Sermon 5th December 2021 – 2nd Sunday of Advent Text: Luke 3:1-6 - Making a straight path for Jesus.

 Sermon 5^th December 2021 – 2^nd Sunday of Advent

Text: Luke 3:1-6

 

The 2nd Sunday of Advent always introduces us to John the Baptist. John is described as a relative of Jesus through his mother Mary and her relative Elizabeth although we’re not sure of exactly what that relationship is. John the Baptist is a very important figure as he appears in all the gospels and each begins by telling of his ministry.  John sets the stage for the One who is to come, namely Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In today’s modern society we might not fully understand this reference but to the Jews they certainly understood.

 

The Lamb of God was a reference to the Old Testament sacrifice where a lamb was sacrificed and the blood of the Lamb was poured out onto the altar to cleanse the people of their sins. It was also the blood of a Lamb that saved the Israelites in Egypt when the destroying angel came to take the life of every first born. But the Israelite were told that if they took the blood of a Lamb and painted it onto their doorposts then the angel would “Passover” their house and they would be safe. And this now symbolises what happens for us in Holy Communion with the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, in the Sacrament to forgive our sins and assure us of God’s judgment “passing over” us.

 

John is the last of the prophets and like the prophets of old he came, not to speak his own words to the people but the Word of God given to him by God.  Just as God spoke the Word to the people through the prophets in the past, God is speaking the Word  once again through the prophet John. With John’s arrival we begin to move from the promises of the Old Testament to their fulfillment in the gospels. Israel has been waiting a long time for God’s promise and now John is sent to prepare them so they don’t lose heart and so they recognise the Messiah when he finally comes. And one of the characteristics of John is that he doesn’t beat around the bush. There’s no escaping, or watering down, what John is asking: “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins....” He’s calling people to change their ways, not just a cosmetic makeover, but  a complete turning around. He wants people to stop going in their own direction, making decisions based on their own preferences and move towards God and be open to what God is about to do for them. Such a turning would require profound change in their thinking and acting.

 

As Christians we have often be very good at pointing this out for others – that THEY have to change their ways and come back to God. What we need to remember is that John’s message is directed to us. John was not giving us the message to take to the world but was calling us personally to repent. Most people don’t have to be told that they are sinners even if they are not familiar with the term. Many carry the burden of guilt with the throughout their lifetime. That guilt affects how we think of God, ourselves and how we treat others. When you look at Jesus, the one John pointed to, he also comes with that same message to us, repent for the Kingdom of God is near. This is a positive message different to the negative message of repent or you’ll spend eternity in Hell. But as he goes about he 3 year ministry with his disciples the message now will become outward focused on how a repentant life looks. For example, that passage on the separation of sheep and goats when he says: ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Likewise when Jesus was asked the greatest commandment, it was outward focused – Love the Lord your God with all your heart – AND love your neighbour as yourself.

Repentance is a personal message to ourselves. I don’t recall, and correct me if I’m wrong, neither Jesus or John told us to go out into the world and tell people to repent.

 

Jesus did give us a Commission in Matthew 28: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

 

Notice that in John’s message to us it is a Baptism of repentance but in Jesus commission to us it is a Baptism of teaching. And how did Jesus teach about love – by loving. How did he teach about forgiveness – by forgiving. John’s message is a message to us personally to remove anything that prevents us from experiencing Jesus in our lives. In his message Luke uses a quote from Isaiah to symbolise what things stop us from experiencing the fullness of Jesus in our lives as he tells us to “prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. He says: Every valley shall be filled,

 

Valleys are places of emptiness. So many people, especially in these times of pandemic and lockdowns have felt their faith to be empty valleys. Jesus comes to fill them with hope and joy to remove the despair and emptiness that we feel. So many people have struggled in their spiritual lives feeling empty and void but Jesus leads us again to have them filled with his presence in our worship and time of prayer and reading God’s word. As Psalm 23 says – He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul

 

He says: every mountain and hill shall be made low. Life sometimes feels like we are constantly going uphill and never getting a break. It’s one thing after another sometimes that it almost feels like we are pushing against God at times – or that God is pushing against us. But Jesus comes to make the mountains and hills low for us as he says – come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. As much as it may feel like it at times Jesus is never pushing against us – he is with us as our Immanuel.

