us,

Yield not to temptation,

For yielding is sin...

We read in Hebrews 4.15 that Jesus was “tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.” Sin consists in yielding to temptation. If we think that Jesus had it easy, that he was only tempted on one occasion and only in three very specific and limited areas of his life, we are wrong. Luke’s account adds this significant comment, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time” (Luke 4.13).

There is a reason and a circumstance for temptation. What were the reason and circumstance behind Jesus’ temptations?

Jesus grew up as a very normal boy in Nazareth. When he returned to Nazareth after a good deal of preaching, teaching and healing the sick in Galilee, he went into the synagogue and began teaching the people. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?…” (Matthew 13.54-55) And they rejected him.

Luke gives us just a little flash into the “silent years” with the picture of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple saying to an anxious Joseph and Mary, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2.49) Underlying a personal relationship with God his Father, there was a growing awareness of his own identity as the Son of God and his mission to be the Messiah.

When he was thirty, he heard that John had come out of the desert calling on people to repent of their sins and to be baptised. Now is the time! he thought, and left the carpenter’s shop to go and be baptised by John. As he came out of the water, he saw heaven opened and “the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him”, then heard the voice of the Father, “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3.16-17). He didn’t become the Son at that point, or receive the Spirit at that point. This was a visible witness of what was already true – visible to Jesus, visible also to John the Baptist (John 1.32-34) and perhaps to some others as well.

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4.1). The truth about Jesus was now out. The secret was revealed – and even the Devil knew! Up to this point Jesus had faced the temptations of any normal boy or growing youth. But now the heat was on. The Spirit was leading him into real confrontation with evil. And he would now be tempted in areas that would have to do with who he was and why he had come.

We aren’t told what Jesus did during those first forty days and nights except that he fasted. Most likely he spent much of the time in prayer – that was certainly the pattern of his life. Surely he would also have been “walking through” the next three years, thinking through the implications of the mission to which he was committed.

He became very hungry! It was an easy point of temptation – hungry, knowing himself to be the Son of God… Jesus, you were about when the rocks and stones were formed. You helped to make them. Right? “If you are The Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus never did that kind of miracle! He never paraded his divine Sonship. He was living as a member of the human race. The miracles that he did were done with the same dependence on the Father that you or I are expected to have. They were motivated by love for others, never directed to his own protection or comfort. In Deuteronomy Moses reminded the people of Israel how the Lord had tested them in the desert “in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8.2b -3).

Isn’t that a picture of how we are tempted? We feel this deep urge to use what we have and are for our own benefit. It is the first way of projecting my identity and my desires over against the loving care and provision of God. Eve “saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom…” (Genesis 3.6). It seemed so good and legitimate. It would fulfil a real need. Only – it was not what God had said!

So you won’t use your powers to protect yourself because you have to depend on your relationship with God? Well, here we are now on the highest point of the Temple in Jerusalem. Now you can prove that you are the Son of God, that you are depending on every word that God speaks. Just jump! Yes, jump off! After all, doesn’t the Scripture say, “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone”?

Those words come from Psalm 91.11-12. They are about the person who “dwells in the shelter of the Most High” (v 1) – which hardly seems a description of a person about to jump off the Temple roof! There is actually a phrase omitted – “to guard you in all your ways”. God will keep him safe wherever his way may lead, when he is obedient to the divine will.

Jesus’ answer comes from Deuteronomy 6.16. It is part of Moses’ final instructions to the Israelites. In this section, they are being warned against disobedience – “Do not follow other gods… for the Lord your God… is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you… Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah ” (vv. 14-16). That incident is recorded in Exodus 17.1-7. The people grumbled and complained to Moses, forcing him to ask the Lord for a miraculous supply of water. “And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarrelled and because they tested the Lord saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ ” (v. 7). Jesus had to trust the Father – not ask for miraculous proof of his help – proof, incidentally, which would be visible and public and would undoubtedly attract quite a large following. Jesus trusted the Father and rejected the use of miracles to attract followers.

This too provides another picture of how we can be tempted. We are called to walk a path of faith in God but dearly want visible proof of his love and protection. We want sight not faith. Too easily and too often we demand the miracle, the spectacular. We demand that God be our little message boy. We ought to believe in God because he is true and because he is there. And he is Lord and we should be laying our lives down before him! He is the one who has the perfect right to ask the question, “Are those people in Ingham with me or not?”

In the third temptation the Devil shows his hand. So you have come to earth to establish a kingdom, have you? You want to gain all the kingdoms of this world – isn’t that your mission? See them spread out before you in all their greatness! “All this I will give you, if you bow down and worship me.”

Repulsive thought? A real temptation! How could the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ, if he didn’t bend the rules a little? If this temptation wasn’t real for the truly human Son of God, how come the Church of today feels it so strongly?

Again his reply comes from Deuteronomy 6 – “Fear the Lord your God, serve him only…” (v. 13). “Go away, Satan!” All the temptations are about whether or not we are to worship, trust and obey God in our lives. Some folk do the right thing for the wrong reasons, yet there are many times where we do the wrong thing with good intentions. We have the idea that, somehow, the end justifies the means. Jesus rejected that temptation!

And the Jesus who rejected the temptations to sin was obedient to death on the cross at the hand of sinners – by the Father’s loving will dying on the cross in the place of sinners. He understands us and offers us the grace to overcome temptation, to continue to do what we know is right. When we have fallen, he offers us the grace of forgiveness.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, like us you were tempted. But unlike us you never sinned. Prone to wander, Lord, we feel it, prone to leave the God we love. Take our heart, O take and seal it, seal it from your courts above. In your name we pray, Amen!

Tempted too!

It seems so little,

just a little “yes”

when I should say “no”.

What does it matter?

Who’ll even notice?

Who’ll even care?

Yet the song says,

“From little things

big things grow!”

Too soon

I cultivate the art

of justifying all,

small or big.

The perfect Man

was tempted too –

just a little “yes”

when he should say “no”.

So quick to spot

the Devil’s plot –

“No, Satan,

away you go!”

Every day

he went

the Father’s way,

even though it meant

a cross

to justify all,

small or big,

to make right,

to forgive

each wrongful “yes”

by his great “Yes!” –

his “Yes!”

of love

and grace!

My Saviour,

my Lord,

I come,

to you I come!

Matthew 5:1-12 Truly Happy!

What do you really want out of life? What is your most important goal?

One of the universal human quests is for happiness. One encyclopaedia doesn’t have an article on “happiness”, but there is a reference to it in 112 articles! On the other hand, there is a significant article on “liberty or freedom” – the history of human struggle and the acceptance of basic human freedoms. It is easier to measure freedom than happiness!

We insist on all sorts of rights – and yearn for happiness in one form or another. Much of our modern life, with all its complexities and contradictions, directly expresses this universal human quest for happiness.

Yet modern life is also a vast illustration of our human failure to obtain happiness. In a sense, a great deal of the confusion and conflict in the world today arises from millions of personal quests for happiness. A large part of our problem is that we make happiness our goal, whereas it is really the by-product of a life whose focus is elsewhere.

Interestingly, the word “happy” comes from an old word “hap” which meant “luck” or “chance”. “Perhaps” we would be “happy” if all the right things “happen” to us. The Bible talks about “joy” – no matter what the circumstances. And “blessed”, though less used these days, has the sense of being “specially favoured by God”.

Listen to Psalm 1, “ Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither… Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away …"

What is the Psalmist telling us here? that the “wicked”, “sinners”, “mockers” don’t lead an exciting, “fun” kind of life? I doubt if anyone would ever do the wrong thing if they didn’t find some pleasure in it!

We know the old hymn,

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine,

For Thee all the … of sin I resign…

What’s the missing word? Some hymn books have “pleasures of sin” and others “follies of sin”. The hymn was written by William Featherstone soon after his conversion at age 16. What were his original words? I suspect he wrote “pleasures”. There is a real pull, an attraction towards the advice, example and company of those who “have no use for God”, as the Good News puts it! But in the course of that kind of life something inside us shrivels up because we are out of contact with the source of life. The fun and hilarity are hiding a dying core. The Psalmist concludes that “the way of the wicked will perish.”

So much of what we call happiness is dependent on the right environment and circumstances. But the Psalmist speaks of the happy ones – “the righteous” (the ones who are right with God) – as having secret resources to sustain them even in the time of trial. The power is not in the flower. The fruit depends on the root.

The words of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount – what we call the Beatitudes – stand in sharp contrast to the common assumptions – then or now! In the book, Is God at Home? , J.B. Phillips gave the beatitudes as most people think they should be:

• Blessed are the “pushers”: for they get on in the world. [“Pushers”, of course, has an extra meaning today that it didn’t have when the book was written!]

• Blessed are the hard-boiled: for they never let life hurt them.

• Blessed are they who complain: for they get their own way in the end.

• Blessed are the blasé: for they never worry over their sins.

• Blessed are the slave-drivers: for they get results.

• Blessed are the knowledgeable men [persons] of the world: for they know their way around.

• Blessed are the trouble-makers: for they make people take notice of them.

Our view of happiness seems so dependent on our environment and circumstances. We can all think of a few things we would like to see changed – so that we can be happy! Yet the consistent impression we have about Jesus is that he was calm and serene, no matter how unlikely or even hostile the circumstances. He had no fixed address (Luke 9.58). He was calm even in the storm-tossed boat (Mark 4.35-41) and before Pilate (Matthew 27.14). Even after he had been beaten and taken out and nailed to die on a wooden cross, his concern was with others and not himself (John 19.25-27; Luke 23.39-43). What was his secret?

He had come to bring in God’s Kingdom. After his temptation we hear him beginning his preaching with the same call as John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!" (Matthew 4.17). He called the four fishermen to learn a new kind of fishing – catching men alive (4.19)! – gathering people into the Kingdom!

The “happy” sayings of Jesus – the Beatitudes – set out a whole series of Kingdom qualities that will be found in those who have come into the Kingdom, whom the King has welcomed as his subjects (vv. 3,10). These will see and know God who is invisible (v. 8). These are the ones whom God himself will claim as his children (v. 9). True happiness has to do with knowing God, belonging to God’s Kingdom, being part of God’s family… Hardly the popular view, but then Jesus was one for making true statements, whether popular or not. If we really want to make our life work properly, we had better get back to the Maker’s instructions! The fact is that we don’t find happiness by seeking happiness. When we find God, we discover a deep level of happiness as well!

So happiness comes to those who come to God with true humility, acknowledging their spiritual poverty, grieving the discrepancy between their lives and God’s purposes. Their greatest desire is to know and to do what God requires, even though this may well lead to persecution and suffering. They will be known by their care for others – both in mercy and in working for peace.

Later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pin-points the anxiety that robs us of this happiness – we pursue it in things that can only, at best, bring passing satisfaction (6.19-31, 24-32). There Jesus insists that we “ seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (6.33). The wise person will hear the words of Jesus and obey them – that is like the man who built his house on a rock (7.24-27).

By one of those strange twists of language, the word “blessed” seems to have taken on an opposite meaning – “cursed” – in much common usage. Does this, perhaps, represent our human reaction to the divine plan for happiness? Our own plan of autonomous self-fulfilment may prove itself over and over to be unworkable, but we will still stubbornly pursue it – anything but acknowledge our need of God!

Jesus didn’t go around Capernaum with a clip-board surveying the people for the eight most popular concepts of happiness. He was simply telling us the truth – that true happiness comes to those who seek to know God and to do his will – to the ones who acknowledge their spiritual poverty, to those who mourn, to the meek, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, to the merciful, to the pure in heart, to the peacemakers, to those who are persecuted because of righteousness. These qualities may not represent the most popular set of circumstances, but they are the key to happiness.

“Repent”, Jesus said, “the kingdom of heaven is near!" In humble trust, we take our place in that Kingdom – restored at the core, with joy welling up within us and overflowing to those about us.

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we want to be happy – you offer us joy! We want everything to go just right – you promise to be with us always, no matter what happens! We want life to centre on us – yet centred on you, life is deep and rich and forever! Thank you, Lord, Amen.

If Only…

If only angry folk would calm

and all the wars would cease,

perhaps I’d find some happiness,

contented days and peace.

If only selfish words were stopped

and nasty things they do,

perhaps I’d have a better life

to carry me right through.

If only all thought well of me

and let me have my way,

perhaps that would just cheer me up

and all my gloom allay.

But, Lord, you see me through and through –

it isn’t all out there.

It’s not just them – it’s also me

who’s lacking in real care.

I’m asking, Lord, for happiness –

you’re offering me pure joy

that isn’t bound by happenings

or others who annoy.

Recall your Son who came for us,

accepting hate and spite

of those who wanted rid of him –

his cross was their delight.

We cannot call that time of pain

a happy time for him,

and yet, before him there was joy

in bearing human sin.

So, Lord, I see it’s joy I need –

perhaps I can’t control,

for I’m outwitted every day

with happiness my goal.

If only I should know you well,

receiving daily grace

to meet the daily challenges

I’m called upon to face.

Matthew 5.13-16 Salt and Light

Our lives span a period of great changes in Australia. The older we get, the more changes there have been. The developments of technology have been amazing, unbelievable!

I recall the boyish fascination of seeing a Tiger Moth flying over our house in Stanthorpe. The jet aeroplane is now the major mover of people and goods worldwide. I remember standing with a crowd of others on the Queen Street footpath in Brisbane watching the black-and-white television news in a shop window. Colour television is now commonplace. The computer used to be an amazing mystery accessed by engineers and others by means of punch cards. It required a special university course to be able to use it. Now much more powerful computers will fit onto a desk and are found in many homes. They are used extensively in all levels of education and have an important role in almost every workplace.

Did you look up into the sky at night to watch for the first Sputnik? or watch the moment on TV when Neil Armstrong made his “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” on the moon? Space exploration seems to have slowed at present, but it has taken place in our lifetime. There’s not so much talk about it these days, but satellites in stationary orbits are an important key to our modern communication network.

But then there have been changes in human values and moral standards – pernicious changes! We claim to be a more just society, yet unemployment – especially youth unemployment – continues at disastrously high levels. Sex is a casual recreation, with no clear relation to the strong commitment of marriage. Forty percent of marriages end in divorce. Domestic violence is on the increase, so are the numbers of homeless youth. It is well known that homosexual activity is the major means by which AIDS has been spread – but it is “homophobic” to say so. Now they want the right to get “married”! We press for the right to dispose of the unborn and the elderly – through abortion and euthanasia – when they are not convenient to us. In our persuasive talk about the quality of life, we no longer say anything about the value of human life. Little wonder that crimes of violence are on the increase. Our political figures set us an example of deceptive speech so that, throughout society, it is increasingly difficult to know what people mean from what they say.

Something is seriously wrong! But what is it? Some have earnestly believed that education is the key. If only people are given all the facts, they will be unselfish, loving and kind. They will be co-operative and compliant. There will be no more disputes, no more violence, no more wars.

That idea was widely held and promoted at the beginning of the previous century. Within the church, it was being taught through what was called liberal theology. This tended to focus on Jesus as our great example and hero – rather than as Son of God and Saviour. It was actually believed that the golden age was just around the corner. That optimism has been shattered by two World Wars and a series of other major conflicts.

The old ideas of original sin and total depravity were ridiculed – we have come of age, we know better than that! Or do we? What did those old ideas really mean?

“Original sin” was saying that every man, woman and child born into the world – with the sole exception of Jesus – has inherited a tendency towards doing the wrong thing, a bias towards sin. We confirm this original sinfulness by choosing to do the wrong thing and so becoming sinners in practice. The old term “total depravity” comes over very harshly in our modern idiom and, while we might think of people like Adolf Hitler or Idi Amin as being “ totally depraved”, we raise the strong objection that most people in fact do many good things. What the term was originally affirming, however, was that there is no part of our human nature unaffected by the Fall and therefore prone to sin.

And that is the reality of our own lives and of the world we live in. We can easily identify with the Apostle Paul when he writes, “what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing ” (Romans 7.19). We have no difficulty agreeing with his conclusion, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ” (Romans 3.23).

In today’s Bible reading, Jesus calls his followers salt and light for the world. And that is saying something, not just about us, but about what’s wrong as well.

In these days we can be a bit wary about the use of salt as a food additive. Too much is not good for us. As a result, the amount of salt in Vegemite has been progressively reduced. But, before the days of refrigeration, one of the major uses of salt was as a preservative, to arrest decay, to act as an antiseptic. One writer has said, “The disciples, accordingly, are called to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent.”

But it is only possible to be the salt of the earth if we remain “salty”. We have to be prepared to be different, distinctive – truly the Lord’s people. We can’t be salt if we uncritically absorb the flavour of our decaying age!

We are also to be the light of the world. Jesus is, of course, the Light of the world in the absolute sense. Our light is to come from him and we have to allow the influence of the Lord within our lives to shine into the world’s dark places.

Just by itself, of course, we think of light as a revealer. It can reveal what is wrong, what is hidden. It can guide us in the way to go.

But it is not just information about the truth, or education in how to live. The light of Jesus in us and through us has a transforming quality about it. The light is Jesus’ presence and his redeeming grace. The light is the truth that has the power to change us radically, to set us free to be what we were always meant to be. And our light shining out into the world is to make a positive difference. Jesus made it clear that there would be those who would reject our words and our lives and even reject us as people. But we are not to hide our light because of that. Only as the light shines out will there be other people whose lives are changed and who “praise your Father in heaven.”

To be sure that we don’t miss what he is saying, Jesus brings the salt and the light together. The world needs more than an educational programme – it needs light. And it needs salt – cleansing and renewing from within. Human sin is far more serious and sinister than the mess of cyclone or flood damage. Overcoming it cost Jesus his life!

The problems of the world won’t be solved by switching off the light and closing the door, though some people continue to think so – as they did when they nailed him to the cross!

Jesus calls us to be salt and light. We can only be that as we continually expose ourselves to him and allow his Spirit to work on us from within. Spread throughout the community, our lives are to touch and transform those about us because his power and his truth are at work within us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, our world is in a mess and we are too easily swayed by the mess around us – either to imitate it or to be depressed by it. We feel so powerless in the face of it all – it is beyond us. You sent your Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins and his redemptive work is powerfully complete for all who believe. We hear your call to be like salt and light in this messy darkened world. That’s a tough assignment. We can’t do it by ourselves – and you don’t ask us! In the name of Jesus and by his completed redemptive work, grant that our lives – right where we are – will touch and transform those about us. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Here I am, Lord!

Here I am, Lord! Here with you!

You see me, Lord, through and through!

Help me, my Lord, to see you here,

Here with me, here with me!

Lord, make me clean from every sin,

Power of your blood applied within.

Spirit of God filling my soul,

Making me whole, making me whole.

Bind us now, Lord! Bind us to you!

Bind us in love! Free us to do!

Body to be, bound in love,

One in you, one in you!

Here we are, Lord, meeting with you!

Live in us, Lord, your will to do!

Live through us, Lord, reaching the world,

Making it whole, making it whole!

Matthew 5.17-20,43-47 Fulfilling the Law

A high school class said they wanted to do something different in Religious Education – a debate, in fact. They chose teams and the subject – “that absolute freedom was more theoretical than possible” – and the date – two weeks’ time. The time came and there was embarrassment. “We can’t debate the subject. We’ve all talked about it and decided that you have to have rules.”

Rules are important and we don’t like them being changed – unless it happens to be to our advantage!

We know that the physical laws cannot be changed. We depend on them all the time. We were in Childers when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. An old lady who lived not far from us was sure they couldn’t possibly make it – after all, God didn’t mean us to go up there! I tried to prepare her for what was obviously about to happen. The physical laws of God’s universe are just as true up there as they are down here, I tried to explain. They are depending on them being true. If they don’t make it, it will be because of human miscalculation, not God’s will.

Well, they made it! Most of us saw it on black-and-white TV as it happened. But do you remember that there were race riots outside the Cape Canaveral space centre, protesting that huge amounts of money were being spent on the space programme but too little effort on reconciling white and black? At the time I wrote these thoughts:

From Earth to Moon! How wonderful!

Dear God, your laws are true!

And yet, we try to live on earth

As if we don’t need you!

We know the laws of motion,

Of gravity and the like,

And forget the Ten Commandments

And all the laws on life!

We thank you, God, that Jesus came

To bring us back to you

That we may know in everything,

Dear God, your laws are true!

And there is our modern dilemma – we carefully depend on and apply the physical laws, but scrap our relationship with God and treat the moral laws as optional! Little wonder that we are in a mess! We need the laws on life, and we need divine forgiveness and help to bring us back to God and to set our lives on the right track again!

Jesus made it quite clear that he hadn’t come to scrap the Law, but to make it come true – literally, to fulfil or complete it. Sometimes we have assumed that Jesus was changing the rules and making it easier on us. After all, didn’t he say, “You have heard that it was said… but I tell you…”?

Yet when we examine his words, we realise that he was saying that God’s requirements are harder, not easier. It’s not enough, Jesus was saying, to keep the humanly-enforceable part of the Law. God expects our motives and emotions, our attitudes and words to be right, as well as our actions. In fact, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect ” (Matthew 5.48)!

We find all sorts of reasons why perfection is an impossible and foolish standard. I came across this list by American quality consultant Jeff Dewar. He argues for eliminating defects altogether. To make his point, he has come up with some examples for what life would be like if things were done right only 99.9% of the time. The American people would have to accept:

• One hour of unsafe drinking water every month.

• Two unsafe plane landings per day at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

• 16,000 pieces of mail lost by the U.S. Postal Service every hour.

• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions per year.

• 500 incorrect surgical operations each week.

• 50 unborn babies dropped at birth by doctors every day.

• 22,000 cheques deducted from the wrong bank accounts each hour.

• 32,000 missed heartbeats per person per year.

Suddenly, the quest for perfection makes a lot of sense! And perfection has been God’s plan for human life all along. Of course, he knows what we are like – he’s been dealing with the human race for a long time now! And his plan for perfection is very dependent on forgiveness for sinners plus a large dose of divine help. We may fall a long way short of his expectations a good deal of the time, but he’s still working on us!

Jesus gives six examples of how God expects much more of us than avoiding wrong action.

The Law forbade murder. Anger cannot be punished by human courts – unless it leads to violent action – but in God’s sight it is worthy of hell-fire!

When Leonardo da Vinci was painting the Last Supper, he had an intense, bitter argument with a fellow painter. He was so enraged that he decided to paint the face of his enemy into the face of Judas. That way the hated painter would be preserved for ages in the face of the betraying disciple. When Leonardo finished Judas, everyone easily recognised the face of the painter with whom Leonardo quarrelled.

Leonardo continued to work on the painting. But as much as he tried, he couldn’t paint the face of Christ. Something was holding him back.

Leonardo decided his hatred toward his fellow painter was the problem. So he worked through his hatred by repainting Judas’ face, replacing the image of his fellow painter with another face. Only then was he able to paint Jesus’ face and complete the masterpiece.

It is not enough, Jesus says, to avoid adultery. Lustful thoughts make a person guilty of committing adultery in his heart and fit him for hell.

Marriage is a commitment for life. The bond continues unless it is broken by unfaithfulness.

Our speech is to be direct and honest – our “Yes” is to mean “Yes” and our “No” is to mean “No”. The urge to strengthen what we say with sayings like “by God” or “heavens above” comes from the Evil One, not from God.

The old “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” may represent perfectly-balanced justice, but God expects of us mercy and generosity, not revenge. As he had told them earlier, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5.7).

In Leviticus 19.17-18 we read, “ Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord .”

The Old Testament gave the command to love, but nowhere a command to hate one’s enemies. We are to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors “so that we may become the sons and daughters of our Father in heaven.” God’s love reaches out to everyone. We think of the words of Jesus on the cross, “ Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34).

Abraham Lincoln was once asked about his attitude to his enemies. “Why do you try to make friends of them?” an associate asked. “You should try to destroy them.” “Am I not destroying my enemies,” Lincoln replied, “when I make them my friends?”

That approach is costly, not cheap. It is how the Father himself has acted to bring the wayward human race back to himself.

Jesus wasn’t rewriting the rules of the game. He was spelling out what the “laws of life” are all about. But perfection isn’t possible without grace. Jesus explains the Law in a way that makes us realise we are all guilty at one point or another. He doesn’t lower the standard so that sinners can get in! We are forgiven and welcomed by a process that cost Jesus his life. And he has promised to be with us every step of the way! Let’s be sure to step out together with him!

PRAYER: Eternal Father, thank you that you have given us “laws of life”. Forgive us for the many times we have broken them or have tried to soften them to our own liking. Teach us especially what it means to love – even our enemies! Remind us of your Son – he suffered such cruelty, yet prayed, “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” We pray this in his name, Amen.

The Right to Love

I claim

the perfect right

to hate the one

who treats me meanly,

the one

who tramples what I love,

who speaks and acts

unseemly.

And even though

I barely know

the spite

that persecutes –

the wrangling might

that bombs and shoots

and spreads

uncertain fear

on innocents

both far and near –

yes, even though

I barely know,

I hold my spite.

I’ll claim and use

my payback right

on those who cause

my little grief!

Yet on the cross

my hate is nailed

by one who died

for all I’ve failed.

I hear him cry,

“For all they’ve done

forgive them, Father!

They just don’t know

it is for them!”

For me he died –

he took my hate

and gave the right

to love –

to pay back spite

with love!

Come, Love divine,

your Love be mine

forever!

Matthew 6:1-18 Living Before God

Paul wrote that “None of us lives to himself alone, none of us dies to himself alone.” Even the most independent person would find points of their life where they would have to agree with that! But Paul goes on to say, “ If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Romans 14.7-8).

Paul is saying that a Christian believer belongs to the Lord, and that we are to live before God all the time.

That doesn’t mean we ignore public opinion, but we don’t to live by it – our lives are lived before God. God expects us to take care of our civic responsibilities and to live in a genuinely caring way towards other people. God expects marriage to be a loving life-long commitment in which, in fact, we will submit ourselves to one another.

But our basic relationship is with God himself and our basic values are to be his standards of right and wrong. Asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’   All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22.37-40). The prime concern of our life is to be with “ his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6.33).

So our lives are constantly to express our love of God, our trust in God and our obedience to the will of God. How much do our daily lives arise from our love of God, our trust in God, our commitment to the will of God?

For the Jew, there are three particular religious duties – charity (or almsgiving), prayer and fasting. Jesus refers to these three duties as he expounds the general principle that all of our life is to be lived before God.

In Jesus’ time, provision for the needy wasn’t a government responsibility – it was everyone’s duty. In Deuteronomy 15.11, Moses said, “ There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land .” Psalm 41.1 states, “ Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. ” When the sacrificial system ceased, almsgiving seems to have been ranked among the Jews as the first of religious duties.

Jesus doesn’t in any sense say, “Don’t give to the poor.” Rather, “don’t make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do…” (The word “hypocrite” is an interesting one. The Greek word hypocrites usually meant “play-actor”. Here it refers to people whose outward life and actions bear little relation to who they really are.) “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full …” They want people to take notice of them. They want to be thought generous fine people and they have succeeded. But that’s all. What they have done hasn’t built their relation to God.

“ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you .” It is our relation to God that counts. Our life is to be lived before him!

It is the same with prayer. The hypocrites “l ove to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full …”

Not so with you – “ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you .” We don’t pray to impress others – in prayer we are approaching our heavenly Father. It is the genuineness and reality of that approach that matters. That is why we are to come with simple directness, not with a lot of meaningless words. Our heavenly Father doesn’t hear us because of the length and complexity of our prayers, but because we are coming to him. He “ knows what we need before we ask him”. It is our relationship to him that matters – we come as his children. The Lord’s prayer is a model prayer, setting out a range of praying. Jesus didn’t mean it become for us a meaningless repetition, though it informs and guides our praying in private and helpfully sums up our praying together.

Notice how Jesus emphasises the importance of our willingness to forgive (vv. 12,14-15). He makes it a condition of our relationship with God who always sees what is below the surface. Our life with others has to be set right because our life has to be lived before God.

Then there was fasting which gave expression to grief and penitence. It was often directed to seeking the guidance and help of God. The Day of Atonement was an annual general fast (Leviticus 16.29ff ). In New Testament times some strict Pharisees fasted every Monday and Thursday (note Luke 18.12). By their manner of dress – plus some ash rubbed onto their forehead – they proclaimed to the whole world, “I am fasting.”

Jesus assumed that his followers would fast (see Matthew 9.14-15). But when they did so, the intention of what they were doing was in relation to God, not the opinion of other people. God himself would bless them.

C.H. Spurgeon commented, “There is no reward from God to those who seek it from men.” Our life is to be lived before God in the world of people. We are not called to a hermit’s life, withdrawn from the world. What we do for people is important, but we are doing it before God. We are not looking over our shoulder to make sure that everybody is watching.

Our heavenly Father knows. He sees. We will know his presence, his help, his strength, his blessing… as we live our lives before him. That will be our reward!

PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, you know us and see us. You have loved us with an everlasting love. You sent your beloved Son Jesus to be our Saviour, Lord and Friend. Forgive us for all the times when we have wanted to feel secure in the opinions of others, when we have allowed ideas and attitudes foreign to your Word to creep into our lives, when we have failed to act in true love… Dear Father, we want to know you and love you and, because we know and love you, to reach out to others with your love and grace. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

In Quietness I Come

Far from earth’s perverted greed,

I come to fill my deepest need –

not to gain some public fame

but to name the single Name

of One who, humble, came to earth,

who came to bring a second birth,

redeeming, rescuing those who’d strayed

and calling those who thought they’d stayed

but wandered still from Father’s home.

He died in public yet alone,

a world of sinners to atone.

I come, a stricken sinner too,

for there is naught that I can do

but name the Name of him who came,

the one who took my reckless shame

to bring me home to Father’s love,

right now and in the home above

where all is beauty, love and grace.

For all who heed he has a place

where we will meet him face to face.

Though now our eyes of earth can’t see,

yet he delights in us, and he

hears us pray and sees us live

and reaching out in love to give

to needy people in their grief

to bring them practical relief

wrapped up in loving care.

He freely gives his love to share

with us and for us to be aware

of others all around who need

to know his call of grace and heed.

O how he longs to teach

the wideness of his loving reach!

In quietness I come to pray

to know the One who leads the way

in reaching to our deepest need.

Matthew 6.19-34 Why Worry?

A Christian believer belongs to the Lord, and we are to live before God all the time. In a very real sense, it doesn’t matter centrally what any one else has thought of us in this past week – what has been our relationship to God?

Living before God changes the shape of how we live and the pressures we live under. And there is a whole new industry now helping us to cope with stress.

Some years ago, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, stated that statistically 80 to 85 percent of their total case-load were ill – either in reality or artificially – due directly to mental stress.

Typically, what we make the top goals of our life, our top priorities, tend to become our stress points. So, before Jesus talks about the worries that fill our waking hours, he addresses these top priorities. They are the root cause and worry is the symptom.

“ Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also ” (Matthew 6.19-21).

Jesus has already spoken about the “reward” that comes from living our lives before God (vv. 4,6,18). He now draws attention to our push for security – financial and otherwise. In those days, the problem was with literal “moths and rust”. With us, it is with inflation, taxes, the stock market, stability, safety…

It is curious that Jesus says that “ where your treasure is, there your heart will be also .” We assume it ought to be the other way round – that our heart determines where our riches are. But our riches tend to possess us, to absorb our every waking moment.

Remember the rich young man? Jesus saw that he was possessed by his possessions and said to him, “ If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me ” (Matthew 19.21).

Verses 22-23 – “ The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

We all know the importance of our eyes and with passing years we can face the difficult reality of failing eyesight. But Jesus isn’t talking so much about physical sight as about perception, the way we regard things. It is amazing how two people can witness the same event and see it so differently. Their sight is the same. Their perception is different. This can be so for a whole variety of reasons.

And how our vision gets distorted! We find all kinds of reasons for serving both God and money (v. 24)!

A missionary in Africa had been witnessing faithfully to a local. Following their conversation one day, the unconverted man placed a small statue and a silver coin on the table before him. Then he took two slips of paper and wrote something on each. Putting one beside the image and the other with the money, he turned to the Christian worker and said, “Please read this.” On the note by the idol were written the words, “Heathen god.” The sheet next to the coin bore the inscription, “Christian god.” From what that man had observed in the lives of the merchants from so-called “Christian” nations, he concluded that money was the object of their devotion!

No! Our true riches are not on earth, but in heaven. Our life and all that we have has to be seen in the light of our relationship to God and our service of him.

Jesus now proceeds to talk about worry in a way that gathers us all in. No mention of the worries of the first-century millionaires! Just the “bottom-line” things like food and clothing!

Worry gets at us in many ways. It tests out our priorities. It can dominate our thinking and paralyse our constructive action.

A patient in the mental hospital, holding his ear close to the wall, was listening intently. The attendant finally approached.

“Sh!” whispered the patient, beckoning him over.

The attendant pressed his ear to the wall for a long time. “I can’t hear a thing,” he finally said.

“No,” replied the patient, “it’s been like that all day!”

So, to our most basic needs, Jesus puts the question, “Why worry?” and goes on to give some solid reasons for not worrying.

• Life is worth more than food and clothing . Worrying won’t enhance life – it will destroy it!

• Your heavenly Father will care for you. Jesus was not advocating stupid irresponsibility, but positive trust in the loving provision of God.

• Your heavenly Father knows all your needs. Part of our worrying is that nobody knows about us, or if they do, they don’t care, or if they care, they can’t do anything about our needs anyway. Not so! says Jesus. Your heavenly Father knows.

Said the Robin to the Sparrow,

“I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and hurry so.”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin,

“Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no Heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me.”

We can’t afford to live with worry, and we don’t need to when we have a Heavenly Father who cares for us! But what are our top priorities? It does come back to that again!

Jesus urges us, “ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (v. 33).

Learning to love, to trust and to obey God needs to be the central passion of our lives – and our other needs will be adequately fulfilled. And all who live in this way can testify that God does love us and can be trusted with all our needs!

PRAYER: Too often, dear Lord, we live in fear lest all that we consider dear slip away from us. Too often, dear Lord, a sense of panic overwhelms us as we reflect on the news of human conflicts and natural disasters. Too often, dear Lord, we become consumed by worry about the uncertainties of our own future. You tell us not to worry, but to put you first – your Kingdom and your righteousness. You promise your adequate provision for us in this life and the next. Dear Lord, you know our needs. Grant us to live in confident trust in you day by day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Children of the Most High

Gnawing worry

tears at our being

as we pursue

the fragile

illusory

and false

values

of our age.

We panic

lest we miss

our basic

human needs.

The Son of God –

so rich! –

became poor

so that

through his poverty

we might be rich.

So grant us,

Lord,

a faith,

vigorous

and active,

to trust

the provision

of your grace

and to live

with courage

and vigour,

not as paupers

but as children

of the Most High God!

Matthew 7.1-14 Ask, Seek, Knock

Many years ago I had a vacation job at a sugar mill. I was in the costing section and all the requisition forms had to be checked against the stock cards. As the crushing season came to a close, we had to do a complete stock take.

The man whom I was assisting said more than once, “You know, Peter, there are many people in this world a lot worse than I am.” I don’t remember what prompted that comment. I have no memory of him as a worse sinner than other men – nor worse than I who worked for him. He would have known that my father was a minister. Perhaps he made assumptions about my attitudes to him. In some way it made him feel more secure to believe that there were others “a lot worse than I am.”

Then, working on the stock take, we discovered that two tractor tyres were unaccounted for. Together we headed for the workshop. “You watch while I tear shreds off so-and-so!”

Of course, he had real responsibilities which it was important for him to exercise. But there was something troubling about his attitude to others and his perception of himself.

Jesus said, “ Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7.1-2).

We have been noting the importance of living our lives before God – it is our Father who sees what we do in private who will reward us. So we don’t have to worry. Instead, we are to be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and what he requires of us and trust our heavenly Father to provide our other needs.

Jesus is reminding us that our life is always open before God. We live before him on the basis of his mercy, for all of us are sinners. When we apply harsh definitive judgement to the character and behaviour of others, we are inviting God to deal with us on the basis, not of his mercy, but of judgement. When teaching us how to pray, he told us to ask, “ Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (6.12). In other words, we are praying, “Lord, forgive me in the manner and to the extent that I actually forgive others their wrongs towards me.”

Jesus isn’t saying that the magistrate, judge, school-teacher, parent, accountant… don’t have responsibilities in calling people to account for their activities. They clearly do, for the good ordering of society. Yet even the discharge of their duties will be affected by their awareness that they live before God, under his mercy and grace. All of us find it much easier to call attention to the “speck” in our brother’s eye than to deal with the “log” in our own.

Jesus calls the critical, judgmental person a “hypocrite”, a play-actor – they haven’t really faced their own relationship with God, their need for divine grace to deal with what is wrong in their own life.

It comes as a surprise, then, that Jesus should warn us against giving what is holy to dogs and throwing pearls in front of pigs (v. 6). One writer notes, “We may not judge, or condemn, anyone, but on the other hand we must have ‘a sense of judgement’ in our contacts with our fellow-men’.” Not all are ready to receive the priceless message of the gospel. It is not appropriate to expect those who have not yet received the grace of God into their lives to begin to respond to spiritual truth.

Jesus has already taught us that our heavenly Father knows that need basics like food and clothing. He has assured us that our basic needs will be fulfilled as we commit ourselves above everything else to Gods Kingdom and his righteousness (6.32-33).

This doesn’t mean, however, that we are never to bring our needs to the Father in prayer. ““ Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened ” (7.7-8).

Not only is our life to be on the basis of God’s Kingdom priorities – we are to live in conscious dependence on him. We are not on some lone mission in the world – we are to be in constant contact and relationship with the Father.

