Daily Reflections

2011-12-25T06:59:00.001Z

Secondly, notice who the first people were who received the wonderful news of Christ's birth - simple ordinary shepherds, not priests, rulers, theologians, scribes or Pharisees. This is not meant to imply that people who are learned or who have position were excluded. The visit of the Magi - the wise men who followed the shepherds - bears testimony of this. But all too often, simple people, poor people feel that they do not know enough to be able to draw close to God. Nothing could be further from the truth. What is important is not wealth, position or knowledge - but faith.

God offers to all people faith as a free gift.[1] All people have to do is respond by accepting it. Whether you are a university professor, a mechanic, housewife, millionaire, street-sweeper, unemployed - no matter what one's station in life is - all people are afforded the opportunity to draw close to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, notice the message the angels brought with them. They said:

... I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy.[2]

The spiritual darkness that had covered the world for thousands of years was about to be rolled away and God was to be revealed in all his fullness through Christ; the way in which sin could be forgiven was to be made available for all people; people can defeat the power of Satan, temptation and sin in their lives and so be enabled to experience wholeness and restoration while living on this earth; people were about to be enabled to experience peace with themselves, peace with others and peace with God. Indeed, the birth of Jesus is 'good news' and should make 'everyone happy'. Because of Jesus there is hope, because of Jesus there is power, because of Jesus people can be restored to God.

The angel was joined by many other angels who sang a beautiful hymn of praise that explains in detail the wonder of Christ's birth. We read in verse 14:

Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.

The greatest praise to God in heaven happened through the birth of his Son. His life, death, resurrection and ascension revealed in detail God's justice, holiness, mercy and wisdom. Jesus made it possible for peace to be restored between sinful people and the Holy God because he paid the price for the sins of humankind. When people accept the forgiveness of their sins and the peace of God that passes all human understanding by faith in Jesus, it also enables people live at peace with one another. O how the world needs Jesus.

[1] Ephesians 2:8.

[2] Luke 2:10.

2011-12-24T09:06:00.000Z

The birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:1-20.

These verses relate the story of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Everybody loves this story and so they should because the story of any birth is always beautiful and moving. The story of the birth of Jesus has become part of western culture and many droves of people flock into churches on Christmas day to be reminded of this wonderful story.

Having witnessed the birth of Gareth I know that there is little that can compare with the intimacy and extreme emotion that is coupled with this event. Even midwives and doctors often say that no matter how often they witness a birth, nothing can take away the sense of wonder and joy that always accompanies the entry of a baby into the world.

This passage tells of a birth that was more wonderful than any other before or since. While every birth is a miracle, the birth of Jesus was the greatest miracle of all as God was being born into the world. The author of the first letter to Timothy explains: 'Here is the great mystery of our religion: Christ came as a human ...'[1]

We all know the story so well, but allow me focus our attention on a few important truths.

Firstly, notice where Jesus was born. The prophet Micah had prophesied that the event would take place in Bethlehem[2] - and sure enough, it took place in Bethlehem. This reminds us of the wonderful truth that God is in control. He controlled the secular ruler Augustus and directed him through thoughts, events and ideas, to decree that all people needed to be registered. As a result, he, Augustus decreed that Mary and Joseph should travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The Roman emperor did not know that he was a pawn in God's hands and that he was only doing what God was allowing him to do.[3]

Especially in our troubled times in Britain today, we should take heart that God is in control and can intervene dramatically into our situation and change things. There are tremendous problems in our country at this time. Morally and ethically there is a drastic decline. This is manifest in many ways, not least in the erosion of the family, the discipline problems in our schools, the increased incidence sexual promiscuity and perversion, substance abuse - the list is endless. In a sense we are witnessing the steady decline in standards and I would not be surprised if we were witnessing the decline of western civilization - like Greece and Rome before us. This can be for many reasons - not least being the conscious and wilful decision of many people to deliberately reject God and the way of life he has decreed for all people in his word, the Scriptures. Things will continue to get worse until people make a conscious and wilful decision to turn away from sin, accept Jesus and the way of life laid down in the word of God. When this happens God will respond by transforming our society into one of peace, prosperity and order.

God is in control. As God intervened and changed the course of history using Caesar Augustus as a pawn to do what he willed, so can he intervene and use earthly rulers and others as pawns to bring about his purposes on this earth. But people need to respond in obedience.

John 1.1-14 (NRSV) (iv)

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Brother,

I focus today on a third of John’s themes, darkness. For John, darkness is a real as light, but however hard the darkness tries, it cannot extinguish the light. As I referred to yesterday, when people sin, they love the darkness and hate the light because the light shows up too many things.

The nights are incredibly dark at the moment. Last night, when I got up in the early hours, I noticed a quite bright light shining in the kitchen, so I went through to explore what it was. Trish had forgotten to switch off her iPod and the tiny blue light radiated throughout the kitchen. John makes the point that even the tiniest little flame defeats darkness. In the end, Jesus, the light of the world, will prevail and so he exhorts us to make a choice to choose to live in the light.

There are some places where John’s reference to darkness seems to refer to ignorance. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness.” (John 8.12) Nobody wants to walk in darkness but so often we stumble through life because we are not following the way of the light. One of the greatest problems in the world today is that people have rejected Jesus and so, Europe particularly, is stumbling around, but in its arrogance refuses to accept the light that Jesus offers. We continue to witness the decline in attendance at worship and this is a symptom of the problem. Jesus is the light that shows people clearly the road ahead.

There are also times when John uses the word darkness symbolically. This is particularly true on the morning of the Resurrection when Mary went to the tomb when it was still dark. She thought that Jesus had been eliminated. To John, if Jesus is not present, life is like living in the darkness.

The trouble is that if people are in darkness, they will never understand the light. As Paul explains, the Gospel – for those who do not have the Holy Spirit – is simply foolishness. Barclay writes: “A man cannot understand Christ until he first submits to him.”

It is all by God’s grace – a mystery that I believe, we will never understand. Why is it that God has enabled us to live in the light? I certainly do not deserve to! But we do, and I am grateful and feel privileged to be able to share the way of the light with others.

Blessings,

David

2011-12-22T11:04:00.000Z

John 1.1-14 (NRSV) (iii)

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Brother,

The second major theme is light. Jesus is the light of life and the light of the world; this light can be in people which makes them children of light. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and this is why so many people reject him.

The light of Christ is a revealing light and when people sin, they love darkness rather than light because the light exposes their deeds. As Barclay writes: “It strips away the disguises and the concealments; it shows things in all their nakedness; it shows them in their true character and their true values.” The cynics used to say that people hate the truth, because the truth is like light to sore eyes. Churches are emptying in Europe, because people prefer darkness to light!

We never see ourselves as we truly are until we see ourselves as Jesus sees us.

The prophet Habbakuk adds the idea that God’s eyes are so holy that he cannot even look upon that which is evil. There seems to be a sense that when sin is not dealt with, the divorce from God is great and can even mean that prayers are not even heard; and so those that say that they have prayed – and it did not work – is because they do not come with the attitude of repentance which is the only way.

The light of Christ is also the guiding light: if we do not have this light we walk in darkness and we do not know where we are going, but when we receive this light and believe in this light to follow it we live and travel in the light. Barclay concludes:

“Without Jesus we are like men groping on an unknown road in a black-out. With him the way is clear.”

Let us always take special care to walk in the light …

Blessings to all,

As ever,

David

2011-12-21T17:34:00.000Z

John 1.1-14 (ii)

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Brother,

In this lovely passage, we are introduced to the two great themes on John’s Gospel: life and light. The Gospel begins and ends with life; at the beginning Jesus is life and at the very end we are told that the whole purpose of the Gospel is so that we may believe and have life in his name (John 20:31). Life is always on our Lord’s lips; and his regret when people reject him is because they reject life as well (5:40) and he claimed that he came to earth with this purpose, so that we might have life and that in all its fullness. Barclay continues with the following observations:

Life is the opposite of death. Those who believe in Jesus, receive the gift of eternal life but also life in the here and now that is full and wonderful, even in the midst of travail and trouble. Jesus is the bringer of life, but the giver of life is God. It is the will of the Father, who sent the Jesus that everyone who sees him and believes on him should have life – eternal life. But what is eternal life? It cannot mean life that lasts forever, because this can be a terrible curse. When I was still in pastoral ministry, I prayed more for people’s lives to end and that their suffering would cease than for people to live. Eternal life is more than duration it must refer to quality as well. Barclay writes: “Eternal life is life which knows something of the serenity and power of the life which knows something of the serenity and power of the life of God himself. When Jesus came offering men eternal life, he was inviting them to enter the very life of God.”

How do we enter this life?

We enter it by believing, being convinced that Jesus really is the Son of God, more than just an ordinary man, for if he is, then there is no need to follow in obedience. Barclay writes:

“We have to look at him, learn about him, study him, think about him until we are driven to the conclusion that this is none other than the Son of God.”

This is more than intellectual assent, it is commitment and action, living a life of discipleship. When we do this we stop existing and start living.

Blessings,

David

2011-12-20T17:32:00.000Z

John 1.1-14 (i)

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Brother,

John begins his Gospel in a completely different way to any of the other Evangelists. It would appear that he was encouraged to write this toward the end of his life and he did so in order to meet the needs of Greek intellectuals who wanted to know more. As we already know, he also wanted to challenge the heresy of Gnosticism that prevailed in this community, and which appealed to intellectuals who wanted to have worked things out. The bottom line is that God cannot be worked out – and so he begins with the mystery of the incarnation. Barclay begins by suggesting that John had three things to say about Jesus – the Word.

Firstly, the word was already there at the beginning of things: Before creation – when there was nothing other than God – Jesus (the Word) was there and the point that John is making is that God is like Jesus. Before Jesus came to earth, people had to try to figure out what God is like, and this explains the strange conceptions we often come across in the Old Testament. As Barclay explains: “It was only when Jesus came that [people] saw fully and completely what God has always been like … [John} is telling us that God was and is and ever shall be like Jesus; but men could never know and realise that until Jesus came.”

Secondly, John explains that Jesus – the Word – was with God. This means that Jesus is so intimate with God that God has no secrets from him. This adds to the earlier point because this makes clear the idea that Jesus is the one person who can reveal what God is really like and also know God’s feelings towards us.

Thirdly, John makes the point most strongly by claiming that the Word WAS God. Barclay suggests that this does not mean that the Word was identical with God, rather that (as Barlcay writes) ‘… Jesus was so perfectly the same as God in mind, in heart, in being that in him we perfectly see what God is like.’

A mystery … more on Wednesday …

Blessings

David

2011-12-19T17:02:00.000Z

The birth of John the Baptist

and

Zechariah's prophecy.

Luke 1:57‑80.

The son of Zechariah and Elizabeth was born. What a time of rejoicing this must have been for them. In Jewish culture – as I believe it should be in every culture – children were seen as a gift from God. Passages like Psalm 127:3‑5:

Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Jewish people had such a high view of children and life that they would never have considered for a minute, aborting their children or abandoning them or mistreating them – as was often the case with their pagan neighbours. Warren Wiersbe writes:

When you consider that 1 500 000 babies are aborted each year in the United States alone, you can see how far we have drifted from the laws of God.[1]

When Elizabeth named their son John, the people around them were amazed. These neighbours hastened to remind them that they are departing from what is traditionally acceptable and that none of their relatives was called by that name. When Elizabeth refused to tow the line, they appealed to Zechariah by making signs. They seem to have assumed that because Zechariah could not speak – he could not hear as well. But, writing on a writing tablet – which we can assume must have been close at hand over the pervious nine months – Zechariah confirmed his wife's choice.[2]As soon as this is confirmed, John begins to speak again. The people left and the story spread throughout the region. McBride writes:

So, the story of these marvellous events is spread around the hill country, and those who hear the story cherish it and ask themselves about the future role of this child.[3]

Luke then repeats the hymn Zechariah sang giving us four beautiful pictures of what the coming of Jesus Christ to earth really means.

Verse 68 tells how Jesus sets people free. The verse reads:

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.

The word to redeem means to set free by paying a price. It was often used when referring to the releasing of a prisoner or the liberating of a slave. Sin and death are what enslave people more than anything else. Jesus came to redeem people from sin – its power on earth in a person's life – and it eventual consequence – death and eternal separation from God.. No human being is ever able to redeem themselves – only Jesus can set anyone free because only Jesus could pay the price necessary for our redemption. Paul explains in Ephesians 1:7:

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ...

