Thought for the Week 2021 – Lent 7

Isaiah 53: 1 - 12

¹ Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.
⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
¹¹ After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

Lent 7 – Holy Week

This week is the most solemn week in the Christian calendar. It is also at the heart of our faith as followers of Christ – the Son of God who came to redeem mankind through his death. We find ourselves horrified and appalled by the suffering that he went through, especially when we consider that he went through it all for us. For me.

Isaiah’s ‘Suffering Servant’ chapter is astonishing. The words themselves, as a description of Jesus’ suffering, are so full of depth and meaning. Isaiah makes no attempt to gloss over what Jesus went through or to make it sound nicer. No, the suffering is laid bare in all its harshness. But it becomes even more astonishing when we note that Isaiah didn’t write this about Jesus. This is not a contemporary account written by someone who stood at the foot of the cross of Calvary, watching as the Saviour suffered. No, this was written over 700 years before the death of Christ on the cross. It was written by Isaiah as a prophecy, and he wrote it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes in the Old Testament it is clear what the prophet was talking about at the time, and we then see a later fulfilment superimposed on top (e.g Isaiah 7 and 9, read at Christmas). But with chapter 53 we cannot know what Isaiah had in mind when he wrote this: but the fulfilment in the crucifixion of Christ is so clear, it is blatant! This chapter is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament passage, and on every occasion, the New Testament writer applies the words to Jesus and his suffering.

Read the chapter again slowly. Pause on the imagery as you consider Jesus Christ himself facing a mockery of a trial, being tortured, beaten and mocked by the Roman soldiers, then carrying his cross to Golgotha where he was nailed to it and left to die. ‘He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.’ ‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.’

As we come towards Good Friday, we come with awe, mourning and worship as we approach the cross. We see the Saviour nailed to it, beaten and bleeding. We see the creator treated cruelly by the people he created. But we also approach the cross with joy in our hearts and thanksgiving – giving thanks to God that he was willing to go through the pain and sacrifice for us. He did it because he loves us – and that applies to all the suffering described and prophesied in Isaiah 53.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank you for Calvary. You came to earth because you loved all people. You showed us how to live, and when the time came, you died for us. You suffered physical, emotional and spiritual torment, and you did it so that we might know life, and life to the full for eternity. We praise you today and celebrate all that we have received through your life, death and resurrection. Amen.

Thought for the Week 2021 – Lent 6

Matthew 26: 36 - 46

³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’

³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’

⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. ⁴¹ ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’

⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’

⁴³ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

⁴⁵ Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’

 

Lent 6 – Gethsemane, Suffering, Pressure and Pain

Many of us have special places that we go to when we need to think, to pray and to meet with God. Perhaps, for you, it is a place you haven’t told anyone else about, because it is so special. Jesus often went up into the mountains, very early in the morning, before sunrise, in order to pray. Being alone with his Father was vitally important if he was to continue in his mission.

On the night of his arrest, the place he went was the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. It was a place where olives grew, and where olives were pressed to extract the oil from them. Jesus went there with his three closest friends, Peter, James and John, and he went there to meet his Father, to pray and to plead with him.

This is the sixth week of Lent, and we are continuing to examine ourselves in the light of the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour. And in this story we find Jesus facing up to his imminent death – and facing all the emotions that came with it.

In verse 38, Jesus said, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.’ That’s an amazing statement, isn’t it? Have you ever felt so full of sorrow that you might use those words to describe it? It is not just the mind or the emotions that are sorrowful; it is the very soul. And the sorrow not only fills him, but is overwhelming. How far? To the point of death. In this story we see Jesus the Man, and Jesus who is God.

It is an important statement of the Christian faith that Jesus is ‘fully man and fully God’. He is not a ‘demi-god’, like in Greek mythology – half man and half god. No, Jesus was and is fully man and fully God. How can that be? How can we describe it, explain it or understand it? We cannot – but we can believe it. And in Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane we see it fully played out before our eyes.