“Ask… seek… knock…” suggests the degrees of persistence we may need to exercise in our requests to God. Sometimes we only have to “ask” and we receive.

Sometimes we need to “seek”. There may be good reasons why our loving Father doesn’t immediately give what we request. James wrote that “ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures ” (James 4.3) As we continue to bring our request in prayer, our motives are refined and the content of our request is brought more in line with the Father’s good will for us.

But at other times we have to “knock” – not only persisting in our request, but actively and urgently pursuing the goal. Our praying isn’t passive – as if we pray and do nothing while God acts. As we “knock” in prayer, we do well to expect that our heavenly Father will propel us into action.

God’s desire for us is good, even when the answer to our prayer seems to be delayed. He will give us what is good. Specifically, as we read the saying in Luke, “ how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him !" (Luke 11.13) – for we need, not simply physical blessings, but spiritual resources.

Verse 12 is what we call the “Golden Rule” – “ So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets .” The Jewish form of this was phrased negatively, “whatever you would not wish done to you, do not yourself to another.”

We are called to do more than refraining from the criticism and judgement of others – we are actively to seek their well-being.

The call of Jesus to live before God – under his forgiveness and accepting the priorities of his Kingdom – is a call to life. Sometimes in human history the majority in the community have seemed to approve a Christian life-style. At other times we have had to swim against the current. But we are following Christ, not public opinion.

“ Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (vv. 13-14).

Someone observed, “The majority crucified Jesus Christ; the majority burned the Christians at the stake; the majority established slavery; the majority jeered when Columbus said the world was round; the majority threw him into a dungeon for having discovered a new world; the majority cut off the ears of John Pym because he dared advocate the liberty of the press.”

Jesus calls us to life – through repentance of our sins, through faith in his redeeming work, through a life of active trust and obedience. Let’s hear and heed his call.

PRAYER: Father God, you love us with an everlasting love and include us in your family. You know our needs before we come to you in prayer. Yet you want us to grow in our relationship with you and in your knowledge of your love. You want us to come and ask of you so that we can receive from you. And there are times when you want us to seek our requests – this may even be because our requests need to be fine-tuned. Sometimes we have to knock – actively and urgently pursuing the goal of our prayer. Father, thank you for your love that abounds to us, no matter what. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ask! Seek! Knock!

Our heavenly Father loves us,

and knows our every whim,

and understands the very best

for all who trust in him.

We wish that he’d just give it –

we’ve got so much to do,

we’re running round in circles

and always on the go.

And shouldn’t all our praying

reach out to others’ needs?

And then our outward focus

go out in caring deeds?

It’s all a bit embarrassing

to ask for daily bread

when basic lacks afflict the poor

who never get ahead.

Our Father calls us to him

to understand his love,

his promise to be with us even

when the going’s rough.

And when we ask him and receive,

it’s ours so we can share

the measure of his generous love

with peoples everywhere.

Sometimes he says to seek and knock,

persistent in our plea

to purify our asking till

his will and ours agree.

So come, the door is open wide –

the Lord himself is here

to hear our prayer, to share our life,

to take away our fear,

to heed us in our time of need,

to give us love and care,

to know with greater singleness

the one who calls to prayer.

Matthew 7.15-27 Saying “Lord, Lord”

At a number of points, Jesus warned his followers not to expect popularity. In the Beatitudes, he told us, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you " (Matthew 5.11-12).

On another occasion he said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets” (Luke 6.26).

As we have noted before, we are to live before God, knowing and expressing his grace and the life of the Kingdom with integrity – no matter what public opinion may say.

It was the lead-up to Passover. Knowing that his teaching, his life and actions had angered the Jewish leaders and that they were already plotting to get rid of him, Jesus “ resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9.51).

The disciples were concerned that Jesus was heading into danger, even though they knew that many had been impressed by his teaching and many helped by his ministry. But how might people react if public opinion was seen to change?

Again and again, Jesus had said, “Don’t tell anyone you have been healed. Don’t reveal me as the Messiah” (as, for example, in Matthew 8.4; 16.20; 17.9). But now his time had come. Now he chose deliberately to fulfil Zechariah's prophetic words by riding an unbroken colt into Jerusalem (Zechariah 9.9) – coming in humility and peace, not in war.

The crowds were excited. The disciples’ hopes rose. It looked as if Jesus might just ride the tide of popularity into Jerusalem. Palm branches and cloaks were laid on the road ahead of him.

Traditionally, Psalm 118 was sung by the people of Jerusalem to greet the pilgrims as they arrived for the Passover feast. But now it took on a new meaning and was sung with extra fervour – “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O LORD, save us (Hebrew hoshianna , Hosanna!); O LORD, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar …” (vv. 22-27).

No, Jesus would not stop them, as the Jewish leaders requested. The time had come for the truth about him to be revealed and declared. And declared it must be, even though this “ Hosanna!” will all too soon be followed by “Crucify!”, even though this moment of popularity will be followed by rejection and death.

Jesus had called them to follow him. Which way was he leading them? Where was he leading them?

In the last part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned them to be careful which leader they were following.

He has already warned them that the gate and path to life are narrow and hard – don’t expect it to be the popular way (Matthew 7.13-14)!

Then he says, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves ” (v. 15).

Do you want to follow someone who is pleasant, appealing, popular… or true? Jesus offers the only way to life, warning that it is tough, that it is like the crucifixion of yourself (16.24). Beware of teachers who make for us an easy Christianity with no sin and no Saviour, who weaken the rules God has given us and empty the blood of Christ of its cleansing power. Beware of organisations which claim to be Bible-based, but permit no mention of the name of Jesus. Beware of teachers who try to equate Christianity with Hinduism, Buddhism or some other religion.

Beware! “By their fruit you will recognize them ” (7.16,20).

True living springs from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It begins with the grace of God in forgiveness and continues as the Holy Spirit pours transforming grace within us. The Christian life is not cosmetic, making the outside more beautiful, while leaving the ugly inside intact. The Christian life works from the inside out.

But Jesus turns from the false prophets to the need of all of us to live in a way that reflects our professions of faith and loyalty to him. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! (vv 21-23).

It is so easy to be part of a crowd shouting “Hosanna! Hosanna!” – or saying “Lord, Lord!” Some Christians like a more folksy kind of music and clap, raise their hands and call out loud to the Lord. Other Christians prefer a music- and worship-style that is rather more traditional and restrained. The real question to us all is whether, in fact, we “do the will of our Father in heaven”. Remember the words of Jesus, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness …” (6.33).

I have often wondered how many of the Palm Sunday crowd later joined in calling, “ Crucify him!” Many people were in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. There is no necessity for assuming that the same people were involved. And yet… I wonder! On the day of Pentecost, Peter could refer to “this Jesus, whom you crucified” (Acts 2.36). They would all have to face the reality of their rejection of Jesus, but forgiveness was being offered to all who would repent and believe. And that is the only basis that any of us can face the judgment.

So – be careful to whom you are listening; the test is not “Lord, Lord!” but whether you do the Father's will.

These two principles come together in the familiar story of the wise and foolish house builders (Matthew 7.24-27). We remember it well from Sunday School days – “Build on the rock, the rock that ever stands. Build on the rock and not upon the sands. You need not fear the storm nor the earthquake’s shock! You’re safe for evermore if you build on the rock.” We remember it – actions and all!

But in the interests of teaching the parable memorably, we can miss the punch line - “ Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock… But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand…"

Don’t listen to false prophets – listen to the words of Jesus, pay attention to his life, receive his redeeming grace. Don’t just call him “Lord, Lord!” – do what he says, live it out.

PRAYER: Jesus, our Saviour and Friend, we call you our Lord! Too often we have wanted you to run around for us, catching up on all we fail to do. Forgive us our many failures to hear and heed your words. We live in a world of uncertainty and change, of disasters physical and spiritual. Our deep desire is to build our lives on the solid rock of your words and your redemptive work, to have solid hope, no matter what happens in the future. In what time you give us here on earth, we want to live out our faith, putting your words into practice. We pray this in your Name, Amen.

Kept Safe

Too often

I have been

lord

of my life

and wanted

a little god

to run around

for me

to do

those little extra chores

I never seem

to manage.

I have been

disappointed

when he didn’t

come

when I snapped

my fingers.

But now I know

the one

who is truly

Lord of all.

No matter

what happens

I am safe

in his embrace.

I am his

and he is mine

forever.

Matthew 8.1-17 Just as you believed

We live in a fast (and impatient) age – from horses to cars to planes to jets to space travel, from pens to typewriters to computers to the internet, from the postal service to telephone and email, from home cooking to fast-food takeaways… The plea of today is “I want it and I want it now!” Spiralling credit-card debt and uncontrolled sexual obsession are grim symptoms of a fatal malaise in our society.

In the times of Jesus, life proceeded at a steadier pace. Jesus went about by foot. His coming was passed around by word of mouth. He announced and taught about the Kingdom of God. He healed the lepers, the blind, the sick, the demon-possessed… He even raised the dead to life. His healings happened instantly. Today’s passage draws our attention to some of his healings.

A man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

There were a number of diseases grouped under the general heading of “leprosy” – which is why the Good News Bible simply refers to “a dreaded skin disease.” Leviticus 13.45-46 directs that “the person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.”

This leper isn’t asking for “serenity to accept the things I cannot change.” For years this disease has been coming on. Isolated from family and society, he has known only the company of fellow-sufferers.

Rarely, someone has gone into remission and presented himself to the priest for the tests which may show that the disease is no longer active and the sacrifices that will certify to the public that he is “safe” to re-enter society. But in almost every case the disease has advanced, the disfigurements multiplied – carried till death.

So this sufferer is asking for what he knows is impossible for him. He is doing the only thing possible – asking the help of the one who “can make me clean.”

Jesus truly cared about and truly loved this man. His compassion at once moved into action. Jewish training would have said, “Stay away from him! Don’t go anywhere near him! Definitely don’t touch him!” For his part the man was supposed to keep his distance and cover his mouth while he called out the warning, “Unclean! Unclean!” And if perchance one came in closer contact with a leper, the strong instinct was to step back.

But Jesus reached out his hand and touched him – “I am willing. Be clean!”

Jesus had been on the way to Capernaum when he healed the leper. When he entered Capernaum, he was met by a Roman centurion – “Lord, my servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering” (v. 6). Luke records that he sent some Jewish elders with the request (Luke 7.3).

Jesus was ready to go and heal him – where Jewish training and attitude dictated that you never enter the house of a Gentile. But the centurion, having already humbled himself before Jesus as “Lord”, replied, “ Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matthew 8.8,9).

“Just say the word.” You don’t have to come. You don’t have to touch him or lay hands on him. Jesus, I accept that you have the authority just to speak the word and he will be healed!

“I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vv. 10-12).

The Jews saw themselves not just as the chosen people – chosen as the channel through whom the Lord would reveal himself to all the nations – but as the privileged people – the Lord’s blessings would be for them and for them alone. The words of Jesus here would be very troubling – even offensive – to any strict Jews who were listening.

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour (v. 13).

So many times Jesus had to rebuke his followers for their little faith. Only here and in healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter (15.21-28) do we hear him commend someone’s “great faith” – both of them were Gentiles!

Jesus came to Peter’s house where Peter’s mother-in-law was seriously ill with a fever (literally “thrown down in bed”). Jesus touched her and the fever left her. In the evening sick and demon-possessed folk were brought to him and he healed them. All this happened, Matthew tells us, to fulfil the words of Isaiah 53.4, “ He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” In the coming of Jesus we see the physical effects of the Fall beginning to be overcome.

But we have a question – why don’t we see instantaneous healings like that today? There are “faith healers” about today, but too often there is a lack of integrity and a glorification (and financial wealth) of the so-called “healer”.

Perhaps the apostle Paul had that question too. Listen to what he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12 – “ …there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (vv. 7-10).

Some have said, “Surely if Paul prayed for healing, he would have been healed – and instantly.” But it wasn’t so. The Lord always hears and answers our prayers, but not always in our way or timing. We are to live our lives before him, trusting him and day by day exhibiting more of his character – until at last we see him face to face.

PRAYER: Dear Father, day by day we face the reality that these bodies of ours won’t last forever. We thank you for healings along the way – some by your remarkable intervention, some by the medical, surgical and nursing skills which we accept as your gift to us. We know that our greatest need is to know and trust you and to grow in your redeeming grace until you call us home where there will be no more sickness or mortality and where we will see you face to face. Grant us to trust you and love you in this now where we “see through a glass darkly”, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sufficient

Grace of Christ

so freely given

here on earth

foretaste of heaven.

He heard the cry

of human need,

he healed the sick

and raised the dead.

He touched the leper,

healed with a word

the servant of one

who called him Lord.

He gave his life

for sinners’ sin

so all, forgiven,

may enter in,

to break the bonds

that keep us chained,

to give us hope

and life again.

He lives! He lives!

Our Saviour lives!

Sufficient grace

he freely gives!

Sufficient strength

for feebleness

and lively peace

to ease our stress.

Grace of Christ

so freely given

here on earth

foretaste of heaven.

Matthew 8.18-27 Following wherever

Recently I was reading a newspaper article which compared some of the choices about a particular service some businesses were competing to offer the public. The writer of the article said, “This is one case where you really do have to read all that fine print!” Do we always do that? Sometimes it is long and involved – deliberately misleading? – and, yes, in very fine print!

We think of the insurance issues for the victims of flooding – is it flood damage or storm damage? What is in the fine print? and what does it mean anyway? But what about marriage and parenthood? To what extent do folk really grasp the “fine print”? waking up at one o’clock in the morning to a crying child? sitting by the bedside of a sick loved one? Go back to the marriage service and they are all there, but did we really grasp them at the time?

Matthew tell us about two who came to Jesus. One was a teacher of the law who said, “ Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (8.19). Obviously he was impressed by the teaching of Jesus. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we read that “the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (7.28-29). So here is a teacher of the law with the honesty to acknowledge that he needs a new mentor.

Jewish Rabbis would be forever quoting what this or that former Rabbi had said on a subject. Jesus was different. His authority was immediate. We hear him saying, “ You have heard that it was said… But I tell you…” What a Rabbi is this! I must follow him!

Jesus didn’t deny the sincerity of this impulse, but was aware that this man had no idea whatever of the real implications of such following – the “fine print”. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head ” (v. 20). Following Jesus would involve giving up his earthly securities. It would take him right outside of his “comfort zone”. Was he really ready for this?

Then “another disciple” came forward. This adds something about the teacher of the law too. Both these men were “disciples”. They had been listening to Jesus and learning a great deal from his teaching. They weren’t part of the small inner group of twelve. But this second man wasn’t as ready as the first thought he was – “Lord, first let me go and bury my father ” (v. 21). It isn’t that his father had died – or even was sick! Jewish custom was to bury the dead within twenty-four hours. It was much more a matter of waiting until the time when he would come into his inheritance.

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (v. 22). Jesus was by no means calling for disrespect of parents. In chapter 15 we hear him speaking rather strongly about this. What he is emphasising is the prior claim the Kingdom – and therefore following Jesus – has for all of us. No deceptive “fine print” here – following Jesus is all or nothing.

When Jesus said that he had “no place to lay his head,” he wasn’t implying that he had no need of sleep. In his humanity he became tired and hungry, just like us. It was that he had no regular, guaranteed home. When he went to Jerusalem, we know that he was able to stay in Bethany with his friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

The scene moves on to the Sea of Galilee. The day had been taxing, and, before the two would-be disciples had come up to him, Jesus had given orders “to cross to the other side of the lake” (v. 18). He now got into the boat, followed by his disciples (v. 23). He found a comfortable spot and promptly fell asleep.

“Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat” (v. 24). Four of the twelve disciples were experienced fishermen. They had handled their boats on this lake in all sorts of conditions. But this storm terrified even them. It was beyond their skill. Jesus was a carpenter by trade, not a fisherman. Yet he was their Lord and Master. They trusted him. “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” (v. 25).

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm (v. 26).

We think the opposite of faith is unbelief. But faith is much more than belief. It is an attitude of trust, dependence – depending on the truth of God revealed in his Son. The opposite of this trust is fear. At that moment for them it was an all-consuming panic. Fortunately, they had the presence of mind to ask the Lord for help.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (v. 27)

Jesus was their Lord and Master. They knew him – or did they really? What they had just experienced began to change radically their understanding of who this man was. They weren’t there yet, but here is a man who is more than a man.

What was following Jesus getting them into? What’s in the “fine print”? This Jesus would lead them into awkward, dangerous situations – and he would lead them through! “I will follow you wherever you go” – had that been the thought of the twelve when they responded to Jesus’ call? Yet it had been Jesus’ expectation! And implicit in that expectation was a promise. We hear it in the last earthly words of Jesus – “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age” (28.20).

When we “follow wherever”, we can be assured that he is with us “wherever” – and that is reassuring, comforting and strengthening.

What are the “furious storms” that terrify us? The Lord is with us. We don’t need to be afraid.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we would like to follow you wherever you go, but that can be a bit scary – your love and your grace reach out well beyond our comfort zone. Help us to be aware always of your promise to be with us always, and in that knowledge to be reassured, comforted and strengthened. Enable us to live each day by faith and not by fear. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wherever

“ Wherever you go

I want to follow.”

That seems right

and noble

and good,

yet it shows

how little I know

my Lord,

how little I see

the breadth

of his love,

the reach

of his grace.

His promise is

“ Always

I will be with you”.

Always?

Wherever?

Even when I stumble,

when I fall?

Even when I fumble,

when I fail?

Even when I struggle,

when I’m worn?

Or befuddled

and forlorn?

He says,

“ Always!”

That’s his word –

he’s my Saviour

and my Lord!

Matthew 8.28-34 Casting out Demons

VietNam was the scene of a very long armed conflict which began under French colonial rule in December 1946, leading to the partition of VietNam into North and South in 1954. From 1963 the North began a revolutionary war to overthrow the government in the South and reunify the country under a single Communist rule. Foreign troops came to the aid of the ailing government, spearheaded by the USA and assisted by other countries including Australia. Foreign troops were largely withdrawn by 1972 and in January 1973 the war temporarily came to an end with the signing of a peace agreement in Paris. The settlement provided for the total removal of remaining U.S. troops, while Hanoi tacitly agreed to accept the Thieu regime in preparation for new national elections. The agreement soon fell apart, however, and in early 1975 the Communists launched a military offensive. In six weeks, the resistance of the Thieu regime collapsed, and on April 30 the Communists seized power in Saigon – just over thirty-six years ago.

In the war there were some two million Vietnamese killed and another three million wounded. Tens of thousands of foreign soldiers lost their lives as well.

Two major factors led to the continuing emotional trauma faced by quite a number of VietNam veterans. One was the lack of recognition back at home for what they were endeavouring to do – they were not welcomed back as heroes, but returned to a country divided by bitter controversy. The other was the grim reality of fighting an unknown enemy. They had no idea who or where the enemy was and it was inevitable that many innocent civilians would be killed. That is in the nature of guerrilla warfare.

The Bible also speaks of a hidden enemy who carries on guerrilla warfare throughout the world. Headed up by the devil and his army of demons, the war is kept fairly secret, though the visible evidence that it causes is reported in the public media, leading thinking people to ask, “Whatever is going on here?”

Writing to the Ephesian Christians Paul urges us to put on the whole armour of God “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6.11-13). There is a battle on, and we need to understand our adversary who is certainly a trickster, described by Jesus as an inveterate liar. His power is real but limited – it is not a case of an omnipotent God versus an omnipotent devil! The name “devil” describes him as a “slanderer”. The name “Satan” means “adversary”.

His aim in the world at large is to spread effective rebellion against God – sowing seeds of unbelief, promoting a shift in public morality so that what God says is evil seems not so bad, perhaps even good… The devil doesn’t go around with horns and a pointed tail! He just drops the thought into the mind to do its dirty work. There may indeed be times when there seems to be a much more open confrontation. Such is our first meeting of this wily trickster in the Garden of Eden. Mostly the adversary remains hidden, but we see the results in our society.

His aim towards the Church and Christian believers is to spread dissension, disobedience and discouragement. Love for one another is the mark of Christians. Outsiders observed, “See how these Christians love one another!” But the devil would delight to turn that into a cynical sneer! Dissension! So a Christian is a person saved by grace? Let’s find a point of weakness where we can get him back into some old sin! Disobedience! Yes, you are a sinner! Not much chop, really! You can’t live the Christian life! You’re not all you say you are! You can’t do anything worthwhile, or make any difference for good after all! Discouragement!

But the devil is described as a defeated foe! Jesus came to overcome the works of the devil (1 John 3.8). He is attempting a rear-guard action, but his destiny is already sealed – “ the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”, as Jesus calls it (Matthew 25.41).

So, as Christians, we should avoid giving the devil too much “press”. We need to be aware of his evil tricks, but, even more, we need, as James writes, to “submit ourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4.7-8).

On several occasions in the gospels we read of Jesus healing people who are described as being “demon-possessed” – the Greek word literally means “demonised”. In today’s reading it was two men with demons, who seemed to have unusual strength and terrorised the locals. Mark (5.1-20) and Luke (8.26-39) refer with somewhat more detail to only one of these men.

Sometimes it is assumed that demon possession was simply an old-fashioned way of explaining what we might call “mental illness”. But this is not so. The gospel writers – and especially Luke, who was a physician – were always careful to distinguish demon possession from sickness caused by disease or injury. This is evident in Matthew 4.23-24, “News about [Jesus] spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.”

Demon-possession is not a very good advertisement for Satan. In a way it is Satan’s work gone wrong. Far better to have control of a fully functioning individual! In a whole variety of ways individuals may open themselves to the devil’s control. It may be through the mind via the kinds of literature and false ideas absorbed into their thinking and actions. The “possessed” are the damaged ones.

In today’s story we note the demonic recognition of who Jesus is – “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time? ” (v. 29).

Jesus had not revealed himself as the Son of God, but these demons recognised his identity and acknowledged that they were destined for punishment.

“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs” (v. 31).

How that could be is not clear to us. That it happened is clear. One writer comments, “The favour was granted, but it proved to be the demons’ undoing, for the swine stampeded and rushing down the cliff were drowned in the sea.”

That the men were healed there is no doubt, but the locals came and begged Jesus to leave. These men had been such a threat to their security. But the locals feared more the power that had healed them. They were also motivated by the financial cost of this healing.

We are sophisticated people of the scientific and technological era. But we need to be aware of the devil and his evil tricks – not obsessed about him, but aware that he is here.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. .”

Last week we said that faith “is an attitude of trust, dependence – depending on the truth of God revealed in his Son. The opposite of this trust is fear.” We need not live in fear, but put our confident trust in the one who has overcome the works of the devil!

PRAYER: Eternal Lord, we find ourselves living in a world of bewildering change – medical research and discovery to help us, technology to challenge and confuse us, moral breakdown to alarm us, violence to instill fear and uncertainty. In the midst of much that is good, we see a sinister thread of evil and evidence of the Evil One who wants to rule your world. We choose to come near to you, to submit ourselves to your rightful rule, to live under your grace and protection, to have done with fear. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.

Be Still!

It is so easy

to be still

in the early morning

gazing

at the liquid

tranquility

of an unruffled lake.

It is so easy

to be still

on lofty vantage-point

beholding

grandeur

and beauty

unspoiled

by human

intervention.

But life

is growth

and change.

My personal

tranquility

is bound

to get ruffled

by other wills

than mine.

My personal

peace

may well

intervene

in other lives.

Be still

before the Lord!

Wait patiently

for him,

filled

with his stillness!

Matthew 9.1-13 He came to call sinners

Suppose it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II was coming to Ingham, what would we think about that? Why would she come here?

Now, we know Ingham is an important place – after all, we live here! There are fine people and some beautiful attractions… We have also had floods and cyclones – and droughts – perhaps a little royal sympathy would boost morale. Of course, we are still part of the British Commonwealth of Nations. A bit of royal interest wouldn’t go far astray.

On the other hand, if some of our top pollies came for a visit, we might get suspicious. Are they fishing for our support – for votes at the next election? No matter what they say, we wonder – do they really care about us ? It’s all too easy to get cynical.

But if God himself comes to earth, why would he do that? Is he checking up on us? Is Judgment Day getting closer? Does he really care about us ?

In fact, God has come to earth – in the person of his Son, the Lord Jesus. We hear the purpose of his coming announced to Joseph before his birth, “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1.21). We hear Jesus saying that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10.45). And at the end of today’s reading, “ I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9.12). Luke records that, in Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples, he said, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24.46-47).

So the coming of Jesus wasn’t a social visit – he hadn’t “come for a cuppa”! He came because God does love us. As that best-known Bible verse puts it, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3.16). And as Paul put it in Romans 5.8, “ God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This purpose was never forgotten. It was always there in his ministry. We see it in the two different incidents that open Matthew 9.

After healing the two demon-possessed men of the Gadarenes, “Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and come to his own town” (v. 1) – that’s now Capernaum, not Nazareth.

The crowds found Jesus was home and came to listen to his preaching. “Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat” (v. 2). Mark, usually the shortest of the gospel writers, gives some additional detail. The house was packed and it was impossible to get near the door. Four men brought the paralytic. “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on” (Mark 2.3-4).

Jesus “saw their faith” (Matthew 9.2) – certainly the faith of the four, but possibly also the faith of the man himself.

“Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

“This fellow is blaspheming!” (v. 3) We are able to forgive what someone has done to us, but only God can forgive sins in the absolute.

“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins....” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” (v. 6)

Jesus had come to bring forgiveness of sins to sinners.

Jesus went on from the house to where “a man named Matthew” was sitting at the tax collector’s booth (v. 9). “Follow me” – and Matthew got up and followed him.

Matthew’s position put him at odds with the community of his day. Hadn’t he betrayed his nation for material gain? After all, tax collectors were gathering money from Jews to give to the Romans, who were Gentiles. And many tax collectors charged extra and pocketed the profit. That would surely make him an unlikely disciple of one claiming to be Messiah.

Matthew’s response was to have Jesus and his disciples to dinner, together with his old friends – many tax collectors and “sinners” (v. 10). There was a real slur in naming them “sinners”. Good proper people, of course, wouldn’t associate with “that kind”. The attitude assumed moral superiority. Technically, the Day of Atonement every year reminded everybody that they were sinners in need of God’s forgiving grace – no exceptions. Yet in practice some folk were assumed to be unforgiven – perhaps even unforgivable?

So why, the Pharisees were asking, does Jesus associate with such people – even worse, go into their house and eat with them?

The query was to Jesus’ disciples, but Jesus himself answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (vv. 12-13)

Of course, as we noted before, everybody is a sinner in need of God’s forgiving grace – no exceptions. So really everybody is included in the purpose of his coming. The only problem is that some people like the Pharisees were quite sure of themselves as “the righteous” – excluding themselves from the offered forgiveness.

Later we hear Jesus saying, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” (21.31-32). And to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the ruling council, “You must be born again” (John 3.7). Nicodemus did become a believer (see John 7.50-51 and 19.39).

On the cross we hear Jesus’ prayer, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34).

The possibility of forgiveness and a new life is offered to all – no exceptions – now as well as then!

PRAYER: Loving Lord, sometimes we have thought of ourselves as “the righteous”, certainly much better than the “really bad” folk in this world. At other times we have thought of ourselves as totally unworthy of your love and unqualified to be called your friends. And yet you came for us – sinners all! You came to call us from our false superiority to repentance and from our crushing contrition to receive your forgiveness. You came for us. We come to you – to be forgiven, cleansed, renewed. Thank you, Lord! Amen.

Even Me!

Whenever

I exclude

others,

I exclude

myself.

I cannot be

my own

pretty,

righteous person,

looking down

at others.

My comparisons

show me up

as false.

Somehow

we are all

in the same boat,

the same sticky place,

hopeless

sinners all.

Sinners?

Jesus came

for sinners –

big and small!

For those who know

their hopeless place,

and those

who think

they know better,

he came.

There’s hope –

don’t despair!

Repent!

Turn to him –

he’s waiting

to forgive!

He came

for you –

and even me!

Matthew 9:14-17 Fasting and Feasting

Last week’s reading ended with a feast. Matthew – former tax-collector of Capernaum, newest follower of Jesus – had invited Jesus and his disciples to a meal at his house. Many tax collectors and “sinners” came along to join them in the meal.

The nosey Pharisees saw what was happening and asked the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” (Matthew 9.11) For them it was a definite no-no. After all, these were folk who had broken with and offended their own people – and sinned against the laws of God! To go into the house of such a person was unthinkable. To share a meal was definitely “out”.

But now we have disciples of John the Baptist coming. John had called all people to repentance. And when Pharisees and Sadducees had come to where he was baptising, he had confronted them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (3.7-10).

So John wasn’t going along with this idea that only some were sinners in need of repentance, while others were good and in no need of repentance. His call was for all to repent. His warning was that the one following him – the one who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire – would bring harsh judgment on the unrepentant – “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (v. 12).

In chapter 11 we will hear how John, now in prison, sent a delegation of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (v. 3) John had rightly prophesied that “the one to follow” – Jesus – would be the final judge of humankind, but it seems he was expecting the judgment to happen right away – rather than the work of redemption and forgiving grace made available to all.

So, back to 9.14 – “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” Was this a question from John? Not necessarily. But it certainly expressed the difference of “style” between the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus.

The fourth gospel records that two of John the Baptist’s disciples heard John’s testimony to Jesus and came after him to find out more. One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother (John 1.35 and following). We know that Andrew was later called from his fishing nets and became one of the twelve. We are given no clue as to the identity of the other one. But it is not surprising that the disciples of John continued to be interested in the ministry of Jesus. After all, John himself had pointed them to Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1.29,36).

So – fasting or feasting – which should it be?

The Law and the whole sacrificial system tended to overshadow everything with the grim foreboding of sin and its consequences. In the New Testament, the Day of Atonement is the only annual fast to which reference is made (Acts 27.9). In fasting people humbled themselves, expressing their grief and penitence. Often fasting was also directed to finding God’s guidance and help. Some strict Pharisees fasted every Monday and Thursday (Luke 18.12).

Jesus himself fasted during his temptation in the wilderness – perhaps, it has been suggested, because he was in a place where there was no food available. Certainly it was a time with the Father seeking guidance and help. He assumed that his hearers would fast, but taught them that their fasting was to be toward God, not other people (Matthew 6.16-18).

But right now, fasting or feasting? “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

In his reply, Jesus didn’t reject fasting as a spiritual practice, but said that it was inappropriate at this time – “ How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast” (9.15). While Jesus was with them, it was the time of celebration. The time would come when they would fast – in the days when he was in the tomb, but also in a different sense as they (and we) anticipated his return in glory.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse” (v. 16).

John the Baptist was seeking to bring to repentance people long steeped in the requirements of the Law and the traditions of Judaism – the Law which could show people up as sinners but not bring them to where God had always intended them to be.

Jesus, however, hadn’t come to patch up an old system. That would be like sewing new unshrunk cloth on an old garment. The result would be a worse tear. Jesus had begun his ministry with the same call as John – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (4.17). But his coming had been to deal with sin. The culmination of that in his death was still to come, but there was a strong emphasis on the celebration – the feasting.

His coming was heralded with angelic joy (Luke 2.10). There is rejoicing in heaven over each and every sinner who repents (Luke 15). Celebration is a very strong theme. So it was very natural to celebrate with Matthew and his friends. For the Pharisees the issue was eating with tax collectors and “sinners”. For these disciples of John, the question was whether it was appropriate to be feasting rather than fasting.

“Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved ” (Matthew 9.17).

New wine was usually put in goat skins, tied at the legs and neck. They had to use new skins, because the old became stretched and brittle and would burst under the pressure of the fermenting new wine.

What Jesus was teaching and doing was indeed the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy and expectation, but it was the “new thing” that God had been promising (as in Isaiah 43.19). The old ways and traditions would be unable to contain it.

Fasting or feasting? Yes, there is a place for fasting – for grieving over our own sins and failures, also for mourning the parlous state of our nation which tries to run itself without reference to God, and for times of consciously and undistractedly drawing apart in order to draw near to God.

But the strongest focus in the gospels is on feasting – as we enter into the joy of our Lord, as we live in the incredible undeserved grace of God and as others by the same route of repentance and faith come into the Kingdom.

PRAYER: Dear Father, unworthy we come, yet confidently because of the worthy one who gave his all for us. We can scarce imagine the rejoicing in heaven when we first we gave our hearts to you. And, Lord, we confess that there are some we think are hopeless, and yet your angels are waiting to rejoice when they repent and believe the gospel. Help us, Lord, to spend serious times in prayer – to know you better, to grow in you more fully and to show you more clearly. Help us, Lord, to celebrate more, to have done with our pessimistic negativity, to trust your saving purpose and grace and to look forward with expectation to the great celebration beyond this present life. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Festive Table’s Spread!

Come now –

the festive table’s spread,

for Christ is risen

from the dead!

He’s paid the price

for human sin

and calls for all

to enter in.

None need go

the way he went –

he calls for sinners

to repent,

the greatest news

to believe,

forgiving grace

to receive.

Come then!

Now’s not the time to wait –

the time has come

to celebrate!

Mourn no more

your sin and loss –

lay them

at the empty cross,

for Christ is risen

from the dead,

and raised to glory

as he said!

And now the greatest

and the least

are called to join

the heavenly feast!

Come, celebrate!

Now hear his call –

the invitation

is for all!

“Joy to the world –

the Lord has come”!

Matthew 9.18-34 By What Authority…?

Already in Matthew 9 we have seen several instances where the authority and integrity of Jesus has been questioned.

Before he healed the paralysed man, he said to him, “Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven” (v. 2). At that teachers of the law who were present muttered, “This fellow is blaspheming!” – he’s taking on a role that is God’s alone.

When he sat down to eat with Matthew and his “sinner” friends, the issue was, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (v. 11) – what does he think he’s doing?

Then it was the disciples of John the Baptist who puzzled, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (v. 14) – surely in this faithless and perverse generation fasting, not feasting, is more appropriate.

In today’s reading we have a number of healings – a dead girl and a sick woman (vv. 18-26), two blind men and a mute (vv. 27-33). The mute was described as “demon-possessed”. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” (v. 34)

Today’s sceptics would simply say it didn’t happen or, in the case of demon-possession, that it was a mental disturbance that modern psychiatry would diagnose and treat with drugs. But what evidence is there that the healing miracles really did happen? Were they simply the wishful creations of later over-zealous followers of Jesus? Is there any evidence for them outside the “biased” gospel records?

Noted Bible scholar FF Bruce wrote, “If we do proceed to ask what the independent non-Christian evidence for the Gospel miracles is, we shall find that early non-Christian writers who do refer to Jesus at any length do not dispute that he performed miracles. Josephus… calls him a wonder-worker; later Jewish references in the rabbinical writings… attribute his miracles to sorcery, but do not deny them, just as some in the days of his flesh attributed his powers to demon possession… The early apostles referred to his miracles as facts which their audiences were as well-acquainted with as they themselves were; similarly the early apologists refer to them as events beyond dispute by the opponents of Christianity” (The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? ).

A ruler of the synagogue – named Jairus in the more detailed accounts in Mark 5 and Luke 8 – came to Jesus with the request, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live” (Matthew 9. 18).

On the way, a woman who had a haemorrhage for twelve years touched the edge of his cloak – “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed” (v. 21).

But Jesus turned to identify her – so that her faith would be in “him” not in the “hem”. “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you” (v. 22).

When he arrived at the ruler’s house, flute players and mourners were already there making quite a din. He dismissed them – “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep” (v. 24). Jesus was not denying that she was dead, but rather that her condition was temporary – like sleep. He took her by the hand and she got up.

As he continued on his way from there, two blind men followed him – “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (v. 27) Their appeal to him as “Son of David” indicated their belief that he was indeed the Messiah. They were persistent, following Jesus indoors. They had the faith to be healed – “According to your faith will it be done to you” (v. 29). And, literally, “their eyes were opened”.

But Jesus’ main ministry wasn’t to bring physical healing. After all, everyone he healed – including those raised from the dead – still came to the end of their earthly lives and died. Our physical bodies are “mortal” – subject to death. The healing miracles were signs of the presence of the Kingdom and witnessed to the identity of Jesus. This is why Jesus strongly warned them, “See that no one knows about this.” But, of course, they couldn’t keep their mouths shut, with the result that many people followed him for the wrong reasons.

As these two healed men were leaving, “ a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus” (v. 32). Unlike the deaf-mute in Mark 7.31-37, there was no physical basis for this man’s affliction. Most probably there were other indicators pointing to demon-possession. Matthew doesn’t go into detail here. The demon was driven out and the man spoke. The focus moves on to the two very different reactions to this healing.

The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons” (vv. 33-34).

It was plain for all to see – and hear! – that the man was healed. Everyone in the community knew that his affliction had been real and that his healing was now real. By what power and authority had Jesus done this?

All of this was also true for the other healings we have been considering today. The woman who had the haemorrhage would have been regarded as “unclean” and would have been so well-known that her presence in the crowd was an embarrassment. Nobody doubted that the ruler’s daughter had died. Everybody knew she was now alive. The two blind men – the community would have known their stories for many years.

The news of these healings spread throughout the region (vv. 26,31). This was undoubtedly a matter of serious concern to the Jewish authorities. By what power and authority had Jesus done these things? Was he living and working under the power and authority of God or under the direction of “the prince of demons”?

In the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote that Jesus Christ our Lord “through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1.4). We can trust our lives to Jesus for now – and for eternity! None of us need live in fear.