Peter adds in 1 Peter 1:18‑21:

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.

Jesus brings salvation. Verses 69–75 explain:

He has raised up a mighty saviour for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

The salvation that the Messiah will bring is referred to here as deliverance, then as mercy and then in terms of covenant – especially the covenant between God and Abraham. God will never go back on what he has sworn – the covenant promised to Abraham will be fulfilled.. All this happens so, as verse 74 puts it, God's people may serve him without fear and be filled rather with holiness – they will belong to God – and righteousness – they will live as God's people should.[4]God is merciful. He is able and willing to forgive all sins and even mistakes. He delivers people from the consequences of sin and its power over them now. All people can – if they wish – live as God's people should because in the power of the Holy Spirit we can be enabled to become the people God wants us to be. When a person accepts Jesus as saviour, Wiersbe writes:

... you are delivered from Satan's power, moved into God's kingdom, redeemed and forgiven.[5]

Paul explains in Colossians 1:12‑14:

... giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We are set free – not to do as we please – because this would lead to our being enslaved once more, but to do God's will – because when we do this, we experience real freedom. Jesus cancels our spiritual debt. All people are in debt before God because we are all guilty of breaking God's law and failed to live up to his standards. At the same time we are spiritually bankrupt and therefore unable to pay our debt.

Listen to verses 76–77 again:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.

John would announce the good news that Jesus was coming to pay the debt for us. John explained in John 1:29:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ..."

Morris writes:

He would be the forerunner to the Messiah. Specifically he would tell people about the coming of salvation in the forgiveness of their sins. John could not save men. No man could. But he would call men to repentance and tell them about one who could.[6]

Jesus was also to introduce the dawning of a new day. The people were sitting in darkness and death and distress. When Jesus came into their lives he brought with him light, life and peace – a new day because of the love and mercy of God. The verses 78–79 read:

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Our salvation comes through the tender mercy of God. God loves us. God loves you. This is why he sent his only son Jesus to set people free, to save them from their sin, its consequences and its power in their lives. Jesus gives us the victory, he cancels our debt and ushers us into a new day.

The focus of Elizabeth and Zechariah was correct. They never let the joy of their gift deflect their attention away from the true focus – Jesus, the Messiah, the saviour of the world. They raised their son, John to have the same focus. This passage ends with the words:

The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

John could have enjoyed a comfortable life of a priest, but rather lived in the wilderness, strictly disciplined, waiting for the day when his work was to begin. He knew freedom, he knew joy, he knew direction in his life. He found this in the hardship of the desert. Too often today we are told that real living comes through easy living. This is not always true. Many prophets and other great people of God knew joy through discipline and hardship. By trying to make life easy is not always the kindest and most loving thing to do. When you are in God's will, even the difficult times are filled with meaning and purpose and even joy.

Where is our focus? – on the things of the world, our children, our job, our possessions. Whenever we loose our focus on Jesus we will loose our joy and peace and purpose. Jesus as set you free, cancelled your debt, given your life meaning, given you dignity and worth. Can anything be more important than that?

[1] Wiersbe, Be Compassionate, p. 21.

[2] See Morris, Tyndale, p. 78 and McBride, Reflective Commentary, pp. 32–33.

[3] McBride, Reflective Commentary, p. 33.

[4] Morris, Tyndale, p. 80.

[5] Wiersbe, Be Compassionate, p. 22.

[6] Morris, Tyndale, pp. 80–81.

2011-12-18T16:08:00.000Z

Luke 1.26-38 (NRSV) (Sermon)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ ²⁹But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. ³¹And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ ³⁴Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’³⁵The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.’ ³⁸Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

My text today is written in Luke 1.37:

For nothing will be impossible with God …

When Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months, the angel Gabriel went to Nazareth and visited a young woman called Mary. There is great significance in this event. Mary was not of noble birth – she was a poor peasant woman. She lived in one of the least desirable parts of Judah, in a place which was actually despised by many. Remember the disdain evident in Nathaniel's reference to the place. We read about this in John 1:45‑46:

Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

The Jews despised the people from Nazareth because they were believed to inferior because they had made friendly contact with non Jewish people and many thought Jews were to separate themselves from all others. How often people tend to think that God will only bless people who are special. In God's eyes all people are special. God is willing to bless all those who are open to Him and remain faithful to Him, no matter who they might be in the eyes of the world.

What do we know about Mary? She was of the tribe of Judah, a descendant of David and a virgin. This brings to mind the words of the Prophet Isaiah 7.14: ‘Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.’ She was engaged to be married to a carpenter called Joseph. They both seem to have been people of limited means. We have evidence for this in Luke 2:24: ‘... and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."’ This is explained in Leviticus 12:8: ‘If she cannot afford a sheep, she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf, and she shall be clean.’

I am sure we can all imagine the shock Mary must have experienced when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. Her response reveals how she never expected anything special from God. In verse 29 we read: ‘But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.’

In the eyes of the world, there was nothing special about Mary, but she was very special in the sight of God and she appeared to have been humble and contented with her lot in life. Then Gabriel gave the good news to Mary – she was to be the mother of the promised Messiah and she was to name him Jesus which means ‘God is salvation’.Gabriel went on to describe the child in a way which is similar to Nathan's promise to David – which formed the basis of Jewish messianic expectation. Mary responded by pointing out the fact that she was a virgin.This gave Gabriel the opportunity to explain the miraculous manner in which Jesus would be conceived. Notice the words in verse 35:

The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.

It is because the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit of God and not a human father that he could be called holy and the Son of God. According to Luke it was the Holy Spirit that brought Jesus into existence.[1]It was the Holy Spirit who came upon Mary – or as the Greek puts it – that hepiskiasei or overshadowed her. This same word is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, when referring to God's presence in the holy of holies in the tabernacle as recorded in Exodus 40:35 where we read:

Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

As Warreb Wiersbe puts it, 'Mary's womb became the holy of holies for the Son of God.[2] Mary's betrothed, Joseph would not be the father – God would be the Father.

There has been a great deal of debate about the virgin birth. But as far as I am concerned, the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the traditional interpretation, especially when one examines the rest of the Scriptures. Of particular significance is Matthew 1:25 where it is clearly stated that Joseph ‘... had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.’ As Wilkinson puts it:

... without the support of the text in Matthew it would equally well be taken to mean that Jesus would be born by the overshadowing of God's Spirit in the same way that John the Baptist was.[3]

Wilkinson explains the difficulties associated with this passage. If we take it literally to mean that Mary was a virgin, we need to ask, "How can any being without a human father be truly and fully human?" If we take it symbolically we need to face the problem of how any ordinary human being could bring God to us completely.[4]I conclude this discussion with the words of Wilkinson:

Either way, we are left with the mystery of the person of Christ, which is the most glorious mystery of our faith: and must not God always be a mystery to us? If we are able to explain him and contain him within our human minds, he would not be God at all, but just some idol as little as ourselves.[5]

Luke points out that a person as important as this would have had no ordinary birth. Mary, his mother was a virgin. While the use of myths might have been commonplace in the writing of this time – Luke's emphasis on Mary's virginity is the statement of an extraordinary but crucial historical fact. This person who is miraculously born is to be called Jesus because he is the saviour of the world.

In order to enable Mary to grasp the magnificent truth, the angel gave her a sign to help her believe. Elizabeth's pregnancy was not yet public knowledge because she had hidden herself from public view. Gabriel tells Mary about her cousin’s pregnancy. This must have seemed incredible to her – knowing her age and her barrenness. But the angel reminded her of the wonderful truth contained in verse 37: ‘ ... For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Mary responded by yielding herself to her God as a willing servant. She had received God's word to her – even though it seemed strange.

Our minds can only comprehend something less complex than itself. For this reason, the historic Church teaches that we can know God, but we cannot comprehend Him.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, who died in 386, explained this teaching in his Catechetical Lectures: "Is it really true that because I cannot drink the whole river I will not take water from it in moderation for my benefit? If, when going into some great garden, I cannot eat all the fruits, would you wish that I go away from it completely hungry?" St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, who died in 430, was contemplating this same topic while walking along the seashore. He saw a small boy scooping water from the sea with a seashell and pouring it into a pit in the sand. He noticed that it is impossible for the boy to scoop up all the sea, but it is possible for him to know the sea by scooping it. Kenneth W. Collins comments: ‘Scripture plainly teaches that our knowledge is not complete, and if our knowledge is not complete, it means we will always have puzzles.’

The Church also teaches that we use our reason as far as it can take us. It is never a case of not doing this because our faith is reasonable; but we do not stop there, we allow ourselves to continue to drink of the water of God’s truth even though we are not able to take in the whole river, to eat of the fruits of God’s vast orchard of truth even though we cannot consume all of it, without being able to consume the whole orchard, enjoy the refreshing of the sea of God’s truth without experiencing it all. We can know God without fully comprehending God. Like Mary and Elizabeth, God gives us signs to help us to believe and the way his love, truth, goodness and beauty pervade the world is one, and our experience of his presence at Holy Communion is another.

What about you and me. Where do we stand? Are we open to hear God speaking to us through His Word? Are we ready and willing to hear what he has to say to us – even though it might seem strange? Rest assured. Real blessing is available to all those who are willing to surrender themselves to God and His grace. As the angel said to Mary: ‘For nothing is impossible for our God.’

[1] McBride, The Gospel of Luke, p. 27.

[2] Wiersbe, Be Compassionate, p. 17.

[3] Wilkinson, W, Good News in Luke (Collins, Fontana, Glasgow, 1975), p. 18.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Wilkinson, Good news in Luke, p. 20.

2011-12-17T09:18:00.000Z

Luke 1.26-38 (NRSV) (ii)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Brother,

Thanks for holding the fort. I have had a carol service every day this week with the exception of Monday and it has resulted in many late nights. But term is finished ... and so am I!

To return to the Gospel passage for the 4^th Sunday in Advent ...

In the eyes of the world, there was nothing special about Mary, but she was very special in the sight of God and she appears to have been humble and contented with her lot in life. Then Gabriel gave the good news to Mary – she was to be the mother of the promised Messiah and she was to name him Jesus which means ‘God is salvation’.Gabriel goes on to describe the child in a way which is similar to Nathan's promise to David – which formed the basis of Jewish messianic expectation. Mary responded by pointing out the fact that she was a virgin.This gave Gabriel the opportunity to explain the miraculous manner in which Jesus would be conceived. Notice the words in verse 35:

The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.

Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

As Warreb Wiersbe puts it, 'Mary's womb became the holy of holies for the Son of God.[2] Mary's betrothed, Joseph would not be the father – God would be the father.

I will do tomorrow’s reflection as well.

Thanks again,

Blessings,

David

[1] McBride, The Gospel of Luke, p. 27.

[2] Wiersbe, Be Compassionate, p. 17.

EUREKA!

2011-12-16T16:02:00.001Z

Luke 1.26-38 (NRSV) (i)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

EUREKA!

Brother

According to the legend, the ruler Hiero II asked Archimedes to find a method for determining whether a crown was pure gold or mixed with silver. One day when Archimedes stepped into his bath and noticed that the water rose as he sat down, he ran out of the house naked shouting, "Eureka! Eureka!" (= "I have found [it]). If you want a sort of scientific explanation of what he "found," you can read the next paragraph. If you're only interested in the significance of this "bathroom" illustration, you can skip the next paragraph.

The way to determine whether or not a crown was pure gold was to compare its weight to its volume. If one had 1 pound of gold and 1 pound of silver (one would be very rich) and submerged them in water. The silver would make the water rise higher than the gold, because it is less dense than gold. Or, if one had two crowns, of the same volume -- that is, each made the water rise the same amount. A pure gold one would weigh more than one mixed with silver.

Archimedes did not "find" this truth by searching after it -- although he may have spent days thinking about a solution to the problem. His "find" came as an unexpected surprise. It's almost as if the truth found him more than he finding the truth. It was something that was there all the time. He may have noticed the rising bathtub water hundreds of times before, but its significance didn't "click" in his brain until that "eureka" moment.

The object of Mary's "finding" is charis -- usually translated "grace," but also "kindness". Neither grace nor kindness can be "found" unless it has been given. It is similar to talking about "finding love." One only "finds" it if another is willing to give it. This charis is para God. Para with the dative can denote the agent or source of the grace or "in the viewpoint of". Scholars commonly interpret the phrase as saying that Mary was surprised by the grace that had come from God. (However, I'm not sure that an unwed 12 or 13-year-old would "find" it graceful to be told she is going to have a baby ).