Jesus came with a mission. It was a mission to save humanity from their own rebellion. He came to save us from sin and death. Mankind has chosen the way of sin and selfishness and has chosen to ignore the way of God. We closed the way to God through our own actions. Jesus came to re-open that way. And he did it by dying on the cross for every one of us. In our reading this week, Jesus knows what his mission is and he knows the pain and agony that he will go through. Jesus the Man tells his friends, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.’ Jesus the Man cries out to his father – ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.’ He is talking about the cup of suffering that he is about to face. Could there be another way to save mankind? If there is, please my I be spared this suffering? And Jesus, who is God, adds, ‘Yet not as I will, but as you will.’

Only Jesus, the perfect Son of God; God the Son; the second person of the Trinity; fully God and fully man, could take away the sin of the world through his death on the cross. He knew it, and as God he came to do it, and went through with it. But it didn’t stop him, as Jesus the Man, dreading it, being filled with stress and under great pressure as he looked ahead to what was coming, and pleading with his Father to be spared.

Gethsemane – the place of pressure where olives are squeezed in a press for their oil. And the place of pressure where Jesus the Man is pressed down and his soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. When you and I face the pressure of sorrow, stress and anxiety, and we plead with God to be spared, God often does not answer that prayer in the way we would hope. He doesn’t airlift us out of the situation – rather he parachutes in to join us. May we have the courage to say. ‘Yet not as I will, but as you will.’

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I know that you know more than any of us what suffering and sacrifice are like. I thank you that you were willing to go through that for me and for all mankind. When I face suffering, sorrow and great pressure, please come alongside me and give me the strength to go through it. Amen.

Thought for the Week 2021 – Lent 5

Isaiah 40: 1 - 8

¹ Comfort, comfort my people,
    says your God.
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
    that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.

³ A voice of one calling:
‘In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

⁶ A voice says, ‘Cry out.’
    And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’

‘All people are like grass,
    and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
⁷ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
    Surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures for ever.’

 

Lent 5 – Prepare the Way for the Lord

This is the fifth week of Lent, and we are continuing to examine ourselves in the light of the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour. This week we are looking at the opening verses of Isaiah 40, a well-known portion of Scripture, which includes a verse quoted in the New Testament as a prophecy about John the Baptist.

This part of the Book of Isaiah looks ahead to the exile of the Jews to Babylon, as well as the return from exile seventy years later. And it begins in verses 1 and 2 with reassurance for the future: ‘Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.’ This reminds us that the Holy Spirit is called the comforter, as one of many translations of the Greek word paraklete. It appears, for instance, in John 14: 26, in the King James Version. Other translations use the word ‘helper’ or ‘advocate’. But there is something wonderfully reassuring about being told that the Holy Spirit is the comforter. The Holy Spirit comes alongside us when life is difficult, and he brings comfort instead of despair; peace instead of anxiety. Over the last twelve months we have needed the comfort of the Holy Spirit more than ever – the one who brings peace and hope to our hearts in troubled times.

In these opening words of Isaiah 40 we are reading of the comfort that the Holy Spirit will bring to the people of Jerusalem. They will face harsh exile, but at the end of it they will return to the Promised Land. ‘Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,’ it says. When a child is sad or hurt and a parent comes alongside, he or she brings comfort, and speaks tenderly to the child. This is what God does for his people – he is the comforter and speaks tenderly.

As I said, verse 3 is quoted in the New Testament by John the Baptist as a prophecy about himself. Today we are in a different situation to that of John the Baptist. However, we have a job to do and a role to play in doing the same thing – preparing the way for the Lord. It is for us to make a straight highway for God. In other words, you and I (and the whole church) are called to go into all the world and make disciples. We have met Jesus – so now we need to introduce him to other people. In Romans 10: 14 Paul writes, ‘How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?’ If we are going to go into the world and speak of Jesus, introducing him to people, we are, in effect, ‘preparing the way for the Lord.’

And in the following verse in Romans, Paul continues, ‘And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ Do you have beautiful feet? Well, whatever the state of your toenails or bunions, you have beautiful feet if you are bringing the good news of Jesus! If you are going into the world to make disciples, preparing the way for the Lord, straight in the desert a highway for our God, then you have the most beautiful feet!