 

He says the crooked path shall be made straight, Again, Jesus deals with the many distractions in life that lead us away from him. They can be our busy lifestyles – they can be our stresses and pressures in life which lead us away from church, from our prayer life, from our bibles. But, as Psalm 23 says - He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. In those times when we find it hard to come to Jesus, Jesus comes to us.

Jesus makes those crooked paths that seem to lead away from Jesus straight so that Jesus comes to us.

 

And then finally we hear that rough ways are made smooth; Sometimes life is just tough. The suffering – the lockdowns – the worries about life – relationships, money, employment. Sometimes we just don’t feel like spending time with God. And believe me I hear that a lot. And sadly many people at that time walk away from God. It’s just too rough. They are very rough places to navigate.. But Jesus came to make them smoother by reassuring us that he is with us. Again, as Psalm 23 says - Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

 

Jesus has been there – he wandered in the wilderness for 40 days without food and drink. He was rejected by his home town people. He was handed over to the Romans by his own people. They cried out to crucify him while they asked for a murderer to be set free. And most difficult, he felt abandoned by his own Father.

From the moment he was born with no room at the inn Jesus has experienced empty valleys – mountains and hills that he had to climb. He faced crooked and rough ways as he journey to the cross. So we have a saviour who has walked the walked before us and knows every valley, every hill and mountain, every wrong way which we are tempted to take and he is Emmanuel – God with us.

 

The message of John is a message to repent. To repent means to turn away from those crooked and rough ways filled with valleys and hills and to return to God. Not for judgment but for grace and mercy and strength.

 

Sermon 28th November 2021 – First Sunday in Advent Text: Luke 21:25-36 – God knows.

 Sermon 28^th November 2021 – First Sunday in Advent

Text: Luke 21:25-36 – God knows.

 

Waiting is not my strong point. I would rather take longer to get somewhere without needing to wait in a traffic jam even if the route with the traffic jam would get me there sooner. If I have an appointment I will ask for the first appointment of the day even if I have to wait longer to get that appointment.  I would rather wait extra days than sit in a waiting room. I’ve often wondered why that is about me but I think it’s because when you’re delayed because you have to wait you don’t have control of the situation. You don’t know if the delay is actually going to be a few minutes or a lot longer.

 

Sometimes we ask ourselves “how long is this going to take” and our response to ourselves might be “God knows”. Whilst that might be a sort of blasphemous use of God’s name, the truth of it is that “God knows”.

As we begin the Advent season we recall more serious and persistent questions:  “When will there be justice on the earth?  When will wars cease? When will this pandemic be over and life get back to fully normal?  When will Christ return to bring about the fullness of God’s kingdom?”  “God knows!”   And that’s the truth of the matter.  God Knows.

 

We may not have the answers to these questions, but God has a plan not to let evil go on and on. That’s why God removed the Tree of Life when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of Knowledge of Good and EVIL. God now limited the life span of Evil by no allowing Adam and Eve and future generations to live forever in this lifetime.

God will do something about the world we live in and bring about true justice. The gospel promises that Jesus will return.  Because of impatience some people have tried to calculate the exact day of Jesus’ return even though Jesus once said that no one knows the day nor the hour, not even himself.

 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses tried on several occasions to do so and obviously got them all wrong. 1878, 1881, 1914, 1918 and 1925. Why do people keep predicting his date of return and creating fear. I’m sure you’ve heard the Last Days evangelists – “Repent Now – Jesus is Coming”. They probably read today’s gospel and observed events on earth – pandemics, earthquakes, wars, tidal waves, global warming, eclipses of the sun and moon, etc. and figured they knew precisely the moment of Jesus’s arrival.  Obviously every guess was wrong because we are still waiting.

 

Biblical description of Jesus’ return isn’t meant for people to undertake mathematical calculations or to live in fear.  Instead, it speaks to our hope and what we do while we wait. Jesus may be a long time in coming, but he can be present when we mirror his life in our lives through acts of forgiving; caring for the poor and those in need; pursuing peace; and a whole range of activities that fulfil the great commandments of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving our neighbour as ourselves. But it’s not just about helping others to be ready but also ourselves being vigilant in our faith. That was something else that Jesus encouraged in his disciples – to stay awake, watch and wait. Remaining strong and vigilant in our prayer life, our Scripture life, our worship life and any other ways that keep us close to and focused on God. That’s what Jesus said in our Gospel reading: Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with the worries of this life. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. And, most importantly, when these things begin to take place: Jesus says - stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. This is a proud moment – stand up – raise your heads.