This interpretation is supported by a verbal form of charis, which occurs in 1:28: charatoo. This word only occurs twice in the NT: Luke 1:28 & Ep 1:6. (Here my half-hearted studies in Greek in Pietermarizburg come in handy) In v. 28 it is a perfect, passive, participle = "having been graced." Who graced her? It is likely that this is a divine passive indicating that it is God who is acting = "You have been graced by God" or "God has graced you." (Better English would probably use another verb than "to grace," but it expresses the connection between vv. 28 & 30 -- which NRSV does with "favour".)

Although Mary was not yet married, she was betrothed. According to ancient customs, the marriage would have been arranged by her father. She would live at home for a year after the betrothal. Then the groom would come to take her to his home, and the wedding celebration would last for an entire week. Legally, the marriage was sealed after the engagement. Thus, if Joseph had died before the wedding, Mary would have been considered a widow.

Betrothals usually took place when the girl was twelve or thirteen years old.

One theme prominent in this text is Mary's response to the (unexpected) encounter with God in her life. She puts herself at God's disposal: "Behold the Lord's slave; let it be to me according to your word" . This is in sharp contrast to Zechariah's response as reported by the angel in 1:20: "But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur."

Luke has used rhema in the verse just before Mary's response. Literally, "because not impossible with God will be every word." Or, in better English, "No word will be impossible with God." Twice we are told that Mary treasured up all these words in her heart.

The word "logos" appears in our text in v. 29. Mary was much perplexed at the angel's word [logos]. Her reaction "much perplexed" (diatarassomai = "be deeply confused or troubled") is the normal reaction at seeing an angel. When Zechariah sees the angel, "he was terrified. When the risen Jesus appears to the women, he asks, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?"

Mary's fear may have been heightened if she knew the tale of Tobit. This story tells of a jealous angel who appeared on a bride's wedding night each time she married and killed her bridegroom. Could Mary have thought that an evil spirit had come to prevent her marriage?

Schweizer, in his commentary The Good News According to Luke gives this contrasting picture: "In Mary, humanity is represented as the recipient of this life and love from God. With her quiet awaiting of God's act she is the figure of Advent, the opposite of the nervous activity of modern society."

Mary becomes the model of properly responding to in-breaking of God and God's Word into our world. What an example!

Mark

A FITTING WAY TO END

2011-12-15T15:14:00.002Z

Romans 16:25-27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[a] faith— ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Brother

This book is about grace, how Christ has made us right with God. Believing in Him and accepting this wonderful gift is the only thing it takes on our part. This is the amazing truth that Christ came to this earth to share. The gospel is God's message of love, mercy and grace in the person of Jesus Christ. It is the good news that was hidden in the ages past and unknown until Jesus came to earth, as a man, to show us the love of the Father.

Through this word and through the person of Jesus Christ, we can know and understand God in an intimate way. Paul started this letter by declaring that the gospel was the "power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" . So it is only fitting that as he closes this final chapter, he is reminding us that this proclamation of Christ was manifest so that "all nations might believe and obey him". The gospel truly is the power of God that can unwrite all the wrong, ever done in this life. All we need to do is believe in Jesus and this unlocks the power of God for our eternal salvation.

I can imagine how the Apostle Paul felt as he finished up this amazing letter to the church in Rome. Knowing what it contained must have given him incredible pleasure. These wonderful truths had been recorded and plans were made to send it to the ends of the earth. He must have felt relief and joy knowing that the course of people's lives would be changed by reading these words and understanding the revelation of grace that he held onto. Paul had previously lived a life of arrogance and was power hungry in the extreme. He had caused hurt to countless people. Why would have thought that he could ever change, repent of his sins and become a shining example to generations to come. He had even become involved in the murder of innocent Christians before his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road. I wonder if he had a glimpse of the magnitude of impact this letter would have on the many people who have since read it. Did he know how many lives beyond his time and influence would be touched as he closed this letter with a wonderful exhortation to the only wise God and the glory of Jesus.

I can relate in a very small way to what Paul must have felt, as I have spent hours of my life studying this incredible book, as have you. You and I have recounted the revelation which the Lord has given us over the years as we have followed the lectionary for a full three year cycle. We have occasionaly received comments from our readers and have been blessed and encouraged by each one, knowing that the words of the bible especially the words written by Paul, continue to bring freedom to everyone who reads and understands them.

As I close this chapter at the end of the letter to the Romans and as we come to the end of our three year cycle of blogs, we am forever changed by the grace we have been given through Jesus Christ, and especially in the letter to the Romans (you remember how we struggled with it as students all those years ago). I am so thankful that the Lord has enabled us to write this blog so faithfully.

And now I commend you to this gospel of grace, that you may be rooted and established in it. May God's grace and mercy carry us through our lives and equip us for the next. To God be the glory both now and forever, Amen!

Mark

PAUL'S LAST WORDS

2011-12-14T19:17:00.000Z

Romans 16:25-27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[a] faith— ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Brother

From my studies in the past I have consulted from time-to-time other versions of the Bible. For example in the Revised Standard Version it translates the words, "Now to him who is able to strengthen you." And the New English Bible puts it like this, "To him who has power to make your standing sure." J. B. Philips in his paraphrase of the New Testament puts it like this, "Now to him who is able to set you on your feet, as his own sons." Now, all these translations have the same meaning, and the meaning is this - that it is only God who can make us steadfastly endure and persevere in the Christian life.

Paul was well aware as he looked around him in his day, of being in an anti-God society, and of being in a world where God was discounted. It's the same with you and with me. As we look at British society today, what is it that impresses your mind and mine? It's this, that the world that we live in is anti-God. I'm talking about the God of the Bible. It will tolerate any other God, but the God who is revealed here in the Word, is the God that the world wants to know nothing at all about. Tonight a multitude of people will be going here and there and everywhere. They will be sitting watching their television screens. They will be filling their minds with nothing but rubbish. God will be an offence to them. That's the kind of world we are living in. It's a society in which the god of this world, as the apostle puts it elsewhere, blinds the mind and prevents the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ from illuminating and penetrating the mind.

We are living in a world that lies in sin; a world that is in the unyielding grip of sin. You will hear people say, "Oh but I'm free, I can do as I like. I can do this, I can do that and I can do the other thing." You and I know you're only free within the context of sin, if you're outside of Christ. And your freedom is restricted in that way. You will be allowed to do what you like so long as the devil lets you; that is the kind of freedom that people are talking about when they say, I'm free. They 're not free to worship God in the way God wants them to. They're not free to do a single thing that pleases God, because they are not under the control of God; they're under the control of the devil. I know this from first hand. That's the society that we belong to: a world that has discountenanced God, and a world that has crucified His Son; a world that has cast aside the restraints of divine law in favour of unrestrained pleasure. It's a world where the prince of darkness actively operates in order to destroy what is good, and to promote what is evil. It is a world where, as we read in another part of the scriptures, "we wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Having said all that, the question arises, how does the Christian maintain his integrity in a world that is in conflict with God? That's a question. How can the Christian overcome the world that he is living in? How can the Christian come to his objective, which is the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? I suppose they wondered about that in the imperial city of Rome. It was a Godless city. They had nothing but their gladiatorial displays; human life was cheap. It wasn't so long after this when this same apostle would be taken out to the Ostian Way, when he would be asked to kneel on the roadway there, and when there would be the flashing blade of the sword, which would come down upon his head and decapitate him. It wouldn't be so very long before Nero, that monster of a man, would have Christians put on poles around the city of Rome. When he would have them lit as torches, and when he himself would take pleasure in going round the city in his chariot. That's what faced the Christian's in those days. We too, wonder, how are we going to fare as Christians in the world of today and in the future?

Mark

THE WORD "ESTABLISH"

2011-12-13T18:31:00.000Z

Romans 16:25-27

New International Version (NIV)

Ray Stedman paints the following picture of "establish":

"Have you ever had the desire to be established? Many people think they are established when actually they are simply stuck in the mud. Most of us think that being established means that all progress ceases. We sit down, camp there, and that is it. In that sense, there are a lot of Christians who are established. But when Paul speaks of our being established, he means putting us on solid, stable ground. Have you ever erected a picnic table and tried to find a place where all four legs touched the ground at the same time? You tried to establish it so that it would not rock, or become shaky, or uncertain. That is the idea that Paul has in mind in this word establish. God wants to bring you and me to a place where we are no longer rocking or shaky or unstable, but solid and secure. The idea is basically what all human beings look for -- an inner security from which you can handle all the problems of life. You become dependable, and have a true sense of worth, so that nothing gets to you, or shakes you up, or throws you off balance. This is the goal of all Christian teaching in the New Testament (and especially the goal of the letter to the Romans) that we might be brought to that place of security where we are not shaken by things, so that we do not lose our tempers easily, or get frustrated, angry, resentful or hostile; where we do not scream at our children, or yell at our mates, or get upset at the neighbours. Notice the resource that the apostle counts on to make that happen: "Now to him who is able to establish you..." It is God himself who is responsible for this. You and I are not given the final responsibility to bring this about. Isn't that encouraging? "

After 33 years of trying to be a Christian I am still not properly "established". Thank God that he is still working with me.

Mark

2011-12-12T19:18:00.000Z

Luke 1.26-38 (NRSV) (i)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Brother,

When Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months, the angel Gabriel went to Nazareth and visited a young woman called Mary. There is great significance in this event. Mary was not of noble birth – she was a poor peasant woman. She lived in one of the least desirable parts of Judah a place which was actually despised by many. Remember the disdain evident in Nathaniel's reference to the place. We read about this in John 1:45‑46:

But Mary and Joseph possessed the greatest richness – they were open to the Spirit of God.

More next time ...

Blessings,

David

THE WITNESS

2011-12-11T01:00:00.000Z

John 1

New International Version (NIV)

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[a] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[b] 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with[c] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Brother

Term has ended and I am ready for rest. I hope your last week does not leave you shattered as mine did for me!

It is a strange fact that in John's Gospel every reference to John the Baptist is a reference of what Barclay calls "depreciation". There is an explanation for that. John was a prophetic voice; for four hundred years the voice of prophecy had been silent, and in John that voice spoke again. It seems that there were certain people who were so fascinated by John that they gave to him a higher place than he aught to have. There are, in fact, indications of a sect who put John in the highest place. We find an echo of them in Acts 19:3,4. In Ephesus Paul came upon certain people who knew nothing but the baptism of John. It was not that John's gospel wished to criticise John or that it under-rated his importance. It was simply that John (the Gospel writer) knew that there were certain people who gave John the Baptist a place that encroached upon the place of Jesus himself. So here he is careful to say that John was not that light but only came to bear witness to the light. This was read beautifully by the Headmaster at our Carol Service last night which brought the Michaelmas term to a close.

When the Jews came to John and told him that Jesus had begun to teach and preach they must have expected John to resent the intrusion. But the 4th gospel shows us John denying that the first place was his, and declaring that he must decrease while Jesus increase. Brother it still happens that Christians become transfixed by the herald rather than Jesus to whom the messenger is pointing.

More important in these verses is one of the key-words of the 4th gospel, the word "witness". John's gospel presents us with witness after witness to the supreme place of Jesus Christ.

Mark

2011-12-10T16:32:00.000Z

1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 (NRSV) (iv)

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise the words of prophets, ²¹but test everything; hold fast to what is good; ²²abstain from every form of evil.

23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

Brother,

Paul ends with ‘... the universal negative prohibition that grounds all moral activity, “abstain from every form of evil”.’ (Reese) Note the play on words – abstain here is linked to the hold fast in the previous verse.

Recall again the experience of the Charismatic Renewal of the 1970s; some of the radicals of this time behaved as if there were no restraints and celebrated the ‘freedom’ of the Spirit. But our freedom arises from constraint as Cicero explained: ‘We are slaves to law so that we might be free!” The Psalmist in all 176 verses explains the liberty that comes from following the Law of the Lord.

The work of the Spirit is there to sanctify us entirely – our focus ought not to be solely on having wonderful experiences, but the transformation of our entire lives, body, mind and spirit as verse 23 suggests so that we may be found blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not achieve this alone, but we need to surrender to the love of God, because the one who calls us is faithful and will do this.