PRAYER: Eternal Lord, wonderful in all your ways, we worship you! We too are amazed at the healings we read about in the gospel record. How we long for some of that healing power today! Your arm is not shortened, and yet your purpose is to fit us for eternity with you. The Saviour came for us. He lived and died for us. He rose again for us. And our lives are safe in your keeping now – and for eternity! Thank you, Lord! We pray this in the strong and trustworthy name of Jesus, Amen.

Jesus Alone

Jesus alone,

from all eternity,

before time began,

one with the Father

and the holy Spirit,

glorious

majestic

Son of God!

A t the right time

he came,

emptied

of heaven’s glory,

born

of human mother,

raised

in Nazareth,

trained

as carpenter.

A t thirty years of age

he left

his bench,

his home,

baptised

by John,

tempted

by the devil,

preached

and taught,

went about

doing good,

comforted

and healed…

He was not alone,

but he alone,

by the power

and authority

of the Father,

did these things.

But men

of jealousy

and ill intent

conspired

against him,

wanted rid

the teaching,

the works of good,

the life

so lived

their evil

was exposed,

until a cross…

A cross –

Jesus alone,

alone

from the Father,

to do

what no other

could do –

to bear

human sin!

But now

raised

to glory!

Jesus alone

the worthy one

to trust

forever!

Matthew 9.35-10.15 Harvest Time

It’s harvest time! The chimneys are pouring forth smoke and steam. Cane harvesters and haul-outs are at work in the fields of cane. Locos are hauling long trains of bins full of chopped-up sugar cane, headed for the mill. Already the sugar trains are heading towards the storage terminal at Lucinda, ready for export. There is a great sense of relief in the air because this year’s harvest has begun.

We were driving home from Townsville a few days’ ago. Crossing the Bambaroo hills, we looked out over fields of white as far as we could see. The arrowing cane is so beautiful in the right angle of the sunlight, but to see so much so early in the season… Will the commercial cane sugar (CCS) be down this year?The industry has faced so much – droughts, poor prices, extended rain that closed down last year’s harvest early, floods, cyclones… And just as world sugar prices have improved, a shorter season because supply is down and the likelihood of lower CCS…

It is all too easy to share the pessimism of the farmers in Partick Hartigan’s poem –

“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,

“Before the year is out.”

We hear Jesus saying to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9.37-38). I have often wondered whether the disciples shared his optimistic outlook?

Jesus had many followers, many of whom would come and go. But his concentrated attention was given to twelve. They are named for us in 10.2-3 – “Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” Quite a mixed bunch! They are named his “disciples” – trainees or apprentices, if you like.

At the end of chapter 9, they are going with Jesus to the various towns and villages and Jesus is teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 36).

In both chapters 8 and 9, we have seen a number of occasions where people came to Jesus on their own or someone else’s behalf seeking healing – the man with leprosy (8.1-4), the centurion on behalf of his servant (vv. 5-13), Peter’s mother-in-law and many others (vv. 14-17), two demon-possessed men (vv. 28-34), the paralytic carried by his friends (9.1-8), the dead girl and the sick woman (vv. 18-26), and the blind and the mute (vv. 27-34).

But Jesus saw the crowds “ harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 36). His compassion was not just concern for their disease and sickness. He was “preaching the good news of the kingdom” (v. 35) – news that their religious leaders were rejecting.

Jesus had come into the world with a mission more basic than going around healing. He had come to deal with the deeper issues that resulted from human rejection of God’s way. But in becoming a human being, Jesus the Son of God had accepted human limitations. His time was limited and he could only be in one place at a time. The need of all these people was so great.

Yes, he describes himself in John 10 as the Good Shepherd who is gathering his flock together and who has other sheep to call who are not yet part of this flock. He is willing to die for his sheep. But his time is limited. He can’t do it all. The gathering of his flock – the harvest – must be committed to others!

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9.37). And in the next verses (over in chapter 10) we hear him calling his disciples together and sending them out.

What an unlikely lot they were! Their number included four fishermen, a tax collector, a member of the Jewish revolutionary Zealots and someone who would later betray him.

Jesus gave them rather specific instructions. They were to “go to the lost sheep of Israel” (v. 6). We know that the mission of Jesus wasn’t restricted to Israel, but that was to be the initial focus. His final great commission (28.18-20) was to “go and make disciples of all nations”. But right now they were only going to those who already knew the promises of God. These were the ones “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”.

The message to these people was “ The kingdom of heaven is near ” (v. 7). Now was the time of fulfilment. Now was the opportunity to respond to God’s action in the world.

The mission was immediate – they were preparing the way for Jesus to come. The call was urgent. Homes and towns that welcomed them would know the peace of God. Those who refused to welcome and listen would be subject to God’s judgment.

Even so, we hear the words of grace from the cross, “ Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34). The offer will be made afresh, “The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (24.46-47).

After Jesus had conversation with the woman of Samaria, he said to his disciples, “ I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4.35). I come back to the question – did the disciples share Jesus’ optimistic outlook? The dark clouds of opposition were already forming. They were heading to Jerusalem – the place that would lead to rejection and scourging and crucifixion…

And how do we see the situation today? Do we have the vision of our Lord to say, “The harvest is plentiful”? We may see that human need is massive, but do we have a vision of a large harvest to gather in?

What is 750,000 miles long, reaches around the earth 30 times, and grows 20 miles longer each day? Answer: The line of people who are without Christ. The population of the world increases by 77 million a year. This means 146 a minute, 8,790 an hour, and 210,959 a day.

We look at people and think of Christianity as one option among many. We are an open tolerant society and true faith is a voluntary matter. Yet Jesus made absolute claims such as, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14.6). Is it intolerant to believe that all people need Christ?

But does the church of today see a harvest that can and must be gathered in? Do we believe that God is the Lord of the harvest, that it is his harvest? Are we willing to pray to the Lord of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather it in? In what ways does the Lord’s harvest want to involve us?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we wish things were so much better in the world than they are at the moment. There is so much unbelief and violence and evil… We don’t see much hope at all! And yet you say the harvest is plentiful!You haven’t given up on people, and you haven’t given up on us! Lord, send out labourers into the harvest – people who love you and who care about others. Help us to pray for them and to give what support we are able – to see your harvest brought in. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Until I know

The folks about me

need to know him –

seek for peace

and cannot find it,

long for joy

but it eludes them,

think of love…

it comes and goes

but doesn’t stay

to give them strength

and consolation.

I’ve found in him

my love,

my joy,

my peace.

Then why do I

who know deny

my greatest prize,

their greatest need?

Until I know

that I am weak,

I will not know

that he is strong.

Forgive me, Lord!

Teach me

to rely on you,

on you alone,

to depend

on your strength

and grace.

Matthew 10.16-31 Sheep among Wolves

When Jesus sent out his twelve, the task demanded commitment! Not all would welcome their message, but, when it was rejected, they were to shake the dust from their feet.

But now Jesus goes on to speak of a level of opposition that even this brief “work‑experience” would bring. Jesus himself had not yet experienced the final rejection of crucifixion. In this “taste for the work” they did not experience more than their Master and Lord had done. Only when the Christian work began on the day of Pentecost – after crucifixion and resurrection – would they begin to experience the measure of opposition referred to here.

The task is to preach that the Kingdom of God has come, to call people to repent of their sins, and believe the Good News about Jesus. That is the message people are just waiting for, the message they will embrace. Once they know about it, the message that will excite them, that will lead them into a radically different life‑style… Right? Not really!

From the vantage‑point of 2010, we know that many millions now claim themselves to be Christians and that, world-wide, people are currently becoming Christians at a greater rate than in any other period of Church history. That is an encouraging figure, but what about Australians? We find ourselves openly ridiculed in the media. Do we, as Christian people, vigorously and uncompromisingly live out the message of the Kingdom, risking, if need be, the unpopularity and opposition to which Jesus refers?

“ I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (v. 16).

We are not to be surprised by opposition or hostility. As Jesus says later in the passage, “ A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub,  how much more the members of his household” (vv. 24‑25). And it is not just that Jesus was currently being accused of casting out demons by the prince of demons – in time he would be accused and crucified as a false Messiah. Should his followers expect better treatment?

“I am sending you out just like sheep among wolves,” Jesus tells them. They will be hated and persecuted. They will be taken to court, whipped, handed over to die… It is comforting that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved ” (v. 22b). There are some areas of the world where part of the job description of people who take on Scripture distribution is “must be willing to die.”

Their task is gentle. It is reaching out with the caring redeeming love of God. True, people are being called to repentance, but that is so that they can know God’s love and forgiveness, so that they can know the joys of the Kingdom of God. True, the results may often be, not peace, but a sword (vv. 34‑36). The message is about peace and the messengers aren’t sword‑bearers. But the message is so important and its challenge is so radical that those who reject it will do so vigorously and often with violence. We may well ask ourselves whether we really want to make the message as clear as that!

Their task is gentle, but they are to have all their wits about them! Their minds have to be engaged, their eyes and ears open to what is going on about them.

Jesus says to them specifically, “Be on your guard!” Be aware. Don’t be surprised. So the media caricatures and ridicules Christianity? In a world that does not accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, that is to be expected. But the message itself is the only true good news. It is relevant to human need. And we are not in the business of changing it so that we can give something more palatable or acceptable! But our lives have to truly reflect the good news. If there is a stumbling‑block, it must be the good news itself and not the stupidity of Christians!

Then Jesus says, “Do not be afraid!” No matter what happens to you, God knows and cares for you – “ even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (v. 30). In fact, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven ” (vv. 32‑33).

The love of Jesus is to be above every other love, even above our own life. He called (and calls) to costly discipleship. “A nyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (v. 38).

We want to make the cross beautiful and comfortable, not the instrument of cruelty and crucifixion that it was – with its implication for us of total self-commitment to the one who committed himself totally for our sake.

Jesus put it so plainly – so bluntly – “ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (v. 39).

The question is whether we spend all our time and energy trying to protect and preserve ourselves, or whether we give ourselves wholeheartedly to our Saviour and Lord, knowing that in him alone we have life eternal.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, in you alone we find the source of true life – bought at such cost! In you alone is there true life available and freely offered to everyone in the world. Yet your free gift calls everybody to repentance and faith. You gave your all for us. In response to your grace we give our all to you. Keep us alert but unafraid in this broken and changing world. Speed your servants with the message of your offered life while yet there is time. We pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Forever Life

My life

is driven

too much

by things

I think

I need.

Afraid

to lose,

I hold on

tight

and even fight

my right –

for these are me –

or so I think –

my identity

tied

to what will pass

away!

His life

was given.

Laid down,

stretched out,

nailed

and lifted up,

he lost his all?

No indeed!

He gave his all!

Brutalised

and dying

a sinner’s death,

the sinless one

for sinners given.

Raised to life,

he offers

the life

we never knew –

the forever life

that knows no end –

while holding tight

the paltry things

that pass away.

Matthew 11.1-19 Jesus and John

John the Baptist was in prison. He had heard that Jesus was now teaching and preaching in the towns of Galilee.

John had never regarded his ministry of calling people to repentance and baptism as an end in itself. He was preparing the way for someone greater – I’m not even fit to carry his sandals, he had said (Matthew 3.11). He saw his role in fulfilment of Isaiah 40.3 – the voice calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.

Now John was in prison. Matthew refers to this in 4.12 – at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. So, no longer able to preach, John was asking himself, has my ministry failed, or is it complete? “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (11.3)

Why the question? we ask. The answer seems to obvious to us.

We need to hear the teaching of John. He called people to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (3.2) – the same words with which Jesus began his preaching (4.17).

But John seemed to assume that divine judgment – “the coming wrath” – would be soon. “ The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (v. 10). The one who is coming “ will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (v. 11a) – words picked up by Jesus (Acts 1.5) and fulfilled in the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (2.1-4). John himself seemed to understand the words in terms of the winnowing of divine judgment in which the holy wind of God would separate the wheat from the chaff and the holy fire of God would destroy the chaff (Matthew 3.12).

Jesus spoke of judgment too. His second coming will be in glory and judgment (25.31 and following). But his first coming was in humility and gentleness and wooing love. His call to repentance wasn’t a call to avoid the coming wrath, but to receive the offered redemption.

So Jesus sent back a reply to John, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (11.4-6).

Isaiah had written, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy” (Isaiah 35.5,6a), “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour…” (61.1-2a). The last words were read by Jesus in his home town Nazareth (Luke 4.18-19), stopping, as I have done here, before Isaiah’s words, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” His first coming was “the year of the Lord’s favour” – the “day of vengeance” will come later.

Jesus is saying to John, Your ministry is fulfilled. The words spoken long ago by other prophets is fulfilled. John, this is the day of favour, the day of grace. This isn’t the time of judgment. Don’t “fall away on account of me.”

John’s disciples have gone as Jesus begins to speak to the crowd, “What did you go out into the desert to see?” (v. 7) Just who is this John the Baptist? Was he just “a reed swayed by the wind”? Did he have no more significance than that? “A man dressed in fine clothes?” (v. 8) Camel’s hair (3.4) certainly wasn’t a fashion statement! And John wasn’t some smooth golden-tongued orator.

“A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet” (v. 9). In Malachi 3.1 we read, “ See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.”

Other prophets had announced what the Lord would do. John was the herald announcing that the days of fulfilment had now come. “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11.11).

Humanly speaking, John holds the place of highest honour as the person immediately preparing for the arrival of the Messiah. Yet to be “born again” spiritually brings a person directly into the family of God.

Earlier, while John was still baptising people, before his imprisonment, before questions broke into his solitude about whether Jesus really was the Messiah, John’s disciples brought him a report abut the popularity of Jesus. He said to them, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3.29-30).

John had prepared the way. Jesus the Son of God has come. We welcome him, trust him, follow him. In our lives too Jesus must become greater and we must become less.

PRAYER: Jesus, Son of God, you have come for us and we come to you. Forgive us for all the times when we sideline you and in so many ways endeavour to circle all of life around ourselves. Our heartfelt desire is that you be greater in our lives – the greatest, in fact – and that we become less. For in you our lives aren’t diminished or empty, but rich with all the blessings of your grace. Grant us, not just to pray, but to live, in your name, Amen.

In the Name

Because he came

I too can come –

the way

to the Father

is open to me

in the Name

of Jesus.

Whenever I pray

in the Name of Jesus,

I own no right –

nothing in me –

to deserve

to come.

I do not presume

to come

apart from his Name

who came

and gave his all

for undeserving

sinners

just like me.

But in his Name

the Father

welcomes me –

accepted,

amazingly

part of his Kingdom,

his Family.

In the Name –

and only

in the Name –

I am alive

for now

and forever.

Matthew 11.20-30 Rest under the Yoke of Christ

Thirty-seven years ago we went to Stanthorpe. We were there when the Uniting Church came into being. The climate is much colder than North Queensland, but it is a beautiful place, noted for its granite rock formations, its wildflowers and bird and animal life.

The farmers and their families grow apples, peaches, pears, grapes and other fruit for our tables, working very hard long hours. They face, not only the hardships of drought and uncertain prices – they don’t get anywhere near what you pay at the shop – but the danger of a late frost destroying the crop or a hail storm making it unmarketable.

A former Prime Minister used to remind us that “life wasn’t meant to be easy”. But something in us believes it ought to be easy and we work hard trying to make it that way.

In Stanthorpe someone set up a home for severely intellectually-handicapped children. They were children of doctors, lawyers… who could pay well. The owner didn’t want government subsidy. He ran it on his own principle that these children should receive no visits, no stimulation. “After all,” he said, “life is enough of a burden for us without imposing it on them.”

By contrast, at the same time a Stanthorpe family with a severely spastic daughter put out a public appeal for volunteers to help with an exercise programme – they wanted the maximum possible for their daughter.

But we come back to a question – is life a burden for us? Certainly, we all have burdens of one sort or another. Some of us may have disabilities we have carried since childhood. We may have hurts from broken relationships or sorrow from the loss of loved ones. Then there is disappointment at the failure of ourselves – and others – to achieve what we expected. We may be carrying the guilt of an unconfessed sin – or a sense of guilt, even though we have been forgiven. Or it may be the uncertainty stirred by the news of the increase in terrorism yet the unresolved war against it, shock at the behaviour of some of our heroes, a real sense of “whatever is the world coming to?”

Jesus offered to the burdened and weary of his day – and he offers to us – the gift of “ rest” and the discovery of “rest” in daily experience. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11.28-30).

Weary from hard toil, burdened by heavy loads – “Come to me…” he says, “and I will give you rest”.

From v. 20 we hear Jesus denouncing Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum – all places in Galilee where much of his teaching and many of his miracles had been performed. They had heard and seen so much, had been given every opportunity, but had failed to repent. Jesus was a very different person from John the Baptist, but his ministry began with the same call, “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (4.17).

The message is really quite a simple one. You don’t have to be wise or learned to understand it. Come to Jesus! He is inviting you! Whatever your burden, whatever your struggle, whatever your pain… come! Repentance is a change of mind leading to a change of direction. Turn from sin, from self-reliance, from self-pity and failure, from pride and self-confidence… and turn to Jesus – come to him. He is offering to lift the load – to forgive the sin, to heal the hurt…

An old gospel song put it this way –

Days are filled with sorrow and care,

hearts are lonely and drear…

Cast your care on Jesus today,

leave your worry and fear…

Troubled soul, the Saviour can see

every heartache and fear;

Burdens are lifted at Calvary,

Jesus is very near.

That is all about the finished unrepeatable work of Christ. We don’t deserve and can’t earn the “rest” he offers to us. We simply “come” and he gives it to us. And “burdens are lifted…”

But Jesus goes on to say, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

We recall that in Acts 15 the early Christian leaders were discussing what expectations should be laid on Gentile believers. Peter said, “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are” (Acts 15.10-11).

Is Jesus laying another burden on his followers? Not at all! A yoke is a means of carrying a load. The engine under the bonnet of a car isn’t a burden – unless you are trying to push the car! We don’t look at the flying bird carrying a pair of wings – the wings are carrying the bird! When we come to Jesus and lay down our load at the foot of the cross, we aren’t opting out of life. Jesus calls us forward. We are, as Paul put it in Ephesians 2, “ God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2.10).

Coming to Jesus and receiving “rest” as his free gift to us is the only beginning for each one of us, but there is a second stage and a “rest” that we can only discover when we take the yoke of Christ, submitting our lives to him.

Ray Stedman observed, “Many of us… are grateful to the Lord Jesus for having forgiven our sins and set us on the road, but we are hopeful that he will leave us alone from here on. We are quite content with the joy that we found then, and are ready to go on and live our life pretty much as we did before, only with the wonderful assurance that our destiny is settled” (Christians Unabridged , December 6, 1964). Such an attitude makes us, in Ray Stedman’s words, an abridged Christian. He suggests that “There are pocket-editions of Christians in which the print is so fine nobody can read it!”

Jesus says, “Come to me… and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you… and you will find rest”. He says in the words penned by Deirdre Browne –

Come as you are –

that’s how I want you.

Come as you are,

feel quite at home,

close to my heart,

loved and forgiven.

Come as you are –

why stand alone?

When we have come, he has work for us to do. We are part of his continuing mission in the world. We are his Body. He wants to do his work through us. As Charles Wesley put it –

He justly claims us for his own,

who bought us with a price;

the Christian lives to Christ alone,

to Christ alone he dies.

And while our hearts are bowed to thee

thine easy yoke we prove,

and own it perfect liberty

to serve the God we love.

His grace is fully available to us. And he calls us to be fully available to him.

PRAYER: Loving Father, you know the burdens we carry. Whether they be guilt or fear, anger or disappointment, grief or failure, anxiety or frustration… we bring them to you. We need not carry what our Saviour carried to the cross. We accept your yoke of grace to live out with courage and joy the life you have given us. Thank you for the ever-present help of your all-sufficient grace. Our trust is in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be of Good Cheer

When I am pressed

on every side,

depressed,

discouraged,

inadequate,

frustrated,

not knowing

which way

to turn

or how to move,

be of good cheer –

the Lord is here!

When daily life

brings daily news

of daily strife,

a world

uncertain,

changing,

violent,

at a loose end

losing it,

be of good cheer –

the Lord is here!

When life is brown,

I won’t

look down!

Lift up my eyes!

Be of good cheer –

the Lord is here!

Matthew 12.1-21 Lord of the Sabbath

We live in a world with increasing levels of stress. For some there is a shorter working week with better wages and conditions than ever before. Yet life as a whole has become intolerably stressful. There is a drivenness about life, a sense of guilt about ever being idle. Yet in the fourth commandment, the Creator himself gave us permission to “take a break”.

“ Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20.8-11).

“Sabbath” is a Hebrew word meaning “rest”. The Bible doesn’t subscribe to the modern idea that work is evil, though it does teach that work has become more arduous and tedious since humanity chose to disobey the will of God. But we need refreshment of body and spirit.

Of course God’s “rest” is not inactivity, but marks the completion of his special acts of creation. So Jesus said (in answer to criticism of healing on the Sabbath), “ My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5.17).

Jesus, of course, who lived for the daily fulfilment of his Father’s will, maintained a constant practice of public worship on the Sabbath-day (Luke 4.16). His example was quite unmistakable. For him, that meant rest from work, but without the rigid and ridiculous extremes of Pharisees.

Jesus and his disciples had gone for a walk through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them (Matthew 12.1).

The Pharisees were watching to pounce – “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath” (v. 2).

There was nothing unacceptable to the public in what the disciples were doing – just chewing a few grains as they walked along. After all, the law said, “If you enter your neighbour’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to his standing grain” (Deuteronomy 23.25). But to the Pharisees this was work – harvesting on the Sabbath day!

They had missed the point of a rule lovingly given by the Creator. God desires “mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6.6). Jesus quoted back the case of David and his companions eating the consecrated bread – reserved only for the priests according to the law – and of the priests who work on the Sabbath yet are considered blameless. “ The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2. 27) We aren’t “Sabbath robots” – the Sabbath was given for our well-being!

With all their hair-splitting and technicalities, they failed to understand the compassion for people’s basic needs that was spelled out in the law. But significantly, “ one greater than the temple is here” – and, we might add, greater than the law itself – “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12.6,8).

That claim would have infuriated them. After all, God gave these rules. Who does Jesus think he is when he claims to be “Lord of the Sabbath”? They were ready to accuse him. There was a man with a shrivelled hand in the synagogue – “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (v. 10) Their rules permitted necessary work (Luke 13.15) and even the extra work of rescuing a farm animal (Matthew 12.11). But Jesus went further – it is in keeping with the purpose of this day “to do good” (v. 12).

“Stretch out your hand” – and the man was healed. At this point the Pharisees went out and began to plot how they might kill Jesus. This claim and this kind of action must be stopped – the sooner the better!

Jesus knew what they were about. He also knew that his time had not come. He withdrew from that place and continued to heal the sick, “warning them not to tell who he was” (v. 16). Matthew notes that this fulfils Isaiah 42.1-4 – a passage about the Lord’s servant, the Messiah, not engaging in quarrelling, but full of compassion.

God says, “Take a break” – for the good of your physical and spiritual health. Often it is forced on us as we get older. Maybe we wish for more things to fill our days. Perhaps we wish we had been able to take a regular break much earlier in life!

But above all, let us remember this – that Jesus is to be our Lord, not just one day a week, but every day. His caring, compassionate love reaches out to us every day and reaches out through us to others whom we meet.

PRAYER: Loving Lord, too often in the rush of busyness we have failed to pause – to take a break and be refreshed and renewed, drawing on your boundless love and grace. Amid the pressures of negative and confusing changes taking place in our world, we have failed to take time to steady our minds because you alone are Lord. Forgive us for the times when we have thought of you mostly as the rule-maker and have failed to grasp your compassionate love that reaches out to us and to others day by day. Renew and equip us for each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be Still!

It is so easy

to be still

in the early morning

gazing

at the liquid

tranquility

of an unruffled lake.

It is so easy

to be still

on lofty vantage-point

beholding

grandeur

and beauty

unspoiled

by human

intervention.

But life

is growth

and change.

My personal

tranquility

is bound

to get ruffled

by other wills

than mine.

My personal

peace

may well

intervene

in other lives.

Be still

before the Lord!

Wait patiently

for him,

filled

with his stillness!

Matthew 12.22-48 Doing the Will of the Father

Last week we saw how Jesus defended his disciples’ action in plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, ever watching to pounce, were deeply offended by Jesus’ claim to be “Lord of the Sabbath”. The Sabbath law was God’s law, not theirs. Who did Jesus think he was – equal to God?

Then there was the man with a shrivelled hand in the synagogue – “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” As we noted last week, “ Their rules permitted necessary work (Luke 13.15) and even the extra work of rescuing a farm animal (Matthew 12.11). But Jesus went further – it is in keeping with the purpose of this day ‘to do good’ (v. 12). ‘Stretch out your hand’ – and the man was healed. At this point the Pharisees went out and began to plot how they might kill Jesus.”

Jesus “withdrew from that place,” we are told, and “m any followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was” (vv. 15-16). Jesus knew that his “time” had not yet come and he was acting with due care not to deliberately inflame opposition.

But opposition seemed ever ready to pounce. This time the occasion was the healing of a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. “Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see” (v. 22).

In a small community the man’s disability was well-known and the reality of his healing was genuine. For the astonished crowd, the question was, “Could this be the Son of David?” (v. 23) – that is, the promised Messiah.

This was the very conclusion that the Pharisees feared the ignorant populace would make – the idea that must be stopped at all cost. “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons” (v. 24). Beelzebub was one of the names for Satan. They were inferring that Jesus was able to cast out demons because he was in fact in league with the forces of evil.

No! Jesus insists. Satan isn’t divided against himself. “ But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (v. 28).

Jesus goes on to warn them they are on very dangerous ground. “ Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (v. 32). During his time on earth, many would not grasp his identity as the Son of God – he hid this under the term, “Son of Man” anyway. That failure wouldn’t be held against anybody. However, to ascribe to Satan the power of the Holy Spirit exercised through Jesus is very serious indeed – an unforgivable sin because it is the Holy Spirit who beings us to repentance.

Occasionally a person will be in deep distress, fearing they might have committed the “unforgivable sin”. But if they feel guilty, it is a sure sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in them – able to bring them to repentance. The danger is people who have so hardened themselves to an inverted sense of values that they are no longer open to the possibility of repentance. It is God alone who knows when a person has reached that point.

As for these opponents of Jesus, the problem is the evil in their hearts – “ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (v. 34).

They ask for a miraculous sign – as if they haven’t already witnessed a number of miracles! “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (v. 39).

In fulfilling this sign, Jesus would be rejected – dead, and buried – then raised to life again on the third day. It would not be a sign for them to accept now, before that final rejection. Yet from the cross we hear his cry, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34). He is not willing that any should perish. The offer of the costly salvation made possible through the cross is to be available to all – even to his enemies.

During this conversation with the crowd, Jesus’ mother and brothers (half-brothers born later to Joseph and Mary) came along wanting to speak to him. John tells us that “ even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7.5). We don’t know whether this visit was because of all the negative rumours the Pharisees were spreading – were they “checking up” on him?

Jesus’ reply wasn’t a denial of his family relationships. We note his care for his mother when he was dying on the cross (19.26-27). In the today’s reading, Jesus makes it clear that neither religion nor family relationships make us right with God – “ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12.50).

Neither the Pharisees nor Jesus’ mother and brothers were automatically “in”, but – wonder of wonders! – he has made available a place for all of us. And the beginning point of doing the Father’s will and being part of his family is to believe in the one the Father has sent – that’s Jesus!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we sincerely mean it when we pray, “Thy will be done”. Sometimes we have thought of the evil in this world that needs to be stopped. Sometimes we have thought of circumstances of our own that we cannot change. But you call us into a deeper relationship with yourself – to rest our trust in Jesus Christ, your Son whom you sent for us, who lived, taught, healed and died for our sins, who is alive for evermore. That faith is the beginning point of doing your will – and you welcome us into your family! Thank you, Father! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Father’s Will

I will! –

those simple words

of bride and groom

that speak

resolve,

commitment,

beginning

of a lifetime.

I will… –

the gritting of the teeth,

determination

against impossible odds

never, ever,

to give up.

I will… –

a wishful dream,

a “hope-so”

that may

or may not

be fulfilled.

Yet Jesus came,

resolved

to do his Father’s will –

the hard road,

the painful task,

crucified

by sinners

and for sinners

until

“It is finished!”

It is the Father’s will

to gather the broken,

the hurting,

the lost

and wandering…

into his family.

Believe

and receive

the one who came!

Matthew 13.1-23 Looking for a Good Crop

Today’s reading isn’t about the cane farmer who was planting cane, though I am sure Jesus would have found, from our experience, all the elements he needed for his parable. Today’s reading is about the sower who went out sowing grain.

For planting grain today they have a clever machine that opens the furrows, drops the seed down tubes, then covers the furrows again. As a boy in Allora I saw a farmer do it the old way in a one-acre paddock! He was wearing a kind of apron, held up the bottom with his left hand so that it would hold a lot of seed which he could then scatter in handfuls with his right hand. That method of sowing seed is called “broadcasting”. This farmer certainly knew how to do it. He planted half the paddock with wheat and half with oats. We watched a nice even growth of wheat and oats.

It seems the sower in the story of Jesus was not nearly as careful as my old friend of long ago! Some of the seed fell on the pathway – hardened by people’s feet. The crows were there – greedily waiting for a feed!

Some of the seed fell on part of the paddock where the rocks hadn’t been properly cleared. No doubt the farmer had chosen a time when the ground was moist. But on the rocky ground the sun soon dried it out and the little shoots withered away.

Then some seed fell in a patch of weeds. Little spindly stalks struggled up towards the light and didn’t produce anything at all!

But then there was the seed that fell into the good soil – cleared of rocks, chipped of weeds, cultivated, ready and waiting! The seed sprouted, grew, had nice big heads of grain and produced a good harvest! The farmer noticed the yield. In some areas a bag of grain seed had produced a hundred bags. He was very happy about that! Some other parts had produced sixty bags for every bag he had sown. That was good too! And some produced thirty bags. He seemed content enough about that.

Now comes a big question – “Why did the sower plant the seeds? Whatever did he expect?” Surely he wanted something better than crow food along the pathway, didn’t he? He wasn’t looking for a crop from that rocky ground, I hope! And what better could he expect from the seed he wasted among the thorns?

I suspect the first hearers of Jesus had these same questions. All their villages were close to the farm land. They were natural questions to ask. Perhaps they knew some farmer foolish enough to plant like that!

Someone has said that this should be called the parable of the soils. In every case it is the same sower and the same seed. The difference is in the soil. Each grain has the potential for a good crop! The sower is looking for a good crop from each grain – at least thirty times as much, possibly sixty, preferably a hundred! By his unlikely reference to what no good farmer would do, Jesus is emphasising that each person – however unlikely! – is given an opportunity to respond to the Word of God. The Word of God has the same potential within each of us to enable us to grow and mature and be vital Christians in this world. It is only in the ways we respond to the Word that we are like the pathway, the rocky ground, the thorny patch, the good soil…

So the story isn’t about how to plant grain! His first hearers already knew that! It is about people – about us! We are the soil! Jesus is the sower, and the seed is his Word.

Sometimes we are all set to blame the Sower! Look, Lord, it’s all your fault! You know about all the distractions I face – and all the pressures I live with – and you know me! So why do you expect anything of me?

But in lots of ways we’re just not like soil at all! We can think, respond, make decisions! We are responsible. It’s not the Sower’s fault! His Word of love, of forgiveness, of a new beginning, of a whole new way of life – comes to all of us. The soils represent, not what the Sower intends, but our response to him and to his Word.

So – whatever did the sower expect? A good crop, of course! Hopefully, but not necessarily, a hundred times as much grain as he sowed! Certainly some reasonable return for his effort!

And what does Jesus, the Sower, expect of us? Not our excuses – or accusations (it’s your fault, Lord!). To translate it into the Herbert, why does he plant his Word in us? Surely he knows we have a problem with seasonal conditions in our lives!

The Sower expects us to trust him, to welcome his Word, to accept his forgiveness and his help, to live as his person every day, to obey him in all our relationships and in all we do. He does everything necessary to produce a good crop. How do we respond to him?

He forgives us so we can make a new beginning. He gives us life so we can be new creatures. He dwells within us by his Spirit. Are we co-operating with him? Are we good soil? When he looks at our lives, does he see the “good crop” he is looking for?

PRAYER: Eternal Sower, all these years of our lives, you have been sowing your Word into our minds and hearts. Why? Because you love us and know that your Word of grace is the only way in which we and the world about us can be radically changed. All these years of our lives we have heard, but have we been listening? have we really heard you? W e confess that we have become easily distracted by the novelties – and the cares and worries – of our age. We want to hear your Word afresh and be different, sowing faith, hope and love to all around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Life Complete

I want

a life

complete,

fulfilling,

fulfilled.

Surely

I will find it

in some latest thing

recently designed

strongly pressed

on me

by the media.

Surely

I will find it

in some latest idea

propounded

by a modern guru

expounded

in TV soapie

and glossy magazine.

Why do I keep on looking?

Why does the quest go on?

Why is nobody finally

satisfied?

Why do I assume

that the latest gadget or idea

can make me new?

Your way, Lord,

your way alone

can fulfil me!

Your truth, Lord,

your truth alone

can set me free!

Your life, Lord,

your life alone

can make me new!

Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43 Weeds among the Wheat

Many of us remember the wooden school desks with an ink well for each child. And those copy books – we had to copy the perfectly formed letters at the top of the page onto the lines below. The angle and formation of the letters had to be just right. The teacher would go over our work in red where we had strayed from the proper shape. Learning to use pen and ink added other hazards – getting just the right amount of ink, remembering to use the blotter regularly, avoiding ink spots… But, try as we might, it was all too possible for an otherwise perfect page to be spoilt by an ink spot. The problem – a combination of our technique and, possibly, imperfect materials. And as we graduated to using fountain pens, the ink spot problem was largely eliminated, though the writing style often became far less than copy book!

And what we learnt as children we discover as a lifetime problem. So often, in spite of our best intentions, things don’t quite go as planned. Sometimes it is an unforeseen quirk of our situation – something has happened that could not possibly have been planned for. Often the problem is in us – in our personality, our attitudes, our human imperfection… Occasionally, we may discover or suspect that someone is working against us. Some people, of course, never take any responsibility for the things that go wrong – they are quite sure that someone is against them.

Last week we were thinking about the parable of the Sower – the same sower, the same good seed, the same potential for a harvest. As we noted, the difference was the soil. Each grain had the potential for a good crop! The purpose of the sower was a good crop from each grain – at least thirty times as much, possibly sixty, preferably a hundred! By his unlikely reference to what no good farmer would do, Jesus was emphasising that each person – however unlikely! – is given a chance to respond to the Word of God. The Word of God has the same potential within each of us to enable us to grow and mature and to be vital Christians in this world. It is only in our response to the Word that we come to be compared with the pathway, the rocky ground, the thorny patch, the good soil.

But Jesus didn’t try to give the whole picture in each story he told. Each story was aimed at conveying one main point. In the parable of the sower the key question has to do with our readiness to respond to the Word. Sowing and harvest can go terribly wrong if the soil isn’t properly prepared.

Today’s parable reminds us that there is another reason why things go wrong. There is an Enemy! We have to accept responsibility for our response to the Word of God – don’t use the Enemy as an easy way out when things don’t go as they should! Whatever has happened “behind the scenes”, whatever may explain the reason for a pathway, rocky or thorny response, we are each responsible for our lives – don’t blame the Devil! In other words, while we are thinking about the parable of the weeds, keep the parable of the sower in mind.

This parable follows the parable of the sower, but makes some different points. From Jesus’ explanation, we learn that “ The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels” (vv. 37-39).

The word translated “weeds” refers to a kind of grass that looks the same as wheat until the seed heads are ready for harvest. Jesus is telling us that there will be people who seem to be part of the Kingdom yet really belong to the Evil One.

There are, of course, people in the life of the church who hold mistaken ideas or have personality weaknesses or an argumentative spirit or who lack enthusiasm or motivation for the Lord’s work. At various points that could be any one of us! But it is not a question of whether we are yet perfect, but whether we trust in Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord.

Sometimes in church meetings there is someone who seems to be so negative – every proposal to reach out to others with the Gospel is met with the proverbial “wet blanket”, with all the reasons why it can’t be done, why we don’t have the resources, why we are totally unprepared, why it is inappropriate at this time… A weed in the wheat? There are times when we are tempted to think so! God means us to go forward and here is someone who seems totally intent on holding us back. But the Lord knows that person’s heart and whether that person is trusting him for salvation. It is not for us to make that judgement, though it may be necessary to remove that person from an obstructing position.

“ Do you want us to go and pull them up” they asked him. “No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them ” (vv. 28b,29).

Sometimes we may think the church is fairly “weedy”. But we won’t find the perfect church by seeking elsewhere! Some people are real “church-hoppers”. Yet sooner or later they discover that their new church has weeds in it too – Jesus told us it would be so! Our trust is not to be placed in the church of the Lord, but in the Lord of the church.

Jesus is also telling us that there will a final harvest and a judgement day. That will be at the end of the age and the harvest workers will be the angels. That will be the point where the weeds will be separated from the wheat and burned in the fire. “ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (v. 43) – the church at last made perfect.

So what does this say about us? Put our trust in Jesus as your Saviour and Lord and take our place among his people. Seek to grow in our faith — read the Bible, pray, read some Christian biography… Respond to God like the good soil in the parable of the sower.

And pray for the church. It is so easy to get deflected from our Lord’s priorities. Jesus said, “ I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (16.18). Even among the twelve there was a Judas – and Jesus grieved over him. In his prayer for his disciples, we hear him praying, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one ” (John 17.15).

