Sermon 3rd April 2022 – 5th Sunday in Lent Text: John 12:1-8 – Sparing no expense

 Sermon 3^rd April 2022 – 5^th Sunday in Lent

Text: John 12:1-8 – Sparing no expense

 

Lent is a time when people usually give up something – it may be alcohol, chocolate, meat or something else.

There are different reasons people do this – some do it as a spiritual discipline – as I crave for these things I’ll focus on Jesus in prayer.  Some do it as a sign of respect for Jesus. Jesus gave up his life for me – I’ll give up something for him. Some do it as part of a financial Lenten Appeal. The money I save on not buying chocolate or alcohol I’ll donate to a charity. In our Gospel we see Mary giving up an expensive jar of perfume to anoint  Jesus in preparation for his death. But what is expensive? It is said to be worth 300 denarii – the Greek currency of the time. One denarius is a day’s wage so it’s basically a year’s salary – and on the average salary today that’s around $80,000 for the jar of perfume. That’s a very expensive jar of perfume. But when we compare that to what Jesus sacrificed for us – his life – and what we receive because of his sacrifice – eternal life – it really puts things into a different perspective.

 

Often when we want to show how measly something is we might compare it to the cost of a cup of coffee – for less than the cost of a cup of coffee a day you can sponsor a child in Africa and save them from starvation.

Or in recent times when people complain about something we have been comparing the situation to people living in the Ukraine. Your internet is slow – be thankful you don’t live in the Ukraine. But how many of us as Christians continue to ponder about the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and the reward we have of eternal life in heaven? Mary isn’t concerned at all about the cost of the perfume because just a short time ago Jesus did something for her that no money could buy. He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had died and Jesus came to show that he has full and complete control and authority over death. He walks up to the grave and demands it be opened even though he is advised not to do it because Lazarus has been dead for 4 days the stench of his dead and decaying body will be unbearable. But in an act of defiance, he tells Lazarus to shake of his grave clothes and come out – and he does.

 

So, what is an expensive bottle of perfume compared to the life of her brother. And so, she opens the bottle of expensive perfume and pours it over Jesus – not thinking of the cost. In gratitude for her brother’s life, she lavishes her Lord with an absurdly abundant gift: perfume that would cost as much as a year’s total wages.

John tells us that the whole room filled with fragrance as Mary anointed Jesus.  Maybe this is John’s attempt of further ridicule at death – rubbing it into death’s face. The people were worried about Lazarus’s stench of death which has now been replaced by the sweet aroma of Mary’s perfume anointing Jesus to prepare for his death.

 

So as we reflect on this gesture of Mary – this total disregard for the cost of the perfume because of all that Jesus has done for her and will do for her in the future with eternal life – we are challenged to look at our lives in comparison. Is there something negative in our life we are hanging on to because we are totally justified in feeling this way? Is there a grudge against someone? Is there a decision we are afraid to make because of what it might cost us? Is there something that we could possibly do for God but I have other priorities that I don’t want to sacrifice? What would happen if we placed them side by side with what Jesus has done for us?

Is there someone we feel justified in remaining angry with? What if Jesus remained angry and never said – forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing? Do we feel that God should or could have done more in my life and it’s just not fair? What if Jesus who emptied himself of his heavenly glory never said – not my will be done but yours – when he said to God that what he is going through is too hard and to take it away from me. Or what if something we’ve been asked to do – maybe serve in the church or something similar.

What if Jesus, when tempted to come down from the cross and save himself – did that because it wasn’t actually doing anything for him by staying on the cross.

 

The sacrifice of Jesus and all he has done for us puts our entire life in perspective as it did for Mary today when she sacrificed an entire year’s salary to anoint Jesus’ feet with the perfume. She didn’t think about the cost – because Jesus didn’t. Paul had exactly the same understanding of putting his life in perspective.

Before he started believing in Jesus his life was to be envied: He did everything required of an upstanding Jewish citizen: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin – the tribe of Israel’s first King, Saul, after whom Paul was named, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to dedication, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

But, he says, I regard all of that as nothing compared to knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish All I want to know is Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection and that I may attain the resurrection from the dead also.