Blessings,

David

2011-12-09T16:15:00.000Z

1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 (NRSV) (iii)

Brother,

Incredibly late, I’m afraid and for this I apologise.

Last Sunday evening, when I was doing some preparatory reading for the reflections for this week, I was touched by a simple realisation and that is the word translated as ‘good’ in verse 21 is kalos and it is almost better translated as ‘beautiful’. The tradition that the Apostles handed down to future generations, and our duty to maintain and pass on is something that is ‘beautiful’. Reese puts it this way: ‘Apostolic preaching enables future believers to experience the beauty of the Holy Spirit.’

For some time now, I have been convinced that the best way to decide if something is good or not, is something is right or not, it to end with the question: “Is it beautiful?” This is not always easy to answer, because the role of beauty (in my mind at least) is transformative; to take the ugly and redeem it, to make it beautiful. This is demonstrated in an experiment in Malawi that is working well, where the latrines are made to produce methane which powers the cookers in the kitchens – taking excrement and making it enable something beautiful to happen.

Let’s hold fast to what is beautiful ...

Blessings,

David

Let The Lower Lights Be Burning

2011-12-08T12:33:00.001Z

Brother

With all our weaknesses, God has given us priests a share in his work. Over the past few years, as you know, I have been learning to sail and I have been humbled (I needed to be!) by the power of the sea and the tides and the wind. And I remember having to do a night navigation training exercise in the Solent and almost getting run over by a super tanker at midnight because we were not looking out in all directions.

This poem sums up for me what our work in schools is all about, especially the last two lines of the first verse. I'm going to put it up somewhere.

Mark

Let The Lower Lights Be Burning

Brightly beams our Father's mercy

From His lighthouse evermore,

But to us He gives the keeping

Of the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning!

Send a gleam across the wave!

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman

You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled,

Loud the angry billows roar;

Eager eyes are watching, longing,

For the lights along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother!

Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,

Trying now to make the harbour,

In the darkness may be lost.

- P.P. Bliss -

2011-12-07T06:49:00.002Z

1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 (NRSV) (ii)

Brother,

Paul goes on to deal with some problems that had arisen in the fellowship because of the charismatic element. Reece aptly comments that ‘... charisms ... often proved a two-edged sword in a church.’ Yes, they fortify converts, build them up and give them a tremendous sense of the presence of God within the midst of the Church. This enables converts to accept the high moral standards required of them and to resist temptation. But in Thessalonica, the ‘charismatics’ took over the fellowship and appeared to be forming factions. How some things never change. I am sure you can remember our charismatic experience in the 1970s. It would seem that it mirrored the Thessalonian experience, with those who spoke in tongues giving the impression that God had earmarked them especially for blessing, while protesting (at least in theory) that they were any better than anyone else.

The advice here is timeless – ‘... test everything.’ Discernment is one of the spiritual gifts, together with tongues and prophecy and all the rest, and a vital ingredient.

Having said all this, by moving away from the Charismatic Renewal of the 1970s I think today we have the opposite problem and the Church seems to have ‘... quenched the Spirit ...’ So much of worship falls into a dry formalism and even some beautiful services – like Evensong – can so often degenerate into a refined concert. I was interested to hear the prior at Mirfield challenge the Church to bring the Spirit back into the liturgy where he warned that much of Cathedral worship is in danger of becoming mere relics of a past way.

As always, our faith is all about finding the balance.

Blessings,

David

2011-12-06T07:08:00.001Z

1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 (NRSV) (i)

Brother,

Apologies for the lateness of this refection. I have had evening commitments and have only returned very late. I have just time for a few thoughts on this lovely passage.

Paul’s letters always end with ethical injunctions. As you know, I am an ethics teacher and this therefore is always a deep interest of mine.

Here Paul urges people to rejoice because joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and so it is refreshing to all concerned when people share their joy with each other. He also urges them to live lives that are in an attitude of prayer. Added to this is the need for thanksgiving: God is the source of all our blessings. In verse 18 he states that giving thanks is the will of God and brings it all together to include constant joy and prayer as being part of God’s will for us in Jesus.

When God reveals his will to us, he also provides us with the means to achieve what God wants for us. As J M Reece suggests ‘... grace does not eliminate human efforts but empowers it.’

More next time ......

Blessings,

David

A BETTER RESURRECTION

2011-12-05T17:00:00.000Z

John 1

New King James Version (NKJV)

John’s Witness: The True Light

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

A Voice in the Wilderness

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: “I am ‘ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“ Make straight the way of the LORD,”’[a]

as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

28 These things were done in Bethabara[b] beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Brother

In all the busyness of the last few weeks 20 minutes stand out as a memory of great joy. I was driving back from our Prep School one morning and heard Melvyn Bragg's In our Time. He was discussing the life and work of Christina Rosetti. To my shame I had never heard of her. But when a few of her poems were recited I was gripped by an overwhelming sense of joy and peace and fulfilment. Her words seemed almost certainly inspired and her ability to construct the most perfect meter astounded me. Many of her poems are sonnets and I want to be able to compose sonnets like that. Here is one of her poems

A BETTER RESURRECTION

by: Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

HAVE no wit, no words, no tears;

My heart within me like a stone

Is numb'd too much for hopes or fears;

Look right, look left, I dwell alone;

I lift mine eyes, but dimm'd with grief

No everlasting hills I see;

My life is in the falling leaf:

O Jesus, quicken me.

My life is like a faded leaf,

My harvest dwindled to a husk:

Truly my life is void and brief

And tedious in the barren dusk;

My life is like a frozen thing,

No bud nor greenness can I see:

Yet rise it shall--the sap of Spring;

O Jesus, rise in me.

My life is like a broken bowl,

A broken bowl that cannot hold

One drop of water for my soul

Or cordial in the searching cold;

Cast in the fire the perish'd thing;

Melt and remould it, till it be

A royal cup for Him, my King:

O Jesus, drink of me.

Mark

2011-12-04T09:18:00.000Z

Mark 1.1-8 (NRSV) (SERMON)

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

¹The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

²As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way;
³ the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
   “Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight” ’,
⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

My text this morning is written in Mark, chapter 1 and verse 3:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight”

Samuel Massey writes:

The message of Christ has raised up nations and brought them low, launched and defeated armies, started large social movements and destroyed others. Think of all that has been done in the name of Jesus Christ and how inconspicuously the Gospel begins according to Mark. Here we find none of the thunderous poetry used by John to describe the pre-existent Christ. We dream no dreams and no angels visit with us. Caesar Augustus and Herod seem pretty far away. No excuse here for Christmas trees or mob-ridden malls or long hours putting together services of lessons and carols--thank God! All Mark offers to us is John the Baptist, many people’s worst nightmare, smelling like a camel and calling people to change their ways.

Most people agree that the beginning of the Good News or Gospel of Jesus Christ has the ministry of John the Baptist as the starting point. The author of this wonderful record goes back to the Old Testament to show how John was the fulfilment of prophecy and he is correct in stating in the first instance that the message originally came from the prophet Isaiah. But the reference to the messenger in verse 2 does not in fact come from Isaiah, but from Malachi 3.1. Professor Charlie Moule explains: ‘The fact that the two quotations are both ascribed to Isaiah may mean that they occurred side by side under a single heading in some collection of prophecies.’ For me, it matters little; what does matter is that Jesus is indeed the fulfilment of the prophetic hope for a saviour; a Messiah. In verses 2 and 3, therefore, we see how Mark reminds his readers that the true Messiah would have been announced by a forerunner, and that John the Baptist was the Elijah that the Jewish people would have been waiting for. He also stresses that the people heard the integrity of John’s announcement and his message that ‘... nothing less than a national repentance would constitute the expected Messianic preparation.’ (Nineham)

It is not impossible that John had been a member of the Dead Sea Scrolls community in Qumran; those dedicated people who spent time studying the scriptures and preparing themselves by austere and disciplined living. This community had used baptism as a rite of passage for those who wished to join the Jewish faith. Bathing or sprinkling with water was a widespread religious symbol for purification. Ezekiel had used sprinkling as a figurative expression for the moral cleaning of the nation by God.

John’s message included baptism. Mark also points out that when John explained his baptism he made it clear that it was a preparation, not to be compared with the action of the one who was coming – the ‘mightier one’. This was the one important thing that John did that was not part of Old Testament prophecy – he baptised – or so it would seem; but the way Mark presents this important historic episode, brings John’s baptism in line with the prophecies in the way he makes John baptising become part of his proclamation. The prophecies spoke of a messenger or ‘proclaimer’ – ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness’.

John’s baptism was of significance and baptism with the Holy Spirit is of special significance. Moule explains that ‘... the Holy Spirit is God himself at work among his people, and it is possible for a person literally to have the Holy Spirit poured over him like water ... like a deluge, purifying, judging presence of God himself.’

In Acts 1.5 Jesus also refers to baptism with the Holy Spirit and in Romans 8.9 Paul claims that unless one has the Holy Spirit, they are not Christian. In Acts 2, the beginning of the Church is marked by the signs of the Holy Spirit’s presence as the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel 2.28 ff.

John was dramatically portraying the great significance of his call to repentance. Those who responded to his call to moral reform submitted themselves to being dipped in the river as a sign of their response and commitment. But John called for much more than mere moral reform; he was preparing for something much greater.

We see, therefore, that Mark starts the story of Jesus long before his birth; it did not even begin with the appearance of John the Baptist preparing the way for his ministry, ‘... it began with the dreams of the prophets long ago, that is to say it began long, long ago in the mind of God.’ (Barclay) But this does not mean that John’s message is not vitally important as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord into the world and at the heart of this is the need for repentance.

Advent is a time of preparation – of getting ready – a time to return to God. It is a time when we need to be honest with ourselves and open our eyes to see the truth about who we are and how we are living. We need to be willing to see what we do not want to see; we need to be willing to admit to the sin that we have become so comfortable with, that we no longer see it as a problem. This is the hardest part, because we do not like to think of ourselves as sinners and we like to think that we are always right.

We also need to make confession to those whom we have wronged. This too is hard, because it is so out of fashion and so many people are out of the habit of doing it. But there is absolutely no point in us apologising to God until we have first apologised to the people we have offended – as Barclay suggests: ‘The human barriers need to be removed before the divine barrier can be removed. When we have done what it is humanly possible to do; then we can make our confession to God. It is only when we confess that we have sinned that God can give us those lovely words: “You are forgiven!”’

But there is another side to this – and important side – and also very difficult. So often these days people feel offended and the person who causes the offence knows nothing about it, because they never intended to cause any hurt at all! People can be over sensitive sometimes and it is not impossible that they might also have no right to be offended. We must never forget that an integral part of Christian love is that we are not easily offended; we are not touchy, over-sensitive people. So, when we do feel offended we need to ask the first and most important question: “Am I justified in feeling offended or am I being touchy?” because if it is true that we ought not to be, then it is we that need to come before God and seek forgiveness; and it is best that the other person concerned knows nothing about it all.

This is difficult, a big challenge, but central to practical Christian living ...

This passage stands apart from the rest of the Gospel as a sort of curtain raiser in which the reader is introduced to the context, so that when the curtain goes up in verse 14, they will already know who the lead character is and can understand the significance of the message they are about to receive.

This makes clear that Mark wrote his Gospel from a particular standpoint, i.e. that he accepted the traditional Jewish position of a Messianic hope; so he wrote about Jesus not from biographical or psychological interest, because he believed rather, that in the life of Jesus, the Jewish hope had found fulfilment. He believed that, in Jesus, God had begun his ‘... final intervention in history, the first, but decisive stage in the overthrow of the powers of evil and the establishment of God’s Sovran rule.’ (Nineham)

And because of the fact that the central fact of this history of humankind was to be explained and it could transform people’s lives. The same is true for us this Advent and Christmas. The advent of Jesus means that there can always be more to our lives, more in our lives. There is yet another opportunity for the Holy Spirit to deal with the sin in our lives. But we need to admit that it is there, want to do something about it and then open our hearts to the transforming love of God in the Holy Spirit. John said to the people of his generation and I believe the message is as true today as it was then:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight”

Amen.