The church is so imperfect. Yet “ Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy… and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless ” (Ephesians 5.25b-27).

An old ditty went like this

They may say there is no Devil,

they may say the Devil is gone,

but simple folks would like to know

who carries the business on!

There is an Enemy, the Devil. There are weeds among the wheat, but the time of harvest and judgement will come. The Lord of the Church is calling us all to go forward together with him!

PRAYER: Eternal Lord, this is your world and the Church is your Church, but someone seems to keep messing things up! Our trust is in you. Grant us to keep close to you. We pray for wisdom and strength for the leaders in our nation and in the Church. We thank you that Jesus came to overcome the works of the Devil. In his name we pray, Amen.

Weeds, Lord?

I think of weeds

in others’ deeds

but cannot see

the weeds in me!

Without a doubt

I keep them out

and rid my mind

of every find

that has no space

within my place!

My every word

that can be heard

is squeaky clean

and never mean,

but meaning true

the whole way through!

And here’s a fact –

my every act

is good and right

in purest light –

no more to say

on judgment day!

I hate the rot

of all I’m not!

I think of weeds

in others’ deeds

but cannot see

the weeds in me!

But, Lord, you see

this Pharisee

through and through

in everything I say and do!

I need not and I cannot hide

from gracious arms that open wide!

I cannot plead

some worthy deed

except the deed upon the cross

of One who bore my every loss!

Matthew 13.31-35,44-58 The Kingdom Grows

Matthew 13 records a number of the parables Jesus told. In one way or another they illustrate something about the Kingdom of God. Already we have looked at the parable of the sower. Unlike what we would regard as good farming practice, the seed of the gospel is offered to all – whatever their response. In the parable of the weeds we noted the activity of the enemy, the Devil, secretly at work to “plant” among the profitable seed his own false look-alikes. Jesus returns to this theme at the end of this chapter in the parable of the net and the ultimate separation of the wicked from the righteous (vv. 47-50).

But the Kingdom, Jesus insists, will grow – in spite of inadequate human responses and in spite of demonic attempts at sabotage. And that, broadly, is what we see in the remaining smaller parables in this chapter.

The seeds of the black mustard ( brassica nigra – in the same family as the cabbage) was the smallest of their garden seeds. They had a saying that something unusually small was “small as a mustard seed”. Yet the mustard plant could grow into the tallest shrub in the garden – two metres and more in one season! That’s big enough for birds to come and nest in its branches (vv. 31-32).

The Kingdom of heaven is like that, Jesus is saying. It is starting small in the world – just Jesus, then twelve disciples who turned out an unlikely bunch – but it will grow big. Recent figures show Christianity as the world’s largest religion with approximately 2.2 billion adherents and about a quarter to a third of the world’s population. Wow!

Then Jesus likens the Kingdom to yeast which a woman takes and mixes into a large amount of flour where it continues to work until all the dough has risen (v. 34).

The salt of the earth, the leaven in the dough – the presence of Christians is meant to change the character of society.

The Kingdom – our relationship with the Father through Jesus the Son – is exceedingly more important and valuable than anything else. Jesus illustrated this in the next two parables.

The treasure hidden in the field is so important to the man who finds it that “ in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (v. 44).

In Australia many are infected with a gambling mentality that is prepared to risk a great deal in the hope of great gain. Jesus is talking about a treasure so immensely valuable that it is truly worth everything. Jesus said to the rich young man who came wanting to know that good thing he could do to be sure of eternal life. Jesus said to him, “ If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (19.21). That is the enormous value of the Kingdom.

The next parable seems to have the same theme. The merchant is looking for fine pearls. “When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (13.45-46).

We often take it to mean the same thing as the parable of the treasure in the field. The “pearl of great value” – the Kingdom – is so important, so much more valuable than anything we own.

Yet there is something a little different here. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field…” “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls…”

In the first one the treasure is the Kingdom, so we are the ones who can find the treasure with its enormous worth – just as well, as Isaiah tells us, that God’s generous provision comes “without money and without cost” to us (Isaiah 55.1)! In the second the Kingdom is like a merchant. When we look at it this way, we see God as the merchant and we are the pearl – purchased at enormous cost!

Have we really grasped that we are as valuable to God as that? that in Jesus God came to give his all to buy us back, to bring us back as his own cherished possession?

The Kingdom grows because of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ his Son. His call on us is to get the message out. As Jesus said to the first disciples, “ You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24.48). We don’t always recognise other pearls for whom Christ came! Maybe we haven’t been so recognisable either!

PRAYER: Dear Father, may your Kingdom come! How it grows! We marvel at your passion to rescue and redeem fallen humanity – to rescue and redeem us! How great is your love! How overwhelmingly great the costly sacrifice your Son, our Saviour, endured for our sake and the sake of the world! Come, Father, we are yours! Grant us to live close to you and to draw others to you too – pearls for whom Christ came and gave his all! We pray in his name, Amen!

The Cross of God

Wrath of God on sinners laid –

sinners in his image made,

making independent choice,

refusing the Creator’s voice,

choosing what I think is right,

defending then with all my might

my selfish pad – you stay away,

don’t interfere and spoil my day!

My anger – thank you – is my right,

I hold to it with all my might

even though it poisons me.

I have a longing to be free

but all these others – even God –

bring the controlling of their rod

to spoil my choice, and then frustrate,

filling me with wrath and hate.

The anger that I love so well

deservingly will lead to hell.

Cross of God on Jesus laid –

guilt is gone, the wrath is paid.

Love of God for sinners given

opens wide the way to heaven.

So when I feel my anger rise

right then is time to lift my eyes

to see the dying suffering one

in whom the wrath of God is gone.

God’s right! I’m only partly so –

my bitterness will have to go.

But then I think of empty tomb –

he lives again so he can come

to give his love to those who late

were filled with bitterness and hate.

Come, Lord, I’m yours! You died for me –

possess your own and set me free!

Matthew 14.1-21 Feeding the Multitudes

The people crowded to hear Jesus. He spoke as no one else had done – his truth and authority were conspicuous. He expressed selfless care for others to a degree that the world had never seen. He saw behind the thin fa ç ade that we call goodness. He even healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead. Who is this Jesus? Increasingly, people were asking that question.

Later, when Jesus was alone with his disciples, he asked them what people were saying about him. They had heard a variety of opinions (Matthew 16.14). Perhaps this is Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets, or perhaps – John the Baptist.

John the Baptist... We read about him at the beginning of Matthew 14. “ At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him’  ” (vv. 1-2). The account is then given about Herod’s birthday party and the beheading of John.

“ When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place ” (v. 13a). Jesus was greatly saddened by the news of what happened to John. He wanted some quietness and peace – to mourn, to reflect, to pray… Jesus was living the life we were meant to live. He knew that he couldn’t do the Father’s will if he didn’t spend a great deal of time with the Father.

And getting that time was not easy. Though he was physically and emotionally exhausted, the crowd sought him out in his solitary place and, still fresh with the sadness of John’s death, “ he had compassion on them and healed their sick ” (v. 14). There must have been a great crowd of needy people, and Mark and Luke both record that Jesus was teaching them many things about the Kingdom of God (Mark 6.34; Luke 9.11). The day wore on and the sun was getting low in the sky. The disciples came to Jesus in concern – the remote place, all these people getting hungry, time to send them home…

I recall a few years back doing a set of three Epilogues for Channel 9 in Brisbane. One was a fraction too long and the producer standing next to the cameraman was giving the “winding up” sign. I wonder if one of the disciples was at the back of the crowd giving Jesus the “winding up” sign!

“ They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14.16).

Now, Lord, that’s hardly fair! You keep them here all day and then expect us to feed them! “ We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish ” (v. 17). John records that this was the lunch brought by a boy – “but how far will they go among so many? ” (John 6.9). In itself, that is a sensible, practical question. Lunch for a boy might be shared with a neighbour or two, but not with a crowd of five thousand!

“Bring them here to me” (Matthew 14.18). Here is the difference. Five loaves and two fish are not enough to feed five thousand, but in the hands of Jesus it is a different matter. “T aking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over” (vv. 19-20). In the hands of Jesus, the provision was more than enough – a generous supply.

And we are then told that the count of five thousand didn’t include the women and children – probably because they only counted the number of family groups. The total number fed could easily have been double that number!

All of that actually happened – we aren’t told how. Some Sunday School lessons over forty years ago presented the view that, inspired by the boy’s generosity, the crowd brought out their lunches too and began to share and there was more than enough. But that isn’t what the record says!

One of the words used in the New Testament for “miracle” literally means “sign”. What happened was a pointer to the real identity of Jesus – one of the clues that would lead Peter to call Jesus, “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16.16) and Thomas to affirm him, after the resurrection, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20.28).

As we think about our own society, we are aware that the personal problems of people about us are massive. So much is completely out of line with God intended! And Jesus seems to be saying to us, “You give them something to eat!”

But our resources are so limited. In the face of human need, we only have our “five loaves and two fish.” We can say a kind word, but what is that for all this need about us? We can act with practical concern, but that goes nowhere near the problems we see. There was a training programme of “caring by encouragement”. It helped to ensure that people had their “five loaves and two fish” – but “what good are they for all these people?”

We can’t do it alone! It’s not just a question of having appropriate resources and skills – what needs to be done goes way beyond our resources! The Lord chooses to use us, yet we cannot do it without him!

When Jesus gave his final instructions, he said, “Surely I am with you always…” (Matthew 28.20b). And, “ you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” (Acts 1.8a). But that didn’t mean that we would attain an independent personal power so that we could go then off on our own to “do the Lord’s will”. We are constantly dependent on his promised presence and power!

Of ourselves, we still have only “five loaves and two fish”. We don’t have nothing, but it’s nowhere near enough! Bring the little we have to Jesus! He will use it to feed the crowd!

What are our “five loaves and two fish” – the positive qualities we have, but so inadequately? Bring them to him!

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we are surrounded by a world of needy people – physical, emotional, spiritual. It is overwhelmingly beyond us! All we have is our “five loaves and two fish”. We bring them to you so that, somehow, in your hands, the needs about us will be met. Our love is so small. Embrace us and fill us with your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Available

The hungry crowd

had heard

the word.

Too long the day

to send away –

it’s time to feed

this human need!

One boy’s lunch

to feed this bunch?

It can’t be done –

it’s meant for one!

With thanks to heaven

the bread is broken –

so too the fish –

and given

and shared

and eaten…

What was available

to the Lord

was enough

to share –

and to spare!

I have enough

for me.

Yet hunger

afflicts

both poor

and rich –

deep poverty

of soul

beyond my means.

Yet am I available

to the one

in whose hands

my little

is enough

to share –

and to spare?

Matthew 14.22-36 Freedom from Fear

The possibility of fear is part of how we are made. Fear can be quite natural and good. If a hard object is heading toward us, get out of the way! Fear comes into our realistic assessment of whether we can climb that cliff, turn a corner in the face of an oncoming car… Some people seem to have none of this natural and good fear. They end up doing some quite stupid things and causing unnecessary danger and hurt to themselves and others.

Fear can also be paralysing – cutting off our ability to think, assess and plan, immobilising us from action, removing from us even the judgement that stirs us into asking for help. Have you ever been afraid like that? The quality that was meant to be healthy and protective has just paralysed us!

Many times in the Bible people were told, “Fear not!” That is strong reassurance for people paralysed by fear! The Bible also talks about healthy fear – “the fear of the Lord”, the “fear of parents”… Neither of these phrases was meant to convey terror, but rather a healthy reverence and respect.

Peter had been a fisherman. He knew Lake Galilee well. He had faced all sorts of weather in the course of his fishing business. In his boat out on the lake he knew what he was doing.

In Matthew 8.23-27, we read of a time – not too long ago really – when that self-assurance had been shaken. Jesus had had a very demanding day and they set out to cross the lake. They were hit by a fierce storm – so bad that “the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.” They woke Jesus with the urgent plea, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Were they simply wanting another set of hands to bail out the water, or was there an instinctive hope for more? Jesus answered them, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” The danger was real enough, as the fishermen-disciples well knew. Their realism led them into practical action. But having made their plea to Jesus for help, there was no further need for fear. And Jesus “rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” In their amazement they said, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Today’s reading is from chapter 14. Again it has been a busy day at the end of which five thousand men – plus women and children – needed to be fed. Jesus sent the disciples off in the boat to cross the lake, while he saw the crowds off. Then he did what he had come to do in the first place before the crowds had tracked him down – “he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” Jesus, remember, had heard about John the Baptist’s death and needed time alone with the Father.

Out on the lake the boat was being tossed about by the waves because of a strong wind. There is no indication that there was any danger this time. Mark records that “his disciples [were] straining at the oars, because the wind was against them” (6.48) – they were making slow progress and probably discovering some muscles some of them hadn’t used for a while!

Between three and six in the morning, they saw something out there on the water. What is it? It’s coming towards us! A whitish apparition! Oh no! It must be a ghost! And they screamed out in fear! Then the voice of reassurance, “Courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” So it is Jesus – walking to us on the water!

Peter, master of the lake, speaks out, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Did Peter remember the calming of the storm? Did he recall the words and actions of the one who was more truly master of the winds and the waves? Was it curiosity that fired him to want to do what Jesus was doing? Was it rising faith that knew that he couldn’t do it unless Jesus commanded it?

“Come!” So Peter got out of the boat and started doing it – he actually started walking on the water towards Jesus! He could do it – as long as the focus of his gaze was on Jesus. But when he started thinking about what he was doing, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out…”

“Lord, save me!” Surely the seasoned fisherman knew how to swim! And yet, because he was walking on water at the command of Jesus, he knew he needed Jesus’ help as he sank. It was not just help with a difficult situation that he had struggled with before. This time he had been doing something completely beyond him – he was “right out of his depth”!

Jesus reaches out and grabs hold of him – he was not far from the boat – “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” They got into the boat and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, who had been watching all this, worshipped Jesus and exclaimed, “Truly you are the Son of God!”

When you board a plane, you settle yourself down, start browsing the in-flight magazine, perhaps put your headphones on and select a music channel… Then your quiet reflection is broken by a voice over the public address system drawing your attention to all the safety procedures – how to use the oxygen mask, where the emergency exits are, how to get out safely before the plane sinks in the ocean… – all confidence-building stuff, designed, I suspect, so that the cabin staff will have the presence of mind to act appropriately in the unlikely event of major trouble!

First-time travellers pay careful attention and even read up the little card in the pocket in front of them. Seasoned travellers are inclined to keep reading their book or to look out the window or to keep on with their conversation.

There’s one thing about flying. Once you are on board you have committed yourself – committed yourself to this machine and to the pilot and his crew. The outcome of the journey doesn’t depend on whether you are cool and relaxed or all screwed up with tension and fear. Your state of mind will affect your level of enjoyment, but not the outcome of the journey!

Peter was learning an important principle in trusting his Lord – a principle that has a great deal to do with fear and faith. Notice the three important things that Jesus said. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” (v. 27), “Come!” (v. 29) and “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (v. 31).

“This is a recorded message from your pilot. Together with the rest of my crew, I parachuted from this plane approximately five minutes ago. The plane is on automatic pilot. Have a nice trip!” That’s a quote from a joke, but it would be no joke if it really happened!

Someone coined the clever saying, “An atheist is a person with no invisible means of support.” Well, I can’t see the pilot any more than he can, but I’m prepared to believe he’s there. So I’m on the flight! And I have all the evidence that all the “invisible means of support” are there and functioning!

Jesus says to us, “I am here! Don’t be afraid!” There are all sorts of situations of which we quite rightly take stock. But when you are taking stock of any situation, remember that Jesus is here! There may be need for all sorts of action – but not for fear!

Jesus says to us, “Come!” That means going from where we are to where he is! It means accepting his plan for us and living by it! There’s no evidence that Peter ever literally “walked on water” again. But he had to face lots of difficult challenges which he could only face because he knew that Jesus had said, “Come!”

Jesus calls us to have faith in him. Through this experience the twelve came to worship him and to say, “Truly you are the Son of God!” Isn’t that faith? Yes, that intellectual conviction about the real identity of Jesus is an important component of faith. But faith is depending our whole life on this Jesus who is the Son of God. It is trusting that he is with us – and going with him in obedient trust.

Faith is a way of life. As the hymn writer put it,

“Trust and obey,

for there’s no other way

to be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey.”

PRAYER: Eternal Lord, you know us through and through. You know how often we get “out of our depth” and the ways in which unhealthy fear creeps in and overwhelms us. Help us always to hear your encouragement – “I am here. Don’t be afraid!” Help us always to hear your invitation – “Come!” – and your gentle chiding – “Why did you doubt!” Lord, we come and would live day by day with you. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Above the Wind and Waves

The roaring wind

and swirling waves

drown out

the still small voice –

the ever-constant

reminder

that God

is here.

Too easily

I see

the terror

of what is

but fail to heed

the unseen

Presence

of the one

who is Lord

of wind and waves.

“Don’t be afraid”,

he says,

“for I am here!

Come,

with your hand

in mine.

Together

we’ll walk

above this turmoil,

above this bewildering rage.

With me

you are safe!”

With him,

safe indeed!

The wind and waves

are real,

but walking with him

there is no need

for fear.

Matthew 15.1-20 Clean from Within

A young Negro boy was watching the balloon man at the fair. Every now and then, when business was slack, he would release a balloon and the boy watched in fascination as it rose into the sky. There was a white one, a red one, a yellow one… “Say, Mister,” he said, “would a black one go up too?” “Yes, sonny,” said the balloon man, releasing a black balloon as he spoke. “You see, it’s not the colour of the balloon that counts, but what’s inside!”

“Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.” (Psalm 24.3-4). Not just the washing of the hands after the event – pure in act as well as in thought. Many others than Pontius Pilate have hoped that the washing of hands would also cleanse the conscience. No matter how we may “wash our hands of the whole business”, God always looks at the heart.

To understand the attitudes of the “Pharisees and teachers of the law” in today’s reading, we need to be aware of the background in which they arose. Following the death of Alexander the Great, the Greek empire was divided into four. A couple of hundred years BC, Palestine was being ruled by Antiochus Epiphanes who strongly promoted Greek culture and religion. He stripped the Temple of its furnishings and confiscated its treasures. Having ravaged the city, he massacred many of the inhabitants and carried away a large group of captives, estimated by Josephus to be about ten thousand. He demolished the walls so that the city was defenceless, and having built a tower of his own overlooking the temple site, he garrisoned it with Macedonian mercenaries. He devoted the Temple to heathen worship by sacrificing a sow upon the great altar. He compelled the Jews to erect shrines to the Greek deities in their villages and to sacrifice swine on the altars. His officers seized and burned all copies of the books of the law and executed those who possessed them. Circumcision was forbidden and women whose infants had been circumcised were strangled together with their children. Many complied with the king’s regulations, but a large number resisted them and paid for their convictions with their lives.

Little wonder that the Pharisee movement grew – a group conspicuous for their zeal for the Law. We find them continually watching Jesus to find fault with him.

“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” The issue had little to do with hygiene and a great deal to do with maintaining ceremonial purity in a society where contact with the Gentile world became more and more likely. There was no rule in the Old Testament about this hand-washing, but it had become an essential part of the tradition of the Pharisees, which they regarded as having equal authority to the Law itself.

But Jesus had come to make people clean from the inside out. God looks at the heart, the motives. We hear Jesus saying to the Samaritan woman, “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4.24).

For all their show of righteousness, the Pharisees used their man-made traditions to avoid God-given responsibilities. When they were making a vow, they used certain words – Qonam (“let it be established”) and Qorban (“given to God”). If a person said, “ Qorban whatever I might have used to help my mother and father”, it didn’t mean that he had actually given it to God. He could use it for his own benefit, but not to help his parents. Commenting on the discussion of the issue in the Jewish Mishnah, one writer has stated, “So stringent was the ordinance that (almost in the words of Christ) it is expressly stated that such a vow was binding, even if what was vowed involved a breach of the Law… ”

Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29.13, “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

Jesus had come to make people clean from the inside out. God looks at the heart, the motives.

A person is not made “ritually unclean” – unclean and unacceptable in the sight of God – because of what he or she eats. A person is unclean because of evil in the heart which is expressed in attitude, word and action. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’.”

Later we hear Jesus speaking out, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (23.25-28).

Jesus said of his work, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10.45) and “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19.10). We hear him praying from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34).

In a way that we never fully grasp, Jesus in his dying became the perfect sacrifice through whom alone the guilt of sinners can be removed. His cleansing from within begins with forgiveness – offered and received.

John, in his first letter, writes, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1.5-9).

Jesus lived and died and rose from the grave in order to make it possible for us to be made clean from within. The Spirit he pours out on people is called the Holy Spirit because he takes the redemptive work of Jesus and applies it to transform our lives – to make us holy.

So we come to the Lord, not like the Pharisees, very particular and convinced of your goodness, but rather, open to your need of forgiveness, open to a deeper relationship with the Lord, open to read and reflect on his Word and to pray, open to the inner transforming of his Spirit.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, you see us through and through. We can’t pretend before you. You know our thoughts and motives. There are many things we want others to believe about us, but you always see the real “us”. Dear Lord, we long to be different, to be clean from the inside out. We know that’s why you came, why you died on the cross, why you want to walk with us day by day. Come, Lord, by your Spirit, and translate your redemptive work into every hidden thought and motive. We ask this in your Name, Amen.

Justified!

I know myself,

my reasons why –

the grounds by which

I justify

the deeds

and attitudes

and thoughts

by which I live,

the name

I claim

without resort

to any other.

Yet I can never

stand alone

for one has come

and lived

and died.

I look at him –

my name is sin,

my life pretense!

I stand condemned

without defence!

No human pride

is satisfied.

I claim

the name

of him who died –

in him alone

I’m justified!

Matthew 15.21-31 The Canaanite Woman

The redemptive work of Jesus was for all people of every time and place. But his earthly ministry had to be limited. It had to be concentrated on the people who were supposed to be waiting for him – the people of promise, the descendants of Abraham, through whom God’s blessing would reach people of all nations (Genesis 12.1-3).

After the walking-on-water, they landed the boat at Gennesaret where Jesus healed some sick people, answered some critics from Jerusalem and taught the crowd. “Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon” (Matthew 15.21). This would be special “time apart”, away from the crowds and away from the immediate demands of his mission. This is where “a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him” with her urgent request, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”

This woman, not brought up on the Bible, evidently had some knowledge of God’s promises to Israel and must have heard some report about Jesus. She calls him “Son of David”. This was not a usual term for a Jew – “son of Abraham” perhaps, but not “son of David”. John tells us about a woman of Samaria who came to recognise Jesus as the Messiah (John 4.29). Has this Canaanite woman come to the same conviction?

She has come with an urgent plea for help. This man heals the sick and casts out demons. He can bring release and healing to my daughter.

“Jesus did not answer a word” (v. 23a). Why? It seems in contrast with what we know about the compassion of Jesus.

The disciples misread the silence of Jesus, assuming he was annoyed by the disturbance and irritated by her insistent pleas. Well, they certainly were insistent, but Jesus wasn’t annoyed and irritated!

He was facing the immediate limitation of his mission. True, his coming was for all people everywhere. God’s love was for the whole world. But this three-and-a-half years had to be very focused and specific. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (v. 24). This was Jesus’ answer to the disciples. It was not a question of annoyance that she was following them and making a lot of noise.

The woman becomes even more insistent – she falls at the feet of Jesus. “Lord, help me!” (v. 25)

Jesus answers her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs” (v. 26). He was reminding her of a familiar saying, gently, almost playfully. The word he used refers to the family pet (the puppy). She knows that, in the eyes of a Jew, she is considered to be as unclean as the scavenger dogs that feed on the filth and refuse of the streets.

She accepts the reference and recognises the kindness implied in his words. “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (v. 27). She isn’t arguing that her claims are as good as anyone else’s. She isn’t entering into the question of whether a Jew is better than a Gentile, or a Gentile as good as a Jew. She doesn’t question the purpose of God in which he chose the Jewish nation as his special people through whom he would reveal himself to the whole world. All that she knows is that her daughter is in a terrible condition and that she needs supernatural help.

“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (v. 27). Even the puppies are part of the family. Though the Messiah must for the present concentrate on food for the “children”, surely there must be some scraps left over for a Gentile “pup”.

“Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted” (v. 28).

What was it about this Canaanite woman that led Jesus to commend her “great faith”?

• She recognised her need – on behalf of her daughter. There was nothing further she could do. She had come to the end of her own resources. Her only hope was supernatural intervention. This awareness of need was the starting point of her great faith.

• She acknowledged that only Jesus could help her. By what course of rumour or report we aren’t told. We affirm that the Holy Spirit brought that conviction – but not in a vacuum.

• She put her faith in Jesus. Some people have faith in faith and that is about as far as they go. They will say, “I have great faith!” or “I have great faith in prayer!” Do you have great faith in faith or in prayer? Or is your faith directed to Jesus and to his powerful Father who answers prayer?

• Her faith was expressed and deepened by her persistent asking. In exercising her faith, there were barriers to overcome. There was the barrier between Jew and Gentile – still evident in the disciples. There were also the limitations of the earthly ministry of Jesus – “to the lost sheep of Israel.” There was the challenge to this heathen woman to trust in the true God. Here was no Gentile “dog”, but “a woman of great faith”!

We would like to think that all we have to do is “ask”. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that it would not always be so. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7.7-8). Sometimes our asking needs to lead to seeking and to persistent knocking.

We too can be people of faith. Too often we are not aware enough of our desperate need. If we feel self-satisfied and self-sufficient, we have little chance of becoming people of faith. The Kingdom, Jesus said, would belong to the spiritually poor (Matthew 5.3).

Feed our minds on the story of Jesus. Consider the biographies of great Christians. Consider the facts that Jesus is trustworthy, that he alone can help us, that he alone is the answer to the world’s need. The Holy Spirit is at work in us to bring about this conviction about Jesus.

Come to Jesus – our faith is to be directed to him. Invite him to be part of our life – to be our Saviour and our Lord. Bring our needs to him with confidence. He is listening. He no longer has the limitations of his earthly ministry.

Persist in asking. Often our faith and our motives are deepened and strengthened as we keep on asking. Sometimes the way we ask changes to express more of his will. At other times we are made more ready to receive.

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we would like to be people of great faith, yet all too often we feel so weak and inadequate. But you are great. Your grace is sufficient for us, your strength made perfect, even in our weakness. Our trust is in you. We come because you call us, because you welcome us. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Great Lord!

I cannot come

except he calls me,

I cannot pray

unless he loves,

I dare not stay

without his welcome –

my only hope

his grace alone.

Long ere I lift

my gazing heavenward,

Jesus the Saviour

came to earth,

coming in love

at the Father’s bidding,

coming with grace

for human need,

giving his all

for grace so costly –

grace to forgive

my human sin,

grace to restore me

to the family,

grace to bring

each wanderer home!

However great

my human trusting,

greater the grace

that meets my need.

And when my faith

seems small and feeble,

glory I give

to my great Lord!

Matthew 15.29-39 Feeding the Four Thousand

It happened again! In Matthew 14 we were reading about when Jesus fed 5000 people, having thanked his Father for the only food available – five loaves and two fish.

Jesus had just received news that John the Baptist had been beheaded at the instigation of Herod. He was looking for a quiet place alone with the Father. In becoming a human being, Jesus had accepted the same limitations we face. And now he was in grief from the brutal killing of his forerunner, John. He needed time with the Father. He needed a place of prayer. But the people found out where he had gone and tracked him down.

Finding his needed private space was always a challenge. In Matthew 15.23 we read, “Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.” It sounds very much a deliberate move out of “Jewish” territory to get a break from the constant pressure of the eager crowds and from the antagonism of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. That was where the Canaanite woman came to him with an urgent request for her daughter’s healing. Jesus, amazed at the woman’s great faith, met her request, while making clear the limitations of the earthly phase of his ministry – “only to the lost sheep of Israel”. He was not about to launch into a full-scale “Gentile” mission.

“Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel” (vv. 29-31)

We recall chapter 11 where disciples of John the Baptist came asking, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (11.3). Jesus pointed to what had been happening – “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (vv. 4-6). Crowds were always amazed by healing miracles, but the key reference to report to John was that “the good news is preached to the poor” as foretold in Isaiah 61.1.

But now we hear Jesus saying to his disciples, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way” (v. 32).

Mark 7 records that Jesus had left Tyre and Sidon and gone into “the region of the Decapolis” (v. 31). The Decapolis was a loose league of free cities. All except one were east of the Jordan. The route was circuitous, possibly to avoid entering Galilee, where Herod Antipas was in power and where many people had wanted to take Jesus by force and make him king. Jesus was now in predominantly Gentile territory, significant in the statement that those who experienced Jesus’ healing power praised “the God of Israel”.

The crowds had gathered and the area was remote enough that the disciples weren’t suggesting they “send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food” (Matthew 14.15), as they had done earlier. Here the problem is, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” (15.33) It seems they had no memory of the feeding of the five thousand!

Jesus “told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children” (vv. 35-38).

When Jesus had sent the crowd away, “he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan” (v. 39), better known to us as Magdala, from which Mary Magdalene came.

This is the third time in Matthew that we have read of Jesus’ “compassion”. We will read of it again in 20.34. When Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he “had compassion” on two blind men as he was leaving Jericho – touching their eyes so that they received their sight and followed him.

In 9.36, Jesus had been ministering in and around Capernaum. He met crowds everywhere and saw their need for preaching, teaching and healing. “ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” He talked with his disciples about the “plentiful harvest” and, at the beginning of chapter 10, he sent them out.

Then we hear the word again in 14.14. The crowd followed Jesus to his “solitary place”. “ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

And now in 15.32 – “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

There is something very special about “compassion”. It is a very practical kind of loving – always reaching out beyond myself to another’s need, always longing to put love into action. The dictionary defines it as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”

In James 2.15-17, we read, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Faith has to be active, James is telling us. In the same way love has to be active. It has to be practical. This is at the heart of compassion.

That is the quality of love supremely found in Jesus. The word is used in two of Jesus’ parables. The Good Samaritan had compassion (“took pity” is the translation here) on the man who fell into the hands of the robbers (Luke 10.33). The Samaritan didn’t feel sorry for the man and hurry on. This is more than an example of love to follow – it is surely a picture of the love of Jesus himself who, at cost of his own life, came to bring rescue to us.

And in the parable of the father and the two sons, we read, “But while [the younger son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (15.20).

As one writer puts it, “At home the father’s heart has been yearning for the return of the straying son. When he sees a figure approaching in the distance and with a parent’s intuition recognises it is his son who is coming, he does not wait till he arrives, but rushes forth and showers him with marks of his tender love. The son had deserved rebukes, reproaches, punishment. Nothing of the kind is mentioned. He comes, and he is forgiven” (WF Arndt, St. Luke ). Again, not really a picture of us, but of God – and his compassion towards us all.

We think we know a bit about love, but compassion? For too much of the time we circle around ourselves, our wants and our needs. In Jesus we see God’s incredible compassion, reaching out far beyond our immediate obvious needs of food and healing to bring about forgiveness and restoration – at great cost.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, we are hungry and needy. You know our needs before we even ask. We live in a hungry needy world and we feel overwhelmed and powerless. We think we know a bit about love, but are overawed as we see the compassion expressed in the life and ministry of Jesus – your compassion, Father, for this needy world. Teach us – lead us – in compassion, in the midst of the limitations we face. We pray this in the name of the compassionate Jesus, Amen.

Compassion

Our world

is full

of passion –

the pressures

for higher profits,

for higher wages,

strong contests

of sporting prowess,

opinions

deeply held,

political

convictions,

fanaticism

that suicides

and kills…

Somewhere

circling round

ourselves

and our false

idols.

Our world lacks

compassion

that sees

another’s need,

that feels

another’s pain,

that reaches out

to touch,

to help,

to heal.

One was sent

with compassion,

with the Father’s heart

to give himself,

to give his all

for us.

Receive him,

his life poured out

that we might live,

and learn to give.

Matthew 16.1-12 Demanding a Sign

In Matthew 16 Jesus had returned to Galilee. He was again under pressure, confronted by the Pharisees and Sadducees who “came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven” (v. 1).

We recall the disciples who had come from John some time earlier – “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (11.3). Jesus’ reply pointed them to the miracles he was performing and “the good news is preached to the poor” (v. 5), in direct fulfilment of Isaiah 61.1. John, of course, was the forerunner of the Messiah – his questioning had no sinister motives.

In 12.38 we read of some Pharisees and teachers of the law who came and asked, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus’ response was that “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (v. 39). He was referring to the spiritual unfaithfulness of their religious formality and their rejection of him as the Messiah. The “sign of the prophet Jonah” was, of course, a reference to his death and resurrection. They had already decided to reject him. The sign would only be fulfilled after they had conspired to have him put to death.

Now in Matthew 16 the Sadducees have come with the Pharisees to test Jesus. This was an unusual alliance. The Sadducees had more aristocratic status and tried to curry favour with the Romans. They were almost entirely priests. When Paul appeared before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, in Acts 23, he was able to divide the company by saying, “I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead”. Luke comments, “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all” (vv. 6,8).

So here the two groups have come together with the common goal of opposing Jesus. By asking for a sign, they were again saying that they rejected all the signs Jesus had performed before their eyes. It was as if they wanted a sign more spectacular than the healing miracles. Yet even so, would they believe?

They were careful weather-watchers, but unable to grasp all the signs surrounding the person and ministry of Jesus. Again we hear Jesus telling them, “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah” (16.4) – the sign they would not recognise until it was too late.

They left the Pharisees and Sadducees and crossed the lake. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (v. 6). Oops! they thought, We’ve forgotten the bread!

“You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?” (v. 8) Following the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand, shouldn’t they have known? The issue wasn’t their oversight – though this was a serious omission on their part.

So Jesus repeated his warning, “But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” This time they understood that he was referring to “the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (vv. 11-12).

The rising of bread with yeast is, of course, a fermentation process. The Israelites would keep some dough from one baking to provide the yeast or leaven for the next batch. So yeast was a good and regular part of their food.

But yeast itself was also viewed in a negative light. It became a symbol of a secret, penetrating, pervasive, corruptive influence. So when they were preparing to leave Egypt, the instructions for the first (inaugural) Passover were, “That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast” (Exodus 12.8). There were practical reasons too – they just wouldn’t wait for their bread to rise! “This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover” (v. 11)

The institution of the annual Passover meal was associated with Feast of Unleavened Bread which lasted for the seven days after Passover. Every corrupting influence was to be removed from their homes.

So why did Jesus liken the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees to yeast – to be avoided? Though they had differences of belief, Jesus linked them together, for they were together in their unbelief, together in their rejection of him, together in their refusal to acknowledge what God was doing in their midst.

We recall the Jews’ criticism of Jesus after the healing of the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, and the words of Jesus, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5.39-40).

In the closing days of his teaching we hear him saying to the chief priests and elders in the temple precincts, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” (Matthew 21.31-32).

Not long after, we hear him confronting them again, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (23.13).

So their teaching and presence were like yeast – silently and insidiously working to turn people’s minds and hearts away from Jesus and his message. We see this when the crowd had gathered before Pilate – “the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed” (27.20).

What is today’s equivalent of this “yeast”? I don’t think we are meant to be putting other people in “boxes” – deciding who are the Pharisees and Sadducees of today. It isn’t as simple as that. We certainly know that there are hidden insidious influences at work to erode faith, to draw us away from the Lord, to lower our moral values…

Our generation too demands signs, but they are looking for them in the latest technological advances, not in the Lord who alone is the source and giver of life.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, there are signs enough of your presence and grace, but we and the whole human race have been too blind to see. Because we have been too blind to see, you sent your own beloved Son and in arrogant blindness we sent him to a cross. That cross is an aggressive sign of our human sin and an active loving sign of your redemptive grace to cancel out and forgive our sin. You gave the sign of Jonah – on the third day you raised him from the dead. Hallelujah! Amen!

A White Cross

Driving

carefree

down the highway

I saw it –

a white cross

tied to a post

of the safety barrier,

a white cross

named in black

garnished

with plastic flowers.

Someone has died,

I thought.

Another

tragic

highway loss.

A white cross –

sign

of grief and loss,

sign

of faith and hope.

For on a cross

crude and bloodied

died one

whose love

met human hate.

Arrogant

autonomous

barbaric

sinful

men

grabbed

the Gift of God

and nailed him there.

Crude

and bloodied

cross –

sign

of human

sinfulness,

sign

of divine

redemptive love

calling

appealing

offering

reconciling

forgiving grace.

By our cross

we mark

our human loss,

yet look

beyond

in faith

and hope.

Matthew 16.13-28 Who do You Say I am?

The disciples had been with Jesus for about three years. What had they learnt about him in this time?

In some ways they had understood the most basic secret of his identity. Peter was a spokesman for the whole group when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16.16).

But in other ways they failed to grasp the purpose of his mission within this world. To their first response Jesus says, “this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven” (v. 17). To the second, Jesus replies, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (v. 23).

Jesus lived in our world a fully human life. He required food, exercise and sleep. He was limited to one place at a time. We are inclined to look at the miracles he performed and to miss his humanity. The crowds who saw him and heard his teaching knew he was someone special “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (v. 14). All special people, all human beings.

It was the disciples who had discovered that the one they saw, whose teaching had authority, whose person was outstanding... was in fact “the Son of the living God.”

What a tremendous revelation! God has visited his people, come into human history. The promised Time has come, the promised Messiah has arrived, the Lord is with his people!

This truth (that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God) and the people who receive it are foundational to the Church of Jesus Christ.