 

That’s all that mattered to Paul. That’s all that mattered to Mary. What matters to you? As we prepare for Holy Week next week and hear again the suffering and death that Jesus underwent for us – not himself – perhaps it is an opportune time to reflect again on what Jesus gave up for us.

Sermon 27th March 2022 – 4th Sunday in Lent Text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 – The Prodigal Son

 Sermon 27^th March 2022 – 4^th Sunday in Lent

Text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 – The Prodigal Son

 

We have one of the most well know parables today called The Prodigal Son. It is a story about a father who never stopped loving his child who chose to go away and live a wasteful life. It is a story about a father who never gave up hope of his son returning even though his son was considered dead, as he waited patiently.

While his son was still far off, he unmistakably recognises him and runs out to greet him. Though his son would be barely recognisable from his previous lavish life- well-nourished, and well-dressed – but now filthy from working with pigs, skinny from not eating, and in rags, nevertheless the father recognizes him from afar and runs to meet him with open arms.

 

We might ask why the father would be so keen to see his son return when his last memory of him is of selfishness in asking for his inheritance now. The selfishness didn’t consider the affect on his father’s business.

His greed didn’t worry how it might affect his brother’s work life with him not being around to help out. But that doesn’t worry him —he takes what the father gives him and goes away and wastes it.  In fact that’s what the word prodigal means – to be wasteful. We often use the word “prodigal” the wrong way when referring to someone who’s been away for a long time and returns – the prodigal son has returned. Some have asked, who really is the wasteful one in this story. The son who wastes his inheritance? Or the father who wastes his love on a selfish son.

 

But, we shouldn’t judge this younger son too harshly. Human selfishness exists in all of us, Just look at social media vying for attention, television, and media of all kinds – people prepared to do anything for self attention on reality TV shows.  Just watch reality shows where the aim is to survive by kicking the other contestants off. There is not a lot of difference in the condition of our own culture today to that of the younger son. Because of his greed he ended up lowering himself to the ultimate degradation for a Jew of his time; to live among pigs and wish to eat what they are eating.  It would be easy to look and laugh at the younger son with the view “It served him right because he was an ungrateful son,”. He got what he deserved for what he put his father and brother through.

 

But, thanks be to God, the story does not end there.  The young man looks at his condition and comes to realise where he has let his life go. “Here I am living among pigs while even my father’s servants have more respect and enough to eat.”  In a way this is still a selfish reaction in that he is still thinking of himself and not the hurt he has caused to his family. He returns, not because he misses his father and brother or regrets what he has done but  because he realises that he might be better fed as a slave to his father than what he is doing now.

 

But sometimes it is this self-realisation that God uses to bring us back.  We see that in his next response as he acknowledges his sin and does not conceal his guilt: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  Sometimes it is only when we have travelled too far away from God that we realise just how deprived our lives have become. It all started off so well for this younger son – he had lots of friends, enjoyed his time partying and was no doubt very popular. But he reaches a point where he realises that this life he is living has no fulfilment. Despite all the things he is filling his life with, his life is in reality empty.

 

Today at Ringwood we celebrated 4 of our young adults being Confirmed. They have spent the good part of the last 12 or more months listening to me teach them about the Christian faith. They might not be able to recite Luther’s Small Catechism as perhaps many of you were made to do in your earlier Confirmation lessons.

They didn’t give up their Saturdays or spend 2 years every week for hours in confirmation lessons. In fact 90% of the lessons were through the internet on Zoom rather than in person.

But they were committed and the one thing I hope and pray that they take out of all this is a knowledge of God who is like the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son. We don’t know what their life has in store for them for the future. We don’t know whether they will remain in the church or take up leadership roles in our congregation. We hope and pray they do. But first and foremost we hope and pray that they know that they have a God who goes with them wherever their life leads and that he is a God who is always hoping and waiting and never gives up on you just as he is for you. And that if your life hits that point where you hit rock bottom or you really don’t know what to do or where to go – that God is always there for you like the father of the prodigal son today. He was waiting for his son to come home. He never gave up on him. This son was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.