Break Free From the Scrooge Syndrome

Each year, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, a great number of people find delight in the marvelous story written by Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol. There is something in the story that lures us back to it year after year; we never seem to grow tired of hearing its message. The main character in the story is a surly old man named Scrooge, who lives a miserly existence. He sees no benefit in being generous with the poor, or even providing a living wage to dedicated workers. He clutches onto his money and despises the thought of parting with any of it. But it is not only his money that Scrooge withholds from others, it is his entire being. He withholds love and kindness, he withholds warmth and friendship. Then, one night, Scrooge undergoes a profound crisis. He sees himself through the eyes of others. He has a vivid vision of his past; and then his present. But what is most frightful to him - what shakes him to the core of his being - is when he is granted the opportunity of a lifetime. He is allowed to witness his future. But his future proves to be so dark and frightening, that it prompts within him a dramatic change. He undergoes a radical transformation and becomes an entirely new person. Rather than being cold and indifferent to people, he becomes generous and compassionate.

It is a heart-warming story. But more than that, it is a hopeful story. It provides us with the hope that we too can make needed changes in our lives. We can break free from the ruts we have burrowed, and the negative behaviours we have cultivated. We can become kind and compassionate, humble and hospitable, joyful and generous.

I have never read anything which suggests this, but I wonder if the story of John the Baptist influenced Dickens and served as an impetus in his creation of A Christmas Carol?

2011-12-04T01:00:00.000Z

Mark 1.1-8 (NRSV) (iii)

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

¹The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Brother,

Mark starts the story of Jesus long before his birth; it did not even begin with the appearance of John the Baptist preparing the way for his ministry, ‘... it began with the dreams of the prophets long ago, that is to say it began long, long ago in the mind of God.’ (Barclay) But this does not mean that John’s message is not vitally important as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord into the world and at the heart of this is the need for repentance.

But there is another side to this – and important side – and the most difficult. So often these days people feel offended and the person who causes the offence knows nothing about it, because they never intended to cause any hurt at all! People can be over sensitive sometimes and it is not impossible that they might also have no right to be offended. We must never forget that an integral part of Christian life is that we are not easily offended; we are not touchy, over-sensitive people. So, when we do feel offended we need to ask the first and most important question: Am I justified in feeling offended or am I being touchy; because if it is true that we ought not to be, then it is we that need to come before God and seek forgiveness; and it is best that the other person concerned knows nothing about it all.

Difficult, a big challenge, but central to practical Christian living ...

Blessings,

David

THE MORAL DYNAMIC

2011-12-03T11:56:00.000Z

2 Peter 3:8-15

New King James Version (NKJV)

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[a] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The Day of the Lord
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.[b] 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Be Steadfast
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

Brother

The one thing in which Peter seems interested in is the moral dynamic of the Second Coming. If there is to be a Second Coming and a new heaven and a new earth, then obviously people must try with all their might to be fit to live in that new world. If there is nothing after this world and this life, then life is going no-where. That was the heathen position and it emerges in the heathen epitaphs on tombs.

If there is nothing to live for, then we must be completely indifferent. Nothing matters much if the end of everything is extinction when we will not even be aware that we have been extinguished. One of the heathen epitaphs reads: "Once I had no existence; now I have none. I am not aware of it. It does not concern me." So, when life and the world are on the way to nothingness, the value is gone out of life.

If there is nothing to live for but extinction, and if the world is going nowhere, there can enter into life a kind of lostness. We cease to be in any sense pilgrims because there is nowhere to go. We must simply drift in a kind of lostness, coming from nowhere and on the way to nowhere. Barclay gives us some examples, like an epigram of Callimachus. "Charidas, what is below?" "Deep darkness." "But what of the paths upward?" "All a lie." "And Pluto?" (the god of the underworld). "Mere talk." "Then we are lost." Even the heathen found a certain almost intolerable quality in a world and in a life without a goal.

Mark

THE DREADFUL DAY

2011-12-02T12:05:00.000Z

2 Peter 3:8-15

New King James Version (NKJV)

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[a] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The Day of the Lord

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.[b] 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Be Steadfast
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

Brother

It must have been difficult for Peter to speak about "The Day of the Lord" so he used language he was familiar with from the Old Testament. He speaks of the New Testament doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but he is describing it in terms of the Old Testament doctrine of the Day of the Lord.

Barclay tells us in detail about this OT doctrine. The Jews saw time in terms of two ages. There is this present age, which is wholly bad. On the other hand there is the age to come, which is the golden age of God. How was the one to turn into the other? The change could not be made by human effort or human achievement. The change could not happen by evolution and development because the world is on the way to destruction, and is incurably evil. AS the Jews saw it, there is only one way in which the change can happen; it must happen by the direct action and intervention of God. The time of that action they called "The Day of the Lord".

It was to come suddenly and without warning. It was to be a time when the universe was shaken and shattered to its foundations. Isaiah wrote:

9Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

What Peter did, and what many of the New Testament writers did, was to identify the OT pictures of the Day of the Lord with the NT concept of the Second Coming of Jesus. He uses one very vivid phrase. He says that the heavens will pass away with a crackling roar. That Greek word is used for the whirring of a bird's wings in the air or the crackling of the devouring flames of a forest fire.

We need not take these pictures with cruse literalism. It is enough to see that Peter sees the second coming of Christ as a time of terror for those who are the enemies of Christ. One thing must be remembered. The whole conception of the Second Coming is full of difficulties but one fact remains - there comes a day when God breaks into every life, because every one of us will die and we must be prepared.

Mark

THE MERCY OF GOD'S DELAY

2011-12-01T12:26:00.000Z

2 Peter 3:8-15

New King James Version (NKJV)

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[a] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The Day of the Lord

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.[b] 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Be Steadfast

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

Brother

Thank you for once again standing in for me during a very busy time. The opening verses of this passage for next Sunday contain three great truths, according to Barclay.
First, time is not the same to God as it is to us. The Paslmist said, "A thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." When we think of the time the universe has existed, it is easy to feel paralysed and dwarfed into insignificance; when we think of the slowness of human progress, it is easy to become discouraged into pessimism. So, there is comfort in the thought of a God who has all eternity to work in, and the memory that to God a thousand years are but a day. It is only against the background of eternity that things appear in their true proportions and assume their real value.

Second, we can also see from this passage that time is always to be regarded as an opportunity. Every day which comes to us is a gift of mercy. As Peter saw it, the years God gave the world were a further opportunity for us to come back to him. I often fail to recognise this in the frantic business of these days, but every day is a wonderful gift from God, an opportunity to develop ourselves and explore all the wonderful and good things in God's world. I have only started to enjoy a sense of wonder in the last few years - something I always remember my father having in life. My sailing, cycling tours, camping, keeping chickens and guinea fowl, growing vegetables, music, drama - all these things are gifts from God to be savoured and enjoyed.

I saw a Christmas advert for John Lewis which shows a little boy waiting and waiting for Christmas. We assume he is frustrated waiting to get his presents. Then, at the end, we realise a wonderful thing......watch here!

Finally, in this passage there is an echo of a truth with is often in the background of the New Testament. God, says Peter, does not want any to perish. Again and again there is in scripture the glint of the light of a larger hope. Brother, as you and I have slowly discovered over the years, we are not forbidden to believe that somehow and sometime the God who loved the world will bring the whole world back to himself.

Mark

2011-11-30T06:46:00.002Z

Mark 1.1-8 (NRSV) (ii)

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

¹The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Brother,

This passage stands apart from the rest of the Gospel as a sort of curtain raiser in which the reader is introduced to the theological situation, so that when the curtain goes up in verse 14, they will already know who the lead character is and can understand the significance of the message they are about to receive..

Mark assumes that his readers are going to want to know the credentials of Jesus – in what way did Jesus and his followers see in his life the eschatological intervention of God? And it becomes clear that Mark set about describing the events of Jesus’ life in a way that they could be properly understood. Mark makes it clear that Jesus himself, deliberately prevented events from speaking for themselves, which Jesus explained in his ministry and teaching. But the fact of the crucifixion would have meant, for many, the exact opposite; so this meant that Mark needed to establish the true identity of Jesus, and his authority, beyond any doubt.

It is this that the first eight verses are all about – establishing the credentials of Jesus. In verses 2 and 3, Mark reminds his readers that the true Messiah would have been announced by a forerunner, and that John the Baptist was the Elijah that the Jewish people would have been waiting for. He also stresses that the people heard the integrity of John’s announcement and his message that ‘... nothing less than a national repentance would constitute the expected Messianic preparation.’ (Nineham)

There was one important thing the John did that was not part of Old Testament prophecy – he baptised – or so it would seem; but the way Mark presents this important historic episode, bring John’s baptism in line with the prophecies in the way he makes John baptising become part of his proclamation and the prophecies spoke of a messenger or ‘proclaimer’ – ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness’.

Mark also points out that when John explained his baptism he made it clear that it was a preparation, not to be compared with the action of the one who was coming – the ‘mightier one’.

Blessings,

David

2011-11-29T01:00:00.001Z

Mark 1.1-8 (NRSV) (i)

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

¹The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Brother,

I often think of your father and his graciousness towards me in particular and look forward to re-making acquaintances in glory one day, although it will probably take time as he will me much closer to the throne of grace than me. Thank you for the wonderful reminder of his love and care. He was indeed a ‘living epistle’.

The second Sunday in Advent and the theme is the ministry of John the Baptist.

It is not impossible that John had been a member of the community in Qumran, those dedicated people who spent time studying the scriptures and preparing themselves by austere and disciplined living. This community had used baptism as a rite of passage for those who wished to join the Jewish faith. Bathing or sprinkling with water was a widespread religious symbol for purification. Ezekiel had used sprinkling as a figurative expression for the moral cleaning of the nation by God.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit is of significance. Moule explains that ‘... the Holy Spirit is God himself at work among his people, and it is impossible for a person literally to have the Holy Spirit poured over him like water ... like a deluge, purifying, judging presence of God himself.’

Blessings,

David

I MISS MY DEAR OLD DAD

2011-11-28T01:00:00.000Z

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

New International Version (NIV)

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Brother

Look at how many times Jesus Christ is named in this short passage…. 6 times in 6 verses. And what a reminder – that in all things we would focus on Christ.

Christ is always the solution. He is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the author and perfector of our faith. For Jesus Christ brings us God’s grace. By his death on the cross and rising from the tomb he applies the love of God to sinners like you and me. Jesus enriches us in every way. He confirms the message of his Gospel, so that we speak it and know it well. And Christ sends, through his spirit, gifts to his people.

I was so aware of the gifts God has given us when we gathered with 2000 pupils and staff from other Woodard schools at Westminster Abbey for a service of celebration for 200 since the birth of our founder Nathaniel Woodard. It was a wonderful celebration of worship which I will never forget as long as I live. (btw I miss my dear old Dad - who brought you to faith in Jesus Christ - and I know that he would have loved to be at a service like that in the Abbey. Of course he worships in perpetual bliss in eternity!). Maybe we can have a replay in heaven one day.

And Christ promises he will return. Christ is for us, right now. But there is always the forward-looking, anticipatory nature of our faith. Just as the Corinthians looked forward to that day, so do we. When Jesus Christ is revealed. For that, we eagerly wait.

Mark

2011-11-27T12:59:00.000Z

Mark 13.24-end (NRSV) (v) SERMON

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
²⁶Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

28 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

The Necessity for Watchfulness

32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.³⁵Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’

My text this morning is written in Mark 13:37:

Jesus said: ‘And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’

This is the Gospel reading for Advent Sunday and is the climax of the whole apocalyptic drama Jesus had been explaining to his closest disciples. His teachings use language taken exclusively from the Old Testament and every illustration here can be traced, countless times to Old Testament and the Apocrypha’s apocalyptic imagery. Jesus did this, because he knew that his disciples would understand what he was trying to say to them. It is quite clear, therefore, that Jesus was here not foretelling specific events in the longer term; but foretelling the fact that he would come again as well as some events in the near future - the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple.

So it is clear that Jesus is not providing a timetable as to when his Second Coming would be because in verse 32 he makes this point clear: ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’ There have been times when people have tried to work out specific dates and times of Jesus’ return but these are pure folly, because the impossibility of this is so clearly stated here. Barclay goes so far as to suggest that ‘... it is nothing less than blasphemy for us to enquire into that of which our Lord consented to be ignorant.’

It is a great privilege for us to be able to eavesdrop on this intimate gathering. Jesus was using the short time that he had before the frenzy of the Passion to prepare his disciples for the crosses they would have to bear in their lives.