 

We hear in our Gospel reading some dire warnings for our personal and universal world with both coming to an end. And so we must be vigilant and “stand before the Son of Man” and maintain our faith and keep our focus on Christ.  We don’t want to be like Peter who took his eyes of Jesus and focused on the troubles around him and began to sink – or even worse, he denied knowing Jesus when his life was threatened.

We  trust that God is in charge, not only over our final days, but each and every day till the “Son of Man returns.” At that time our trust in God will be confirmed. Meanwhile we will not be defeated by evil or catastrophe since we have placed our trust in a faithful God who, as Jeremiah has described, fulfills promises.

As Jeremiah said: The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made. Luke doesn’t really emphasize the negative aspects of the world but the glory of the returning Christ that they point to. The things that Luke warns about have been going on since the beginning of creation. We are not to focus on them and live in fear or create fear in others but to use them as signposts pointing us towards Jesus Christ.

 

Advent is a season of hope.  It is a time that reminds us that the things happening in the world are not primarily a call for us to try and fix them. Yes we pray for world peace – we pray for our climate – we pray for healing from this pandemic. But Jesus says they are primarily to focus our hope elsewhere: He says: Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

Wars will come and go. Our climate will continue to change; It wasn’t that long ago when we were fearing an ice age and now global warming. The pandemic will end and a new threat to our health will arrive. But Jesus reassures us “Our redemption is drawing near.”

 

As disciples of Christ let us remain vigilant and on guard for the coming of God’s kingdom in a world such as ours.  And let us remember that no matter what happens to this world – a world that is passing away before our very eyes. That Christ’s word and his promises to his people “will not pass away.”

Sermon 21st November 2021 – Christ the King Sunday Text: John 18:33-37 – King of the new Kingdom

 Sermon 21^st November 2021 – Christ the King Sunday

Text: John 18:33-37 – King of the new Kingdom

 

Throughout this pandemic and even before with many tragedies our world has faced people have asked – where is God in all this – or – why has God allowed this to happen. When we face personal tragedies such as sickness or death we too may have been led to ask – why? Why if God is a loving God does he allow this to happen.

 

A Jewish Rabbi author, Harold Kushner has written a book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”.

The conclusion he came to was that God was either unwilling or unable to help in those situations.

However, there is another conclusion that we consider and it comes in Jesus’ answer to Pilate in our Gospel reading. Pilate was confused by this person in front of him whom he had heard was claimed by many to be “The King of the Jews”. He didn’t look like a King. He was rejected by his own people. His disciples did not fight for him when he was arrested but of frightened. Jesus didn’t live in a palace or have servants but declared himself to be a servant even washing people’s feet. He may have even heard that his dear friend and chief disciple, Peter, had denied even knowing him.

 

Are you the King of the Jews? Really?

 

Maybe Jesus doesn’t look like much of a king to you at times. So what was Jesus response? My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here. It was a similar response to Peter when Peter did in fact stand up for Jesus at his arrest by drawing his sword and cutting of the ear of one of the soldiers. Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

 

As Christians we need to understand that we are in a spiritual battle, not a worldly battle. The struggles we are going through, even though they are worldly struggles, they are part of a world that has fallen away from God. A world that we live in but do not belong in. As Paul reminds us - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. So as Christians we don’t ask what is God doing – we ask – what has God done. And John, in the Book of Revelation saw exactly that: John was banished to the Isle of Patmos because of his faith in Jesus. He refused to bow down and worship the Emperor and as a result was persecuted. He didn’t ask why. He didn’t see God as either unable or unwilling to help him. But he saw a different perspective when he wrote: To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Just as Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, neither is ours. In fact John says that God has made us a Kingdom.

 

That’s what St Paul also saw. Again, persecuted because of his faith in Jesus, he did not complain to God about the unfair treatment he got but instead was strengthened in his faith knowing that Jesus would soon return and vindicate him and judge his persecutors. He was reminded, as Jesus said, that his kingdom was not of this world but rather – We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

 

We are preparing for our home in heaven and that’s what we need to understand in order to make sense of what we are going through now. Peter really struggled with that when Jesus revealed it to him: Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter didn’t understand how Jesus could be the Messiah he just proclaimed him to be and yet this is what is in store for him. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” And then Jesus reveals the difference between the worldly kingdom and the heavenly victory he has won: Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God – the heavenly Kingdom, but merely human concerns or, the worldly Kingdom.”