The Church is constituted – built – by Jesus Christ as people affirm him as the Son of the living God, as people truly acknowledge that Jesus was not just a great man, a great teacher, a great healer... but that in him God himself was personally visiting this planet!

So far so good! But… why did he come?

Just supposing we hear the purr of a Rolls Royce pulling up outside and we see that familiar face from our coins appear at the front door... What would we do? Where would we find her a seat? Sorry! She didn’t come here this time!

But why would Queen Elizabeth come here? Now that’s a very basic question, isn’t it? She would have some reason for coming here – not just because it seemed a nice outing!

Why did Jesus come? Why would God send his own Son into our human history? What special reason was there for his coming?

The disciples had grasped the revelation that he was the Son of the living God, but couldn’t grasp his mission. The act that would be the focal point of his mission – namely his crucifixion – completely eluded them. In this it was their own thoughts, inspired by the evil one, that came to the fore.

What a strange mixture! They were his people, attentive to the divine revelation one minute. They were Satan, an obstacle in his way, not listening to God, the next.

They couldn’t grasp the necessity of the cross. They couldn’t see the seriousness of their sin. They couldn’t understand the redemptive love of God.

We would like to be people who believe wholeheartedly that Jesus was truly the Son of God. It gives a real sense of well-being and security that God truly cares for us enough to send us his only Son. But perhaps we then make Peter's mistake – we want Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God and that’s it! God forbid that there should be any of this suffering and death bit! We want to know that God loves us and that he sent his Son...

And why did he come? God didn’t send his only Son into the world because he thought it would be nice to do. The focus of his coming was a Cross – rejection by the human race, which shows the seriousness of human sin, met by the redemptive love of God which accepted the serious, heavy cost of sin.

Knowing that Jesus is the Son of the living God is the foundation of the Church. Knowing why he came is critical for the mission of the Church. Jesus didn’t say we wouldn’t face death, but that “the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (v. 18).

The emperor Diocletian set up a stone pillar on which were inscribed these words: For Having Exterminated The Name Christian From the Earth. Another Roman leader made a coffin, symbolising his intention “to bury the Galilean” by killing his followers. He soon learned that he could not “put the Master in it”. He finally surrendered his heart to the Saviour, realising that the corporate body of Christ and its living Head, the Lord Jesus, cannot be destroyed by the onslaught of mortal men.

We are people of the Cross – called to receive and proclaim Christ crucified, the Saviour of the world and called to carry our own cross, counting our faith in Christ more precious than gaining the whole world, more precious than life itself.

Crucified and risen, the Lord Jesus said to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 18.18-20).

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you are the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God! You came because we all are sinners – made in the image of God, but fallen, broken sinners. You came because the wages of sin is death and only by your death could we be redeemed, restored, forgiven. You came so that the message about repentance and forgiveness of sins could be brought to all people throughout the world. Thank you, Lord Jesus! Amen.

In His Grip

History

is full

of gurus

who gathered

followers

and set out

to change

the world.

Their graves

have become

shrines

for devotion

and worship.

Passionate

devotees

still

impact

our world.

There is

just one

who said,

“On the third day

I will rise again!”

His grave

was empty –

his word

is true!

When fear

gnaws

or doubt

invades,

I know

his word

is true,

he holds me

in his grip.

Matthew 17.1-23 Transfigured!

The two disciples who walked to Emmaus (Luke 24.13ff) were met by a stranger who seemed to know nothing about the events in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. They were not only sad but confused. Not only had their friend Jesus been killed, but his body had disappeared and angels said he was alive. The stranger explained to them how the Scriptures clearly foretold that the Messiah had to suffer these things and then enter into his glory. Then, as they began a meal at their home in Emmaus, the stranger took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly they realised that it was the risen Jesus himself! It’s true! He’s alive! They said to each other, “ Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us? ” They now saw the whole conversation in a new light.

Today’s reading from Matthew 17 takes us back to some of the events which were pointers to Good Friday/Easter but which the disciples failed to recognise.

In chapter 16 we hear Peter’s declaration, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”, a truth which Peter had grasped by revelation from the Father in heaven. Now that they had grasped that truth, Jesus began to explain to them that he must go to Jerusalem where he would suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. He would be killed and on the third day would be raised to life. Now Peter protests – this is not his picture of “the Christ, the Son of the living God”! And Jesus says to Peter, “ Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

So the two who went to Emmaus shouldn’t have been so totally in the dark! But if Jesus was “the one who was going to redeem Israel”, this violent death shouldn’t have happened! Or, to get back to Peter’s words, if Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, this should never happen to him!

So – into chapter 17. “After six days” – six days after Peter’s great profession about who Jesus is and his great blunder about why he had come – “ Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves .” While they watched, they saw Jesus with a glory that was hidden for most of his earthly ministry. And they saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. This made a deep impression on them. John says in his gospel, “ We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father ” (John 1.14b). Peter wrote about it in his second letter, “ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain ” (2 Pet. 1. 17-18).

Peter was so impressed that he wanted to suspend the agenda of suffering Jesus had been speaking about and stay there. We can sense that in his offer to build three shelters, “ Lord, it is good for us to be here !” This is even further reinforced in Luke’s account where we are told that Moses and Elijah “ talking with Jesus… about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem ” (Luke 9.31). Peter is saying, Stay here, Lord! If Moses and Elijah are here, the promises are fulfilled already! Let’s all stay here!

Then the voice from the cloud, “ This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! ” (Matthew 17.5) And that means hearing for the sake of heeding, listening in order to obey!

As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “ Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

But they haven’t really grasped this dying bit at all. There will be suffering before the glory will be revealed again. But isn’t Elijah coming first? Yes, and in fact he has come – in the person of John the Baptist. They didn’t recognise him either, but ill-treated him, just as they will also ill-treat the Son of Man.

But Jesus had come into the world for the sake of human need. He had laid aside his rightful exaltation in glory. He would continue to be submissive and obedient even to the point of death on the cross. And on the way to that redemptive suffering and death, he would continue to care for needy people whose paths crossed his. And if they would be his followers, they too must accept the path of servanthood and suffering.

Having returned to the crowd, Jesus is met by an anxious father whose son was having seizures. He has brought him to the disciples, “but they could not heal him”. The boy’s problem was demonic and Jesus commanded the demon to leave the boy and at once he was healed.

But of course, the disciples couldn’t heal him! It was not a matter of understanding and using the right formula. God is the healer. What they lacked was faith in God. With faith we have no limitations except the will of God.

Jesus is alive – as one writer put it, “let loose in the world”! No longer is he limited by time and space. There are resources available only through him. We are called to put our trust in him as our Saviour and step out trusting him as our Lord. He may sometimes give the mountain-top experiences, but then calls us into the valleys of service.

Now to the whole group back in Galilee, Jesus says, “ The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life” (vv. 22-23).

He spoke to them so clearly, yet they had a mental block to the crucifixion and missed the promise of the resurrection!

PRAYER: Glorious Lord, we worship you. We want to listen to your words so that we can do them. You laid aside your heavenly glory to live a humble human life. Your glory was sung by the angels while you lay as a baby in a bed of straw. Your glory was glimpsed by three disciples on the mountain as you talked with Moses and Elijah. But for the rest of the time your glory was hidden. You didn’t jump down from the pinnacle of the Temple. You didn’t come down from the cross. You gave yourself for us sinners, and on the third day rose from the dead! We worship you, Jesus! Amen!

Glorious Lord!

Heavenly glory

was concealed

in him

was heavenly love

revealed.

We did not know

and would not hear

the falling blow

of mortal fear

that held this race

in sinful night

who fled his face

who has the right

to judge and toss

in deepest hell

each sinner lost

since Adam fell.

Heavenly glory

was concealed

in him

was heavenly love

revealed.

His glory hid,

God’s love to show,

we tried to rid -

we did not know...

"Father, forgive",

his dying cry.

In him we live -

we know not why

his life was poured

for sinners given -

he is the Lord

of earth and heaven!

Heavenly glory

was concealed

in him

was heavenly love

revealed.

Heavenly glory

now restored,

we worship him

our glorious Lord!

Matthew 17.24-18.9 The Greatest in the Kingdom

Peter, James and John had come down the mountain with Jesus and joined the others where the boy with the demon was healed. Now they moved back to Capernaum where tax collectors were waiting for them.

The rule was that every Jew twenty years old and above had to pay a tax of half a shekel or two drachmas every year to support the temple. It appears that both Peter and Jesus had not yet paid for that year, so the collectors sought Peter out. Their question implied that Jesus wasn’t keeping the law. Peter said that Jesus does pay the tax.

In the ensuing conversation, Jesus was saying that not only should he as King be tax-free, but also his disciples, as sons of the kingdom. They too had a privileged position, and the King should provide all they needed. However, Jesus had no intention to make an issue or cause offense. The religious leaders were always looking for accusations to use against Jesus. So Jesus sent Peter fishing. He was to throw out his line. The first fish would have in its mouth a four-drachma coin – the exact amount needed to pay the tax for both of them.

The privilege of being a son of the kingdom… Perhaps that is what gave them the opportunity to ask a question they all had, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18.1). They were clearly anticipating an earthly kingdom and wondering what positions of honour they would have.

It seems to have been a running argument between the disciples. And even when Jesus had died, come to life again and was about to hand all the responsibility over to them, they still had a big question, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1.6). At that point, they still hadn’t given up the hope that one of them would be the greatest.

Back to Matthew 18… When the disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest, Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them – “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (vv. 3-4). It is as if he was saying, “My dear friends, you won’t even make it unless you change and become like little children!”

On a later occasion, the disciples were sending away the parents who were bringing their children for Jesus to bless them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (19.14). They hadn’t got the message! They hadn’t understood childlike faith or the gravity of putting any cause of stumbling in the way of one of these little ones.

You talk about being the greatest. You have to change and become like little children. The Kingdom of heaven is made up of people who have a faith like that of little children.

That doesn’t mean we have to be children – or to be childish – to enter the Kingdom of God. But there is only one way to come – with a childlike faith. No one is too young to respond to the love of God. No one outgrows the need to know the love of God.

We as adults can sing that old hymn –

Jesus loves me! This I know

for the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong –

they are weak but he is strong!

Tragedy is that so many of us think we have outgrown that childlike faith. We may have given up the childish game, “king of the castle” but we’re still busy proving ourselves and trying to become the greatest!

Then take the words of Charles Wesley’s hymn –

Give me the faith which can remove

and sink the mountain to a plain;

give me the childlike praying love,

which longs to build thy house again;

thy love, let it my heart o’erpower

and all my simple soul devour. (AHB 479)

Now there’s someone who has a mature meaty adult outlook – no “kid stuff” here. And life is such a stretch that he wants a faith to match! But notice that he prays “give me the childlike praying love.”

Childlike faith is a simple unquestioning dependence on our heavenly Father. It is true that some children may go through a phase of rebellious independence. That isn’t the image Jesus is presenting here.

James Drummond Burns wrote,

As helpless as a child who clings

Fast to his Father’s arm

And casts his weakness on the strength

That keeps him safe from harm:

So I, my Father, cling to Thee,

And thus I every hour

Would link my earthly feebleness

To Thine almighty power. (MHB 508)

It is true that learning to be independent is part of growing up. However, choosing to be independent of God is utter folly.

So little children are precious to the Lord, and it is important, on the one hand, to welcome them, and on the other, to ensure that there is nothing to break that simple faith – in a child or adult. The Good News Bible puts it, “ If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied round his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith! Such things will always happen – but how terrible for the one who causes them!” (vv. 6-7)

There is only one who is the greatest in the Kingdom – Jesus! Let us put our trust in him for every day.

PRAYER: Loving Father, how we try to make ourselves out to be someone special – or run ourselves down as of no account! Grant us that simple childlike trust in you – knowing that you do love us, that we already have a special place in your heart, that you have cleared away all the barriers of sin and selfishness that might keep us from you… Thank you! Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

All-Glorious!

I struggle

to be great

but always fall –

no right in me

to earn

my place at all!

Empty-handed

I can come –

devoid of worth –

to claim the name

of him who came

upon this earth.

I cannot plead

my lofty best –

my paltry loss!

My only gain

is Jesus’ pain

upon the cross!

The hand of God

extends

to welcome me.

The loving

Father’s grasp

has set me free!

Humble

he came –

a Stranger –

born

and laid

in manger!

Raised

from death

victorious!

Hail

the King

all-glorious!

Matthew 18.15-35 Forgiving

“If your brother sins against you…” (Matthew 18.15). We hear these words against the background of the disciples’ jealousy and ambition for the greatest place in the Kingdom. Jealousy and personal ambition bring about irritation and edginess about “rivals”.

In a workplace quiet words are spoken behind a person’s back – perhaps in hope that an unfavourable rumour will get back to the boss. Jealousy and ambition are a feeding ground for gossip.

But Jesus is talking about “sin” in a serious sense. We can make everything into a “sin” where our personal wants and wishes have been crossed!

“Go and show him his fault... just between the two of you.” Don’t spread a story! Until you have talked to him directly, you only have a half-story! You are inclined to interpret what has happened in a way that favours your own point of view. You have been hurt. Have you misunderstood his intentions? Has he been reacting to something objectionable about you?

Jesus had said plainly in the Sermon on the Mount – “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift " (5.23-24). Reconciliation is important for both of you.

“If he listens to you, you have won your brother over” (18.15). Listening is needed on both sides. But where we are talking about a clear sin, we have to be direct about it – you were lying to me, you did not deal honestly with me, you set about to destroy my character. If the sin is acknowledged, reconciliation can begin to take place.

"But if he will not listen…” (v. 16). Only then is it permissible to “take one or two others along”. They will be able to have an independent view of the whole situation, will confirm that the other person has sinned against you and will add their call for him to acknowledge his fault. Of course, they might conclude that there is fault on both sides or that you are being totally unreasonable.

“If he refuses to listen to them…” (v. 17). The matter then goes before the whole church – in his presence. And if he will not listen to the church, he is to be regarded as “ a pagan or a tax collector ” – a non-believer.

Jealous ambition is to have no place among them. They need to express agreement and peace. “ Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” (v. 19). What a promise! The Father will be listening! There is power when the Lord’s people agree concerning matters for prayer! “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (v. 20).

Jesus strongly taught the necessity of forgiveness. It was part of the model prayer he gave us, “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

But we have a problem. Some sins (especially ours!) are not so bad and can be forgiven. But other sins are so bad as to be unforgivable. That’s not what the Bible teaches, of course! All sins are serious and deserving of death, and all, except one, can be forgiven. That one is the sin against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3.28-29). The Holy Spirit works within us to bring us to repentance. It is possible so to have resisted and rejected his warnings that repentance is no longer possible. Those words were given to the “morally good” of his day.

So when we talk about forgiveness, we need to grasp the seriousness of sin – all sin, including our own – and to realise that, in forgiveness, the debt has been cancelled, the creditor has taken the debt on himself.

Just think about the parable of the unforgiving servant (vv. 21-35). Until the debt was forgiven, the servant was held responsible and accountable for it. But what happened to the debt when it was forgiven? Did it somehow mysteriously disappear? No – it was debited against the king’s account. The king accepted the loss. It was no longer the servant’s debt but the king’s loss.

The Christian doctrine of forgiveness focuses on the work of Christ on the Cross. As we consider the Cross we see the Son of God bearing the costly consequences of our sins. Some eight centuries before, the prophet Isaiah had written, “ Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53.4-6)

The Cross of Christ represents the cost of our forgiveness. When we accept God’s forgiveness of our sins in Christ, we acknowledge that our debt has been paid by Jesus.

But Jesus emphasised very strongly that receiving forgiveness commits us to be willing to forgive others.

Peter’s question in today’s reading was how many times he had to go on forgiving his brother – seven times seemed suitably generous. It is curious to think of rough, abrasive Peter asking this in relation to his gentler approachable brother, Andrew! Jesus’ answer – “seventy times seven” – wasn’t meant to put an upper limit on our forgiving. Instead, it was to indicate that forgiving is to be a way of life. We have been forgiven immensely more than we are ever called upon to forgive others.

The story ends with the king very angry and ordering the servant to jail “ to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed” (v. 34). The amount owed was so exaggeratedly large (the equivalent of tens of millions of dollars!) that his final release would be quite out of the question. Now hear the sober conclusion of Jesus – “That is how my Father in heaven will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (v. 35).

Whenever we are unwilling to forgive, we are asserting ourselves better than another. Yet the cost we bear is so slight in comparison with what God bears when, in response to our petition, he forgives us what we owe him.

We need the attitude of David in Psalm 139.23-24 – “ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ”

Be assured and comforted. The debt has been paid. “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness ” (1 John 1.9).

Be willing to forgive others. We can’t afford to carry hurts and grudges throughout our lives. Do we want to be forgiven? Then forgive!

PRAYER: Loving Lord, reveal to us our hidden sins and any areas where we refuse to forgive another person. We thank you that Jesus came and carried all the penalty for our sin, and that in Jesus we are forgiven. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Forgiven, Forgive!

My sins

are little –

hardly

worth a mention,

or so I think!

Yet Jesus died

a harsh and cruel

penalty,

not just

for grosser sinners –

so judged

by society

and its laws –

but for me

who thinks

my sins so little,

hardly

worth a mention!

But take the person

who offends

or causes me dislike...

I’ll cherish

my resentment,

my disdain.

No love of God

or man

for such a one!

My measly sins

forgive,

but hold that one

accountable!

Forgive

as I forgive!

My awful load,

my guilt

upon him lay!

I cannot but forgive

another

for whom Christ died.

Released,

I must release.

Forgiven,

I forgive!

Matthew 19.16-30 The Rich Young Ruler

A little boy was offered the opportunity to select a dog for his birthday present. At the pet store, he was shown a number of puppies. From them he picked one whose tail was wagging furiously. When he was asked why he selected that particular dog, the little boy said, “I wanted the one with the happy ending.”

That may have been part of the goal of the rich young man who came to Jesus. His word for it, of course, was “eternal life”. But I am sure he was wanting life to be meaningful, fulfilling, rich rewarding… He accepted that there was plenty of hard work to do and sweat. He wanted to be able to play his part to make the world a better place. He wanted life to be pleasant, and, in the end, a happy ending.

Already he had enough money. Have we ever wished for a bit more? What would we do if we had more money?

We aren’t told where this young man got his money. He had received it honestly – perhaps as an inheritance, perhaps through hard work. There are some people who assume that having money is evil. But that is nonsense. The love of money is the root of many evils. Too many people are possessed by their possessions and obsessed with getting a little more and a little more – or a lot more and a lot more! But money itself is neutral. It is a means of living and has great potential for good and ill in this world – depending on how we use it!

He had enough money, but it didn’t satisfy him! It didn’t guarantee the happy ending and he knew it! Yet perhaps it might in fact be the means of doing something to that end! “What good thing must I do…?”

He was a young man of deep moral principle. He is asking Jesus about the good. The good has to do with God himself. The secret of life is doing his will. So keep the commandments…

“I have already kept all these commandments. What else do I need to do?”

He was a young man of deep moral principle, but that didn’t satisfy him! It expressed how he ought to live, but it didn’t guarantee the happy ending and he knew it! “What else do I need to do?”

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.”

These words of Jesus are very striking. We might have expected him to say, “Come and follow me and you will have riches in heaven.” But instead, he calls on the young man to divest himself of all his worldly goods and give it all to the poor. At that point “you will have riches in heaven.” Riches cannot give us eternal life. We have to come with our nothing to receive his all. As long as we truly believe we are someone because of our bank balance, our art collection, our jewellery, our car… we will have a gnawing ache of dissatisfaction.

Remember the widow. Many rich people were dropping a lot of money into the temple treasury. A poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth no more than a couple of cents. “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had – she gave all she had to live on” (Mark 12.41-44).

Then Jesus does say, “Come and follow me.” That is the fulfilment, the completion of what he is to do.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus insisted that all our religious duties – including giving to the poor – are to be done for God’s sake, not for our personal credit in society (Matthew 6.1ff). If we could be persuaded to give away all our goods, we would want to do it in as conspicuous a way as possible. And for this rich young man it would be impossible to give all away and start following Jesus without society noticing. But he needs to follow. He needs to learn love, humility, compassion, dependent trust in God… He needs to be part of the Kingdom and involved in all that will come to imply. It is not enough to be an isolated do-gooder. His wealth has been part of his identity, part of his security. Following Jesus will bring a new identity, a new security.

Jim Elliot, a young missionary who was martyred for his faith, encouraged others to serve when he said: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Elliot and his three friends gave up their lives in a desperate effort to bring the gospel to the hostile Auca Indians.

And that is it! This young man will give up all he has and gain something far more important.

“When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was very rich.”

“I assure you it will be very hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven. I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” There was an old Jewish proverb that a man did not even in his dreams see an elephant pass through the eye of a needle. Jesus is saying that riches can never help a person to gain entrance to the Kingdom. We cannot buy our way to God’s favour.

“Who, then, can be saved?” It seemed to the disciples that a rich person with strong moral principles would have a very good chance of entering the Kingdom. Almsgiving was an important religious duty and a devout rich person could keep on doing this throughout his life.

But Jesus is emphasising that for anyone – rich or poor – entrance to the Kingdom can only come as a gift from God. No one is advantaged – or disadvantaged – all have to learn the way of utter dependence on God.

And for them – his disciples who had given up all to follow him – there would be the discovery of rewards infinitely greater than anything they had surrendered for his sake.

An anonymous author penned the following lines in great remorse: “How foolishly I have employed myself! In what delirium has my life been passed! How I’ve wasted my life while the sun in its race and the stars in their courses have lent their beams – perhaps only to light me to perdition! I have pursued shadows and entertained myself with dreams. I have been treasuring up dust and sporting myself with the wind. I might have grazed with the beasts of the fields, or sung with the birds of the woods, to much better purposes than any for which I have lived.”

Our greatest need is to come – to give ourselves, our all, to him (how little it really is!), so that he may give his all to us! If we really want the “happy ending”, then come!

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we come! Not the labours of our hands can fulfil your law’s demands; could our zeal no respite know, could our tears for ever flow, all for sin could not atone: you must save, and you alone. Nothing in our hand we bring, simply to your cross we cling; naked, come to you for dress; helpless, look to you for grace; foul, we to the fountain fly; wash us, Saviour, or we die. Loving Lord, we come! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

A Life Complete

I want

a life

complete,

fulfilling,

fulfilled.

Surely

I will find it

in some latest thing

recently designed

strongly pressed

on me

by the media.

Surely

I will find it

in some latest idea

propounded

by a modern guru

expounded

in TV soapie

and glossy magazine.

Why do I keep on looking?

Why does the quest go on?

Why is nobody finally

satisfied?

Why do I assume

that the latest gadget or idea

can make me new?

Your way, Lord,

your way alone

can fulfil me!

Your truth, Lord,

your truth alone

can set me free!

Your life, Lord,

your life alone

can make me new!

Matthew 20.1-19 Workers in the Vineyard

A number of years ago I read an article proposing (humorously) an honest hymn book, the hymns with the thoughts that flit through our minds, like –

When morning gilds the skies,

my heart awaking cries,

Good Lord, another day!

Some people always wake up bright and fresh in the morning and begin to fade in the evening. Others are slow starters and brightest in the evening. As the old saying puts it, “Some are fowls, others are owls.”

Sometimes bitterness or guilt can build up within us because someone else is different. You know, there are some people who get all their housework done before breakfast, while others have scarcely begun until after lunch.

In today’s reading we have the parable of the workers in the vineyard. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.” This was a perfectly fair arrangement. The denarius was the usual full day’s wage for a rural worker.

The old saying is that “The early bird catches the worm.” These workers are very pleased to get the job. Their keenness is commendable. The boss is very glad to get a good team of workers ready to make an early start.

It seems to have been harvest time and there is a degree of urgency to get the grapes off. So the boss goes down to the marketplace at nine, finds some more men with nothing to do and hires them, agreeing to pay them “whatever is right”. He still needs more help and hires further workers at noon, 3pm and 5pm.

These last workers would only get to do an hour’s work. Yet we note the boss’s concern, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”

According to Jewish law, payment had to be made at sunset, that is at 6pm, when the day ended. Leviticus 19.13 says, “Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.”

The foreman is instructed to pay the men, beginning with those who were hired last. This fact has no particular significance, except that the story requires that those called first are to witness the payment of those called last.

Those who have only worked an hour are paid a full day’s wage. When it is the turn for those who have worked the full day, they too receive a denarius. They begin grumbling, “These men who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day” (v. 12).

Modern workers would have made the same complaint – perhaps with strike action and the black listing of that particular boss! And it is unlikely a modern boss could afford to be so generous to those who hadn’t done a full day’s work!

In reply, the boss insists that he hasn’t been unfair to them, since he has given the full amount he promised them. “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (v. 15)

Jesus, of course, wasn’t giving instruction on how bosses should pay their workers. The action of this imaginary employer is like the goodness and generosity of God. The benefits of the kingdom of God are the same for all who come under the rule of the King, whenever they may come under his dominion. Jews have no precedence over Gentiles. The person converted early in life isn’t for that reason entitled to better treatment from God than the one who is much older when he experiences the new birth. All alike receive the best of treatment.

There is only one basis on which God accepts and welcomes any of us into his Kingdom, into his family. Paul insists, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2.8-10).

Writing to the Philippians, Paul lists his own (very considerable) credentials, but goes on, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” (Philippians 3.7-8).

The basis of his relationship with God isn’t his carefully strict life as a Jew, nor his considerable work as an missionary apostle. The only basis is the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

We need to understand the difference between “justice”, “mercy” and “grace”.

Justice is getting what we deserve. The early birds thought they were unjustly treated. The truth is that “all have sinned” and that “the wages of sin is death”. Justice cannot bring any of us into the Kingdom.

Mercy is not getting what we deserve – that is, not being paid the “wages of sin”.

Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Grace goes beyond mercy and speaks of the generosity of God and all that he freely gives us in Christ. God is not just merciful to us as sinners – he is generous in his love towards us. And not one of us would have a place in his Kingdom apart from his generous love – a love demonstrated so clearly in the events that would happen when the Son of Man goes up to Jerusalem.

Jesus concludes the parable with the same words that conclude the previous chapter, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (v. 16). The affairs of the Kingdom run to a different priority from our earthly way of doing things. And those who came early into the Kingdom should be rejoicing at the gracious welcome of those who have been the last to come!

One man’s testimony included this, “I got off at the Pennsylvania depot as a tramp, and for a year I begged on the streets for a living. One day I touched a man on the shoulder and said, ‘Hey, mister, can you give me a dime?’ As soon as I saw his face I was shocked to see that it was my own father. I said, ‘Father, Father, do you know me?’ Throwing his arms around me and with tears in his eyes, he said, ‘Oh my son, at last I’ve found you! I’ve found you! You want a dime? Everything I have is yours!’ Think of it. I was a tramp. I stood begging my own father for ten cents, when for eighteen years he had been looking for me to give me all that he had.”

Many who have come late have thought of all their wasted years. Yet they are still welcomed by God’s gracious love. All who have come early, be thankful – God has created you in Christ Jesus for a life of good deeds. But all of us can only live on the basis of grace.

It is possible even to spend years coming to church and doing good, and never have received God’s grace – to think that somehow we have built up a lot of credit, that God must be very pleased with us. But we cannot approach God on the basis of his justice – none of our goodness is good enough. We need to open our life to receive by faith what God has done for us on the basis of grace!

PRAYER: Eternal Father, we praise you! How all-embracing and extravagant is your love! Thank you for those through whom we heard your call, whose love and example pointed and led us to you. Thank you for your love that keeps on reaching out to others. Thank you that your generous gift is available to all. We pray that many more may come into your Kingdom while yet there is time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Generous Love

For me

no place would be

in heaven’s home.

I’d be alone –

no greatest good

of mine

could earn the key

to set me free!

Yet far beyond

my human reckoning

I see the beckoning

of generous love.

I’m called –

unworthy though I be –

the shackles gone,

for I am free!

Only one

the worthy one!

He gave his all –

I hear his call.

His life for mine,

now mine for his!

And when I hear him –

soon or late –

I find

his generous love

would wait

to call

the struggling

straggling sinner

home.

Matthew 20.20-34 True Greatness

The London Olympic Games will take place from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Will you be watching on television?

In each event there can only be one individual or team to achieve the first place – who is the greatest. And they must do it without the assistance of performance-enhancing drugs – it must be their personal achievement. For all, of course, there will have been the support of trainers, coaches, sponsors... who will share some of the elation of their gold.

We have noticed that the question about which disciple of Jesus was going to be the greatest in the Kingdom of God was important to the twelve. It was a matter of argument among them along the way on more than one occasion and here in today’s reading we have the mother of James and John bringing her request, “ Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom ” (Matthew 20.21).

James and John don’t give up easily, do they? They weren’t satisfied when the question had been brought by them all in chapter 18 – the occasion when Jesus had stood a child in the midst of them and said, “ I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me ” (18.3-5).

Now, that’s a good fine spiritual principle – the sort of thing we have come to expect from Jesus. We can accept that the greatest isn’t necessarily the person who is always up front. That’s fine, but we would like the up-front positions of honour. It doesn’t get us anywhere to argue with the other disciples – let’s get Mum to make the request. Jesus might listen to her.

But they have failed to grasp the situation, “ You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink? ” (v. 22) You have no real understanding of what lies up ahead for me – and indeed for all of you my followers. You have not seen that the total self-giving that will be required of you will make your question irrelevant. You want honour – you will receive suffering!

“We can,” they reply. They believe they are ready for the greatest challenges in their pursuit of honour. In the event, when Jesus was arrested, they all ran away – so much for their confidence! They failed under pressure!

Yet, restored, they will in fact drink the cup – they will endure suffering and martyrdom for his name’s sake – “… but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father ” (v. 23). The Son of God himself lives under the higher authority of the Father.

James and John could not have imagined that, as Jesus suffered and died on the cross, there should be, on his left and on his right, two criminals – dying for their violence and murder. The one brings a simple request, “Remember me...” and is welcomed; “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” The other dies cursing and rejecting...

The Kingdom reverses many of our ideas of how things should be. It acknowledges the reality of human rebelliousness and brokenness. Jesus accepts a cross so that we can be forgiven. By faith we receive what he has done for us. In the course of life we may well have to bear a cross for him.

True greatness is to be seen in humility and service. “ You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many ” (vv 25-28).

Their argument about greatness reached the upper room. It is in the background as Jesus rose from table, took off his outer garment, tied a towel around his waist, poured some water into a basin and began to wash their feet and to dry them with the towel. It is John who records this in chapter 13 of his gospel. The deliberate way in which he gives all these details suggests that they watched it all with wonder and amazement – and a deal of embarrassment. What’s he up to? What’s he going to do? Surely not...

Then at the end we hear him saying, “ Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them ” (John 13.12b- 17)

When Australian athletes receive their Olympic gold, silver and bronze, we will share their moment of glory. But they are the ones who have endured the rigours of self-denial and training in pursuit of this honour. It is one of those rare moments in our society when we all share a benefit someone else has won for us.

As Isaiah wrote over 800 years before Christ, “ the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed ” (Isaiah 53.5b). We share in the benefits of his service – as “he gave his life as a ransom for many.” He calls us to a life of humility and service.

The story moves on. They have been heading towards Jerusalem. They are leaving Jericho. Two blind beggars hear that Jesus is passing by and begin to shout, “ Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us! ” (Matthew 20.30) The crowd tells them to be quiet, but that only provokes them to call out even more loudly.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, we want our sight!”

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes; at once they were able to see, and they followed him.

Such a simple story, following the “heavy” question of greatness. The gospel writer makes no particular comment about it – he just records that it happened. Yet, it illustrates the principle. First, they sought and received what only Jesus could do for them. Then, sight restored, they followed him.

Our quest is not to be for glory and honour. That wasn’t the right request to bring. We need the “service” of his redemption – and then to follow him, wherever he leads us. We can depend on him to be with us and all can receive the joy of coming through to glory.

Are we going for gold? “ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God ” (Hebrews 12.1-2).

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we worship you. You are exalted – far above all earthly “greats”, far beyond our earthly reach. And yet – you humbled yourself, taking a lowly place as one of us. And unlike us, you were obedient to the Father, obedient to the point of death on a cross – taking that death for us, the sinners, so we can be forgiven. Like the two blind beggars, we cry out, “Lord, have mercy on us!” And now, forgiven, we follow you – not just followers, but family. Thank you, Lord! Amen.

The Greatest!

I don’t feel very great!

I think I’m running late,

too late to join the race.

My hot and panting face

betrays

the labouring of my heart!

Too late I try to start,

my limbs too weak to go –

I am just hopeless, slow!

The noise is just so loud –

this slowly-plodding crowd.

It seems we’re in the pack –

forever dropping back –

but then…

is no one in the lead?

has no one got the speed

to cross the finish line

in record time?

Right from the head to tail

it seems we all will fail!

We hear no rallying cheer

to say the goal is near!

What’s that?

As we begin to doubt,

we hear a mighty shout –

the race, it says, is won!

The prize for everyone!

The strongest is too weak,

the weakest too can seek

the prize that He has won

and offers everyone!

For see!

His all He gave for all

and all can heed His call.

No longer run alone –

we’re heading for our home!

Matthew 21.1-17 Hosanna!

The Passover feast was drawing near. Pilgrims from all over Palestine were coming to Jerusalem. Pilgrims from other parts of the Roman Empire were coming too.

Some of those pilgrims were coming this year with added expectation – Jesus would be there. Perhaps this would be the time of declaration for which many of them had been waiting – the public disclosure and recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. Surely that would be a time of great joy for the Jews and terror for the Romans!

A small crowd of pilgrims clustered around Jesus and his twelve disciples. As they drew near to the village of Bethphage, on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, Jesus asked two of his disciples to fetch a colt that they would find tethered with its mother near the entrance to the village.

This may have been a surprise to disciples and crowd alike. Surely a horse would be more fitting for the one coming as conqueror and king! But as he declared himself, Jesus was deliberately fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9.9-10 –

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!

Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and having salvation,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will take away the chariots from Ephraim

and the war-horses from Jerusalem,

and the battle bow will be broken.

He will proclaim peace to the nations.

His rule will extend from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

It was a unique occasion, though not quite what the crowd had expected. As the pilgrims approached Jerusalem they began calling out, according to the usual practice, the words of what are known as the Hallel Psalms – Psalms 113 to 118 which were sung at the Feast of Passover. With Jesus there riding the colt, the traditional words had added significance –

The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone;

the Lord has done this,

and it is marvellous in our eyes.

This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

O Lord, save us;

O Lord, grant us success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

From the house of the Lord we bless you. (Psalm 118.22-26)

The shout of “Hosanna!” simply comes from the Hebrew of v. 25 and meant “save us!” It became a particular shout of this crowd as they believed themselves to be at the great moment of fulfilment. The traditional words were so appropriate as they escorted Jesus into the holy city. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Excitedly they cut down palm branches and spread their cloaks on the road. As the crowd entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. People were asking, “Who is this?” Some of them were visitors who they hadn’t heard of Jesus. “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” For others, the question may have meant, “This Jesus whom we have heard about – perhaps even seen and heard – who is he really?”

There wouldn’t have been the least bit of surprise that Jesus and the crowd moved into the Temple. Surely here was the place where he would be publicly declared as Messiah. Perhaps it would also be the appropriate place for rallying support for an uprising against Rome and a re-establishment of an independent kingdom of Israel. After all, Jesus had said a great deal about the Kingdom of heaven and the embodiment of this in an earthly state wouldn’t be unexpected in the least. True the Jewish leaders weren’t exactly “on side”. But surely as they considered Jesus’ credentials and the measure of his popular support, they would be won over. Hosanna to the Son of David!

But to everyone’s surprise Jesus boldly and directly confronted the buying and selling that went on in the Temple. He made himself a whip and started to drive out all who were trading there – overturning the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. He said, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers!”

In Isaiah 56 we hear the Lord saying to the foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord, serve him, love his name, worship him, keep the Sabbath and hold fast to the covenant, “these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (v. 7).

The part of the Temple where people of other nations were permitted to come was called the Court of the Gentiles. This is where the buying and selling was taking place – no place for prayer!

And Jesus began healing the blind and the crippled in the Temple. This Court of the Gentiles became the place where he taught over the next few days and the burning anger of the Jewish leadership was becoming steadily confirmed in its resolve to stop all this before it went too far.

Did the same crowd that called out “Hosanna!” later call out “Crucify him!”? There were many people in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. It may not have been the same people, though crowds can be very fickle. Certainly, Jesus had only a very small band of open supporters at the end.

What did the crowd expect? What had Jesus come to do? Was the “Hosanna! Save us!” too much caught up in the nationalistic desires of the people? Had the actions and words of Jesus in cleansing the Temple exposed for the leaders and too many of the people their very low priority for prayer and praise?

And what are our expectations? What do we expect him to do? “Hosanna! Save us!” What are we hoping for?

Jesus has come to save us! He has come to deal with the wrongs in “us”, rather than in “them”! Not the Roman garrison whose watch-tower overlooked the Temple, but the Temple itself! In 70AD the Roman armies would destroy the Temple, but already it had been destroyed as a house of prayer for all nations! The basic problems are not “out there” but “in here”!

PRAYER: Hosanna! Save us, Lord! Forgive us for our words and actions that destroy this world as a place of prayer and praise! Hosanna! Save us, Lord! Help us truly to welcome you! Amen!

Hosanna!

Hosanna! Save us!

Hear our cry!

The centuries have passed us by –

we’ve trusted fast Almighty God,

but felt the chastening of his rod!

Right now we come from far and near,

for Passover is almost here.

Hosanna! Save us!

Hear our cry!

The Roman soldiers standing by,

but Zion beckons as we climb

to join the Feast this hallowed time.