We need to live like people who know their master is going to come, but who do not know when. This means being ready; our work completed. This gives our lives special meaning and purpose – making each day significant, because he could come today. And if he did, would we be prepared? There is a very real sense for me that this is real for us at the moment of our death, and we certainly cannot be sure when this is going to happen.

Like many of the prophets before him the prophetic role of Jesus was to forthtell as well as foretell. Forthtelling is applying the Scriptures into our present context. Jesus did the perfect job of forthtelling – explaining the meaning of Scripture to the people of his generation, and supplying us with the paradigm to do the same.

So while foretelling the future is a waste of tume what we can be sure of is that history is going somewhere. Professor Charlie Moule suggested that there is no other way of dealing with the events that Jesus is speaking about here other than in picture language because they are bigger than anything we can ever grasp with our rational minds – ‘... all that lies, as the believer in God knows, behind and above history as well as within it ...’

Jesus makes it clear to his disciples that they will be able to recognise important events in this unfolding of salvation as easily as they could all recognise the approach of spring; and something significant was going to take place in their generation. But as always, the precise moment is secret and only God knows, therefore instead of wasting time in speculation, that will never bring any further depth of understanding or insight; they must just make sure that they are ready.

This section in the teaching of Jesus sadly, also speaks of the suffering that is the lot of many; sometimes especially for Christians. My mind turns to the Coptic Christians who have recently suffered in Cairo, the persecution of some Christians in Pakistan and the many who have made a stand against injustice and have suffered as a result. But when Christians go through times of suffering, they must never give up hope, because there will always be ultimate triumph. As Minear explains: ‘... In a word, Jesus made despair impossible for his followers. Are they tempted to despair because summer is too far away? Yes, but if they believe in his glory and his power, they will see the fig leaves ...’ and we must remember that his promise is true for every generation. Donald English wrote:

We do well to remember that something of this account of Jesus has actually been happening to some Christian in every age. We do not await much of this.’

This has happened and is happening; the things Jesus is speaking about here are not things that have yet to happen. Any realistic account of what it means to be a Christian might include trouble and persecution and hardship. But there is good news even for those who are called to endure these things. English continues:

We are not part of the world of ‘quick spiritual fixes’ or ‘flashy impressive messiahs’. To be on guard and to last out are more impressive testimony to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and more realistic too. There is no escapism here.

The secret to being able to deal with the realities of life – in fact possibly the secret of life itself - is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Be realistic and, with the grace of God, walk as Jesus walked.

Ordinary things as well as the extraordinary have eternal significance if only we look and try to see. English suggests that we are becoming what we eternally we shall be, ‘we are called to live now in the light of then.’

Illustration: Hospital teacher ...

Minear explains: ‘... true ‘watching’ is accomplished when each servant performs their assigned work.’ So the question is: what has God called us to do? We know that at the heart of everything is that we love God and love our neighbours as we love ourselves; that we treat other people as we would like to be treated; that we never tire of forgiving others and ourselves, that we give rather than seek to receive, that we live ethically as Jesus taught, especially in the Sermon on the Mount.

To watch is obedience to the master who has assigned the task. The crucified Lord comes suddenly to those whom he has hired. And when he comes, will they be alert and ready? Minear concludes: ‘This was the final command of Jesus to all disciples in every century, the warning of the fig tree: “What I say to you I say to all: Watch”’

Or as the NRSV puts it: ‘Jesus said: ‘And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’

Amen.

2011-11-26T01:10:00.000Z

Mark 13.24-end (NRSV) (iv)

The Coming of the Son of Man

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

The Necessity for Watchfulness

Brother,

Charlie Moule suggested that there is no other way of dealing with the events that Jesus is speaking about here other than in picture language because they are bigger than anything we can ever grasp with our rational minds – ‘... all that lies, as the believer in God knows, behind and above history as well as within it ...’

Jesus returning in the clouds is a clear reference to the apocalyptic writing of Daniel 7.13 and is a clear symbol for exaltation, or for someone of more than human status. In Daniel, this figure symbolised who are faithful even through martyrdom. Here Jesus accepts this symbol to represent his own function and purpose.

And still today this cycle still seems to be the experience of many. Sadly, suffering is the lot of many – even Christians – sometimes especially for Christians. My mind turns to the Coptic Christians who have recently suffered in Cairo, the persecution of some Christians in Pakistan and the many who have made a stand against injustice and have suffered as a result. But when Christians go through times of suffering, they must never give up hope. There is always ultimate the triumph. As Minear explains: ‘... In a word, Jesus made despair impossible for his followers. Are they tempted to despair because summer is too far away? Yes, but if they believe in his glory and his power, they will see the fig leaves ...’ and we must remember that his promise is true for every generation.

This is why Mark chooses to end this passage with another particular parable. Here he warns against the distractions of ‘sign-watching and time-charting’. Not even the Son knows the time. The test of the true disciple is not the accuracy of predictions, but their patience and endurance in watching. Minear explains: ‘... true ‘watching’ is accomplished when each servant performs their assigned work.’ To watch is obedience to the master who has assigned the task. The crucified Lord comes suddenly to those whom he has hired. And when he comes, will they be alert and ready? Minear concludes: ‘This was the final command of jesus to all disciples in every century, the warning of the fig tree: “What I say to you I say to all: Watch”’.

Blessings,

David

ADVENT CHALLENGES

2011-11-25T20:17:00.000Z

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

New International Version (NIV)

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

Brother

December is almost here. The shopping season has begun, and the high street packed. Christmas decorations are up or going up soon, and Holiday parties are filling up the calendar. It’s that time of year again. Advent means, “coming”. And you might think that it means “Christmas is coming”. And it does. But it also reminds us that Christ is coming, or returning, as he has promised.

Yes, Christmas is commercialized. Yes, the secular forces are trying to take the Christ out of Christmas and make it instead a generic “winter festival”. Yes, many forget the true reason for the season.

But the church is not without its problems. And we too get caught up in the de-christianization of it all. And we also need to come to the foot of the cross in repentance. We’re not too unlike the Corinthians…

Paul wrote at least 2 letters to the church he founded in Corinth. Now, the Church of Corinth was what we might call dysfunctional. It was a mess. They had issues. Real problems. There was sexual immorality, yes even in the church. People thought, “It’s my body, I can do what I want with it”. There were divisions in the church, factions. One group against another against another. Unruly individuals were disrupting the worship services and some even denied basic teachings of the faith, like that Jesus actually rose from the dead.

We’re fooling ourselves if we think we are perfect. As Christian communities, even we have our own issues. We struggle with budgets and how to spend our resources. We frustrate each other in our various roles and relationships. We have our little cliques and factions too. After all, we are sinful people. And sinners… sin.

But that’s not all we are. And that’s not all the Corinthians were. Paul speaks lovingly of them, and commends them for their faith. And urges that even in spite of all their problems, that they should eagerly look forward to Christ’s coming.

Mark

2011-11-24T18:47:00.001Z

Mark 13.24-end (NRSV) (iii)

The Coming of the Son of Man

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

The Necessity for Watchfulness

Brother,

We need to live like people who know their master is going to come, but do not know when. This means being ready; our work completed. This gives our lives special meaning and purpose – making each day special because he could come today. And if he did, would we be prepared? There is a very real sense for me that this is real for us at the moment of our death. And we certainly cannot be sure when this is going to happen.

Jesus could foresee what was going to happen to Jerusalem. Like many of the prophets before him his prophetic role was to forthtell as well as foretell. Forthtelling is applying the Scriptures into our present context, foretelling is looking into the future. Jesus did the perfect job of forthtelling – explaining the meaning of Scripture to the people of his generation, and supplying us with the paradigm to do the same. He could also look into the future and see what consequences would culminate if certain things did or did not happen. It is not impossible to predict some things. Even I, with a mediocre minor thesis on the Wall Street Crash, have been able to foretell the Yuppie Crash of the late 1980s, the dot.com crash of the early 21^st century and the current downturn. If an economy is based on people spending what they do not have without any realistic chance of paying it back, it does not take a genius to predict that at some stage, everything will fall apart. This is true of other things as well: the persistence of injustice of apartheid meat that, sooner or later, it had to come to an end. We know this is true for all unjust regimes – they will come to an end.

But the end of time ... this is another matter completely! The imagery that Jesus used in this passage would have been easily understood by the people of his day. To use this as a means of speculation is a waste of time, because even Jesus was content not to know. But what we can be sure of is that history is going somewhere.

And we can also be ready. Barclay concludes: ‘... If he lives in that memory for him, the end will not be a terror, but an eternal joy.’

Blessings,

David

2011-11-23T22:08:00.002Z

Mark 13.24-end (NRSV) (ii)

The Coming of the Son of Man

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

The Necessity for Watchfulness

Brother,

Some sermon illustrations from www.sermons.com

Funny Things Are Everywhere

There’s an interesting quote - from an unexpected source - that applies to this First Day of Advent, from a book you may have read to your children or grandchildren, or that you may remember from your own childhood. The book is by Dr. Seuss, and is entitled ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.’ The quote to consider today is brief:

From there to here,
from here to there,
funny things
are everywhere.

Funny things are everywhere! And there are two things funny about this First Sunday of Advent, the start of a new church year. The first of them is that, here at the start of a new year, we don’t look back to the beginning, but we look forward to the end. Here on the first day of the new church year, we do not focus on the past, but we anticipate the future where Christ promises to meet us.

The second funny thing about today is related to the first. When we look forward to the end, when we anticipate the future, we do not treat this conclusion as some distant, far-off event. It is near at hand. It may be as close as the next second. So imminent is it, in fact, that the future comes and takes up residence in the present. The Christ who will arrive with power and great glory at the end of time comes to us also before the end of time.

Charles Hoffacker, Christ Winks at Us
__________________________

Where Is Authority?

The British writer Arnold Lunn tells about one time he was on a boat trip when a certain lady was plaguing him with theological questions. He answered her with quotes from the Bible and from the teaching of the Church but the woman would not accept what he said. Then he interrupted her to say, "you must be a very inexperienced boat traveler. As you got on the boat I noticed that you put your left foot on board first. Everyone knows that you will have bad luck if you step on a boat with your left foot first!" The next time she came on board he noticed that she nearly tripped into the water in her effort to step aboard right foot first.

Lunn thought it remarkable that she would believe the infallible Lunn in something that he had just made up, and that she would not accept the authority of the Church or the words of Scripture. So, too, we tend to complicate our lives and our prayer by looking for the extraordinary, when the Lord is to be found most often in the simple and in the ordinary.

Father Gerry Pierse, The End of the World....Again?

___________________________________________

Watchfulness

In Frankfort, Kentucky (United States) it is said that the city was enthralled in a big debate many years ago about placing a water fountain in a public square. The argument became heated in the legislature and at the governor's mansion. Finally, a decision was made to ask three contractors to bid on the project.

The first contractor was from Western Kentucky. When asked what his bid was he replied, "$3,000." Then he was asked to break it down, to which he replied, "$1,000 for labor, $1,000 for materials, and $1,000 for me." The next contractor was from Eastern Kentucky. When asked to give his bid and to break it down he said, "$6,000. $2,000 for labor, $2,000 for materials, and $2,000 for me."

The last contractor was an established contractor from Frankfort who usually got all of the bids for the capital. When asked to give his bid, he replied, "$9,000." Then they asked him to break it down. He closed the doors, looked around cautiously, and then said, "$3,000 for YOU, $3,000 for me, and we give the bid to the guy from Western Kentucky!"

Now, they had bigger problems in Frankfort than deciding on a water fountain. But so often we can get sidetracked by things that seem important. Much like the disciples being more concerned with the temple being destroyed and the world coming to an end than they were with the things that matter most in life: character, integrity, compassion, and preparedness for Christ's return. This is what Jesus means when he tells his Disciples to watch!

Tim Carpenter, Sermon Illustrations

____________________

Where Are You Going?

There is an amusing Hasidic story about a rabbi who crossed a village square every morning on his way to the temple to pray. One morning, a large Russian Cossack soldier, who happened to be in a vile mood, accosted him, saying, “Hey, rabbi, where are you going?”

The rabbi simply said, “I don’t know.”

This infuriated the soldier. “What do you mean, you don’t know? Every morning for twenty-five years you have crossed the village square and gone to the temple to pray. Don’t fool with me. Why are you telling me you don’t know?” He grabbed the old rabbi by the coat and dragged him off to jail.