Wherever we go and whatever we do, and whoever we talk to, we have a role to play in God’s Kingdom. We are the ones with beautiful feet, bringing Good News, as we introduce people to Jesus. We are preparing the way of the Lord, and making the path straight for people to meet him.  What can you do this week? Who will you meet, and what will you do to tell those people that there is Good News?

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I thank you for your faithfulness, your love, and for coming to this world to live for us, die for us and rise again. Thank you for the Comforter, the Holy Spirit – please may he strengthen and help me as I set about preparing the way for the Lord, making straight in the desert a highway for our God: every single day! Amen.

Thought for the Week 2021 – Lent 4

Luke 15: 11 - 32

¹¹ Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” So he divided his property between them.

¹³ ‘Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ ‘When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.” ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms round him and kissed him.

²¹ ‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

²² ‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ ‘Meanwhile, the elder son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ “Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”

²⁸ ‘The elder brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”

³¹ ‘“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”’

 

Lent 4 – Examine Your Heart

This Lent period, we are examining ourselves in the light of the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour. This week we are using a well-known parable that Jesus told, in order to help us examine ourselves before God.

Who am I most like in this story? And who are you most like? In order to help us answer that question, we need to look at who the people in the story represent. It is clear that the father in the story represents our Father God. He is the one who is the source of all that we have, and who has the power to administer justice or show mercy. The father in the story can exercise his legal right to turn his sons out onto the street, or he can show mercy and love and welcome them in as part of the family.

The younger son represents a person who has chosen to reject God – blatantly living a selfish life. But when he realises how bad that life is, he comes back to his father repenting, and ready to accept the very smallest amount of acceptance. The older son in the story represents someone who has worked hard for God all his life. He has never run away in a blatantly selfish way, but it is clear in the story that although he does not reject God in an obvious, outward way, his heart harbours selfishness and bitterness. And when the time comes for him to follow his father’s example, and show forgiveness to one who has turned back, he can’t find that forgiveness or mercy in his heart. All he can find is resentment.

So I ask the question again – which character(s) in the story are you and I most like? Maybe we would want to say we are like the younger son, who has come to God in true repentance, and has received great mercy and forgiveness. Yes, that is true – but were we rebellious like him before we came to God? Quite probably not. Are we like the father himself – standing at the gate, searching for those who would return to God, running to greet them and to show them love, mercy, forgiveness and a welcome? Well, we would like to be like that, but in practice we are often not like that. So are we like the older son? Working hard all our lives, following the rules, and resenting those who live a very different life and yet still receive mercy?

In practice, there are elements of all three characters that we find and recognise in our own lives. May it be that our lives reflect the best elements of each of the characters in this story.

 

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that you show unending mercy and forgiveness to all who come to you in repentance. Thank you that you run to meet us when we turn to you! May I truly repent of my sins and come to you in honesty. Please search my heart and deal with any bitterness, pride, arrogance and resentment that you find there. Help me to be honest in turning to you in humility. Amen.

Thought for the Week 2021 – Lent 3

1 Samuel 3: 1 - 14

¹ The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’

But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.

⁶ Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’

‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸ A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’

Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’

Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’

¹¹ And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. ¹² At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family – from beginning to end. ¹³ For I told him that I would judge his family for ever because of the sin he knew about; his sons uttered blasphemies against God, and he failed to restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, “The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”’

Lent 3 – God Speaks, God Calls, God is With Us

This story of the boy, Samuel, who hears the voice of God one night, is a very well-known story that we use to illustrate the fact that God talks to his people, and we need to be listening. Those of you who went to Sunday School as a child no doubt first heard this story way back then. But I wonder whether your Sunday School teacher included verses 11 to 14 – what God’s message actually was. So often, when we look at this story, we stop at the end of verse 10: ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Ironically, when teaching about the fact that we should listen to God, we often fail to include the (quite serious and severe) message that God actually gives to Samuel!

This Lent period, we are examining ourselves in the light of the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour. When Jesus was born, he fulfilled the prophecy of the birth of Immanuel – God With Us. And today, God is still With Us when we trust in him and follow him, and he speaks to us and calls us. And sometimes, the message he has for us, like the message that he gave to young Samuel, is not a simple or even pleasant message. God speaks to us, and at times he has something difficult for us to do. In verse 15 of 1 Sam. 3, it says that the following morning Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what the vision was – not surprisingly!