 

As Christians we need to remember that we are citizens of Heaven now and that our true home is with Christ who HAS won the battle already. Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world because this world is coming to an end.

Jesus’ Kingdom is heaven so it’s not a case of God being unable or unwilling to help but rather God has already defeated this world and prepared our new home in Heaven. That’s what he was explaining to his disciples in John 14: I am going there (Heaven) to prepare a place for you. And I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. St Paul in Colossians reminds us of that fact and to not be distracted by what is happening around us in this world. He reminds us in Chapter 3 - You have been raised with Christ, so set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Our citizenship in Heaven has begun already even if it doesn’t seem it.

 

Friends the day is coming when Jesus will return. It’s one day closer today than it was yesterday. And when Jesus returns, we will be vindicated as we appear with him in glory. St John also saw that day and that not everyone will see it as a glorious day, in particular those who rejected Jesus and persecuted his followers when he says: Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. Let us stay strong in our faith and not give up. Jesus is coming and he is coming soon. Jesus is the one who is and who was and who is to come. Our world continues to live in fear and concern particularly with the Delta strain of Covid19 But let us remember that while the world remains in fear of Delta – we have the Alpha and the Omega - the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Sermon 14th November 2021 – All Saints Day Text: Mark 13:1-8 – Kept safe until the Day

 Sermon 14^th November 2021 – All Saints Day

Text: Mark 13:1-8 – Kept safe until the Day

 

Human beings have always been interested in what we call “End Time” prophecies. People have for centuries checked their horoscopes – have consulted clairvoyants and tinkered in other ways of reaching the afterlife such as Ouija Boards and Tarot cards or even Fortune Cookies. In the Old Testament times people would consult those who claimed to be able to conjure up Spirits to try and find out what the future holds especially when going out to war. In the Old Testament priests used something that was called a Urim and Thummim which I’m not really sure what they were but it was a way of consulting divine spirits to perhaps determine guilt or innocence or other judgments. And there is the infamous account of King Saul who wanting to consult God but couldn’t when being attacked by the Philistines. So he went and sought out the Witch of Endor who then dragged up from the dead the spirit of the prophet Samuel.

 

For many Christians and even non-Christians the Book of Revelation has been a mysterious book which many believe holds a timeline of events that lead up to the final days of life. So many people are looking at what we are going through in these days and trying to match it up against the Book of Revelation timeline which even talks of things like pestilence which is basically a fatal epidemic or pandemic. It talks of wars and other catastrophes leading up to the great holy land battle of Armageddon. It speaks about dragons and beasts and some are even attributing the vaccine to the Mark of the Beast in Revelation 13 which says you cannot buy or sell without the Mark of the Beast and linking it to the vaccine mandates regarding who can buy and sell and go to work. And when we had the earthquake a couple months ago people were scrambling for their bibles looking up passages such as our Gospel reading today where Jesus says - Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pains.

 

The fascination with end times and knowing the future is a way that brings us comfort because if we know what’s happening then perhaps we can prepare for it or even control it maybe even prevent it. That’s how people often find comfort in life and death situations. We like to be prepared for the future. We like to be in control. Have our house paid off – have a good retirement nest egg to allow us to live comfortably – start looking after our bodies with exercise and better eating habits. We are in control of our future – or are we – because no matter how much control we take, death is still inevitable.

 

You know as well as I do that even the most prepared can face that unexpected event that turns their life around. This is what Jesus is trying to teach us and his disciples today when he prepares them for the coming cataclysmic events. Jesus disciples were still trying to find their security in their human achievements;

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!”  To this, Jesus points out reality: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down. And as the Jews will soon experience, their hopes and dreams were destroyed when their Temple -the symbol of God’s presence with them, was destroyed in 70AD.

So Jesus is pointing them away from seeking comfort in their physical surrounds and belongings to faith in God. Jesus says this because there will always be threats to destroy our physical securities including earthquakes, wars or anything else that can destroy our physical comforts.