We’ll celebrate the great Release

while smarting under Roman peace.

Hosanna! Save us!

Hear our cry!

A swelling noise is coming by.

Give heed! give heed! This shouting mass

comes after One upon an ass.

Excitedly they raise their voice

to bid the city to rejoice –

Hosanna! Save us!

Messiah’s here!

But on the Mount, no echoing cheer,

just noisy din and beastly smell –

a market-place to buy and sell!

Stop! Get out! Away from there!

This is the Father’s house of prayer!

Hosanna! Save us!

Messiah’s here!

Matthew 21.18-27 Withered Fig Tree

Last week we were thinking about the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday. We had the contrast between the welcoming “Hosannas” and the market-place in the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple. Perhaps we think back to the twelve-year-old Jesus “in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers”. And his answer to Mary and Joseph who had been anxiously searching for him, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2.46-49)

Now, some twenty years later, we see and hear him in the Temple again furious with holy anger – “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’.” (Matthew 21.13) We wonder if there were still leaders about who remembered the earlier visit.

He went out of the city to the town of Bethany, only a couple of miles away on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, spending the night quite probably in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

Early next morning as they headed back into the city, Jesus was hungry. “Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves” (v. 19). The early figs start in spring and develop after the leaves. The main fig crop was early autumn. There should have been figs on a tree which had a crop of leaves. Experts have said that a fig tree without fruit in early spring could be assumed to be a diseased tree.

“May you never bear fruit again!” (v. 19) Immediately the tree withered. Mark tells us that the disciples heard Jesus curse the tree, but didn’t notice that it was withered till the next morning on their return to Jerusalem (Mark 11.14, 20 ).

Jesus had, as Paul puts it, “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2.7). He accepted and lived with the limitations of a human existence. This makes all the more significant an important lesson on faith that comes from the withering of the fig tree – “ I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea’, and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21.21-22).

Jesus had said something similar in 17.20. And in 19.26 he had told them that “with God all things are possible”. So Jesus wasn’t talking about faith in faith, but faith in the God with whom all things are possible.

There are those who have suggested that it would have been uncharacteristic for the loving Lord Jesus to be so harsh as to curse a tree. We don’t meet that kind of complaint when Jesus “rebuked the wind and the waves” (v. 26), though no doubt the skeptics would claim that didn’t happen anyway.

John describes him as the Word, fully divine, who was with God in the beginning and – “t hrough him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1.3). The Word-made-flesh, with all the limitations he had accepted, would know what to expect of a fig tree.

And God the Son would know what to expect of the Father’s chosen people! That had been the issue when he entered the Temple after riding into Jerusalem. They had made the Father’s house of prayer into a den of robbers. It continued to be the issue during this final week of teaching in the Temple.

As Jesus was teaching, the “chief priests and elders of the people” came to him – “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21.23). They were from the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. They had responsibility for checking the credentials of any who would teach in this holy place. Indeed, no rabbi spoke for himself – his teaching would typically refer back to the many rabbis who had preceded him.

And here was Jesus. He had overturned the marketing that had been going on in the Court of the Gentiles (v. 12), had healed the blind and the lame (v. 14), had accepted the children shouting “Hosanna!” in the temple area (v. 15) and was now teaching in the Temple Court – freshly cleared from all the marketing din.

They were cunning. They could see that Jesus was popular – but they couldn’t just let all this happen without comment. Authority! This was their domain – the place where their authority was absolute! Or was it? Jesus had just challenged that. He was insisting it was God’s house not theirs! They might be custodians, but were they rightly fulfilling that role?

Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism – where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” (vv. 24-25)

That put them on the spot. When Sadducees and Pharisees had come to where John was baptising, he had spoken very harshly to them – “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?…” (3.7). There was no denying it – they hadn’t believed and welcomed John as a messenger from God. But there was a crowd here – supporters of Jesus and no doubt supporters of John as well. They couldn’t publicly call John a mere man when the people held John to be a prophet.

So they said, to give it in our modern idiom, “Pass!” They were afraid to say what they really thought.

“Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” (21.27).

Jesus didn’t seek or need their authorisation. He was in his Father’s house to do his Father’s business.

Jesus knew what he expected of a fig tree. He also knew what he should have found among the Lord’s chosen people. And what does he find in us who profess faith in him today? He comes to bring forgiveness and life, love and light – freely offered to all, freely received by all who put their trust in him.

PRAYER: Gracious Lord, you created the fig tree with its intriguing inside-out flower which becomes the delicious fruit. You created us as new people in Christ to exhibit your truth and grace in the life of this world. Forgive us that too often you have found us to have nothing but leaves – nothing but outward show, too little of the reality of your saving grace within. We pray for the outworking of Christ’s completed redemption in our inmost being and our outmost living. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Only a Tree

It was only a tree –

a leafy tree,

a shady tree,

a tree to sit under

on a hot summer’s day.

It was a fig tree –

all leafy,

not a fig in sight,

but that’s OK

unless you’re hungry.

On a hot summer's day

you would give everything

for a bit of good shade!

“May you never

bear fruit again!”

But, Lord!

A withered tree is useless

but to stoke a winter’s fire!

A fruitless tree has uses

on a hot summer’s day!

Those piercing eyes are probing

my passion for the tree,

until I see he’s looking

at the fruitlessness in me!

My Lord, you have redeemed me –

your life has made me new.

You look to see your grace and truth

in all I say and do.

Too often I’m just leafy,

with only outward show.

You want to see me fruity,

but only when I know

I need you daily by me,

your Spirit-work within

cleansing, overpowering

my selfishness and sin.

Matthew 21.28-46 Doing the Work of God

Jesus was teaching in the Temple courts where he was confronted by the “ chief priests and the elders of the people”. They were trying to find a way of cornering him and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21.23). It was an attempt to trap Jesus into publicly making a claim that they had already rejected.

But, as we said last week, Jesus “knew what he should have found among the Lord’s chosen people”. But the Temple had become a noisy marketplace – not a place of prayer – and the leadership was corrupt. They were in no way ready to acknowledge him as “the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God” as Peter had at Caesarea-Philippi (16.16). In their present state they couldn’t be other than like the withered fig-tree that would “never bear fruit again” (21.19).

On the cross, however, we hear his prayer, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34). In Acts 6.7 we read, “ The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” The redemptive work of Jesus in fact opens the possibility of repentance and faith to everyone – including those who were rejecting him.

Jesus told them two parables. The first was about a man who had two sons (Matthew 21.28-32). He said to the first, “ Son, go and work today in the vineyard.”

He already decided what he wanted to do for the day. Sometime or other all of us have decided what to do for the day, when someone – perhaps a family member or a friend – comes up with a totally different request. But this was his father. The grape harvest was in full swing and he should have expected a request for help.

“ I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

Then the father made the same request to the other son. With barely a second thought, he said, “I will, sir” – all respectful, but he didn’t get round to going.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?” Obviously the first one. But now comes the point of telling the story –

“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” (vv. 31-32).

Last week we saw that Jesus had raised with the chief priests and elders the issue of their rejection of John in answering their question about his authority (vv. 23-27). So what qualifies a person to enter the Kingdom of God? Surely to be religious, attending to all the sacrifices and liturgies and feasts! Surely to live a good life, as best as we can! Surely priests and elders would have a far better than average chance of entry into the Kingdom! But no! The tax collectors and prostitutes had repented and believed. No matter how devout or virtuous we think we are, not one of us can enter the Kingdom without repentance and faith.

So another parable – this time about a landowner who “planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey” (vv. 33-41).

But when his servants came to receive his share of the crop, “t he tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way” (vv. 35-36).

Finally the owner sent his son, believing they would respect his son. Instead, the tenants saw this as the opportunity to get rid of the son and take the property for themselves. “ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him” (v. 39).

Then comes Jesus’ question, “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time” (vv. 40-41).

To us, the meaning of the story is clear. The owner is God. The vineyard is the people of Israel (as in Isaiah 5.1-7). The tenants are the religious leaders in Israel. The servants are the prophets. The son is Jesus. His death outside Jerusalem is foretold. In answering the question, the hearers condemn themselves, though they don’t immediately realise this.

Jesus goes on to quote Psalm 118.22-23 – part of the psalm sung by the crowd on Palm Sunday as they ascended into Jerusalem. The Kingdom would be taken from them and given to “a people who will produce its fruit” (v. 43).

At last they got the point. In these two parables, Jesus had obviously been talking about them, and their resolve to get rid of him was strengthened.

While Jesus was immediately referring to the Jewish leaders of the day – so prominent in the manoeuvring to have him crucified – there is a message here for us too. “ What must we do to do the works God requires?” This was the question asked by folk who sought Jesus after the feeding of the five thousand. And Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6.28-29). That is always the beginning-point from which will flow all our other service.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, we too really want to do the right thing. You call us to believe in Jesus your Son whom you sent – to repent and believe the good news. We come. We repent. We believe. Enable us to do the work you call us to do, trusting in you, extending your love and grace right where we live. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Live Each Day

The serpent tempted

Eve and Adam

away from trust

in their Creator God

who made

and loved them,

who loved them still

and promised to send

one of their seed

to crush the tempter’s head.

God called Abram

and his seed

to a life of trust

and expectation

and preparation

for the promised one,

the anointed one,

the Messiah,

who would deal

with human sin

for ever.

God called Mary,

still a virgin,

to bear a child,

to bear his Son

and call him Jesus

to save us from our sins.

God sent Jesus,

his eternal Son,

to this world

of men and women

gone astray,

to live an amazing life,

to die a cruel death,

to take the rap

for human sinners.

Lord, we receive!

We believe!

We trust you!

To live each day

with you, we pray!

Matthew 22.1-14 The Wedding Banquet

Times have changed and some of the old courtesies have been eroded away. These days an invitation may be sent out to a birthday – or even a wedding – and not everyone takes the trouble to answer an invitation and some of these may in fact still expect to be able to come! Others accept, but then fail to turn up!

In today’s reading Jesus is telling a story about a king who invited people to a wedding feast for his son.

Usually there was an initial invitation, followed by a call to all those invited that the feast was now ready. But in Jesus’ story, the invited guests showed no interest in coming and, when the second urgent call went out, the invited guests “paid no attention and went off – one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them” (Matthew 22.5-6). It was clear defiance of the king’s authority, aggravated still more by political murder.

The king in his anger sends out troops to suppress the offenders. He now calls his servants and says to them, “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find” (vv. 8-9). Soon the wedding hall was filled with all sorts of people – good and bad alike.

The king goes in to look at the guests and sees a man not wearing wedding clothes. Apparently the king gave them all wedding clothes as they arrived, for they came off the streets . This man has either neglected or refused to wear the provided garment. Either way, he has seriously insulted the king and is summarily thrust outside. Jesus speaks here, as he does elsewhere, of the pain and suffering of those excluded from the feast.

Jesus then sums up the teaching of this parable with the words, “For many are invited, but few are chosen” (v. 14).

This parable follows the parable of the two sons and the parable of the tenants in the vineyard. We clearly see further references to the way the Jewish leadership was responding to Jesus.

God’s gracious invitation had gone out to them through the Old Testament prophets. Now in John the Baptist and in Jesus himself the call to come was going out with urgency, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!” – “My feast is now ready… Come… !” But the invited people – the Jews as a whole and their leaders – were either ignoring the invitation or acting in positive defiance of it.

Because of their rejection, the invitation would go out to the Gentiles, to anyone on the highway of life – none need be excluded.

We need to understand that parables usually make a limited number of points. We have to resist the temptation to squeeze meaning from every detail of the story. Jesus is not suggesting by this parable that God’s original purpose didn’t include an invitation to those who were non-Jews. We recall the Lord’s words to Abram in Genesis 12, “I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you ” (vv. 2-3). Most Jews certainly failed to remember that broad sweep and wanted a divine blessing that was exclusive to them. That is why Jesus tells them this story in this way – those despised Gentiles are going to receive the invitation and many will respond positively to it.

Have we heard the invitation? Do we know that God loves us? Do we realise that God has invited us to be part of his Kingdom and to share in the great celebration? Up to this point, we may have paid no attention, ignoring God as we go about our daily business.

True, some have been more deliberate in their rejection and have openly made their jibes about those who have “got religion”. But it is also possible to have been involved for years in the life of the church, appreciating the values taught, enjoying the music, involved in the activities… but never really grasping the invitation or responding to it.

We don’t get to heaven by association – otherwise the Jews should all be there already, and Jesus wouldn’t have bothered to tell this parable! We get there by invitation – God’s gracious invitation to us. Have we heard the invitation? What have we done about the RSVP?

From the words of Jesus we gather the seriousness of ignoring or rejecting the invitation – the seriousness of the Jewish rejection of the Messiah. In the words of the King, “those I invited did not deserve to come.”

But who is this other lot? They are brought in – “both good and bad”. That seems so unfair! The good, perhaps, but not the bad. How can they in any sense be said to “deserve” to be at the feast?

We note again the words from the parable of the two sons, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you ” (21.31). How can such people in any sense be said to “deserve” a place within the Kingdom of God?

The answer is “They can’t!” They can only come by gracious invitation. But they do have to respond to it. Each of us is worthy of a place, not because of how good we are, but because God is good and we have been willing to respond to his call.

And this gives point to the wedding clothes. Augustine suggested that they represent God’s gracious provision. Of themselves the people off the streets aren’t fit to be there. We can only come, clothed in a righteousness which is not of our own making – clothed in the righteousness of Christ our Saviour.

All right, so we may have heard the invitation. We know that God is calling us to be part of his Kingdom, part of his family. But we don’t feel good enough. We believe ourselves to be unworthy. We cannot make any claims. We dare not call ourselves a child of God. But it is the Father who is saying, “I welcome you! You belong to me!” Who are we to doubt the welcome that follows the invitation?

PRAYER: Loving Father, you bid us come, you say we are welcome! But we don’t feel worthy – and we know we aren’t worthy! Only your Son Jesus has lived the truly worthy life and he gave his life for us so you can freely welcome us because of his worthiness. He’s alive, and his death and resurrection is the guarantee that we are forgiven and that we may freely and joyfully come. Thank you, Father, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Taste and See

Taste and see!

The Lord invites us.

Know his goodness, love and grace.

Strong and true

to all who trust him,

he is waiting –

wait no longer.

Taste and see – for you, for me.

Taste and see!

For Jesus bids us

welcome to his festive board!

Sinners all

may come to trust him –

all can know him,

be forgiven –

taste and see his saving grace.

Taste and see!

The Spirit moves us

to the richer, deeper life –

life fulfilling

ever willing

with the Father

and the Son.

Taste and see – for you, for me.

Matthew 22.15-46 Setting the Trap

Today’s reading begins “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words ” (Matthew 22.15).

Jesus had entered Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday – riding on a donkey in deliberate fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. It wasn’t the expected Messianic announcement, but the common people understood well enough and welcomed Jesus as “the Son of David” (21.9). That this should have happened without the investigation and approval of the Jewish leaders was bad enough. But Jesus went straight into the Temple “and drove out all who were buying and selling there”, saying that the Father’s house of prayer had been made “a den of robbers” (21.12-13). All this trade was going on with the leaders’ approval – and they no doubt received their commission.

They discussed the matter overnight and confronted Jesus the next day – “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority? ” (21.23) Jesus threw a question back to them, “John’s baptism – where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men? ” Jesus caught them at their own game and they wouldn’t answer.

Then Jesus told them three parables. First, the two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard. The one who said he wouldn’t go changed his mind and went. That’s like the tax collectors and prostitutes who repented under John’s preaching – but you didn’t!

Second, the tenants in the vineyard who refused to give the owner his share of the harvest and finally killed the owner’s son in a bid to seize the vineyard for themselves. The chief priests and Pharisees knew the parables were about them – they wanted to arrest him, but couldn’t for fear of the crowds.

Third, Jesus told about the wedding feast. The invitation was ignored or rejected by those first invited, so that others from the streets were gathered into the feast. This was against the Jewish leaders too.

There were some curious alliances in this attempt to “get” Jesus. First we see Pharisees and the Herodians (members of Herod’s party) come to trap him.

They begin with flattery – you always tell the truth, even if it might be unpopular. Then the trap question, “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? ” A curious alliance, because the Herodians would have supported the tax, whereas the Pharisees hated it.

There was a genuine question here – behind a very evil motive! The Roman Emperor claimed divinity and demanded worship. The Jewish Law specifically forbade worshiping other gods. The Jews were exempted from the necessity of worshiping the Emperor, but were, of course, still expected to pay tax.

Their plan was to trap Jesus whichever way he answered. If he agrees with the tax he will begin to lose popularity. If he disagrees with it, it will be a matter for the Roman authorities.

The answer of Jesus was brilliant in its simplicity. Their currency bore the face and name of the Emperor – “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s ” (v. 21).

The answer is still pertinent to us. We have responsibilities to the secular state, as well as to the Kingdom of God.

The next question is posed by the Sadducees. This group within Judaism didn’t believe in any resurrection – as against the Pharisees who did. Their anecdote may well have been one they had used against their rivals.

But Jesus is very clear in his answer. The Sadducees are in error not to believe in a resurrection. They have failed to grasp the meaning of the Scriptures or to understand the power of God.

The Old Testament Scriptures clearly imply resurrection again and again. For example, God’s statement, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” carries with it the implication that these people, long since physically dead, will be raised to life since he is “God of the living, not of the dead.”

They do not understand the power of God. Jesus had called himself “the resurrection and the life” – “whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies ” (John 11.25). On another occasion he said, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day ” (6.39). Jesus is talking about the divine power which will raise the dead to life.

Now it is the Pharisees again. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (22.36) This was a great question among them. One writer has noted, “The scribes declared that there were 248 affirmative precepts, as many as the members of the human body; and 365 negative precepts, as many as the days in the year, the total being 613, the number of letters in the Decalogue”.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments ” (vv. 37-40).

Now Jesus poses them a question. “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? ”

They answer, “The son of David.”

“How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet’. ” (vv. 43-44)

And they cannot answer him. To suggest that he is both David’s son and David’s Lord is to assert that he is both human and divine. They have never faced such a question or problem before – the reality of just who this Jesus is.

After the resurrection, when Thomas said to the risen Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”, it wasn’t the conclusion to an academic debate, but a confession of faith and a pledge of allegiance. That’s why Thomas didn’t take it lightly at all.

We need to say to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”, and then, depending on his grace, to live it out in our words and actions.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you were in the world, and though the world was made through you, the world did not recognise you. You came to your own place, but your own people did not receive and welcome you. Yet you came so that all who receive you, who believe in your name, receive the right to become the Father’s children. Our Lord and our God! Thank you! Our heavenly Father, thank you for your Love that sent Jesus your Son to be our Saviour! You have brought us into your Family. Thank you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

My Lord and my God!

I cannot see

the nail-prints

in his hands

or the scar

where the spear

pierced his side.

These proofs

that Jesus died

became the proofs

that he is alive.

But Thomas

was there -

"I must see

for myself.

I must be certain

that Jesus

is alive

because

if it’s true...

my Lord

and my God!"

Twenty centuries

have come

and gone.

I cannot see

what Thomas saw,

yet I know

it’s true.

My Lord

and my God!

Matthew 23.1-12 Humble before God

Jesus was opposed by the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the teachers of the law. They were looking for every opportunity to catch him out, hoping to expose him to public ridicule or to the condemnation of the Roman authorities. Jesus had answered them carefully and wisely. While angered by his responses, they could find no fault in him and dared not ask him any more questions.

Jesus now warns the crowds and his disciples against the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Jesus says that “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23.2). They are the ones who claim to be heirs of Moses’ authority.

Jesus doesn’t condemn their teachings here as he does elsewhere. Rather, he acknowledges that there is a measure of respect due to them. They are in fact only teachers (preachers) and, from God’s point of view, do not practise what they are teach/preach.

He describes them as task-masters, not burden-bearers, not sympathetic helpers. They took pride in loading people down with the many regulations they had added to the law. In fact their own observance of the law was wholly outward rather than inward. They made a great parade of their own holiness but had, in reality, missed the heart of the matter altogether.

They were very particular about wearing phylacteries – small leather cases in which were four strips of parchment containing Exodus 13 verses 1-10 and verses 11-16, Deuteronomy 6 verses 4-9, and 11 verses 13-21. Here is a description: “That for the head was to consist of a box with four compartments, each containing a slip of parchment inscribed with one of the four passages. Each of these strips was to be tied up with a well-washed hair from a calf’s tail; lest, if tied with wool or thread, any fungoid growth should ever pollute them. The phylactery of the arm was to contain a single slip, with the same four passages written in four columns of seven lines each. The black leather straps by which they were fastened were wound seven times round the arm and three times round the hand. They were reverenced by the rabbis as highly as the scriptures, and, like them, might be rescued from the flames on a sabbath.”

It is true that in Deuteronomy 6.4-9 we hear Moses saying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

But they had failed to grasp that these were not principally to be symbols on forehead, arms, doorposts and gates. God's law was to be the principle of their thinking, their actions, their family life, and all their comings and goings.

Again and again we hear the Old Testament prophets saying, in effect, “You’ve got it all wrong! You preserve the religious shell, but have no heart for me or for other people!” We hear the Lord saying through Isaiah, “The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me? I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations – I cannot bear your evil assemblies… wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!…” (Isaiah 1.11-13,16-17a).

Or we think of the words of Micah, “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6.6-8).

Yes, they are wearing it on their foreheads, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength”, but never in fact translating it into their lives. “To walk humbly with our God…” – that’s the very quality that was missing from their lives.

That’s not to be the way you live, Jesus tells his disciples. In fact, don’t be called “Rabbi” because you are all brothers and have only one Master. Don’t elevate another as “Father” because you have only one Father in heaven. Don’t even claim the title “Teacher” because your one and only Teacher is Christ himself (Matthew 23.8-10).

Walk humbly with our God… “The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (vv. 11-12).

C.S. Lewis wrote, “The Second Person in God, the Son, became human himself: was born into the world as an actual man – a real man of a particular height, with hair of a particular colour, speaking a particular language, weighing so many stone. The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a foetus inside a woman’s body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab.” The Son of God humbled himself. He does not ask of us more than he was willing to do himself.

Jesus calls us to a real trust in God and to humble service in his church and world. The temptation is ever before us to exalt ourselves – to impress others, to make a name for ourselves. That was not how Jesus came, nor was it why he came.

As Micah put it, “He has showed you… what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

PRAYER: Eternal Lord, you have shown us what is good. You require of us that we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you. Forgive us all the other ways we act. Thank you that Jesus came, was born a human baby, lived among us, going about doing good and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. Thank you that in his cruel death you were cancelling the penalty of our sin and that in his risen life you are with us evermore. We pray this in his name, Amen.

Time runs on ahead

In childhood days

time

seems to pass

so slowly.

Teenage impatience

cannot wait.

But as the years

roll on,

time

speeds up.

It runs on ahead -

I can’t keep up!

Instead of looking

expectantly

impatiently

at what I want to do,

I am filled

with the knowledge

of so many things

left undone.

Lord,

I need a heart of wisdom

to number my days,

to seek first your kingdom,

to know you

and to do your will.

Time

runs on ahead,

but the Son

from all eternity

has gone ahead

and beckons me.

My times

are in his hands.

Matthew 23.13-39 On the Inside

The little Negro boy didn’t have much money to spend, but he went to the fair anyway. What fascinated him most was the balloon man. He had a handful of helium-filled balloons. Whenever there was a lull in his trade, he would release a balloon and the boy would watch as it went up and up – a white one, a red one, a yellow one…

“Say, mister,” he said at last. “If you let a black balloon go, would it go up too?”

“Yes, sonny,” replied the balloon man, releasing a black balloon. “You see, sonny, it’s not the colour that makes it go up, but what’s inside!”

We certainly have a whole series of external criteria by which we evaluate a person’s worth – race, education, age, beauty, state of health, bank balance…

We look at the externals, but God looks on the heart!

A famous actor was out in a restaurant. Someone spotted him and asked, “Are you the real so-and-so?”

Actors have a problem in becoming so identified with a particular role that people begin to believe that is who they are. Generally in private life they endeavour to separate themselves from their role.

The Greek word from which we get our English word “hypocrite” was commonly used for a “play-actor” or “impersonator” – a person who isn’t really what he seems to be, who is just pretending.

It is the word Jesus uses to condemn the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. They are just play-actors, pretenders. The whole of the last section of Matthew 23 is about them. They “shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (v. 13). In their self-righteousness they didn’t admit their own need of forgiveness and change, nor did they allow others the possibility of the change Jesus was making possible to people through the Kingdom. So when they made converts they were quite unable to make them children of God.

They were so particular in a show of keeping some parts of the Law – even to a foolish extreme – but were lacking in its important teachings such as justice, mercy and honesty. In an example of divine humour, we hear Jesus saying of them, “ You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” (v. 24). So their religion was all about looking right on the outside – cleaning the outside of the cup and plate “but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence ” (v. 25) Jesus likens them to “whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean ” (v. 27).

For all their outward show of honouring the prophets of old, they show themselves willing collaborators of those who killed the prophets (v. 31).

Yes, the Saviour had come! But so many of that day were rejecting him and would face punishment because they have not received the forgiveness offered. Jerusalem itself will be destroyed.

We are called to a response of the heart to Jesus our Saviour and Lord. We have a very real danger today of being self-righteous about ourselves – shutting the door of the Kingdom in people’s faces, not going in and not letting others go in. It is not self-righteousness but truth to God’s word that calls as sin today’s forms of violence and sexual immorality – or anger, or selfishness, or slander, or drunkenness… But it is self-righteousness that condemns and refuses to offer the divine grace of forgiveness and transformation.

Jesus has opened the door of the Kingdom to all who will believe in him. He died on the cross to bear the penalty of the sins of every person. Forgiveness is offered and freely available – it only needs to be received. And the Holy Spirit is waiting to take that redemptive work of Christ and apply it in terms of the transformation of our lives.

Listen to Deuteronomy 4.29. If they disobey the Lord, they will be scattered among the nations – “There you will look for the Lord your God, and if you search for him with all your heart, you will find him.”

From Jeremiah’s letter to the Jews in exile where the Lord says, “You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29.13).

And from Isaiah 55.6-7, “Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near. Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.”

The Lord calls us to that change on the inside and to offer the gospel freely to others so that they too may experience his gracious changes from the inside.

PRAYER: Eternal Lord, you know us through and through. We come to you, not with the masks which hide our real thoughts and feelings from others, but with openness. Like David of old, we pray, “ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Make us new, from the inside out, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Justified!

I know myself,

my reasons why –

the grounds by which

I justify

the deeds

and attitudes

and thoughts

by which I live,

the name

I claim

without resort

to any other.

Yet I can never

stand alone

for one has come

and lived

and died.

I look at him –

my name is sin,

my life pretence!

I stand condemned

without defence!

No human pride

is satisfied.

I claim

the name

of him who died –

in him alone

I’m justified!

Matthew 24.1-35 Watch out, but don’t be alarmed!

Peter writes about the finiteness of the universe – of a time when “the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3.10 fn). Our confident expectation is “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (v. 13).

The New Testament sees the time we live in as “the last days” (Hebrews 1.2). The promised outpouring of the Spirit (Joel 2.28) has occurred (Acts 2.16-17). However, we look forward to “the age to come” when the promises of God will be completed for us (Mark 10.29-30). What we experience here of God’s grace and Spirit is just a foretaste of what he will give in the coming age (Ephesians 1.13-14; Hebrews 6.5). Indeed, what Christ achieved by his death and resurrection will be brought to consummation by his return in glory.

We live amid tension and conflict. Christ has come. The ransom has been paid. The good news of salvation is freely available for all people. Yet among the wheat there are weeds to be culled out at the harvest and destroyed (Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43), there are worthless fish to be thrown away (vv. 47-50).

Jesus taught that one of the Kingdom qualities is persecution because of righteousness (5.10-12). He warned and reassured his followers, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 16.33b).

At the end of Matthew 23, we hear Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’.” (vv. 37-39)

Now in chapter 24, Jesus has left the Temple and is walking away. His disciples seem to have a “tourist” interest in the Temple buildings.

This was the Second Temple. Building had commenced early in 19BC. Great care was taken to respect the sacred area during the work, even to the training of 1,000 priests as masons to build the shrine. Although the main structure was finished within 10 years, work was still going on in the time of Jesus. It was finished around 64AD. It was an extravagantly magnificent structure of cream stone and gold.

“Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (v. 2) – a prophecy fulfilled some six years after it was completed when the Roman armies under Titus sacked Jerusalem, carrying t he golden candelabrum, the table of showbread and other objects in triumph to Rome.

The disciples ask, “ Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v. 3)

There are two questions here. The reply of Jesus does not sharply distinguish between them. Much of what Jesus is saying in Matthew 24 sounds so contemporary to us. Even words that seem to point particularly to the destruction of Jerusalem are not without point for our time. For a long, long time things have been going from bad to worse in this world as people have tried to celebrate life without reference to God and then to shore up life against the uncertainties and disasters that result.

In the midst of it all, two words come through – “ Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed . Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (v. 4). On the one hand we are to “watch out” – be alert, aware of what is happening, knowing that our Lord and Master Jesus has told us it will be so – and on the other, “don’t be alarmed” – God is on the throne, Jesus is Lord and will be coming again.

This is the time when the “ gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (v. 14). The opportunity and offer of the gospel is to be available to all – as in the parable of the sower (13.1-23).

Some people and groups pour over the details to try to figure out just when the Lord will return. But we have been living in the “last days” ever since Jesus was here. How are we to live in the awareness that none of this “stuff” is ultimate? We don’t have all the answers, but the Lord has given us enough to trust him for now and for eternity. Watch out, but don’t be alarmed!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, it is so confusing, this rapidly changing world. Some changes seem so good, but others just so bad. We think ourselves so clever, but it can’t go on forever – the heights of ingenuity, the pits of our depravity! But Jesus came – his word is sure, his work secure. We’re counting on you, day by day – alert, but not alarmed. Thank you that you have promised to be with us for ever – for always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alert!

We cannot live the past –

this age is changing fast!

You told us so.

Some changes seem so good –

new ways of growing food,

new medicine to cure,

new ways of getting news,

new ways to share our views

and keep in touch…

This age is changing fast –

we think we know so much!

You told us so.

Some changes are just bad –

forgetting what is right,

our actions are a blight,

our poisoned mind

will try to find

new ways to miss the good,

let evil win,

and even public song

will idolise the wrong…

This age is changing fast!

You told us so.

Our Saviour cried

before he died.

Before he took

our sinfulness and pain,

he cried to see Jerusalem,

the representatives of good

with hands so steeped

in wickedness and blood.

He warned like fate

may yet await

the likes of us.

He told us so.

Yet he bids us be alert

and unafraid –

He’s with us!

He told us so.

Matthew 24.36-51 Be Ready!

In 1789 Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. This latter phrase has become a common quote. How would you describe it? Pessimistic? sceptical? fatalistic?

That’s certainly not the way the Bible speaks about reality. We think, for example, of verses like John 3.16-17 – “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” – and Hebrews 9.27 – “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Yes, there is death and the possibility of judgment – more far-reaching than the tax-man! But there is God and his love that gave his Son Jesus whose death was to pay the penalty we rightly deserve for our sin. He rose from death and was seen briefly – over a forty-day period – before ascending to the glory of heaven. But “he will appear a second time… to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Around forty years ago we were ministering in the Isis-Howard area. One Sunday morning, after the service in Howard, I drove to Maryborough to visit one of our members who was in hospital there. I turned on the car radio part-way through a church service. I had no idea which denomination it was. The theme of the sermon was very strongly on the second coming of Christ. It might be Baptist… or Pentecostal, I thought. But no – I shouldn’t have been surprised – it was Catholic! After all, in the Apostles’ Creed we affirm that “Jesus Christ our Lord… will come again to judge the living and the dead.” And in the Nicene Creed, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” The doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ is part of the common faith of all the mainline denominations.

I recall many years ago asking my father why I hadn’t heard him preach on the Second Coming. His reply was that, while he believed in the doctrine, it had become too associated in his mind with folk who wanted to set a date when the Lord would return. But that is the very reason why we ought not to neglect this doctrine. We shouldn’t leave it to fanatics and speculators. It was certainly a promise many times on the lips of Jesus and in the writings of the apostles.

And in Matthew 24 Jesus has been speaking about the “last days”, with a warning that “ false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible” (v. 24).

Jesus puts all human speculations aside – “ No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father… Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (vv. 36,42).

In other words, the Second Coming is certain, but not even the Son, only the Father knows the date. Why? On the one hand, it means that the devil and his angels don’t know either! On the other, it means that we “ must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when [we] do not expect him” (v. 44).

“ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (v. 37). In Genesis 6 we read, “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (v. 5) and “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways” (vv. 11-12). Jesus says that “in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24.38-39).

People will be at their usual occupations – “two men in the field… two women at the hand mill” – “ one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (vv. 40-42).

Jesus, of course, isn’t a “thief in the night”, but he uses this comparison in v. 43 to emphasise the importance of being ready at all times. Nobody – then or now – stays awake all night waiting for a thief to come. But if your house has been burgled, you’ll be on edge for some time, with broken sleep and the worry that it might happen again. That is the point – if you can afford it – when you look into protecting your house with better locks, security grilles and even a surveillance camera. All some of our modern ways of keeping alert – so we can have a good night’s sleep! “ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (v. 44).

“ Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions” (vv. 45-47).

The issue for us – and for the Church of today – is doing what our Master has given us and expects us to do. What would we do if we knew Jesus was to return tomorrow? That knowledge shouldn’t make any difference to what we do today – but would it?

But let’s look at the reality of our lives. We are mortal. This present physical life isn’t destined for heaven. It’s just a forerunner. Jesus said, “ Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14.1-3).

We may not all be here for the end of the age, but, when we come to the end of this life, Jesus will come again for us – that’s his promise – and he will take us back to be with him in his Father’s house. For that coming, we need to be alert and ready.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you came for us. You lived for us. You laid down your life for us, bringing forgiveness and salvation to all believers. You rose again for us. You ascended to the right-hand of the Father and ever live to intercede for us. You will come again in glory to this earth, bringing judgment to all that is evil and closing the history of this age. We hear your promise to come to take us home into the Father’s house to be with you for ever. Thank you, Lord! Grant us to live each day prepared for your coming. We come in your name, Amen.

Ready or Not!

In childhood days

we played the game

of hide-and-seek.

The seeker,

with closed eyes,

counted to a hundred

while all the rest

sought out

a hiding place.

But then…

“Coming, ready or not!”

Whether the hide

was found in time,

whether it was secure…

the seeker was coming.

What fun!

Our Saviour Jesus,

earthly work complete,

ascended

to the highest heaven.

The gospel task

he gave us

is to spread the word

of grace

so many

will be gathered in.

He promised

to come

to take his loved ones

home.

One day

his physical presence

will again be seen

on earth,

coming in glory

to close this age.

He said

he’s coming

ready or not!

Come, Lord Jesus!

Matthew 25.1-14 The Bridegroom is Coming!

In its day, the Titanic was the world’s largest ship, weighing 46,328 tons, 882 ½ feet long with 3 anchors weighing more than 10 tons each. It employed a crew of 400, a hotel staff of 518 and could carry 2,433 passengers. The 159 furnaces burned 650 tons of coal a day. The ship had a complete gymnasium, heated pool, squash court and the first miniature golf course – all below deck. Its lavish appointments included opulent dining rooms with 24-hour service, orchestra on the promenade deck, palm courts and gilded Turkish baths.

On April 14, 1912, the “unthinkable” happened to the “unsinkable”. Near midnight, the Titanic struck an iceberg, ripping a 300 ft hole through five of its sixteen watertight compartments. It sank in two-and-a-half hours killing 1,513 people. Why did so many die? Reasons: the crew disregarded the danger of the weather, there were not enough lifeboats on board, and the radio operator of the nearby California was off-duty.

“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3.16).

At the right time, God came into human history in person, in Jesus the eternal Son of God. He truly lived here – living the life we were always meant to live, the life we have failed to live. He came to reveal himself, to show us what he is really like, to teach us how to live. His coming was an offence to us. He was the Light of the world and his light showed us up for what we are. The good ones, the religious ones, the upright ones in the community schemed to get rid of him, to extinguish the light. They had him brought up on false charges to the Roman governor and had him put to death by the most cruel means of execution possible – a cross.

It was history’s darkest hour. It was humankind’s most unjust act, most irresponsible act – the execution of the Son of God. But you can’t get rid of God that way! And you can’t put the Light out that way, either! For one thing you can’t execute the Son of God. The death of Jesus Christ the Son of God could only happen if God willed it as well. What happened on the cross was the coming together of human rebellion, hate and sin with the redemptive caring love of God. So what happened on the cross opened the way for forgiveness of sin and a welcome into God’s family for any who will believe in him.

So there is good news! The band of his followers, the church, has a message to get out to the whole world! That is why we are here.

But the task of sharing the good news cannot go on for ever. It will come time to sum up human history. Jesus is coming again! That is a glad prospect for all who have put their trust in him, but a warning of judgement for all who continue to turn their back on him. Again and again, Jesus told his disciples about his departure from them – the time when he would no longer be present with them physically but through the Holy Spirit – and his return in glory. And he said to them, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24.44).

Today’s reading follows on major teaching of Jesus on his second coming. The opening words, “at that time”, refers us specifically to the time of his return. Because it will be at an hour when we are not expecting him, it is important that we be prepared.