Where was Samuel sleeping? Where was his bedroom? Verse 3: “Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.” Probably not in the Most Holy Place, with his bed right alongside the Ark, but definitely nearby. Remember, this was before the temple was built, so the ‘House of the Lord’ was the tabernacle. It was basically a tent. And one compartment of the tent was the Most Holy Place, where the ark of the Lord, was, and where God was believed to dwell. Samuel was sleeping as close to the presence of God as was possible. When you go to sleep, do you rest in the presence of God? Do you go to sleep at peace knowing he is right with you? And are you prepared to hear his voice and his call?

God speaks, God calls, and God is With Us. Are we listening, and are we aware of how close we are to him? Do we seek to get as close as possible? How can we get closer to God and be more aware of what he is saying? The principle way that God speaks to us is through his Word. He has given us the Bible, and it is called the Word of God. Regular reading of the Bible is the main way God speaks to us – and it can help to read it with other people, in church, with daily study guides, with commentaries and so on. Persevere with your Bible reading if you want to have open ears to what God is saying, and you want to get closer to him! Every morning, pray like Samuel: ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ Be prepared to hear God’s call on your life each day. Remember Ephesians 2: 10 – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” How will we know what God is calling us to do each day, unless we listen?

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you have never just left me to ‘get on with’ living the Christian life in my own strength. I thank you that you speak, you call and you are with me. May the Holy Spirit today fill me and help me to open my ears to your Word and your Call. May I always trust that you are with me at all times. Amen.

Thought for the Week 2021 – Lent 2

Ephesians 4: 25 – 5: 2

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ ‘In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

5 ¹ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 

Lent 2 – Forgiveness and Community

How can people live together and work together, without ending up screaming and running out the door, or worse? Some people (including Christian groups) have tried communal living – and if you are serious about trying that, then a passage such as this one at the end of Ephesians 4 is vital for survival!

But even those of us who have not chosen to live together in a close-knit community still need this kind of teaching if we are to truly live as Christians, and love one another with the love of Christ. The church is the Body of Christ, and for it to work we need to seek to be Christ-like, and this passage gives some guidance. I noted last week that Lent is the time leading up to Easter when we look ahead to the crucifixion and resurrection, and examine ourselves in the light of the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour. And what does this passage say to us?

1. No lying to one another. Always be truthful in everything you say. Not even little lies, or exaggeration or a bit of whitewashing! Why? Because we are all members of one body! The body cannot function if there is untruth and people cannot believe what other people are saying. This is true in families, in the community and especially true in church.
2. Don’t go to bed angry. Notice that the instruction is not ‘Do not get angry’. In fact it is clear that Paul expects and understands that sometimes people will get angry. But the important thing is that our anger does not lead us to sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that anger in the heart can lead to the same judgement as murder. And if you go to bed still angry with a brother or sister, you are giving the devil a foothold in your life. You are opening yourself up to temptation to sin.
3. No stealing. How can a community survive if people steal? Instead, do something useful with you hands – work to earn a living and then share with those who are in need.
4. No ‘unwholesome talk’. Equally, no posting unwholesome messages on social media. What we say (and write) should build people up, not knock them down. Our words should be a benefit to other people.
5. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. How do we do that? Well, the four things already mentioned would grieve him. Equally, the things that follow, in verse 31: ‘bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander’ would all grieve the Holy Spirit. Be very aware that the Holy Spirit is always with you, always listening to your words and looking at your actions. He is grieved when our actions dishonour him.

 

Verse 32 tells us what we should do instead: ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ Forgiveness between people is vital in church life. Grudges have no place in the Body of Christ. We can’t hang on to things that somebody once said that upset or offended us. Those grudges must be thrown out! Instead let’s fill our lives with kindness and compassion – which takes a conscious effort. Let’s be forgiving – why? Because in Christ God forgave you.

And finally, at the beginning of chapter 5 Paul says, ‘Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ This is the heart of the matter. It is all about love. We are loved, so we should live a life of love – and in doing so we are being like Jesus himself, who loved us, and gave himself up for us by dying on the cross.