 

To build up true security we look not for physical but spiritual strength which come to us when we keep up our faith life which would include prayer, worship, reading the bible, and the sacraments – our Baptism and Holy Communion. Why are these important? Because we will always be tempted to more physical and material assurances when we look away from God It’s human nature that goes right back to the Garden of Eden with Adam and Even tempted to more physical and material assurances rather than trusting God.

We need to be able to discern false teachings that lure us away from security in Jesus, or as Jesus puts it - Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. Anything that takes our hopes away from Jesus. And that’s why our reading from Hebrews also encourages us in our faith life when it says:

Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. The Day being referred to is Judgment Day when Christ returns to bring an end to our life here on earth.

 

As we commemorate All Saints Day today this Day has come for many of our loved ones who now wait for the Day when Jesus brings us all home. It is our Christian faith that now comforts all who mourn because we know what happens for those whom God has called home. That’s why St Paul in Thessalonians says – let us grieve but not as those who have no hope – we have hope. God promised that all who believed in his Son shall receive eternal life in Heaven and in Heaven the Book of Revelation says there will be no more mourning because there will be no more death. And our Hebrews reading reminds us that God will never let us down in what he has promised. It states: Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Whatever God has promised will be fulfilled – God cannot go back on his promises.

 

In Baptism God makes a very special promise to all of us. In Mark 16:16 he says – whoever believes and is baptized WILL be saved. WILL be saved – there is no ambiguity or uncertainty there. As Baptised believers we are protected from the coming of Judgment Day mentioned in Hebrews. As were the Israelites when the destroying angel as Passover protected them when he saw the blood of the lamb. We too are protected on Judgment Day by the blood of our Lamb – Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world – our sin.

 

Daniel also speaks about that Day when he says - Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall  awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. But he also assures God’s children of protection:  At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. The Book of Life. On that day we will receive our new birth. But prior to birth there are birth pains as Jesus points out. And those birth pains are what we are experiencing now in two ways.

 

There is the birth pain of living in this fallen world with its suffering and pain. There is the physical pain of suffering. But there is also the birth pain as we grieve for our loved ones who have passed from this life to their new life. And after the birth pains have ended and our new life begins the pains of this life shall be remembered no more as we live in the presence of God who wipes away all our tears. Where our sins are remembered no more either by God or ourselves. Our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Water that began in our Baptism.

 

Most of us, if not all of us, have a loved one who has passed from this life. But we grieve, not as those without hope but with hope in Jesus Christ our Lord And because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain – the curtain that once kept the people from the presence of God until it was torn in 2 at Jesus death.

And since we have a great priest over the house of God, we can approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. So as the Day of Judgment approaches, let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Sermon 7th November 2021 – 24th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 12:38-44 – All or nothing

 Sermon 7^th November 2021 – 24^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 12:38-44 – All or nothing

 

“It’s all or nothing” is a term often used when you’ve got nothing to lose. You sometimes hear stories of people down on their luck and they use their last few dollars to buy a lottery ticket and win first prize. It’s all or nothing. Or the boxer who is down on points in the final round and his only way to win is to go for the knockout punch. It’s all or nothing.

 

Today’s Gospel reading has a woman who has only 2 small copper coins to her name. It’s interesting that our reading highlights that she has 2 coins left. If she had just one and placed that in the offering bowl then it could be argued that she was simply fulfilling her duty to make an offering. But the fact that she has 2 means that she could have put one in for the temple and kept one for herself and perhaps purchased one last meal. But she doesn’t. After all, that would only have delayed the inevitable. One last meal and then what? Instead, she places her entire life into God’s mercy and gives God both. It’s all or nothing.

 

Why did Jesus point this woman out rather than the seeming generosity of the people who put in large sums of money? Isn’t that the way business works? Isn’t that the way churches succeed? When it comes to the end of the year and our budget is way behind, don’t we ask people to dig that little bit deeper? Yes it’s important for us to have a balanced budget but what Jesus is dealing with here is a lesson in faith rather than a lesson in finances and economics.

 

It would have been an impressive sight to see people in fine clothes tossing in large sums of money perhaps even announcing to everyone how much they gave. With all that pomp and ceremony who would notice the poor widow giving two small coins. In the midst of the thousands of dollars being offered – what would 2 small copper coins provide? Yet, Jesus notices and calls attention to this act of faith. Much like Jesus notices blind Bartimaeus midst all the cries of the crowd for him to be quiet. Much like Jesus notices Zacchaeus in the tree trying to get a peek at him and calls him down. Jesus calls his disciples together and says, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.  For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” It was all or nothing for her.