 

What an amazing God we have that even when we totally abandon him and wish he were dead – which is what the prodigal son did by asking for his inheritance now – we have Jesus crying out for us – forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing. If that is all they take out of their time from their confirmation lessons – I, and I’m sure their parents, will be so happy for them. Because there are so many people in the world today who do not know that. And there are so many people and institutions that will try to convince them differently about God. But in the parable of the Prodigal Son we see what God is really like. That he is our Heavenly Father who loves us. That he gives us freedom to explore life and if that exploration takes us away from him that he is there waiting for us and accepts us back immediately. And notice that he didn’t punish his son for all that he put his family through. He didn’t make him pay back the inheritance. He didn’t make him one of his servants but welcomed him back as his own beloved son.

 

In fact, instead of punishing him he called for a huge celebration. That’s the God we want them to go away with from their Confirmation lessons and I hope and pray you have that understanding also. That whatever decision you make in life that God goes with you and his love never leaves you. So may God bless you as you continue to walk with God in your life knowing that he is a loving God, your heavenly Father who watches out for you and most importantly is always there with open arms to love and care for you.

 

 

Sermon 20th March 2022 – 3rd Sunday in Lent Text: Luke 13:1-9 – We’re all in this together.

Sermon 20^th March 2022 – 3^rd Sunday in Lent

Text: Luke 13:1-9 – We’re all in this together.

 

There are many things that divide us. Our views on politics. The football team we support. Our views on various ethical or religious issues. Sometimes these differences engage us in healthy debate that helps us to understand each other better and even understand the issue that we are arguing about. Sadly, sometimes these differences cause us to fight and separate ourselves from each other. And at the extreme they may even cause countries to go to war against each other as we currently see in the Ukraine.

 

But there are also things that unite us and one of the things that has united the world in the past couple of years is human suffering. In fact St Paul says something similar when he says that when one part of the body suffers then the entire body suffers. But the other thing that unites all humankind is the love of God for all people as Jesus reminds us in John 3:16 – for God loves the world so much that he sent his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but receive eternal life. We see that unity with God  no clearer than in how God shows that love in Baptism and Holy Communion – the 2 Sacraments as we call them. In Baptism we are joined with Christ in his death and resurrection. In Baptism there are no divisions – no male or female, Jew or Gentile, slave or free, as Paul says in Galatians. In First Corinthians Paul corrects a wrong thinking that some baptisms were better than others – I was Baptised by Peter or I was Baptised by Paul. Paul corrects that thought that it’s not the person who Baptises but God.

 

Likewise in Holy Communion – we all drink from the one cup and the one bread even though we use individual wafers and cups because it is the one body and blood of Christ that we receive. So one of the things that Jesus corrects today is any thought that suffering is linked to individual behaviour. At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them,  "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No.

Suffering is a shared human experience that is linked, not to our individual behaviour but to our common condition of sin, and as Paul reminds us – all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We call this Original Sin which we see cleansed by our Baptism.

 

But what is also a shared reality for us all is the compassion of God for us all because of his love for us. We saw that compassion last week when Jesus wept at the condition of his brothers and sisters of Israel who had rejected God’s love –

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing. And this continued throughout his ministry as Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. And that word for compassion is one of the most compelling words in the Greek vocabulary – splagchnizomai – which literally means sick in the stomach.

 

The compassion Jesus experiences for us is not a feeling or an emotion but physical pain. In our Gospel reading we see the compassion of Jesus at work in the parable he tells. A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' The gardener replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.' Here we see the compassion of Jesus standing up for the underdog – standing up for the defenseless. The fig tree is underperforming – in fact it’s worse than that. For 3 years it’s produced nothing and is just taking up valuable space.

So the owner of the vineyard gives the instruction – get rid of it. The gardener who really has no authority puts his own life and reputation on the line – let it alone and I will nurture it.

 

It reminds me of the book of Esther in the Old Testament. Esther was a Jew who had risen to the rank of Queen of Persia.

An edict had gone out to put to death all the Jews in the land. She approaches the King to change his mind and we are told that because she does it without being summoned she has put her life on the line. The King can call her forward and listen to her plea or he can give the order to execute her for her disrespect.

She places herself between the executioner and the victim as does the gardener for a stay of execution. And that’s what Jesus does for us because of his love and compassion for us. He has placed himself between the judgment for our sin and our punishment for sin. And he has said – take me instead. This is the compassion of God at work in Jesus for us. In that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. He who had no sin became our sin so that we would become the righteousness of God.