 

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you that you set an example for us in loving other people, showing kindness and compassion, and in right living. Please help me to become more like you day by day in my thoughts, words, actions and attitudes. During this Lent season I want to give up all the wrong behaviour that grieves the Holy Spirit. Please be with me every day as my guide and teacher in all things. Amen.

 

Thought for the Week 2021 – Lent 1

Luke 4: 1 - 13

¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

³ The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.’

⁴ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone.”’

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ If you worship me, it will all be yours.’

⁸ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”’

⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

‘“He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’

¹² Jesus answered, ‘It is said: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’

¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

 

Lent 1 – Temptation

The period leading up to Easter is a time of preparation which we call Lent. Some people give something up for Lent; some people take something on. It is a time when we look ahead to the crucifixion and resurrection, and examine ourselves in the light of the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour.

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. And when he came up from the water, there was a voice from heaven – God the Father was proclaiming and confirming that this was his own dear Son. And the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in physical form, like a dove. If you and I were in charge of planning Jesus’ next steps, I wonder what we would have done. Maybe some big ‘campaign launch’. Perhaps we would have Jesus, still glowing and with the dove resting on him, walking straight from the River Jordan into Jerusalem and into the temple, proclaiming the Kingdom, with bolts of lightning and other great signs of power.

Thankfully we are not in charge, and it wasn’t up to us. Rather it was up to the Holy Spirit to guide Jesus… and look where the Spirit led him: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” (v. 1 - 2)

Isn’t the Holy Spirit supposed to lead us away from the devil? Don’t we rely on the Holy Spirit to steer us in the right direction, away from temptation? Why was the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into temptation? This is a good question, and also a question that we can turn around to our own lives. When life is a challenge; when we are going through a dry season or a time of pain, then who has led us there? Were we led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit?

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation’. I don’t know whether you have ever wondered about that request and the way it is worded. It implies that we are asking God not to lead us into temptation, as if that might be an option. In June 2019, Pope Francis approved changes to the Lord’s Prayer, so that instead of saying, “Lead us not into temptation,” Catholics will say, “Do not let us fall into temptation.” The Pope added, “A father doesn’t [push me into temptation]; a father helps you to get up immediately. It’s Satan who leads us into temptation – that’s his department.”

However, it is clear in Luke 4 that it was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into temptation – or rather it was the Holy Spirit who led him into the wilderness, where he would face temptation. It was not the Holy Spirit who did the tempting.

Are you in the wilderness right now? We might answer that all of us are in the wilderness right now, and have been since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago. Who led us there? The Holy Spirit certainly accompanies us into the wilderness, and we could also say he leads us. If we have to face the wilderness, then it is good to know we are following God into it, and not trying to make our own way, on our own. Temptation and testing do not come from God – but he might lead us into the place where we have to face them. This is true in our personal lives, and it is true of the covid-19 situation.

In the wilderness, rejoice that God accompanies you, that he is leading you, that he strengthens you and empowers you to live through it and come out the other end.

 

Prayer

Holy Spirit, you led Jesus into the wilderness, where he faced the Tempter. I thank and praise you that whenever I face times of trial – testing and temptation – I am still led by you. I thank you that you always accompany me through the good times and the bad. May I trust in you to always give me the strength to overcome. Amen.

Thought for the Week 2020 – Advent 4

Luke 2: 1 - 20

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

Advent 4 – Do Not be Afraid: There is Good News!

Right now we need hope in a time of despair; we need life in the midst of death. Covid-19 has had a massive impact on our entire world during 2020. Nothing since WWII that has affected just about every human being in the world in the way this virus has done. And as we come towards the end of the year there is a mixture of fear with hope. It was very recently that three vaccines reached a stage of development where they could start to be administered. And people began to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But even more recently we have learned of a new variant of the virus which spreads much more easily and rapidly. The hospitals are at the point of being overwhelmed, family gatherings for Christmas are all but cancelled, church buildings are closing once again. The light at the end of the tunnel looks like it is being smothered. Who can we turn to?

‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’

The greatest story ever told is right here in Luke 2. God became man and made his dwelling among us. The Creator became a part of the creation. We call it the ‘incarnation’ – meaning that God became human and took on human flesh. God came to be with us in such a real, physical, tangible sense. And part of the message is stated by the angels who appeared to the shepherds: ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’ How are we feeling right now? Are we afraid because of the news of the rapid spread of the new variant of the virus? Are we anxious and fearful of what the future might hold? There is good news! There is a reason for joy for all people! A Saviour has been born! Yes, there is uncertainty and we might be anxious about what is happening in our world. But we can trust in the Good News of the Saviour, and rest in him – there really is Good News in the midst of so much bad news.

After the first angel had given the message, he was joined by ‘a great company’ of angels. Imagine what that must have looked like to those shepherds! And they said,’ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’ Who are the people ‘on whom God’s favour rests’? Does he have favourites? God’s favour rests on all people, but sadly not all people recognise or accept it. The peace of God is available for all people – we can receive his peace, love and joy if we will turn to him. There is peace on earth for all who will turn their backs on selfish, proud living, and come to God in humility, confession and repentance. God has the very best for us – and the proof of that is his willingness to send his only Son to live for us, to die for us and to rise again.

Much as we might be saddened by the way this Christmas is so different, nothing can replace the joy of what Christmas is really all about, and nothing can take away the peace that Jesus brings.

 

Prayer

Father, no matter what else is happening in life, we rejoice today in the Good News that your Son was born. We praise you that we can know God With Us every day of our life. We thank you that no matter what else is happening in our world right now, Jesus is our King, our Saviour and out Friend. May we know your love, strength, protection, joy and peace in our lives every single day, and not just at Christmas. Amen.

Thought for the Week 2020 – Advent 3

Matthew 1: 18 – 2: 2

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’

²² All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

2¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’

 

Advent 3 – God With Us

Our Nativity plays would be very different if we only had Matthew’s account, and didn’t have Luke’s version as well. Paintings and Christmas card pictures would also be very different. There would be no stable scene or innkeeper (not that Luke mentions a stable or an inkeeper anyway, but that’s another matter!). A ‘Matthew only’ Nativity would focus on Joseph, and whilst we might include an angel, we wouldn’t have the angel visiting Mary or the shepherds – his only role would be appearing to Joseph in a dream. There would be no explanation of how Mary came to be ‘pregnant through the Holy Spirit’ nor anything about the journey to Bethlehem – we would simply assume that Bethlehem was where they lived. The main part of the story would focus on the Wise Men and Herod – no shepherds! The paintings and plays would be set in a house in Bethlehem, with the Magi bringing gifts, and Herod glowering in the corner!

But our Bibles are rich because we have more than one angle on this story (and other stories). No contradictions in the different accounts – Matthew alone or Luke alone would be like black and white: together they give us a colour picture of the Nativity! And although Mark and John do not describe the birth of Jesus, their Gospel accounts add further dimensions to what we know of the birth, life, ministry, teaching, miracles, death and resurrection of Jesus!

Two weeks ago we looked at the prophecy in Isaiah 7 that Matthew quotes here in verse 23 of our reading: “‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” It was a prophecy written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, and Matthew (inspired by the Holy Spirit) is in no doubt that it has reached its fulfilment in the birth of Christ which he is writing about. Both Matthew and Luke, writing independently (and each taking a very different angle on the story), include the fact that Mary was a virgin. And Matthew makes it clear that this is a fulfilment of prophecy. And not only that, but this ‘name’ (or almost a ‘nickname’) would apply – Immanuel, meaning ‘God With Us’. It is interesting that neither the son of Isaiah, born in Isaiah 7, nor the Son of God born in Matthew 2 was actually named Immanuel. Nevertheless, it is clear in both cases that God was with the people. That’s what the reminder was at the time of Isaiah; and most importantly, when Jesus came it was fully realised! When Jesus came, God was truly with us in a way he never had been before. He was fully man and fully God – ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.’ (John 1: 14)

Today, we still have ‘Immanuel’ because God is still with us. He promised it and we can know that it is true. We face uncertainty, change and anxiety. Everything is different this Christmas compared to last year. And we are all hoping that next Christmas will be ‘back to normal’ – However, today there is fear and uncertainty. But through it all we can know Immanuel: God is with us, he never leaves us and he will come with us as we pass though these troubled times.