In Jewish society there were three stages in getting married. First, there was an engagement. That was the time when the fathers of the bride and groom got together and worked out the financial settlement. This was followed by the betrothal, a ceremony held in the house of the bride’s parents. The bride and groom made promises to one another in the presence of witnesses. But they weren’t married yet and didn’t start living together – the rules were very strict on that point – although if the bridegroom died the bride was regarded as a widow. Finally, after about a year, there was the marriage, when the bridegroom, accompanied by his friends, went to fetch the bride from her father’s house and brought her back in procession to his own home where the marriage feast was held. It is most likely this procession that the ten girls in the parable were going to meet.

All the girls had brightly-burning lamps. All of them, up to a certain time, were fully ready to meet the bridegroom. The difference is that some had made provision for possible delay, the others none. There was a delay, and all of them – wise and foolish alike – dropped off to sleep.

Suddenly, at the least expected time – midnight – the call rang out, “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” They rubbed the sleep from their eyes. This was the moment they had been waiting for. Just as well some one called out to wake us!

There was no time to do anything but refuel their lamps. The lamps of the foolish girls had not gone out altogether, but they needed oil. And the wise girls didn’t have enough to share. The foolish girls went off to buy some. No doubt because of the wedding celebrations, the shops were still open. The possibility of buying oil was there, but the time to do so was past.

The bridegroom arrived and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast “and the door was shut”. The invitation to come and be part of the wedding feast was extended far and wide, but it would not be extended for ever. The time came when it was too late. Once everyone had gone into the feast, the door would be closed and not opened for anyone else.

So Jesus concludes, “ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

The loving Jesus is giving us an important warning. Paul wrote, “Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6.2) We can sit comfortable with that. God loves us and God wants to welcome us. But Jesus was warning that “now” won’t go on forever. There is some urgency in the gospel invitation.

He also warns us that even those who are ready may drop off to sleep because of the suddenness of his return. They are not rejected. They are still part of the feast. But Jesus says – be on your guard, keep watch, keep “on task”. Life isn’t the practice run, but the real thing.

The old song says, “Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, keep me burning till the break of day!” Problem is – the lamp may be burning, but is the lamp-keeper awake at midnight?

Be ready now with the oil of God’s grace, God’s favour. Be clear in our response to his good news, that is a response for all eternity. God’s grace is for us to receive now!

Keep alert! Read the Word. Pray. Allow his Spirit to empower and guide you. Stay “on task”! His coming is certain, even though it is at a time unknown to us.

The Titanic was supposed to be ready for anything – but struck an unexpected iceberg.

Jesus is coming! Are we ready?

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we know you are coming again, but your promise was made so long ago that we sometimes think you are late or that maybe you won’t come after all! Forgive us, Lord! Your word is true! You call us to be alert and ready whenever your coming will be. Help us right now, when we cannot see you with our eyes, to know that you are right beside us, that you hear us when we pray, that you forgive us all our sins and that your coming will gather us into the great celebration of heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Too Late?

A wedding feast,

a chosen guest –

who wouldn’t miss

the chance

to eat and drink,

to sing and dance,

to celebrate…?

The bridegroom’s late!

We have to wait –

let’s hope it’s soon

by afternoon.

The day wears on –

he won’t be long! –

he said he’d come…

What joy! what fun!

But now it’s night,

our eyes are tired,

we ache to see

and eat the feast.

Our lamps are lit,

their flickering light

displays the gist

of this our tryst.

But heavy eyes

cannot disguise

our drift to sleep,

no watch to keep.

He’s come!

The bridegroom’s here!

We’re wakened

by a rousing cheer!

Our oil is low,

we cannot go.

The door will shut

to keep us out!

You’re coming, Lord!

We wait

and think your coming

is delayed,

but now

alert and ready,

unafraid

lest we be late!

Matthew 25.14-30 Serving the King

What would you do if you had a million dollars? That is what the promoters of Gold Lotto have asked as they press more and more people to be in it, drawing them by the hope of instant fulfilment of all their dreams. It would be interesting to know what happens to winners five, ten or twenty years down the track. Has it made them any happier? are they more caring? is their marriage stronger? are they financially independent?…

What would you do if someone loaned you a million dollars? No specific time has been placed on the loan – it could be twelve months, it could be twenty years. Some day it will be required back by the owner. What would you do with it? That is rather different. It’s yours to use, and yet never quite yours. It’s not safe to waste it away – it does have to be given back sometime.

At the very least it could be banked. Even at today’s low interest rates, that would provide an reasonable living allowance. Or perhaps a viable business – if you’re prepared to work at it!

Whatever we do, even though it is loaned for our use, it’s always someone else’s money! It will have to be paid back some day! The inclination of some people would be to “blow it all”, use it up while you can! Hardly responsible, though! Where is the point of balance between cautious fear and reckless irresponsibility?

Or take a third possibility. A million dollars has been entrusted to us to use on behalf of someone else, to look after it for them. Does that affect what we do with it? Would that lead us to do more with it or less? Would that make more cautious, or more reckless?

Today’s parable is more like this third possibility. A man is about to set off on a journey of unknown duration. Before he goes, he entrusts his property to the care of his servants.

He gives to each “according to his ability” – he knows the capabilities of each of them – five talents, two talents and one (Matthew 25.15). We have tended to think of the parable in terms of our modern use of the word “talent” – a particular aptitude or ability that some people have to do certain things. But that isn’t really what the parable is about. Its focus is on something entrusted to someone else. In fact, the “talent” was a weight. The exact weight varied somewhat in different places and times. A talent of silver in Israel weighed about forty-five kilograms. So “five talents” represents a rather substantial monetary value – even “one talent” is hardly to be “sneezed at”, for that matter!

The first two servants put their money to work. They trade with it, do business with it – in an active sense of commitment, involvement and personal action. As a result, there is a profit and in time they double their capital.

The third servant is taking no risks. He “dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money” (v. 18). One writer has said, “…the man who received the smallest sum was so afraid of losing it that he buried it in the ground, where he knew that at least it would be out of the range of burglars and not subject to the hazards of a fluctuating money market” – we wonder whether the money market was as unstable then as it can be today!

In time – “after a long time” – the master of those servants comes back. It is now the time of reckoning. He settles accounts with them. What have they been doing with his money in his absence? How has it all gone? He has actually trusted them with his possessions. He has been careful to assign to each one what he was capable of looking after. We shouldn’t picture him coming after them with stern expression and a big stick! He has every expectation that all of them will have done well.

The first servant brings back the “five talents” together with another five talents that he has earned by trading. He hands them over – they aren’t his but belong to his master. His master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (v. 21)

The second servant comes, bringing the extra two talents he has earned. He receives the same commendation and reward. There is no sense in which he is seen as being inferior in having received a smaller amount and therefore having a smaller earning capacity. The five and the two are both regarded as small amounts. The master knows he can entrust them with much larger responsibilities.

The third servant – the one-talent man – comes in with a complaint to his master. “Master, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.” He was not only hard-working himself, but expected that of others as well. “So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you” (vv. 24,25). He was afraid of losing what was entrusted to him. He was “playing safe” so that he could at least hand back to his master exactly what he had been given.

The master calls him, “You wicked, lazy servant!” The other servants had been “faithful” – worthy of the trust placed in them, careful to work with the money entrusted to them. This servant is “lazy” – slow, hesitating, uncertain of what to do. If he had believed that his master expected to receive what others had worked for as well as from his own work, this servant should at the very least have “put the money on deposit with the bankers” so that his master could have “received it back with interest” (v. 27).

The third servant looks as if he is to lose his job in disgrace. But the warning of the concluding words reaches beyond the immediate story. The outer darkness, with its “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v. 30), is a picture of those excluded from the Kingdom (as in 8.12 and 22.13). The Bible speaks, not only about the amazing and wonderful love of God, but also of the possibility of living under his judgement – there is a heaven and a hell.

Through this parable Jesus is teaching us that whatever gifts we have are entrusted to us by God. Each gift is of value. No gift is to be despised. But the gifts we have are to be developed and used. Then they will be enhanced and multiplied. But they are given to us in trust. They still belong to God. How we respond to God in his gifts is crucial. We are accountable to him for how we use them.

There’s no point dreaming about that million dollars! God has entrusted us with gifts which are unique to us. They are for us to use on his behalf, to look after for him. Use our gifts wisely – don’t bury them! The Lord wants to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we have tried to do our best, but we aren’t sure we can claim it is all “well done”! When we think we have “got it right”, we have been too keen to take the credit and have failed to thank you for your enabling gifts. When faced with challenges that looked “beyond us”, we have pulled back forgetting your promises to be with us and enable us. Forgive us, Lord! Teach us day by day what it means for us right now to serve you. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Live the Gift

Faced by the clever

over-achiever,

I know I can never

closely realise

what others do,

what they have done.

I can feel

so hands-tied,

tongue-tied,

perhaps even

run-away-and-hide –

yes, bury

what little

I might do

or say.

The glittering doers

of this world

leave me gasping –

no place to begin!

Yet dare I say,

my Lord,

you gave me naught?

Your word gives life

and with each breath

each gift is given

with priceless worth

in earth and heaven.

You do not call me

to account

another’s gift,

but to receive

your gift of life

and gifts you give

to live

my life –

to live

your gift

each day!

Matthew 25.31-46 Meeting the King

Some families have sayings that are unique. But there are sayings that have tended to be common to all families, like – “Hurry up and get ready, or you’ll be late!” Or – “Stop fussing! You’ll have to make do with what you’ve got!” Or – “Whatever have you been doing?” In a way, these three relate to the three stories of Matthew 25.

“Hurry up and get ready, or you’ll be late!” – the story of the ten girls, five wise and five foolish. The foolish ones just weren’t prepared. Perhaps they might have blamed the bridegroom’s delay. But they weren’t ready until too late – the door was closed!

“Stop fussing! You’ll have to make do with what you’ve got!” – the three servants and what they did with the money their master had entrusted to them in his absence. Two of them made good use of it. The third complained about his master’s expectations and failed to make any use of what he had.

“Whatever have you been doing?” This frequent parental complaint is reflected in today’s story in which the King is calling all peoples to account for what they have been doing with their lives. In fact all three stories remind us that Jesus is coming again and that we have to be ready for him.

From the earliest times, sheep were an important part of the Israelite economy. In the early days, almost every family owned a few sheep and therefore someone in the family was a shepherd. Goats were also important. They often grazed together with the sheep and sometimes had to be separated from them.

Goats had a bad reputation. They were stubborn and aggressive. When kept with sheep, they tended to be the dominant animals in the group. They might have seemed like one flock, but the shepherd knew. When he brought them into the fold at night, he had to separate them into two groups.

It is against this background that Jesus painted the picture of the final judgment. The Son of Man is going to come as King with all his angels and he will sit down on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be gathered before him.

Jesus had come to live in the world in great humility and with many limitations. He became hungry, thirsty, got tired… But he is going to come back again in all the glory that he had laid aside and everyone – without any exceptions – will be gathered before him. Herod will be there. Pontius Pilate will be there. Hitler will be there… Billions will be gathered, and Jesus will know every thought, every word, every action, every plot, every lie, every clever manoeuvre…

The people of the world will be divided into two groups “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25.32). We tend to pin a lot of faith on what we call “grey areas”. We think many things aren’t black and white. But on that Day, the two groups will be as clearly distinguished as the sheep and goats are to the shepherd.

The people on his right are the ones who “got it right.” To them the Son of Man says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (vv. 34-36).

They didn’t know they had served Christ in these ways. “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (v. 40).

The people on his left were sent away into “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” for their failure to serve Christ in these ways. They profess ignorance of ever having failed to do so.

Now here’s a problem to consider. Jesus told the parable. We are “in the know.” Many, of course, aren't. But how can we who have heard the parable ever say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked...”? We can read this parable and then make sure that we support the victims of the natural and man-made disasters that afflict this world... We can recognise and give financial support to the good work done by various church and community agencies. Then, when the judgment comes, we will be able to say to the Lord, “Yes, Lord, we did, didn’t we?”

The whole tenor of New Testament teaching is that we can’t earn our way to heaven. Salvation is “not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2.9). Yet somehow we have understood this picture of the last judgment in a way that makes our good works the final test after all!

Yet both groups failed to recognise that they were serving (or not serving) Jesus. It was not as if one group was consciously trying to score points while the other lot forgot to do anything about it. Looking at it that way misses the whole point.

The picture Jesus paints isn’t a scoreboard on which to check our progress towards eternity, but an indicator of what is happening within us. The fact that God’s gift of life is growing within us will be visible as we share it with others. This will be one of the clear signs that we have made the gift our own.

Jesus emphasised that sharing must follow receiving. Notice his theme. Because we have been loved by God, we must love. “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…” (Matthew 5.44-45). “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13.14). “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (13.34-35).

Because God forgives us, we must forgive others. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6.12). Peter’s question, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” missed the whole point (18.21-35). Receiving God’s forgiveness lays upon us the necessity of forgiving others.

Two things stand out with sharpness in Jesus’ picture of the last judgment. One is the extent to which Jesus felt the pain and suffering of the world about him. The other is that he expressed his severe judgment concerning the failure to do good. As with the parables of the ten girls and the three servants, his focus was not on positive wrong-doing as much as on what are sometimes called “sins of omission”.

We all live, and will continue to live, in an unevenly distributed world. That puts us in the position of being able to be on one side of the King or the other.

By his death on the cross, the Lord has made every provision so that every sin can be forgiven. This offer only has to be accepted by faith. But the difference will be seen in our lives and in our world. The lives of Christ’s people are meant to express within the world the kind of caring and sharing that was God’s original intention for human life.

PRAYER: Loving Lord, thank you that you came for us, that you lived and died for us, that you are alive again for us. We know you’re coming again and that you will be asking whatever we have been doing. You will be looking to see that your salvation has been working out in our attitudes and actions, our relationships and service. Your grace is freely given. You will be noticing whether it has been freely received and freely shared. Help us, Lord, to show your life more clearly in this world. In your name we pray, Amen.

Inasmuch…

Not the only ones to come

that night

to Bethlehem –

But they came,

that man and lady,

footsore and weary.

Crowds had hurried down the roads,

but they had paused,

and rested

and dropped behind,

that man and lady,

for soon

her baby would be born.

“Sorry, sir,

already crowded!

Tough luck!

But there’s the stable!”

“Lord, when did we see you a stranger,

and did not welcome you?”

Not the only ones to come

that day

to Tuy Hoa –

but they came,

that man and lady,

footsore and weary,

sickened and hungry.

With eight hundred more

they came

to that tumble-down camp

of two-and-a-half thousand.

“These people must learn

to grow their own food,

to build their economy

and reconstruct society.”

“Lord, when did we see you hungry,

and did not feed you?”

Two little children

from next door

or down the street –

shabby clothes,

untidy hair,

living in dirt

and unhappiness.

“If only their dad didn’t drink,

if only he could stick at his job,

if only their mum spent money more wisely,

if only…”

“Lord, when did we see you naked,

or sick, or in prison,

and did not minister to you?”

“Inasmuch as you did it not

to one of the least of these,

you did it not to me.”

Matthew 26.1-16 The Preparation

Did you get to see opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012? One USA newspaper summed up some of the highlights – “The Queen in her screen-acting debut as a James Bond girl, certainly an opening ceremony first. Rowan Atkinson running with the lads from Chariots of Fire. Harry Potter and William Shakespeare and Paul McCartney. Bicycles made up to be doves, Muhammad Ali holding the Olympic flag. And in the end, the flame lit not by a famous face but seven young people, igniting more than 200 copper petals – one for each country – that converged into a burning flower of Olympic best wishes and hopes.”

A great deal of thought, planning, involvement – and cost – went into it. With an event of such magnitude, nothing could be left to chance. All had to be carefully choreographed and rehearsed.

As we continue the story of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, we are aware that something momentous was about to happen and preparations were underway in a number of quarters.

In chapter 25 we noted three parables – the ten bridesmaids, the talents, the last judgement. When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified” (Matthew 26.1-2). This would be the climax and fulfilment of his earthly ministry – and preparations were already underway.

“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ‘But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or there may be a riot among the people’.” (vv. 3-5)

As far as they were concerned, Jesus was a threat to their ordered system. Had they even considered that he might just be their long-expected Messiah? Not as far as we can see. Right now they saw him as a dangerous threat who must be eliminated. However, since Jesus had a significant popular following, particularly in Galilee, they knew that they had to work secretly – behind the scenes – to have him arrested. During the feast there were too many visitors – many from Galilee – too many potential supporters of Jesus. At this point their plot was lacking in detail – they had no idea how they could crack the circle of loyalty around him.

The scene moved to Bethany, a village about three kilometres from Jerusalem, home to Jesus’ friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus – Jesus stayed there during his last week. They were “ in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper” (v. 6) – undoubtedly cured of his leprosy, but so named to distinguish him from other Simons.

“A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table” (v. 7). John says the woman was Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 12.3).

All the disciples were indignant, regarding this action as wasteful of what could have been sold to benefit the poor. John particularly draws attention to the objection of Judas Iscariot who “ did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (v. 6).

But Jesus responded, “ Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (Matthew 26.10-13).

On several occasions Jesus had tried to prepare his disciples for his coming death (as in 16.21; 17.22; 20.18), but they seemed incapable of understanding what he was saying. This woman had grasped it – Jesus is going to die and we aren’t ready! The perfume was “very expensive” (26.7), worth “a year’s wages” (John 12.5).

“Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over” (Matthew 26.14-16).

For three years Judas had been one of the disciples – following Jesus, observing his character, hearing his teaching, seeing his miracles of healing… He is listed among the others when Jesus sent them out two by two with authority “to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness”. “Judas Iscariot who betrayed him” was there – fully acknowledged as one of the twelve (10.1-4).

Yet something in Judas wasn’t really “with them”. He was always very Judas-centred. From John’s account, he was a dishonest “keeper of the money bag”. Why was he ever trusted with money? The betrayer would be one of them.

It was over the issue of money that something in Judas snapped. He went to the chief priests to strike a bargain. Someone has said that he “must have been viewed by the religious leaders as an answer to their prayers”. They had ruled out arresting Jesus “during the feast” for fear of a riot, but now, with an “insider”, they hoped for “a sly way” to get him.

“Thirty silver coins” was the redemption price if an ox gored a slave (Exodus 21.32). It was also the value Israel was placing on the true shepherd in the prophecy of Zechariah (Zechariah 11.12-13) – coins which the prophet “threw into the house of the Lord to the potter”.

In Matthew 17 we learned about the transfiguration of Jesus and his conversation with Moses and Elijah. Luke adds that “they spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem” (Luke 9.31). Preparations were under way. The anointing at Bethany was a friend’s recognition of what was soon to take place. The enemies of Jesus now had bought a willing ally in Judas, one of the twelve.

But beyond all the preparations of friend and foe was the Father’s will that would be fulfilled even through the worst that human antagonism could do.

PRAYER: Loving Father, loving Lord, not just the worst that men could plot so long ago, but still today, whether by weakness or aggression, we exclude you from our lives, our thoughts and our world. Yet still today you plan for redemptive love to be fulfilled. What you gave so long ago, you give for us and for our world. Lord, have mercy! Turn our hearts again to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Preparing for Burial

The disciples

had a mental block –

if they could,

they’d stop the clock!

Master, no!

We don’t agree!

This awful ending

cannot be!

Mary sensed

his end was near,

and, knowing both

her grief and fear,

her fragrant perfume

filled the room,

preparing

for the coming tomb.

What senseless waste!

so Judas thought.

No matter

what the Master taught,

it’s got to stop!

I’m sure they’ll pay

to send the Master

on his way!

The deal was struck,

the cash was paid –

the Christ of God

would be betrayed.

I’ll lead you

to the time and place

to snuff this messenger

of grace!

Yet in the midst

of human dreams

and plotting

of our evil schemes,

another plan

will be fulfilled –

it is the Father’s

loving will!

Matthew 26.17-35 Passover

Matthew 26 begins with Jesus saying to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified” (v. 2).

Preparations were underway. The chief priests and elders of the people were already plotting “to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him” – “but not during the Feast, or there may be a riot among the people” (vv. 3-5).

During a meal in Bethany, a woman (identified in John 12 as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus) poured “very expensive perfume” on his head. Amid objections from the disciples, Jesus indicated that “ she did it to prepare me for burial” (Matthew 26.6-13).

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve (identified in John 12.4-6 as most deeply offended by this wasteful action), made a bargain with the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them (Matthew 26.14-16).

The scene moves on. It was now “the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread” – “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

There was “a certain man” at whose house they would be celebrating Passover. Presumably this unnamed person was already a secret disciple of Jesus. When asked for the guest room, “he will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there” (Luke 22.12).

As they were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me” (Matthew 26.21). This was a shock to them all. Not one of them thought, “Aha! That’s Judas! I’ve always thought he was a bad egg, that he didn’t really fit! I knew all along that he wasn’t to be trusted!” Rather, their response was, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” (v. 22). After all, every one of them had been in the argument about which of them would be the greatest.

Jesus’ reply – “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me” (v. 23) – didn’t really clarify the matter for them. In the course of the meal all of them had dipped their hand in the bowl. So when Judas was identified, the others hardly noticed.

We don’t know just when Judas left the company so he could betray Jesus. John doesn’t record the institution of the Lord’s Supper as such, but tells us about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet at his final meal with them (John 13). Judas was identified when Jesus gave him a piece of bread dipped in the dish – “As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night” (v. 30). From the record in Matthew, Mark and Luke, we assume that Judas was present for the Last Supper. And that isn’t incredible for the one who prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34).

It was a Passover, but unlike any other. The focus wasn’t on eating a Passover lamb, but on the one whom John the Baptist had called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1.29). As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival…” (1 Corinthians 5.7-8).

He gave them the bread – “Take and eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26.26). He offered the cup – “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (vv. 28-29).

Here was something far bigger than the familiar Passover feast. Here is the new covenant promised and foretold in Jeremiah 31.31-34 – “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26.28) – available for rich and poor, for the respectable and the criminal, for the compliant and the rebel…

But now, on the mount of Olives – “This very night you will all fall away on account of me… But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee” (vv. 31-32).

To this Peter boldly responded, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (v. 33) – none of the earlier bewilderment, “Surely not I, Lord?”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (v. 34).

But the self-assured Peter – “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (v. 35). The others too were equally confident of their unbreakable loyalty. None of them knew their own weakness and vulnerability.

Betrayal… denial… the Passover…

How far do we go in distancing ourselves from Jesus? In this country we don’t yet face imprisonment, beatings or death for believing in Jesus – this happens today in quite a number of countries. But we are tempted to be silent betrayers or deniers.

But Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. The blood of the covenant has been poured out for many – including us – for the forgiveness of sins. The risen Christ is now with us and goes ahead of us.

PRAYER: Loving Lord Jesus, what a mixed bunch you called to be your disciples! One would betray you. The rest would desert or deny you. And those of us who name your name today hardly do much better! Yet you came for sinners. You died at the hands of sinners, but, more importantly, you died for sinners – for us! Your blood was poured out for the forgiveness of sins, sealing the new covenant. Again and again we prove our weakness. We come to you to receive life and strength for each day. We pray this in your name, Amen.

Surely not me!

Assuredly

I’d not betray

my Lord by aught

I’d do or say.

Nor consciously

would I deny

the Friend who gives

his all for me.

Yet deep I feel

a strange unease,

perhaps a hope

somehow to please

myself with comfort

free from stress,

and others absorbed

in worldly mess.

Though all may fail,

not me – I hope!

Resolve is strong –

the slippery slope

of betrayal and denial

is plain to see.

My choice is made –

surely not me!

I think myself

not weak but strong,

I follow him,

yet all along

he knows my heart

and sees the cracks

that fail in stress

and make me lapse.

I cannot live

except he died

and lives to hold me

by his side,

nor yet be strong

without the cross,

his costly gift

for all my loss!

Matthew 26.36-46 Gethsemane

We place a great deal of importance on our ability to choose – it is part of our humanity. When Jesus the Son of God emptied himself, took the form of a servant and became a man (Philippians 2.5-11), he was here on a divine mission but made real choices throughout his life. The temptations he faced in the desert (Matthew 4.1-11) were real temptations. And now, against the backdrop of the scheming of the religious leaders for his death, Jesus faced the reality of the divine plan for human redemption.

They had gone out to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26.30) and now went “to a place called Gethsemane” (v. 36). The name means “oil press”. Where there was a plantation of olive trees, there needed to be an oil press to extract oil from the fruit. Gethsemane may not have been in current use as an oil press and is described elsewhere as a “garden” (John 18.1) and as a place where Jesus had often met with his disciples (v. 2). That meant it was well-known to Judas Iscariot the betrayer.

“Sit here while I go over there and pray” (Matthew 26.36). Jesus was living on earth with all our human limitations and prayer was his constant need and practice.

He then went further on with Peter, James and John and “began to be sorrowful and troubled” (v. 37). Here was a grief and distress that these three hadn’t witnessed before. It was quite unlike his grief over Jerusalem (23.37-39). “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (26.38). Usually, Jesus had gone by himself to pray, but now he was asking for the prayerful watching and support of his friends.

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (v. 39).

In the Old Testament, the “cup” might represent the Lord’s blessings (“the cup of salvation” in Psalm 116.13 ) or be “the cup of his wrath” (Isaiah 51.17). In this prayer, what is “the cup of salvation” for us is “the cup of the Lord’s wrath” for Jesus. The sinless one would be bearing the full penalty for all of human sin. He would be enduring the unendurable – carrying the painful load of more than a billion hells.

It was not just the awfulness of human betrayal, brutality and crucifixion, but the separation from the lifeline throughout his humanity – his relationship with the Father. Father, he is pleading, is there some other way? If it is possible, Father, not this – this devastation, this tearing-apart, this separation!

It was like the temptations in the wilderness all over again. Protect yourself, tell these stones to become bread – no! man only lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God. OK, don’t protect yourself then, just throw yourself down from the highest point of the temple and let God’s angels protect you – no! trust God, don’t test him with your foolishness. Bow down and worship Satan – no! a thousand times no! worship and serve God alone.

Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ , begins in the Garden of Gethsemane and portrays the Tempter as being there, taunting and testing Jesus. I think that is a very reasonable interpretation.

“Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Faced with the unimaginable, Jesus was not waiting for the inevitable, but committed to the Father’s will – far greater than whatever men might do to him.

He returned to his friends who were… “watching” with him? “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (vv. 41-42). Peter – so sure he would never disown Jesus (vv. 31-35). Yes, willing but weak! Too often we have the idea that prayer is for “super-Christians”. But prayer is for all of us – even the weak! If Jesus needed to pray, why is prayer a lesser priority for us?

Jesus went away and prayed a second time – “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (v. 42) – and a third time “saying the same thing” (v. 44). It was the same burden on his heart and mind.

“Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (vv. 45-46). Despite all their protestations of loyalty and enduring faithfulness, they had not supported him in his deepest need. But now the time for action had arrived. Jesus was not about to run away. His words, “Rise, let us go!”, were a positive commitment to go forward. Already they could hear the approach of the betrayer and his company. This is “the hour” when “the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners”. Betrayed into the hands of sinners, yet it is the Father’s will that will be done.

Do we see ourselves in the events of Gethsemane? Perhaps like the disciples someone has been depending on our support – our intentions have been good, but in practice we have let them down. Perhaps like Jesus we have had our own Gethsemane – confronted with events that have seemed beyond us, caught in the plans of others, needing to come, not to resignation, but to a positive commitment.

It is easy to “own” Jesus in the company of fellow-believers. Peter had been quite sure he would never “disown” Jesus in the face of opposition – even to the point of death. But their weak support was showing through before the arrival of Judas and his company. In the very matters of faith and prayer they were seriously lacking. If Jesus himself couldn’t face the coming events without close prayer contact with the Father, how could they?

“Watch and pray”, Jesus told them. That word is for us too. In other words, keep alert and keep praying. We need to know – without panic – what is happening around us. And we need to keep our focus on the Lord – to receive and to give, never deflected from our calling.

PRAYER: Eternal Lord, you gave your life for us. You give your life to us – to live your life through us. That’s wonderful and scary, Lord! Meet us in Gethsemane – there to reflect and pray. We have prided ourselves in our right to choose. Yet, as life has moved on, we aren’t sure what rights, what choices, are available to us any more! We too would dare to pray, not our will, Father, but yours be done! Yes, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Watch and Pray

Clothed in the shadows of Gethsemane,

Jesus has come to pour his agony

to his Father from all eternity.

Stay here, my friends, and watch and pray.

In heavy grief he pleads some other way –

without this bitter cup – to break the sway

of broken humanness and rebel sin.

To save the sinners he has come,

has left the glory of his eternal home

to bring to earth divine shalom!

But sinning pays the wage of death,

the squeezing of the latest breath

from spirit, soul, till underneath

the vital life’s forever gone.

Abba, Father! This my plea –

I face the grim reality

of human sin soon laid on me!

Father, in you my life, my all –

their ways are broken by the fall,

they hardly hear your loving call

that seeks to bring them home!

Your will, Father! I’ll take the pain,

the way of suffering for the gain

of making sinners whole again!

Watch and pray! The friends asleep

their sacred tryst have failed to keep.

The time has come! The traitor’s near –

the action will soon begin!

Watch and pray! He calls us still,

whate’er befalls of good or ill,

to seek and know the Father’s will.

Matthew 26.47-56 Betrayed with a Kiss

Australians pride ourselves in our “mateship” – a quality that characterised our soldiers in time of war. We have elevated it as a national ideal. There are lots of things that you just “don’t do to a mate”.

There are, of course, plenty of examples of people who have acted solely in their own interest – some of them are currently in jail for business fraud.

Perhaps the ideal has been breaking down under the influence of television dramas and high-profile example. The level of trust in the police and the judiciary has declined. Advertising urges us to look after “number one”. What’s more, when folk have left the “God-option” and Christian values, looking after “number one” seems to be the only value left.

In Peace Child , Don Richardson describes the experience he and his wife Carol had in setting up missionary work among the Sawi people of Irian Jaya. Tribes hostile to one another camped close by – steel axe heads were vastly superior to stone axes for cutting down the sago palms.

As the Richardsons learnt the language and began to tell the story of Jesus, the natives listened intently. However, when they came to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, suddenly it was Judas who was the great hero. In Sawi culture, the ideal was to “fatten with friendship” a member of an enemy tribe. When he was completely trusting, they would gather around and kill him and have a cannibalistic feast.

One day fighting broke out between rival tribes and the Richardsons watched helplessly – with a sense of guilt that their presence had brought these tribes into closer proximity. How could they persuade these warring tribes to live in peace with one another? A baby was taken from one tribe, despite the distraught pleas of his mother. He was given to the other tribe, and a baby from the other tribe was received in return. It was a matter of honour that every care would be given to a “peace child” – nothing must ever be done to harm a “peace child”. Only as they began to understand that Jesus was given as God’s “peace child” could they grasp the significance of Jesus’ life and death – and the horror of Judas’ betrayal.

Jesus had prayed in Gethsemane, “ My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matthew 26.42). Returning to his sleeping disciples, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (vv. 45-46)

“Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him” (vv. 48-49).

Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss – the sign of love. Some have suggested that Judas was trying to force Jesus to declare himself – to step forward and take control as a political Messiah. Jesus wasn’t the kind of Messiah many people wanted – possibly including Judas.

When Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet, it was especially Judas among the disciples who objected to this extravagance (John 12.4-6). And here he came to betray Jesus, having received payment of thirty silver coins (Matthew 26.14-16).

“Friend, do what you came for”, or, as the footnote has it, “Friend, why have you come?” (v. 50) – various translations reflect these two possibilities. The second reflects Jesus’ shock. He knew he was going to be betrayed into the hands of sinners, but – like this?

Peter ready to prove his undying love, struck out with his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant (v. 51 – only John 18.10 identifies Peter and Malchus).

But Jesus was committed. He wasn’t asking for defence by the sword – or by the Father’s “twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26.52-53). He had rejected that kind of help in the temptations in the wilderness (4.5-7). “How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?” – he was committed to fulfilling the Father’s will (26.42), to drinking the cup of suffering.

At that point all the disciples deserted him and fled into the night – they had vowed they would never do so!

Love for one another was to be the very sign of discipleship (John 13.35). Oneness in Christ would be a convincing sign to the world that Jesus had been sent by the Father (17.23). And here was Judas using the sign of love as the cue for those who wanted to get rid of Jesus.

Paul wrote that “love must be sincere” (Romans 12.9a) – literally “without hypocrisy”. Today, too much of what we call “love” is pure self-interest.

Jesus said, “ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15.13). That was certainly Jesus’ love. Though one would betray him and another deny him three times and the rest of them run away, “he showed them the full extent of his love” (13.1). That was written about his last meal with them. And on the cross, he prayed for those who had worked together to put him there, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23.34).

These days we talk so much about love. Are we in fact betrayed by cheap substitutes? And is there more of the Sawi culture in us than we dare to acknowledge? Could it be possible that we would betray even the Son of Man (Jesus) with a kiss?

And Jesus took all our betrayals and denials and forsakings with him to the cross. He died for our sins – not just because of our sins. He can take our loving and make it the means of his healing and redeeming grace.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, betrayed by a kiss, denied by a friend, deserted by close followers, too often our love for you has been self-interest. Yet for love of us you gave your life. Release your love in us. Reach out to others through us. We yield our lives to you to be the instruments of your grace. We pray this in your name, Amen.

Judas! Judas!

False to his Lord,

but true to his word,

the hired traitor leads the way

right to the place his Lord would pray.

But is there not a faithful friend

who will their loving Lord defend?

Peter, bold, yet filled with fear,

draws sword and slices Malchus’ ear.

Put back your sword, the Master says.

The sword’s for war, I’m here for peace!

Twelve thousand angels for my aid –

the mighty power of God displayed –

would scatter all this meagre crowd

of swords and clubs and shouting loud!

I’m here to do my Father’s will,

prophetic promise to fulfil.

Judas! Judas! with a kiss!

Why do you betray like this?

Loved and chosen to belong –

though betrayed, yet still I long

with love for you –

you know not what you do!

Jesus had come out here to pray,

but now is bound and led away

as if he is a common thief,

yet going filled with love and grief.

“One will betray”, the Master’s word

that filled with dread his friends who heard.

And each one wondered, “Is it I

who sends the Master out to die?”

“Judas! Judas! yes, it’s you!

Do what you’re about to do!”

Two thousand years have come and gone –

I wonder still, am I the one,

in life’s uncertain doubting hour,

betraying Christ now raised in power?

Matthew 26.57-75 The Christ, the Son of God?

Have you ever been mistaken for somebody else?

In January 1988 we were tenting in the Grampians. One day, as I walked from the tent to the shops, I passed some young people sitting on the log fence and overhead one of them saying, “That’s Harry Butler!” “No, it’s not!” “But it is! I know by the way he walks.”

I guess we all enjoyed on ABC Harry Butler’s “beautiful creatures” that he saw “in the wild” – even when we were thankful not to meet them “for real” in our own backyard. But, for all the floppy hat I was wearing at the time, I wasn’t – and will never be – Harry Butler.

But there are people who deliberately try to be someone else. Well… at least they try to take on the identity of some other person, alive or dead. Years ago we heard of people who studied headstones in Dutton Park cemetery in Brisbane for the purpose of registering with Centrelink for additional benefits – they were caught.

Nowadays it is a much more sophisticated business of identity theft – “a form of stealing someone’s identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person’s identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person’s name… Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.”

In Matthew 16 we read of the occasion when Jesus and his disciples were up north at Caesarea Philippi. He asked them, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v. 13) There were a number of opinions flying about at the time – maybe John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” (v. 15) Simon Peter had no hesitation, “You are the Christ (or Messiah), the Son of the living God” (v. 16). That confession of faith would be an important foundation for the Church, but the disciples didn’t understand that this would only come about through his crucifixion and resurrection (vv. 17-28).

In today’s reading, Jesus was in Jerusalem, having been arrested by the Temple guard and taken before the Jewish ruling council (the Sanhedrin) in the house of the high priest Caiaphas. The disciples had all fled, but Peter, determined to stick with Jesus to the end, as he had promised, followed at a distance.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could have him put to death. But they didn’t find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days’.” (Matthew 26.59-61)

Some three years earlier Jesus had said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” – words which had referred to the temple of his body (John 2.19,21). Now the high priest said to Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 25.63).

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (v. 64).

The high priest declared this to be blasphemy and therefore worthy of death. They had already prejudged Jesus, whatever he might say. They were supposed to be waiting for the promised Messiah. But what was the truth of the matter? Was Jesus “the Christ, the Son of God”, or not? There was no thought that this might be the truth – and what that might have meant for them.

Meanwhile out in the courtyard was Peter – Peter who had answered that question himself in the affirmative, Peter who had been so confident that he would be true to Jesus right to the end, even if that meant death.

“You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

“I don’t know the man!”

“Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”

Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter went outside and wept bitterly (vv. 69-74).

Jesus wasn’t impersonating “the Christ, the Son of God”. This truly was his identity.

That meant the Jewish leaders were conspiring to get rid of the very one for whom they were supposed to be waiting – the fulfilment of centuries of Jewish hope. The “guardians” of the nation were working against the drive of their national history.

But Jesus wasn’t a candidate to be assessed – and then accepted or dismissed. He was the very Son of God. They were the ones who were “failing the test”. They were proving themselves to be the wicked tenants of the parable Jesus had told (21.33-46).

Because Jesus was the very Son of God, their decision can’t be the end of the matter. You can’t kill God, and you can’t kill the Son of God unless the will of God comes into it as well – the will that Jesus had prayed about in Gethsemane (26.42).