 

And that’s what our Baptism does – whoever believes and is Baptised will be saved. And that is what Holy Communion delivers to us – my body and blood shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. The love and compassion of God extends all boundaries. And Paul reminds us that suffering is a shared experience with all humanity: Paul says: No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.  But so is God’s compassion for us, as Paul says: God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

 

And the challenge for us comes to be able to see others in that same light. We can very easily fall into the role of judge, jury and executioner and pronounce others to be beyond saving by God. You may have in mind someone that you believe is beyond saving and sadly we hear people say “I hope that person rots in hell for what they have done”. But not God – and that is the challenge of the cross that is all embracing – like the mother hen for her chicks. The problem with that thinking is that it brings into question God’s unconditional love and who knows what other conditions exist. And that’s why Paul says the message of the cross if foolishness and a stumbling block for those who don’t understand just how much God loves all people. Because the danger is that where we draw the line could be different to where others draw the line that may in fact include us being on the wrong side of that line.

 

Or perhaps you yourself have placed yourself on the wrong side of the line doubting your salvation. But not while Jesus is the vine and we are his branches. And Jesus, as our Vine, pleads with his Father, the Gardener to preserve his branches – you and me. Jesus is there as our advocate as the gardener was for the fig tree that had not produced any fruit, not for one year, not for 2 years but for 3 years. Jesus is our compassionate advocate and no one is a lost cause or waste of space.

You have been created by God to do good works for him which he himself prepared in advance for you to do. And we too are to ensure that we never become judge, jury and executioner no matter how bad we believe a person to be but become like the gardener pleading for mercy for them because God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. And as much as that might surprise and even offend – it is the assurance for us that we have Jesus compassion constantly pleading for us. 

Sermon 13th March 2022 – 2nd Sunday of Lent Text: Luke 13:31-35 – Jesus weeps

 Sermon 13^th March 2022 – 2^nd Sunday of Lent

Text: Luke 13:31-35 – Jesus weeps

 

We are all quite familiar with the shortest passage in the Bible – just 2 words – Jesus wept. Jesus wept at the death of his dear friend Lazarus but his tears were most likely for the tears that he saw in the grief shown by Lazarus’s friends and family. I’ve had that experience before when I’ve conducted a funeral for a person I didn’t know. There was no personal connection or grief for me as I didn’t know them But as the coffin departs and I see the tears in the family especially in the young children I cannot help but also weep. But here in our Gospel reading we see Jesus weep because of his own personal grief. It doesn’t mention that Jesus wept but it’s hard to imagine that Jesus did not have tears running down his face at he looked at God’s own children, his brothers and sisters, the children of Israel, who had continually rejected the love of their Heavenly Father. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her little chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!

 

In this encounter we see the extent of the love of God shown through Jesus that despite Israel killing the prophets who came to bring them God’s message – despite them stoning everyone God sent to them – and soon about to even put to death God’s one and only Son, Jesus’ desire is to still wrap his arms in an all embracing hug like a mother and her new born baby. What we see here is the extent of God’s love for us that even though he knew what we would do to Jesus that he still sent him to save us. And it is this extent of God’s love that brings us great comfort knowing that there is nothing that separate us from the love of God or prevents God from wrapping his arms around us in an all embracing love.

As St Paul so beautifully puts it in Romans chapter 8 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Paul goes to great lengths to make sure he has not left out any situation that separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus and that it was even while we were still sinners that Christ died for us. This is something we need to constantly keep close to our hearts because there is a narrative in the world today that would want us to look away from God and his love for the world. There is so much that makes us question God’s promises that his love is at work in the world.   The twenty-four-hour news cycle reveals a different story with death, war, and dishonesty with so much despair fillings our minds.

We watch the news on our TV and these days at the sound of a news alert on our phones we quickly grab them to see the latest catastrophe unfolding wondering if there will be a better world for our children to inherit?

 

Can we trust God’s promise that he continues to love the world and cares for the world with all that is devasting it? We absolutely can because what God promises God delivers as Paul reminds Israel who rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They may have rejected Jesus but Jesus never rejects them because as far as the gospel is concerned, even though they are enemies as far as election is concerned, they are loved because God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. For Abraham, it was the despair of not having a child even though God had promised him one but as he will discover, God will deliver his promise even though Abraham will be 100 years old.  