A few years from now (if we are still here) we will look back on this very different Christmas in 2020 – and I pray that we will say, ‘Yes, although there was a lot of uncertainty and worry, and so much was different, the thing that really marked out that Christmas was the knowledge of Immanuel – God really was with us in a wonderful and powerful way.’

 

Prayer

Almighty God, we praise you for the Good News of the incarnation at Christmas – a reminder of Immanuel, God With Us, and always with us. We thank you for your Word, recorded and preserved for us in the Bible, and for the joy of the stories of the Nativity that we find there.

Father, we come to you in worship this year, but you know that we also come with some fear and anxiety in our hearts at the moment. We pray for peace for all of us – may we trust in you to never leave us and to go with us through all that we are facing in our world and our community this year. Amen.

Thought for the Week 2020 – Advent 2

Psalm 62

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God;
    my salvation comes from him.
² Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault me?
    Would all of you throw me down –
    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
⁴ Surely they intend to topple me
    from my lofty place;
    they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
    but in their hearts they curse.

⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
⁶ Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken.
⁷ My salvation and my honour depend on God;
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.

⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
    the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
    together they are only a breath.
¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion
    or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
    do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
    two things I have heard:
‘Power belongs to you, God,
¹²     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’;
and, ‘You reward everyone
    according to what they have done.’

Advent 2 – Incarnation, not Tradition.

When I was a child, December was the slowest moving month of all. Yes, I had an advent calendar to open, to help count down the days down to, (alternate doors, with my brother) but the month seemed to take so long to get from the 1^st to the 25^th! (There was no chocolate in my advent calendar, and I had the same one every year – we just closed all the doors and put it away until the next year). Now, as an adult, the month of December flies by! Especially since it has been part of my job to lead carol services and so on – they just come around so quickly when you think you have plenty of time to organise them!

So, we are already in the second week of Advent. Presents have been bought, planning has been done, but there is still a lot more to do, and not much time left. This year is going to be a strange Christmas for all of us. It will be the first year for over 20 years when Jen and I have not travelled to see parents on Christmas Day. And the first year ever (since we got married 30 years ago) in which we have not travelled to see parents at all over the whole Christmas period.

Do you feel anxious about Christmas 2020? How will we cope with our traditions all being changed? If you can only join with two other households, how will you choose which family members to see and which not? No ‘Carols by Candlelight’ this year, no Club 707 ‘Christmas Wrapped Up’ for the schoolchildren. Will it really be Christmas?

Christmas is a reminder of the greatest moment in world history – the most amazing, astonishing thing to happen, and the most wonderful. It is a reminder of the ‘incarnation’ – God became a human being and came and lived amongst us. The creator became a part of his creation. God himself took on human flesh – he grew inside the womb of a young woman, was born in poverty and was utterly dependant upon his mother for some years. He did it so that we could have a relationship with him, so that we could know the truth of what it means to follow him, and he did it to win our salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Is any of that cancelled? Certainly not! Is any of that changed by the fact that we can’t have a normal carol service? Absolutely not!

“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken.” (Ps. 62: 1 - 2) Our salvation is in Christ alone and the facts of his birth, death and resurrection. Our salvation does not come through traditions! My soul finds rest in God, says the psalmist. And again, in verse 5: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.”

This year, despite so many things being different, and despite the anxiety associated with the virus, may we all truly find rest and hope in our Saviour. May we rejoice in the Saviour’s birth, and celebrate it with thanksgiving. May we trust in him to bring us through this difficult time in our history and out the other side into something new! Verse 8 says, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

 

Prayer

Dear Lord, our Father, we thank and praise you for the truth of the incarnation and all that it means to us in our lives and for our salvation. This Christmas will be different in many ways, but at its heart there will be no difference at all. In its true meaning it is a very real Christmas. So may we once again celebrate, and know your love and presence with us and surrounding us. Please help us to trust in you at all times, and to find rest in you, from whom our hope comes. We pray for all who are troubled and struggling and suffering in many ways – please put your arms of love and comfort around them, and give them peace through the Holy Spirit. Amen.