Even our denials of Jesus won’t be the end of the matter either – “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee” (v. 32). We come to the end of all our professions and intentions of loyalty. Our only boast can be the one who goes with steadfast love to meet the cross!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God! You came and lived among us. Some of us rejected you. Some of us denied you. None of us had the strength or courage to stand with you – let alone die for you. You were very much alone – doing what was totally beyond us to do – for you would die for our sins and the sins of the human race. Lord Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, our Saviour, Lord and Friend! In your name we come, Amen!

The Rooster Crowed

The rooster crowed –

whoever thought

the crowing of a bird

would bring

such pain?

His word was true –

I am not strong

to stand beside

the one accused

by false

and lying

tongues.

But

has he found me

false and lying

too?

So brash

and confident

with friends,

so weak within.

The rooster crowed –

the first weak light

of cruel day

on which the Light

of truth and love

would die.

And I can crow

no more!

My only boast

the one who goes

with steadfast love

to meet the cross!

Matthew 27.1-10 Remorse and Tragedy

In John’s introduction to Jesus’ washing his disciples’ feet, he wrote, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love” and immediately went on, “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus” (John 13.1-2).

Judas was there – naturally, he was, after all, one of them. At what point did they suspect…?

Nothing is recorded of the calling of Judas – but then, that is true for a number of the other disciples. Judas heard the teaching of Jesus and witnessed the miracles he performed. He is specifically listed when Jesus “called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Matthew 10.1-4). He had his feet washed by Jesus. As far as we know, he received the bread and wine at the last supper. Even when Jesus identified Judas as the betrayer and told him to be about his business quickly, “ no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor” (John 13.28-29).

But Judas left and didn’t rejoin them until he came to Gethsemane with “a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people” (Matthew 26.47). At that point he revealed himself to them all as the betrayer. In retrospect, at a number of points in the Gospel record he is identified as “ Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him” (as in 10.4).

John recorded a time in Jesus’ ministry when a number of people turned back and no longer followed him. He noted that “Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him ” (John 6.64). Simon Peter affirmed, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God ” (vv. 68-69). To this Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil! ” John noted, “He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him” (vv. 70-71). They didn’t understand that at the time. It was a memory that came back to them after the betrayal – as all the pieces began to fit together.

What was Judas’ motivation? What did he hope to achieve by betraying Jesus to the Jewish leaders? We don’t have to assume that he was “on the side” of the Jewish opposition to Jesus. Certainly, his love of money comes through in the record, so an offer of “thirty silver coins” – a significant amount – was an attraction.

Was he looking for a political Messiah who would lead a rising against the Romans and re-establish the nation of Israel? It is interesting that in the list of disciples in 10.1-4, the name immediately before Judas was “Simon the Zealot”. This Simon may have earlier been a member of the revolutionary Jewish group known as the Zealots – a party founded by Judas the Galilean, who led a revolt against Rome in 6 AD. They opposed the payment of tribute by Israel to a pagan emperor on the ground that this was treason against God, Israel’s true King. Had Judas Iscariot been a Zealot too? Was he fired by political ideology? Was he hoping that Jesus would declare himself Messiah, gather an able army and restore the Kingdom to Israel? Was he trying to spur Jesus into political action?

It was immediately after Jesus was anointed at Bethany that Judas sprang into action. Matthew recorded that the disciples were indignant at the “waste” of this very expensive perfume. After all, it “could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor” (v. 9). John recalled that Judas made this strenuous objection and adds, “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12.6).

Matthew 27 begins with the tragic story of what happened next to Judas. According to Jewish law, trials were to be conducted during the day. So the chief priests and elders of the people met early in the morning to confirm officially what they had already decided during the night. Jesus was to be put to death, but they were under Roman rule, so this could only happen through the Roman authorities.

“When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.” “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility” (vv. 3-4).

It looks very much as if Judas hadn’t foreseen this outcome to his betrayal. Surely having Jesus before the Sanhedrin would lead to his recognition as Messiah and the train of political consequences that Judas had imagined. We don’t know Judas’ thoughts, but his words declared Jesus not worthy of death.

“So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself” (v. 5). Judas had been “seized with remorse”, but his remorse didn’t lead to repentance – a different word is used in the original Greek. He knew he had acted wrongly. He was a gross sinner and, overwhelmed by guilt and shame, he took his own life.

The chief priests quibbled over putting this money back into the treasury “since it is blood money” (v. 6). Presumably that was where it had come from in the first place! They decided to use the money to buy land in which to bury foreigners. The parcel, which was a place where potters dug for clay, became known as the Field of Blood (Matthew 27. 8 ). Luke gives another account of this in Acts 1.18-19. It would appear that the field was bought in Judas’ name and that it was also the place where Judas died.

Remorse… and repentance. Jesus told a story of the Pharisee and the tax-collector (Luke 18.10-14). The Pharisee, full of himself and his spiritual credentials, “prayed about himself” (v. 11). But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (v. 13).

The tax-collector was undoubtedly filled with remorse for his life-style and actions. But he came to God in repentance and “went home justified with God”.

Jesus, “having loved his own who were in the world, showed them the full extent of his love”. And on the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (23.34). That forgiveness would have been possible for Judas too, had he not taken the matter in his own hands and led from remorse to tragedy.

Sin should lead us to remorse, but need not end in tragedy. Jesus gave his life so that sinners can be forgiven – Pharisee-sinners as well as tax-collector-sinners!

PRAYER: Loving Lord, you see us through and through – whether we are wrapped up in ourselves and our own presumed “goodness”, or whether we are wrapped up remorsefully in ourselves and our sinful failures. Your love and grace reach out to us, calling us to repentance and to receive the forgiveness purchased for us at such great cost. Lord, thank you! We come – in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Turn Back!

Turn, turn, turn!

This world

hurtles

on its orbit

round the sun.

But as it goes

it turns

to present

each day

each face

to the warming sun.

Such is the Maker’s plan.

Turn, turn, turn!

This world

of people

turns too –

turns away

from God

to self,

from love

to hate,

from rules of life

to a path of death –

the tempter’s twist.

Turn, turn, turn!

See how great

the Father’s love!

He calls –

who gives,

and waits –

“Turn back!

The Lamb is slain!

The price is paid!

It’s not too late!

Turn back from hate

and strife!

I offer life –

the gift is free –

turn, turn, turn,

turn back to me!”

It is the Father’s love!

Turn back to life!

Matthew 27.11-26 Jesus or Barabbas?

Life is full of choices. From the moment we wake up in the morning to our last nod as we drift into sleep, we are making choices. Some of these choices aren’t of very great consequence – what clothes for today? what’s for breakfast? Some affect our relationships with others. Some express regret and resolve – I was really mean to so-and-so yesterday and must find some way today to make up.

Sometimes we make a choice that then affects all our choices from that time on. Choosing to get married is like that.

Sometimes we have a difficult choice to make and we procrastinate – or try to get someone else to make it for us!

Pilate’s term as governor of Palestine had been far from happy. His first action in the appointment had been to erect the Roman standards, bearing images of the Emperor, in Jerusalem. Because of the determined opposition of the Jewish leaders in spite of threats of death, he yielded to their wishes after six days and removed the images to Caesarea. Then Pilate used money from the Temple treasury to build an aqueduct to carry water to the city from a spring some twenty-five miles away. Tens of thousands of Jews demonstrated against this project. He sent his troops against them and a large number were killed. Later, because of these and other incidents, letters of protest were sent to Rome and Pilate would finally be ordered to go to Rome to answer the allegations.

Now here he was with the teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, before him. Undoubtedly, Pilate had heard of Jesus – an extraordinary person whose teaching and actions had stirred an angry reaction from the Jewish leaders. The politics of the whole situation were obvious to him. Because Pilate had been unpopular and because there had been official complaints, these Jews were trying to corner him. Well – he would examine the man and come to his own conclusions.

“King of the Jews” – that was his alleged crime. That itself sounds suspicious. None of my Roman officers has reported him. The accusation has come from his own people. He doesn’t pose the slightest threat to Roman sovereignty. He doesn’t even speak up in self-defence! I am quite sure that he is innocent of any crime. So… those Jews think they have me cornered this time. Well, two can play at the same game. I’ll force their hand. I’ll give them a choice that will force them to ask for this Jesus to be released. It will be their choice and they will then have to live with it. Hmm… Jesus… that gives me an idea.

At every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas – the New English Bible, the Good News Bible and the New Revised Standard Version all give the name this way. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ (Messiah)?” (Matthew 27.17) The wording isn’t so familiar to our ears, but it has quite reasonable textual support. And if the name Barabbas is taken to mean “son of the father”, there’s added significance to the choice being offered – do you want Jesus son of the father or Jesus called the Messiah?

Pilate knew that the Jewish authorities were jealous of Jesus. He was hoping the crowd would decide to ask for Jesus the Messiah to be set free. Then the Jewish authorities would have to accept the decision – and not blame him for it. Just then a message came from his wife. She had had a traumatic dream about “that innocent man” – please just let him go!

But Pilate was committed to his course of action. No turning back now! The people’s choice would resolve the matter.

Meantime, the chief priests and elders were moving through the crowd – “Ask for Barabbas! Jesus of Nazareth isn’t the Messiah! Call out for him to be crucified!”

The poisoned persuasion worked! The mob psychology went into action! The call for Barabbas to be released was deafening.

Well, what am I to do with this other Jesus, the one who is called Messiah? Crucify him! Crucify him!

Pilate washes his hands in front of them. He had wanted Jesus to be set free – perhaps as part of his power struggle with the Jewish leaders. But anyway – “It is your responsibility!”

Not so easy, Pilate! It’s their choice and their doing, yet it’s your doing too!

Have you ever wondered what happened to Barabbas? I wonder whether, having been set free, he became part of the crowd that witnessed the crucifixion, whether, in a special sense, he watched as Jesus the Messiah was dying on the cross that had been made specifically for him, Jesus Barabbas.

Pilate made his choice, even though he was rather “dodgy” about it. The crowd made their choice. That is all a matter of historical record.

Did Barabbas make a choice – a choice to turn around from a life centred on Barabbas and all that he had been, a choice to begin a life centred on Jesus the Messiah who quite literally died in his place?

As we put it in today’s poem –

Yet for us all

there stands a choice –

to choose the broken

or the One who mends,

to choose the sin

or sin’s Redeemer!

Won’t you say to him,

“Not Barabbas but Jesus”?

That is the choice before us – to centre our life no longer on ourselves, our achievements and our brokenness but on Jesus Christ who died in our place on the cross.

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we see our false human choices – and our brokenness and sin. We try to justify our actions, but prove ourselves guilty after all. Yet you were at work, amid our human guilt and sin, our human denial and scheming, to do the Father’s will. You did not come to condemn the world, but to open the way of salvation for all who would believe. We repent, turning around from our own self-centredness to you who gave your all for us. Thank you! We pray in your name, Amen.

Jesus or Barabbas?

“Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah?” (Matthew 27.17, Good News Bible)

“Barabbas!” they cried,

“We want Barabbas!

Barabbas the troublemaker,

Barabbas the murderer!

Crucify this Jesus,

this King of the Jews!

Release the murderer!

We want Barabbas!”

So Jesus died –

Barabbas was free.

He’s innocent, Barabbas.

He died in your place,

for your sins, Barabbas!

If you had died, Barabbas,

your death had been just,

like your two friends there.

But he’s innocent, Barabbas.

his death is not for his sins

but for yours.

If you had died, Barabbas,

the world had lost one criminal,

but in his death

you and the world

have gained a Redeemer.

Drawn by fascination

into the watching crowd,

trying to be nobody,

yet very conscious

of himself,

thoughts

come crashing in

as that Man dies!

He is alive, Barabbas!

Haven’t you heard?

The cross would have finished you,

but not Jesus!

That means

we haven’t finished with him

by that cross.

They wanted you, Barabbas,

instead of Jesus,

and he died instead of you,

but he was innocent.

He wants you, Barabbas,

sinner though you are!

Won’t you say to him,

“Not Barabbas but Jesus!”?

It is not told

what Barabbas thought of Jesus,

or if this one

who shared a name

ever came to share a life.

Yet for us all

there stands a choice –

to choose the broken

or the One who mends,

to choose the sin

or sin’s Redeemer!

Won’t you say to him,

“Not Barabbas but Jesus”?

Matthew 27.27-44 On that Cross

What a Passover this is!

It’s a long way from Cyrene to Jerusalem – in Africa and well west of Alexandria. I managed to catch a boat this year, a cargo vessel with a few passengers and some Roman troops as well. Those Romans always seem to make sure they have some reinforcements around when the Passover is on. I guess it's because so many Jews from everywhere converge on Jerusalem at this time of the year. It certainly is a time when our nationalist feelings run strongest!

This year, of course, there had been a bit of an uprising. Caught two of them, so I’m told – Barabbas and two accomplices. I suppose that would give the Romans extra cause for concern.

Anyway my boat was held up in bad storms. The Jews on board were getting a bit edgy – not just because of seasickness, but because the Passover means so much to us and we didn’t want to be too late for it! But the soldiers eyed us up and down suspiciously, inferring we might be connected with the uprising.

Finally we arrived in Joppa. The place was much quieter than usual. The annual exodus for Passover was already well advanced. We set off with the stragglers. A nice lot of people they were really – helped us catch up on the local news.

That’s when I first heard of this Jesus of Nazareth. Well… a few stories had come to Cyrene, but not much. Mostly our news was at Passover time, and, to a lesser extent, at the other feasts. Jesus appears to have been a very straight, direct man, excellent teacher for the ordinary people and a worker of miracles. But He was what you might call controversial – not so much with the ordinary people as with the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees. None of our informers were quite sure what the trouble was – a bit of jealousy perhaps – plus the question of just who Jesus really is. You see, he's a person of such outstanding humility and genuineness, yet hiding a greatness you can only guess at.

Well, that’s what I picked up. You see, I hadn’t met him – not until today! But I’ll come to that soon. Things happened all in a rush, and I want to try to get it right. It seems our leaders planned a sort of an ambush – got one of his followers to betray him or something. Anyway, their council quickly agreed to send him to Pilate for the death penalty. They didn’t have any strong grounds for their case against Jesus at all – and Pilate soon found him completely innocent. But they did have these strong grounds – Pilate was in trouble with Rome! Already one bad report had gone in and Pilate couldn’t afford another – news of that had reached Cyrene! With the recent riots on his hands he really had to avoid a major complaint being lodged.

Coming down the Mount of Olives, we could hear the shouting. “Barabbas! Barabbas! We want Barabbas!” they were chanting. This must have gone on for a couple of minutes, then – silence! Soon they started shouting again, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

We had no real idea what it was all about, except that the folk with us from Joppa had told us a bit about Barabbas. That’s all we knew. It seemed so odd for Passover time. The chanting stopped, and we heard the noisy arguing and chattering of an excited crowd.

We were just coming into the city when we saw a detachment of soldiers coming toward us, followed by a great crowd. Not wanting trouble, we backed off the road and waited. Three men were being taken out to the Place of the Skull – the horrible place with its strong upright posts just waiting for the next victims of crucifixion! Horrible, offensive Roman practice! But even more horror for us as we waited – a few of the Jews who followed were weeping and wailing, but many seemed strangely eager and excited!

Three men carrying their cross-bars to the Place! Our Joppa companions whispered that they thought two of them were in the uprising, but the leader, Barabbas, wasn’t there – he must have been released. The governor can do that as a favour at feast-times. They weren’t sure about the other one at first. He had been so savagely whipped and there was blood on his face. But as the procession got closer they said, “That looks like Jesus!” And so it was. Struggling along under the weight of the cross-bar on his bruised and bleeding back, he slipped and fell. They picked him up and lifted the cross-bar onto his back again. But it was no good – a few more steps and he was over again. It was cruel to see. Instinctively I took a step forward. Then, remembering the situation, I froze where I was!

The big burly soldier looked around. “You!” he called out in my direction. “Come and carry the cross for this man!”

I came forward quickly. The others from Cyrene were amazed – and our companions from Joppa! That cross-bar was heavy – but I hadn’t been flogged! I could carry it all right and Jesus, still stooped, walked alongside. I heard a dry whisper, “Simon… thank you!” He knew my name!

And that’s how I met Jesus. There was a real warmth about him – a care for others in the midst of his own suffering, a concern for the future of our city and people – a future that he would miss out on!

When we got to the Place, the people spread out into a wide circle. That’s when I noticed our Jewish leaders there – they seemed to be stirring the excitement. I thought that odd. Very odd.

I lowered the cross-bar near the post the officer indicated to me. My job was over. I could now retreat to the circle of on-lookers. But I didn’t! I felt the attraction of Jesus and the suffering he was going through. For those minutes of carrying I had shared the minutest part of that suffering. Or had I? I saw his pain as the hammers drove the nails home, and as the ropes hoisted him on that cross-bar up the post. The two criminals they put on either side of him.

Silence fell on the crowd. What was to be done had now been done. From the cross Jesus was looking around – at the Roman soldiers, about to bet on his clothes, at the chief priests and the crowd and at the weeping ones, edging closer now. “Forgive them, Father!” he said. “They don’t know what they are doing!”

A lot of things began to happen now. People began talking and moving closer – his closest friends right to the foot of the cross. The Jewish leaders hurled insults at him – the soldiers too!

Two things stand out for me during that time. One was a word of assurance and comfort to one of the criminals – “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me!” The other was when he cried out, “It is finished!” There was something about the way he said that. It wasn’t the cry of someone who’s had it and is about to expire. It was as if he’d said, “I’ve done it!” – the suffering is complete! – because then he commended his spirit to the Father and died.

I don’t know what to make of it all now. I carried the cross! I heard him speak! It was clearly a miscarriage of justice – it should never have happened! Suddenly the credibility of our leaders is called in question. Yet in a way it seems it had to happen – Jesus seemed to accept the miscarriage of justice. I’m not sure what he’s finished, what he’s done! But I doubt that it’s the end of the matter. Perhaps I may find out more, before I leave for home next week.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, our Lord, our Saviour, we scarce can understand the suffering, the brutality you endured, nor realise the load of sin – our sin – you bore in dying there! It seemed that human wickedness was complete. Truth is that divine love and redemption were complete! Thank you, Lord! Teach us to live under your grace and to get the message out about your saving love. We pray in your name, Amen.

Simon of Cyrene

Long and tedious was the road

that brought me to Jerusalem!

How I longed

for Passover!

Merchant shipping was delayed –

all conspired to make me late,

almost late

for Passover!

Late along the road I came,

saw the Temple glow like flame!

How I longed

for Passover!

Tiring, so I could not run,

trudging wearily must come,

almost late

for Passover!

Now I see a dusty cloud

swirling round a noisy crowd

on the road

to Calvary!

Passover I’ve come to eat,

not to see these marching feet

on the road

to Calvary!

Now I see one bruised and goaded,

stumbling under cross-bar loaded,

on the road

to Calvary!

Hand upon me, voice commanding,

“Take the cross and bear it for him!”

on the road

to Calvary!

Cross I carry, load I lighten,

yet my load he carries for me

on that cross

on Calvary!

Heavy beam that low had bowed him

bears him as my sin assails him

on that cross

on Calvary!

“It is finished!” hear him crying

as for me I see him dying

on that cross

on Calvary!

Passover – the lamb is slain,

bearing all my guilt and pain

on that cross

on Calvary!

Matthew 27.45-56 Forsaken!

Last week, 14 November 2012 – that was the date the sun was eclipsed by the moon. At Forrest Beach we didn’t experience totality as they did in Cairns, but 98% is pretty good. By 6 am the car park at the beach front was packed and people were there with their special cardboard eclipse glasses or welding helmets to view the event safely. Wow! you could actually see it taking place!

The sun is 400 times the size of the moon, but, because the moon is 400 times closer to us, it can completely cover the face of the sun. The only way to see what was happening was to darken the sky so much that the best eclipse photos seem like night!

One of the things that struck me, watching at Forrest Beach, was the amount of light still coming from that little sliver of sun. It was easy to understand why there were so many strong warnings against looking directly at the eclipse.

In Matthew 27.15 we read that “ From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land”. This was not an eclipse. But something momentous was happening that disrupted nature itself.

John’s gospel begins, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1.1-4).

When Jesus spoke a word of rebuke to calm the storm on the lake, t he disciples were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4.41) Here was someone who had authority over nature. True, again and again, he referred to them as people of little faith – “ I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17.20).

But now that he is nailed to the cross, something is happening in nature – darkness (27.45) and then an earthquake (v. 51).

About the ninth hour – after the three hours of darkness – Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “ Eloi, Eloi,  lama sabachthani? ” – which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (v. 46). The words come directly from Psalm 22.1.

How could Jesus, of all persons, think and say such a thing?

At the moment of his baptism, a voice from heaven had said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (3.17). On one occasion, when Jesus had been praying, one of the disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11.1) – he was obviously living his life in close relationship with the Father. Peter had called him “ the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16.16). When Peter, James and John saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain, the voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (17.5)

Jesus had admitted under oath to the high priest that he was the Christ, the Son of God – “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (26.64).

“ Eloi, Eloi,  lama sabachthani? ”— “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

At that moment – for the first time ever – the eternal Son of God was abandoned, forsaken by the Father. It was not just that he was in agony, that he felt forsaken. It was really true. He was abandoned, forsaken – and the whole of the created order was disrupted. That was the reason for the darkness and the earthquake.

In a very real sense it was a personal eclipse. The face of the Father was completely hidden. The love of the Father was removed. Why? How could this be so?

In response to the disciples’ ambitions for greatness, Jesus had told them that “ whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10.43-45).

Paul wrote, “ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5.21). On the cross, the sinless Son of God became identified with human sin so that we could be justified – made right with God – in him. Jesus was forsaken – for us. Our sin separated him from the Father – the only perfect atoning sacrifice – so that we can be restored to the Father’s family in forgiveness and love.

Some of those standing near the cross misunderstood Jesus’ words. They thought Jesus was trying to call for Elijah (v. 27). Someone offered him a drink of wine vinegar. Others, however, said to leave Jesus alone and see if Elijah would come and save him. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit” (v. 50).

“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people” (vv. 51-53).

What happened when Jesus died for human sin marked the beginning of a new era. No longer was the “holy of holies” out-of-bounds – to be entered only by the high priest on the Day of Atonement bearing sacrifices for his own sins and the sins of the people.

As we read in Hebrews, “ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water ” (Hebrews 10.19-22).

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (v. 54).

They had taken part in many crucifixions, but this was different. The centurion acknowledged what the religious leaders had refused. He undoubtedly didn’t fully grasp the significance of his words and seemed to assume that this was, regrettably, the end of Jesus.

“Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs” (v. 55).

The words of the old Negro spiritual asked:

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?…

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?…

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?…

The last verse leads into the resurrection. Matthew records that there were some remarkable pre-resurrection events, but for the women there was just wondering and overwhelming sadness. Just then, it felt like the end.

PRAYER: No Lord, we weren’t there – or were we? Do we spend our time circling around ourselves? Do we find your presence uncomfortable? Does your crucifixion leave us numb and hopeless? Do we despair that perhaps there are no answers to the difficulties of life after all? Yet you were dying for us – for our sins, for our self-centredness, for our hopelessness, for our lack of trust… Amazing love! Amazing grace! Thank you, Lord! Amen!

King of the Jews!

Wise men of old

who watched the light

of stars and planets

in the night

were stunned to see

a strange new star.

They mounted beast

for journey far –

for one is born

to be the King –

“King of the Jews”!

Our gifts we’ll bring

and worship him!

Their gifts were laid

in stable bare.

They left in haste and joy.

Not just for Jews

but King for all –

his life was Light

for one and all.

But see him now

on cross of wood –

cross for those

who do no good!

The sign above

affirms a name –

“King of the Jews” –

in dying shame!

The sky is dark,

he’s al most gone –

“My God! My God!

I’m all alone!”

for heaven is closed –

our sin he bears

in fullest load,

our deepest cares.

“It is finished!” –

this his cry

writ large

across our darkened sky!

Matthew 27.57-66 Dead and Buried

The Apostles’ Creed, as we learned it years ago, says that “Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord… suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried”.

We look back and wonder: why the emphasis on finality? The version we learned went on to say that “He descended into hell”, where the modern version softens it for us by saying, “He descended to the dead”. The explanation is that it refers to Hades (Sheol in Hebrew) – the abode of the dead – rather than to Hell (Gehenna) – the place of punishment and torment for sinners.

For many years there have been those who have denied the resurrection, saying it just couldn’t happen and therefore didn’t happen. They have tried to find some other explanation for the events of Good Friday. It has been suggested that Jesus didn’t really die. He just swooned – fainted from loss of blood. Then, three days later he appeared to the disciples and convinced them that he had risen from the dead. It is an extremely far-fetched – even impossible – explanation, when we think about what had happened to Jesus.

When Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion of the Christ”, was screened, some people complained about the scene of merciless, relentless, brutal scourging. I agree that it was unnecessarily long in the film, yet, checking up, it was just what the Romans did. Many who were scourged in that way died before crucifixion.

Crucifixion itself has been described as the most horrible form of execution devised in the history of the human race. It was designed to prolong pain. Victims would push themselves up on their legs, if they could, so they could breathe. The soldiers would finally break their legs to hasten the end. John records that, “when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water” (John 19.33).

He died all right. The soldiers made quite sure of that. The Jewish leaders were in no doubt at all – nor were the watching crowd. The women who were there “watching from a distance” (Matthew 27.55-56) knew that Jesus was dead. There was no way he could have survived and no way of pretending that he was alive.

Normally the body of a person crucified would simply have been discarded without ceremony. There had been no preparations for his burial. His friends were hoping all along that it wouldn’t finish this way. Surely, indeed, as his enemies had taunted, he could come down from the cross. But he didn’t! And his enemies would have been happiest for his body to be treated like that of a common criminal.

“As evening approached” – the Sabbath began at sunset – “there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb” (vv. 57-61).

Luke describes Joseph as “a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23.50-51).

John adds that Joseph was not alone in what he did – “He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs” (John 19.39-40).

“The next day” (Matthew 27.62) was in fact the Sabbath, which made it a little surprising that the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first” (vv. 63-64).

Whenever Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection, the disciples were so shocked by the thought of his death that they missed the promise of his resurrection completely. We think of Caesarea-Philippi where Peter affirmed that Jesus was “the Christ the Son of the living God” (16.16). “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (v. 21). How did Peter respond? “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (v. 22).

And now, having witnessed the horror of Jesus’ crucifixion, it is not the disciples who remember the promise of the resurrection, but the group of unbelievers who had schemed to get rid of him! Clearly, the Jewish leaders were afraid of what might happen – whether by resurrection in reality or faked by his disciples!

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard (27.65-66).

John recorded that, when the sign was put above the head of Jesus, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS”, the chief priests objected, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews” – to which Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written” (John 19.21-22). Pilate wasn’t letting them have it all their way.

And now – “Go make the tomb as secure as you know how” – was Pilate beginning to wonder whether they could really make it secure? Jesus was “crucified, dead and buried”. He had called out, “It is finished!” But was this really the end of him?

We know the next bit of the story, but, to return to our earlier question, why this emphasis on finality in our statements of faith?

There were no shortcuts in bearing human sin and its guilty load. He bore it all – drinking the cup to the very last drop – for us sinners.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, despised and rejected, scourged and beaten, nailed to a human cross of wood, crucified, dead and buried… you did it with the prayer on your lips, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. You completed the work of redemption for which you were sent – drinking the cup of suffering to the last drop. We can but come with empty sinners’ hands to receive your grace poured out for sinners in forgiveness, love and life. Thank you, Lord! Amen.

Dead and Buried

It seemed

the night

extinguished

light

with victory

to badness,

with overwhelming

sadness

for those

who knew

and loved him.

The true

and loyal

found a space

to place

his last remains.

But is this all?

And can the seal

and watch

conceal

the life

so given –

the hope

of heaven?

Truly “dead

and buried”!

And “finished!” too –

a work is done

for the dead

and harried

of each age.

Not written yet

the final page

of love

and grace!

Only by that

death complete

is life

replete!

Matthew 28.1-10 Jesus is Alive!

At the request of the chief priests and the Pharisees, the tomb of Jesus was sealed and a guard placed – “Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead ” (Matthew 27.64). The tomb was sealed by means of a cord or string passed around the stone covering the opening and fastened to the rock at both ends with sealing-clay.

The guards knew what was expected of them. The seal was legal evidence that the tomb had not been tampered with by anyone. They were there to ensure that nobody removed the body. They were Roman soldiers and independent of both the disciples and the Jewish leaders – and quite open to be suspicious of either group.

The words of Pilate may suggest a question in the governor’s mind – “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how .” Whatever you may be trying to stop may not be as easy as you think.

From the guards’ point of view, this was no unusual assignment. They had their routine which kept them both awake and alert. Nothing suspicious would escape their attention.

The routine was fine, but what happened was out-of-the-ordinary! The earth shook with the force of a violent earthquake. Then they saw this dazzling angelic creature come down out of the sky, roll the stone away and sit on it. None of their training prepared them for this! They were scared stiff and froze where they were – “they shook and became like dead men .”

They heard an angelic message, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said .” They had done everything required of them. Their procedures had been letter-perfect. The breaking of the seal on the tomb only occurred at this point and revealed that the body had already gone!

When the initial shock passed, some of them stayed on duty while others hurried into the city with the news. But where should they go? If they went to their Roman superiors, there could be bad trouble. Would their story be believed? Their lives could be at stake! So they went instead to the Jewish authorities and reported the extraordinary happenings of the night. (How we would love to see and hear the reaction of Annas and Caiaphas!) So the chief priests framed their plan. Thankfully, these men have come to us first! At all costs, we must stop their news right here!

So the men were given a large sum of money to say that the disciples of Jesus had stolen the body during the night while they were asleep. Sleeping on duty was punishable by death, but “If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble ”! Setting off with the money, they did as they were told to do.

When the body of Jesus was laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, there were women watching the proceedings. Matthew names “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” (27.61). They had good reason to watch. Jesus was put to death on the eve of the Sabbath – and a Passover Sabbath at that. There was no time to complete all the burial procedures before the Sabbath begun. Besides wrapping the body in linen cloths, there had to be spices, myrrh and aloes to complete the embalming. Someone would have to come back after the Sabbath.

The Sabbath finished, of course, on Saturday evening, but it was early Sunday morning that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary returned to the tomb. Mark names a third woman who came with them, Salome. Mark and Luke both record that their reason was to complete the embalming.

Just as the tomb and the guards came into view, a violent earthquake shook the ground and they saw the angel of the Lord come down, roll the stone away and sit on it. The angel spoke to them, “Do not be afraid (how they needed that word!), for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you .”

Yes, the body was already gone from the tomb before the earthquake! So they hurried off – with a mixture of fear and joy to tell the news to the disciples! On the way, Jesus himself met them and confirmed the message they were to give to the disciples.

The same Jesus who had been put to death so cruelly on the cross is alive! On the third day he rose victorious over death and sin! He is both Saviour and King! They couldn’t make the tomb secure enough to stop him rising! The earthquake and the angel only confirmed that he was already alive from the dead!

The guards and the women were just doing their duty – following the routines set down for them by generations of custom and practice. But in the course of doing their duty, an event unexpected and extraordinary had cut across it all. The procedures they had been following might otherwise have been totally relevant and appropriate. But suddenly the guards found that they were guarding an empty tomb, and the women found that their embalming spices were unnecessary!

Jesus is not dead – he has been raised!

In the course of our duty? Well, as we get older we may find ourselves determined by routines others have set for us! What has this past week held for us? What has been set down for this coming week?

Here and now, whatever is happening, let this extraordinary fact sink into our awareness – Jesus is not dead! Jesus is alive!

There may be many things we are planning to do that we will still need to do, but not one of them should be unaffected by this amazing fact that Jesus is not dead but alive! He has the right over our life! His death was not simply a plot of human hatred, but a gift for our salvation by divine love!

Jesus is alive! In the midst of our planned-out day, acknowledge that he is here, our Saviour and our Lord! Welcome him! Trust him! Love him! Obey him!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, it is all too easy to live as if you’re not here, as if the greatest disaster of all has happened, as if the darkness of evil is overwhelming this world… And yet, when you died on the Cross, it was the greatest victory – the fear and reality of sin and death need grip us no more! You have conquered! Our debt has been paid! You have opened the way to forgiveness and life and heaven for all who trust you! This is our certainty because on the third day you rose from the grave, victorious over death! Grant us to live each day in the certainty of your victory. We pray this in your name, Amen.

Easter Glory!

Darkness shrouds the dying Saviour.

Temple curtain tears in two

as he gasps his last committal

to his Father’s unseen hands.

Earthquake shakes the holy city –

“ It is finished!” is his cry.

Dying hopes and crumpled spirits

watch to see their Master die.

Glory! Glory in the highest!

Christ is risen from the dead,

over death and sin victorious!

Glory in the highest heaven!

See! The garden tomb is empty

where his body had been laid!

Now the Saviour comes to greet us,

lead us on in love and grace.

Glory! Glory in the highest!

Christ is risen from the tomb,

humbled once, now see him glorious,

mighty victor, strong to save!

Darkness shrouds our troubled planet.

“ Peace on earth” – we need some, Lord!

Dumb to sing your praise and glory,

deaf to hear your gracious call!

Christ is risen! Glory! Glory!

Sound the news of saving grace

to dispel encircling darkness

and instill his offered peace.

Matthew 28.16-20 Christ the King

Matthew’s gospel begins with a “ genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1.1-17). We have taken a long journey through Matthew’s gospel, but – quite a while ago now! – we noted that

The Lord had said to Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12.2-3). So Jesus was in the line of Abraham – one of the chosen race through whom God was revealing his purposes to the human race.

But Jesus was also in the royal line of David to whom God had promised, “ Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7.16). With all the ups and downs of national fortune, that didn’t look like the situation at the moment, but the Jews looked forward to the promised anointed one, the Me ssiah, and the restoration of David’s kingdom.

In a unique way, Jesus was Immanuel – God with us. The wise men (the magi) came from the east in search of the one born “King of the Jews” – “We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him”. “…they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (2.1-10).

John the Baptist – a cousin of Jesus – came preaching in the desert of Judaea calling on people to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (3.1). John and his message (vv. 7-12) strike us as being in strong contrast to the character and ministry of Jesus, yet Jesus began with the very same call (4.17).

Again and again his teaching and parables were about the “Kingdom of heaven” – around thirty times in Matthew. For example, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (5. 3). So too for “those who are persecuted because of righteousness” (v. 10).

The disciples were given to know “the secrets of the kingdom of heaven” (13.11), whereas Jesus told the crowds stories – parables – to illustrate different aspects of the Kingdom. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field…” (vv. 24-30). “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…” (vv. 31-32). “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took…” (v. 33). “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field…” (v. 44-46). “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake…” (vv. 47-40).

On two occasions the Voice from heaven had said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased ” (3.17; 17.5). Simon Peter had declared him “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16.16). Peter, of course, didn’t really understand all that this meant and his attitude and words of protest at the foreshadowed cross were a “stumbling-block” to Jesus (v. 23).

In Gethsemane Jesus didn’t need Peter’s sword to defend him – “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (26.53).

But, back at Caesarea-Philippi, Peter had spoken the truth. And when Jesus was charged under oath by the high priest to declare whether he was “the Christ, the Son of God”, he replied, “Yes, it is as you say” (vv. 63-64).

“Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked him (John 18.34). Not that kind of king – “My kingdom is not of this world… my kingdom is from another place… You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth…” (vv. 36-37).

Pilate had been outmanoeuvred by the Jewish leaders. He was ordering the crucifixion of one whom he had found innocent of any crime. So he stubbornly put the inscription over the cross, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27.37).

King of the Jews? That was the quest of the wise men following the star. At Christmas we don’t focus on the crucifixion, nor on Good Friday on the coming of the wise men! At both times we do well to remember the angelic words to Joseph before Jesus’ birth – “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (1.21).

Now the King is about to disappear from the earthly scene – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (28.18-20).

When he was born as a baby, he had emptied himself – “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2.7-8)

But now, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vv. 9-11).

In today’s reading we see Christ the King with “all authority in heaven and on earth”. In the temptations he had rejected Satan’s counterfeit rule over the kingdoms of the world (4.8-10). But now he says to the eleven, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” I won’t be physically present with you, but “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The work he had come to do – the work of redemption that only he could do – is finished, complete. Now he is committing to the eleven and those who will join them – and those who will follow – the task of getting the message out. Literally, going, baptising and teaching, they were to make disciples.

Luke records this final commission in these words, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24.46-49).

It is now the season of Advent again. We are celebrating his work complete, and ours – the church of today – still current. Still current too is his promise to be with us and to clothe us with “power from on high”.

Christ is King! Glory to God in the highest!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Son of God from all eternity, humbled for a season, now restored to the highest place with the name above all names, we worship you. You are our King, with all authority over heaven and earth. You have called us to continue your mission by making disciples. The task is beyond us – even the little bit with our families and acquaintances. We can’t do it – except for your promise to be with us always, except for the enabling of your Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord! Amen and Amen!

Glorious Lord!

Heavenly glory

was concealed

in him

was heavenly love

revealed.

We did not know

and would not hear

the falling blow

of mortal fear

that held this race

in sinful night

who fled his face

who has the right

to judge and toss

in deepest hell

each sinner lost

since Adam fell.

Heavenly glory

was concealed

in him

was heavenly love

revealed.

His glory hid,

God’s love to show,

we tried to rid –

we did not know...

“Father, forgive”,

his dying cry.

In him we live –

we know not why

his life was poured

for sinners given –

he is the Lord

of earth and heaven!

Heavenly glory

was concealed

in him

was heavenly love

revealed.

Heavenly glory

now restored,

we worship him

our glorious Lord!