 

God makes promises to each of us. The promise is that we are all children of God with an irrevocable promise that as Children of God we are heirs with Christ of eternal life in heaven. We are baptized into Jesus’ death and resurrection, and we are reminded of that each Sunday when we hear “this is my body given for you – this is my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Lent is a time of repentance and for self-examination and renewal as the Gospel strengthens us to withstand the assaults of the enemies of the cross of Christ, as St Paul calls them, who want to put a different face on God as powerless and irrelevant in today’s world.  Paul calls us to reject those enemies of the cross and reject the constant focus on bad news and wicked and evil in the world as if that is our reality. And that’s why St. Paul reminds us where our true citizenship is and where we expect our help to come from. 

Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. So, as Christians, as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ we need to encourage one another along the way and turn our focus away from the world’s focus on chaos that leads only to death.

For us, Jesus leads the way.   In the Gospel reading from Luke for today, Jesus is also confronted with the fear of what Herod might do.  They wanted to use fear to distract Jesus from his ministry work. Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Jesus stands his ground, assured that he is doing God’s work, “casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow.”  And on the 3rd day Jesus will complete his work when he defeats death and the Satan.

 

We too are to reject the negativity of the world that constantly tries to undermine the unique work of the church to bring hope into the world by assuring the world that God has not rejected his love for us even though so many have rejected their love for God. Maybe we need to refuse to watch the news when it becomes disturbing to you.  We are powerless over much of what happens, but we often let it take control of our lives, and we lose our focus when we do. I can’t tell you how many people lost hope these past 2 years through Covid not because loved ones had contracted it but because of the 24 hour news cycle that engrossed them. As a result we miss the amazing work God is doing in the world. There are so many stories of Good News.  They are often buried in the newspapers if they are there at all.   So we need to share them with each other.

 

Lent is a time to take heart the extent of God’s love that not even our rejection of his Son would stop God from carrying out his plan of salvation for us. Now is the time to bear one another’s burdens with grace and care for each other and to take care of ourselves in our faith life so that we are strong for others, and to be witnesses to the promises made to Abraham, the patriarchs, matriarchs, and prophets who came before us and will come after us. Let us remain hopeful and remember that our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus is coming – Come Lord Jesus Come.

 

And let me finish with St Paul’s words today: Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord. And may the peace of God that surpasses all our understanding, keep your hearts and minds forever in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Sermon 6th March 2022 – 1st Sunday of Lent Text: Luke 4:1-13 – Abundant blessings

 Sermon 6^th March 2022 – 1^st Sunday of Lent

Text: Luke 4:1-13 – Abundant blessings

 

In our Old Testament reading Israel are about to enter Canaan, the Promised Land. It will be a land of plenty that God will bless.But there is a danger that in their prosperity that they will forget about their need for God. They will start to believe that all their blessings are because of all the work they do.

 

I’m not sure if you know the story of Gideon in the bible. When Gideon was sent to fight against Midian, one of the largest nations in the land, Gideon was told to reduce his army to the bare bones. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ God wanted Israel to see how much he has blessed them but was worried they would congratulate themselves. So in today’s Old Testament reading listen again to what Moses says to them: When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.

 

Notice the focus – the blessings come from the land – that the Lord your God is giving you. The harvest will come from the land – that the Lord your God is giving you. That they will go to the place – that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. Blessings abound when God is the one who blesses.

 

In our Gospel reading for this First Sunday in Lent, which is always the reading for the opening of Lent, Satan is attempting, by tempting, to have Jesus source his blessing, not from his Heavenly Father, but from himself. You’re hungry, YOU turn these rocks into bread. If YOU want to know how much God loves you – YOU jump of this temple roof and let God prove it by catching you. If YOU want to have authority over all the kingdoms of the world – bow down and worship, not God, but me. And the problem, apart from the blasphemy, is that blessings become limited to the works of our hands. When the blessings come from God they are limitless and abundant – filled to the brim and overflowing – my cup runneth over. And as we see in our Gospel reading the blessings abound even in the wilderness – even in times of fasting from food and water.