Just as the Cossack was about to push him into the cell, the rabbi turned to him, and softly said, “You see, I didn’t know.”

Someone asks, when will Christ return when will history come to a climax and a new world order, an order straight from God, be introduced? The answer is, we don’t know. The early church thought it would be in their lifetime. It’s been 2,000 years. “Why does the Lord tarry?” many ask. We don’t know. We should not be surprised at that. There is much in life that God has not revealed to us. We don’t even know what tomorrow might bring.

King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com
_____________________________

Living in Hope

The Christian lives in the Hope. We look to tomorrow with confidence, even absurd confidence. As the White Queen told Alice, "Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." There is an exuberance in the Christian Life, an exaltation which passes logic. Why? Because we belong to Christ. Listen to Leo Tolstoy:

I believe in God, who is for me spirit, love, the principle of all things.
I believe that God is in me, as I am in Him.
I believe that the true welfare of man consists in fulfilling the will of God.
I believe that from the fulfillment of the will of God there can follow nothing but that which is good for me and for all men.
I believe that the will of God is that every man should love his fellow men, and should act toward others as he desires that they should act toward him.
I believe that the reason of life is for each of us simply to grow in love.
I believe that this growth in love will contribute more than any other force to establish the Kingdom of God on earth
To replace a social life in which division, falsehood and violence are all-powerful, with a new order in which humanity, truth and brotherhood will reign.

Warren T. Smith, Journey in Faith

_____________________________________

Jesus Is Coming!

One of my dearest friends applied for a position that required him to instruct and inspire younger people. His interviewer and evaluator asked him, "Tell me about your walk with Jesus." My friend replied, "You know, everywhere I go, no matter where or when, I find that Jesus has arrived there first. Wherever I go, Jesus is already there." The evaluator made no reply; he had no idea what to say, and my friend was never offered the job. Was his response too theologically subtle? Jesus is not the Lord whom we discover or define or claim. Jesus comes to us. We do not summon Him by any action of our own. Jesus is God's gift. While we were yet sinners, he was born, died, and raised again for us that we might inherit new life.

Advent announces that Jesus is coming and not through any action of our own. We do not deserve it. Advent happens. Advent means that Jesus comes again and for all time, at Christmas, this Christmas.

Edward S. Gleason, In the Time of This Mortal Life

________________________

Second Coming – Readiness

While on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men, "It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, 'He may come today.'"

Unknown

2011-11-22T06:48:00.002Z

Mark 13.24-end (NRSV) (i)

The Coming of the Son of Man

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

The Necessity for Watchfulness

Brother,

This is the Gospel reading for Advent Sunday and is the climax of the whole apocalyptic drama Jesus had been explaining to his closest disciples. His teachings use language taken exclusively from the Old Testament and every illustration here can be traced, countless times, to OT apocalyptic imagery, what today is referred to as the Apocrypha. Jesus did this, because he knew that his disciples would have been aware of this imagery and they would understand what he was trying to say to them. It is quite clear, therefore, that Jesus was not here, foretelling specific events in the longer term; but foretelling the fact that he would come again and some events in the near future. Barclay goes so far as to suggest that the imagery can in fact be discarded!

But it is also clear that Jesus is not providing a timetable as to when his Second Coming would be because in verse 32 he makes this point clear: ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’ What he is foretelling here, in addition to the fact that he will return some day, are some things that are going to happen in the near future: the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple – and these were, sadly, abundantly fulfilled.

There have been times when people have tried to work out specific dates and times of Jesus’ return but these are pure folly, because the impossibility of this is so clearly stated here. Barclay goes so far as to suggest that ‘... it is nothing less than blasphemy for us to enquire into that of which our Lord consented to be ignorant.’

More later ...

Blessings,

David

EVIDENCE, JUDGEMENT, VERDICT, SENTENCE

2011-11-21T01:00:00.002Z

Matthew 25:31-46

How will Jesus reach his verdict on us? How will he decide?

I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, or you gave me nothing to eat.
I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, or you gave me nothing to drink.
I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in, or did not welcome me in.
I needed clothes and you clothed me, or did not clothe me.
I was sick and you looked after me, or did not look after me.
I was in prison and you came to visit me, or did not look after me.

It's very important that we get hold of this: Jesus isn't talking here about being kind to people in general. He's talking very specifically about how we have treated him, how we have served him. He says:

'I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger... I needed clothes... I was sick... I was in prison...'

So the basis for this judgment is going to be how we have treated Jesus Christ himself. His verdict on us will depend on how we've responded to him.

There will be evidence, but the evidence will be a surprise. Both the wicked and the righteous in the parable are surprised by the verdict of the king.

'Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 'The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

'They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not serve you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

So what's going on here? The key is in the little sentence that Jesus puts in at the end of both verdicts:

'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

'Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

So Jesus isn't just talking about the poor, the hungry, the strangers in the world. It is right and important that we should care for them, but Jesus is saying something more specific here.
He's talking particularly about those who count as his brothers and sisters. And it's because they are his brothers and sisters that they're hungry and thirsty, naked and strangers, sick or in prison.
Let's take a moment to look at a couple of earlier places in Matthew's Gospel that help us to understand who Jesus has in mind here. In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus is sending out his disciples on a training mission. This is what he says to them:

'He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.'

So here, Jesus is talking to his own followers, and he says, 'he who receives you receives me.' That is the same thought as in Matthew 25.

Then in Matthew chapter 12:

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'

Back to chapter 25: If we put these two quotations together with what Jesus says in chapter 25, we can see that he is talking about his own people, his true family. He's talking about Christian believers.
So there's going to be a judgment. Jesus will reach his verdict on us depending on how we have treated him, how we have responded to him. And the evidence on which this verdict will be based is how we have treated his people.
If you read this quickly, it sounds as if Jesus is saying that he is going to judge us based on our works, on our deeds. But surely we're saved by our faith, not by works? Surely it doesn't depend on what we do, does it? Our being forgiven and accepted by God depends entirely on what Christ did for us on the cross. It doesn't depend on anything we do. All we have to do is to trust him and accept what he has done for us. Remember what happened when Jesus was dying on the cross. The thief who was being crucified beside him said: 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' How did Jesus reply? 'Today you will be with me in paradise.'

The thief didn't have time to do any good works. All he did was to trust Jesus – and that was enough. But the Bible is also clear that if we have really trusted Christ, this will make a difference to how we live. If our lives don't show our faith, we have to ask just how real is that faith?

Look at what James says: 'What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 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. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.'

Good works aren't the reason we're saved; but they are the evidence that we're saved. You remember brother how we used to say at Wits 'If you were put on trial for being a follower of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?' Jesus is saying here in Matthew 25 that on judgment day, he will look for evidence that we belong to him – evidence in how we've treated his brothers and sisters.
Who is he talking about, specifically? At one level, as we've seen, he's talking about all Christian believers – all his brothers and sisters. But we can also see some particular groups of people:

If you relate it back to what Jesus said in chapter 10, it's clear that one of the groups he has in mind are those whose work involves taking his message to others, priests, ministers, missionaries, evangelists. Such people often face poverty, overwork, stress, culture-shock, being strangers, being ill, all because of their work for the Good News. Do we care about them? Do we pray for them, support them practically, encourage them, and cheer them on? This is one of the marks of true Christian faith.
Then what about people who are persecuted for their faith? More people were put to death for their Christian faith in the past hundred years than in the whole of the time since Jesus lived. Countless people today are in prison, or have lost their jobs, or have been rejected by their families, because of their faith. Do we care about them? Do we pray for them, support them practically, encourage them, cheer them on? This is another mark of true Christian faith. 'I was in prison and you visited me.'
What about nearer home? What about people we know – who are ill, who are poor, who are strangers? What about overseas students who have come to our schools? Do we care about them? Do we pray for them, support them, encourage them, cheer them on?

If we're really followers of Jesus, this will show itself in love and care for those who count as the least of his brothers and sisters. And on the other hand, if we don't have much sympathy for them, this may be a sign that we don't really care all that much about Christ himself.
Jesus identifies himself with his followers so closely that he takes what we do for them as something we've done for him. And he says that our destiny will be measured out by how we respond to his family. The good things we do for them show where we stand in relation to him.
The evidence on which Jesus will reach his verdict on us – if you like, the evidence of whether or not we really do have faith in him - will be how we have treated the least important, least significant members of his family.

Finally, there's going to be a sentence. Look at the contrast between the outcome for the righteous and the wicked:

'Then the King will say to those on his right,'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'

He describes them as blessed by God; he says there's a kingdom that's been prepared for them since the world began, and now is the time for them to inherit it.

'Then he will say to those on his left, 'Go away from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'

He describes them in exactly the opposite way to the righteous. Instead of being blessed, they're cursed. Instead of a kingdom, they're going to a place of fire. The kingdom was prepared for the righteous, but the fire was prepared for the devil and his angels.

'Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.'

The same word is used for 'eternal' punishment and for 'eternal' life. You can't make one of these eternal and the other only temporary.

There's going to be a judgment, and the outcome is incredibly serious. It has massive repercussions that last for ever. Either an eternal kingdom, or unending fire.
Of course, I know as well as you do that talk of God's judgment is extremely unpopular today. It's very politically incorrect. Perhaps, even as a Christian believer, you feel very uncomfortable with what Jesus is saying in this story.

In the end, we have to make a choice
Mark

2011-11-20T01:00:00.002Z

Ephesians 1.15-end SERMON

Paul’s Prayer

¹⁵ I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. ²⁰God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

My text this morning is written in Ephesians 1:15-16:

¹⁵ I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

In this passage we see the essence of the characteristic of the Church: loyalty to Christ and love to others. These two are inextricable linked together because true loyalty to Christ will always, if it is authentic, lead to love for others (verse 15).

There can be a loyalty to Christ that does not issue in love for others. Some monastic orders shut themselves off from the world, and I have to confess that this makes little sense to me. It strikes me almost as a form of selfishness because the individual concerned might feel closer to God and have a sense of peace and tranquillity, but this is of little worth unless it also leads to love for others. At the same time, I have enormous respect for those monks and nuns who live this way so that they might be of more use in caring for the needs of others. The Jesuits, Fransiscans and Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity are notable and wonderful examples as was the case of the Community of the Resurrection in South Africa with their school, colleges and hostels and a notable example being Trevor Huddlestone. This was true of early Methodism as well: when people came to Christ and became part of the Church, the society they lived in was transformed. Loyalty to Christ must issue in love for others or it is meaningless.

Indeed, whatever we do, unless it results in love for others, is worthless. The Spanish Inquisition and the Pharisees are examples of those who were guilty of trying to be so right that this led them to do the most hurtful things to others. I believe Paul here gives us a practical yardstick with which we can measure if something is truly right; anything that does not issue in greater love for our fellowmen should make us seriously question what we do, because it is only in our loving of others that we show our love for Christ.

I am glad to hear that in some cities there has been a revival in attendance at Cathedral worship. I love Cathedral worship with all its pomp and beauty; but there is a real danger that this can cover all sorts of dreadful things. We have all heard of times when Cathedrals have been in the press because of conflict, strife and general inappropriate behaviour. Sadly, I have also experienced this first hand, and in fact, it is a major reason why today I am ordained as a Methodist and not an Anglican! Gladly, most Cathedrals are beacons of love and hope in Christ in the heart of our cities. Beauty only really becomes beautiful when it is an ingredient in showing love for others.

This refers to some theological debates as well. The ‘truth’ will become evident when the theology issues in greater love for others. All too often, in debates and discussions, Barclay accurately states that ‘... we have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.’

Paul then prays for a Church that he loves and that is doing well. He prays that they may have wisdom using the word Sophia (which refers to the deep things of God) and so asks that the Church might be taken deeper into the knowledge of the eternal truths. This reminds us of an important dimension of our life and ministry. It is necessary that we are a people of depth – that the Church be a thinking people. We must beware of dumbing things down; but rather, always strive ourselves to go deeper and deeper into the depths of truth which issues in love. At the same time, this is worthless unless we make it a personal discovery as well. Socrates said: ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ Barclay suggests that an unexamined religion is not worth having and adds: ‘It is an obligation for a thinking man to think his way to God.’ Lionel Swain adds that knowledge here also means something else; it is knowledge in the sense of ‘intimate experience’. Thompson adds that here, Paul is praying for ‘... a deeper understanding of the ...Gospel and its implications, so that one can move closer into line with God’s mind and attitude.’