 

And that’s what faith is – relying on God when there is nothing else to rely on. When we have other things to hang on to our faith can seem irrelevant. Like the young man seeking eternal life who was asked to do likewise as this woman. Sell everything you have – give it all away – and you will have treasure in heaven. But he could not. His wealth was where he put his faith and he couldn’t let go and put his faith completely in God.

 

Jesus knows that these are not any two coins, but the woman’s last two coins.  It was not the money she put in but her heart – her faith and trust in God to provide for her. She put in “All she had to live on,”  What is really interesting is the original Greek word that is used here. In the Greek New Testament it says she put in her “bios”.  It’s the word from which we get “biology,”. Jesus is telling us that the widow put her “life” into the temple treasury that day. It’s very similar to what Paul urges us in Romans Chapter 12: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

 

Just as Christ gave his life for us, this is what the poor widow is doing. This is what God is asking us to do – not to sell everything – but to trust him with our lives – to give him our lives as Christ gave his life for us. This widow is giving her life for God. But this is not a lesson on giving. The rule for giving was to give a tithe – 10 percent. The woman did not give ten percent of her income. These were her last two coins.

And rather than keep one back, which would have been 5 times the required tithe, she offers both into the temple treasury.  But the widow gave more than 100 percent. The widow trusts her life to God.

 

Facing an uncertain future, the widow reached out to God.  She trusted in God by giving everything she had to God who gave everything for her. We, too, need to trust God as we face difficult times and uncertain futures. It’s easy to trust God when things are all going in our favour.  We don’t know what happened to this poor widow. Did God provide for her out of the generosity of others – we don’t know. The rest of her story isn’t mentioned and Jesus doesn’t say that others provided for her. It’s a different lesson to when Peter announced we have given up everything to follow you and Jesus responds that God will reward hundredfold.  No, there’s no mention of that here. We trust that the widow’s story turned out all right.  But there is a chance that she did not survive in this lifetime. But whether she lived or died, she was God’s eternally.

 

Stories of faith in God in the Bible are not always romantic or heartwarming. This one certainly wasn’t. It doesn’t say that walking away from there she met a rich millionaire who cared for her for the rest of her life.

That’s not the point of the story. It’s about trusting God even when the future seems completely hopeless.

And it’s keeping on our trust in God when the future tuns out completely hopeless in this life. And let’s be honest, sometimes that happens to Christians.

 

Look at some other examples of faith. When Abraham was told by God to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him.

What would that do to Abraham’s future generations that God had promised him? And it was only at the point of Abraham about to come down with the knife that God pulls him back. Or the other poor widow in the Old Testament. The widow of Zarephath. She had enough food and water for one last meal for her and her son. And what does God do? He sends Elijah to her – not to initially help her but to push her faith by taking that one last meal for himself. Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink. And if that wasn’t uncaring enough –Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand, would you. The story concludes with God providing a never ending jar of flour and oil until the famine was over. But she didn’t know that at the time. Elijah didn’t say – give me your last portion of food and God will provide for you. No – her blessing came when she gave up her entire food stock to the man of God.

 

And the lesson here for us is that we are to keep trusting God even to the point of tipping over the edge. I know it would be fantastic if our bank balances were overflowing and we could do whatever we want without care how we are going to pay for it. But it is often when we don’t know if we’re going to make it to the end of the year that God surprises us. At the moment our Parish is undergoing a review. But this is not because we are worried about the future and we’re looking for ways to survive – like, maybe we could sell one of our churches and then all or money problems would be gone. No. We are undergoing this review because we believe we HAVE a future but we just need a little help to see what that is.

 

The widow in our text knew what her future was – maybe 2 meals left if meals cost one copper coin. The widow of Zarephath knew what her future was – one last meal for her and her son. But giving it all up to God, as both these widows did – as Abraham was prepared to do - meant that God was now in charge of their future. We don’t know what our future is but if we simply base it on the money we have in the bank then we can work it out quite economically. We might be able to extend it by cutting back here and cutting back there.

But if we hand over our future to God then we don’t know what our future is but we know that God has a plan and as St Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 – We are God’s masterpieces created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. So let us hand our future over to God and trust him even, and especially, when we have no idea what that future holds but we know who holds our future.