The ministry of the Church must be a teaching ministry. The exposition of scripture from the pulpit is a vital element, because we know that the scriptures are God’s primary way of communicating with his people of every age and generation. The paradigm was set on the road to Emmaus when Jesus expounded the Word to the disciples and they felt their hearts warmed within them – as was the case of John Wesley on that important evening in Aldergate Street in 1738. As we listen to the scriptures read and the preacher’s exposition, we should not only be interested in what the preacher thinks but more importantly we should also asking: “What is God is saying to us as a Church; and what is God saying to me as an individual within the Church?” We come seeking knowledge that touches us and moves us, challenges us and blesses us – we come – as verse 18 explains: to have the eyes of our hearts enlightened.

We are therefore in this passage, challenged to get things into proportion. So much time is spent in the church discussing mundane matters and these often result in conflict. How much time do we, as a Church, spend discussing the ‘... eternal verities of God?’ How many hours do churches spend discussing ‘problems’ for every one that is spent discussing the depths of theology? Paul here is praying for the people to be led into a deeper wisdom of the eternal things of God and this prayer will never be answered unless we give up time to listen to what God is saying to us; time prayerfully discussing what this means and then acting on what we feel God is calling us to do.

Paul then prays for a greater realisation of Christian hope. We live in days of despair. The economy is terrible and the myth that money is the root of all happiness and security has been destroyed. But many in our society have nothing to replace it with. We need to offer the world an alternative – the alternative – the universal and eternal way. The insight we can offer the world is that even in the midst of suffering and uncertainty, there is always hope and this hope is sure. We know that God’s cause and ways will win the day eventually, for this has been the testimony of history – for even if we do not get to experience it in this life, there is nothing – not even death – that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (as Paul stresses in Romans 8).

Paul continues in his prayer for a new realisation of the power of God. For Paul, the proof of the power of God was in the Resurrection of Christ. Sin had done everything in its power to destroy Christ; people had done everything to get rid of Christ; but God raised him from the dead. The Resurrection proved that his power is greater than any human agency and that no human can thwart the power of God. Even though we can’t fully understand it all the time – God is ultimately in control. The last verses also make clear that all in the heavenly realm are also under God’s ultimate control. But even more importantly, this same power is available to us, to help, to strengthen and encourage those who are committed to being faithful to God’s call. Our assurance is not based on mere wishful thinking, but on a fact of history: God did raise Jesus from the dead. Think of Jesus and the disciples at the time of his death. Everything seemed hopeless, crushed, ended – but God raised Jesus and he appeared to his disciples and the ministry continued and still does. As we gather together as a community of faith, Jesus continues to meet with us, especially in the breaking of the bread, nourishes our relationship with him, and encourages us to go out into our world giving expression to his love for others. This is the focus of the Gospel reading appointed for today where Jesus tells the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

The last verse is of great significance for us – because it refers to the Church in every age as the body of Christ.

Despite reforms and improvements over the years, the 20^th century was a human catastrophe and disunity still remains throughout the world between different races, languages and religions, sadly even within Protestantism. Jesus died to bring unity – but we still seem far from it. This ideal of unity is expressed in the next chapter where Paul speaks of Christ breaking down the wall that separates. As Barclay puts it: ‘Jesus Christ was above all things God’s instrument for reconciliation.’ He uses the analogy of a doctor finding a cure for a deadly disease: unless that cure is taken to the different parts of the world where the disease is prevalent, sufferers will not be cured! Doctors must get to know about it and must be trained as to how to use it. The cure is there – but it needs a corps of people to take the message and the technique throughout the world. The same is true of the Gospel – it is there – but unless it is taken into the world, it remains ineffective. It is only in Christ that all can come together; it is only in Christ that there can be unity and peace and flourishing – and the Church is the agent that is given the task of taking this good news to all people. The church ought to be the corps of Christ but so often it has become a corpse!

Christ is the head – the Church is the body – and the wonders of salvation cannot become real in the world unless the Church takes it to the peoples of the world. Barclay explains: ‘... God’s plan for the world is in the hands of the Church ...’ It is God’s plan that the warring elements of the world be brought together in peace; and to make this possible he sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but this message and this power must be taken out to all people. The Church is the body, with Christ as the head, and so it is in the hands of the Church to bring all this to fulfilment.

The Church – we – are called to be a living organism with the ascended Christ as the head, called to do his work in the world ‘... as once his own body and flesh and blood had done it.’ This is the essential nature of the Church, as A M Hunter explains: the Church is‘... an organism truly responsive to the impulses of the mind and heart of Christ, an organ sacrificially expendable in the carrying out of his great and gracious purposes ...’

I know that this circuit is committed to being faithful to this calling and so, as Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus:

¹⁵ I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

Amen.

2011-11-19T08:28:00.003Z

Ephesians 1.15-end (iv)

Paul’s Prayer

Brother,

The last verse is of great significance for us – because it refers to the Church in every age as the body of Christ.

Despite reforms and improvements over the years, the 20^th century was a human catastrophe and disunity still remains throughout the world between different races, languages and religions. Jesus died to bring unity – but we still seem far from it. This ideal of unity is expressed in the next chapter where he speaks of Christ breaking down the wall that separates. As Barclay puts it: ‘Jesus Christ was above all things God’s instrument for reconciliation.’ Barclay uses the analogy of a doctor finding a cure for a deadly disease: unless that cure is taken to the different parts of the world where the disease is prevalent, sufferers will not be cured! Doctors must get to know about it and must be trained as to how to use it. The cure is there – but it needs a corps of people to take the message and the technique throughout the world. The same is true of the Gospel – it is there – but unless it is taken into the world, it remains ineffective. It is only in Christ that all can come together; it is only in Christ that there can be unity and peace and flourishing – and the Church is the agent that is given the task of taking it to all people. The church ought to be the corps of Christ but so often it has become a corpse!

Christ is the head – the Church is the body – and the wonders of salvation cannot become real in the world unless the Church takes it to the peoples of the world. Barclay explains: ‘... God’s plan for the world is in the hands of the Church ...’ It is God’s plan that the warring elements of the world be brought together in peace; and to make this possible he sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but this message and this power must be taken out to all people. The Church is the body with Christ as the head and so it is in the hands of the Church to bring all this to fulfilment.

A massive challenge ... Is the Church being faithful to its calling? Are we as ministers of the Gospel being faithful to our calling?

Blessings,

David

2011-11-18T01:00:00.001Z

Matthew 25:31-46

New International Version (NIV)

The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 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, 36 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.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Brother

The Pirates of Penzance is a lot of fun and I have a small part but it is taking up most evenings in the week and I can't keep up! So thank you for standing in for me. And no, my birthday was not on the 16th, it was the 15th! We also have a major service in Westminster Abbey next Thursday, a National celebration of the life and work of our founder, Nathaniel Woodard. What an exciting and exhausing ministry! God has been good to me.

We don't like to talk about failing these days. A teacher's conference a year or two ago suggested that you should never talk about a pupil's failure. Rather, you should talk about 'deferred success.' The idea of judging someone is unpopular.

The reality, of course, is that we do make judgments all the time, between people who are good at something and people who aren't. I know what is is like to be judged by others and to have to face the ugly truth that I am far from perfect. I'm sure you do as well.

But we don't like to talk about judgment. We especially don't like to talk about God's judgment. But in this story, Jesus says that there will be a judgment day. Let's look at what's going on in this story.

He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.' (Verses 32-33)

Could you tell the difference between a sheep and a goat? I couldn't.

• goats always have horns, some kinds of sheep don't

• sheep have wool, goats have hair

• goats browse on branches, sheep graze on grass

Apparently in the ancient world, sheep were more valuable than goats.

At night, goats need to huddle together for warmth, while sheep need open space. Because of this, a shepherd would separate them. This is the picture in Jesus's story. Of course, for his hearers, this picture was familiar from their everyday lives.

So this is a picture of separation, and it's how Jesus describes the nations being judged by God:

'When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another...'

This picture comes straight out of the Old Testament, from the book of Daniel:

'In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.' (Daniel chapter 7 verse 13)

The Jews believed that God was going to judge all the nations. The change in Matthew 25 is that Jesus says that he himself is going to be the judge. When he talks about the 'Son of Man' in verse 31, that's how he refers to himself. He's going to separate the sheep and the goats.

In verse 34 'Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are spoken well of by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'

Notice that the Son of Man is now described as the King. He talks about God as his Father. And he talks about a kingdom prepared for his people since the world was created.

Then in verse 41 'Then he will say to those on his left, 'Go away from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'

So it's a picture of judgment and separation. Jesus says that he's going to come back. When he does, he will rule visibly and powerfully (a mystery as to how) . We shall all be brought before him to be judged. This judgment will lead to a separation between those who are his people and those who are not.

Until Saturday

Mark

2011-11-17T06:47:00.000Z

Ephesians 1.15-end (iii)

Paul’s Prayer

Brother,

How many hours do churches spend discussing mundane problems for everyone that is spent discussing the depth of theology. Paul here is praying for the people to be led into a deeper wisdom of the eternal things of God and Barclay adds: ‘That prayer can never be answered if we never allot any time to thinking about them.

Paul adds revelation to his prayer for fuller knowledge for knowledge must be accompanied by grace. If you are in any profession you can never stop studying: no doctor stops, nor decent lawyer. For the doctor there are always new techniques, drugs treatments; in Law there are more cases, more precedents. It is the same with the Christian. Barclay suggests that the Christian life can be described as ‘... getting to know God better every day ... A friendship which does not grow closer with the years tends to vanish with the years. And so it is with God.’

Paul prays for a greater realisation of Christian hope. We live in days of despair. The economy is terrible and the myth that money is the root of all happiness and security has been destroyed. But many in our society have nothing to replace it with. We need to offer the world an alternative – the alternative – the universal and eternal way. As Barclay writes: ‘If the Christian message is true, and if God is as Jesus Christ taught us that He is, then the world is not on the way to dissolution but to consummation.’

Blessings,

David

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

2011-11-16T01:00:00.002Z

Brother

It's my birthday today so a short reflection! I provide a link to Fr Robert Barron's excellent sermon on this parable of the talents. He says that God exists in gift form and therefore we too must be willing to empty ourselves rather than fill ourselves up all the time.

It's worth a listen

Mark

2011-11-15T07:33:00.002Z

Ephesians 1.15-end (ii)

Paul’s Prayer

Brother,

Paul then prays for a Church that he loves and that is doing well. He prays that they may have wisdom using the word Sophia which refers to the deep things of God and so asks that the Church might be taken deeper into the knowledge of the eternal truths. This reminds us of an important dimension of our life and ministry. It is necessary that we are a people of depth – that the Church be a thinking people. We must beware of dumbing things down; always striving ourselves to go deeper and deeper into the depths of love. At the same time, this is worthless unless we make it a personal discovery as well. Socrates said: ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ Barclay suggests that an unexamined religion is not worth having and adds: ‘It is an obligation for a thinking man to think his way to God.’

It is also that the ministry of the Church be a teaching ministry. The exposition of scripture from the pulpit is a first necessity of religious awakening. We are not interested in what the preacher thinks as what God is saying to us.

We also need to get things into proportion. So much time is spent in the church discussing mundane matters and entering conflict as a result. How much time do we spend discussing the ‘... eternal verities of God?’

Much to do today so only so far for the moment. More later ...

Blessings,

David

2011-11-14T18:55:00.002Z

Ephesians 1.15-end (i)

Paul’s Prayer

Brother,

In this passage we see the essence of the characteristics of the Church – as Barclay puts it – loyalty to Christ and love to others. These two are inextricable linked together because true loyalty to Christ will lead to love for others (verse 15).

Indeed, whatever we do, unless it results in love for others, it is worthless. The Spanish Inquisition, the Pharisees were guilty of trying to be so right that this led them to do the most hurtful things. I believe Paul gives us a practical yardstick with which we can measure if something is truly right; anything that does not issue in greater love for our fellowmen should make us seriously question what we do.

It is only in our loving of others that we show our love for Christ.

Barclay also refers to some theological debates as well. Then ‘truth’ will become evident when the theology issues in greater love for others. Barclay warns that all too often in debates and discussions ‘... we have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.’

Blessings,

David