 

These temptations go right back to Adam and Eve when they were tempted to look away from God’s abundance and to their own blessings. Eat this fruit – the fruit that God forbid you to eat – and you will be “like” God. What Adam and Eve didn’t realise was that this was a reduction in their blessing. They went from being in the very image of God almighty, to being like God. No longer would their cup runneth over – filled to the brim, but it would always be limited as God would declare to them: Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

 

But the blessing were not stopped by God despite their actions as we see God replace their pitiful attempts to cover their nakedness with vine leaves as the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. But, just as God’s blessings will never abandon us, neither will the attempts by Satan to divert us away from God’s abundant blessings to our pitiful limited blessings. After 3 attempts to tempt Jesus we hear that when the devil had finished every test, he departed from Jesus until an opportune time. The devil doesn’t give up and therefore we should not give up on our Spiritual Discipline.

 

The devil looks for an opportune time in our lives. That opportune time is in times of vulnerability such as with Jesus hanging almost lifeless on the cross – if you are the Son of God come down from the cross and save yourself – then we’ll believe in you. That opportune time could come in a time of anger, when life doesn’t go way. In times when we are angry and he tempts us to say and do things we wouldn’t normally do and they can’t be taken back.

 

How do we respond? The answers come in Jesus words in response to Satan - One does not live by bread alone; Matthew adds but on the very Word of God. The Word of God that Satan is continually casting doubts upon even today – “did God really say”?

And so we keep close to the word of God so we can say – yes, God really did say. As Paul reminds us the word is near your. And then Jesus points to worship - Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him. As numbers in worship are continuing to decline you can understand therefore why our world seems to be in so much disarray. And finally, Do not put the Lord your God to the test. When we question God’s love for us, as Satan tempted Jesus to do – Jump off and see if God will catch you as he promised. When we question God’s love for us our faith comes under attack.

 

We need never question God’s love as St Paul says - if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And just in case we missed that he repeats it - Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. You can’t find a more abundant blessing that that. Sometimes it feels like our faith is in the wilderness like Jesus was. That there is just emptiness. But let us remember, as Paul stated, The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart. And God is able to lead us out of the wilderness as our Good Shepherd, through the valley of the shadow of death – through the path of our enemies – through the path of fear and evil – to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. What a blessing that is  A blessing that has our cups filled to the brim and our cups running over to bless others.

 

Sermon Ash Wednesday Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 – Be reconciled NOW

 Sermon Ash Wednesday

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 – Be reconciled NOW

 

It was just before Ash Wednesday last year when a fresh lockdown began and we had to cancel this service.

One of the things that we had hope Covid and lockdowns would have provided for us would be a reevaluation of life and what is truly important. Maybe not being able to see friends and family who lived outside of the 5km radius would make us hunger for visiting them when restrictions were lifted. Maybe if there had been some previous hostilities it would be a time to be reconciled when restrictions lifted.

 

We had really hoped that with churches being shut and Holy Communion being so scarce that it would have created an eager hunger to worship back at church.We had hoped that it would have revived that sentiment in Paul’s writing today - now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation – because none of us knew when the next time would be that we would be able to share the sacrament together – when we would be able to worship together, and once we did resume, when the next lockdown would begin.

 

And so as we returned – and still with clouds hanging over our head till the 2nd lockdown, then 3rd, 4th, 5th – every moment we gathered together was special – was sacred – that NOW is the time to celebrate our time together. And still now as many people are unable to have freedom of seeing loved ones in certain surroundings, the relationships we have with each other should be so special that we can even overlook grievances that kept us apart – to be reconciled with one another just as Paul urges us to be reconciled to God. But, alas, our memories are fleeting as life gets back to some sort of normality our old ways return. I’m too busy for church. I’m too busy to catch up.

 

It seems that it’s only when we cannot do things that we actually value them the most and even fight for them. I mean, all those people that were fighting and arguing that churches should be open – where are they? Sadly as normality returns so does our busyness that puts God on the backburner until we need him or can’t have him. It was a constant problem for Israel. They would worship other gods and then God would punish them by allowing enemies to oppress them – they would cry out to God – he would send a leader to bring them liberty – then they would start worshipping other gods again and the cycle continued over and over again.

 

The reality is, however, that we need God always – in good times and in times of difficulty. In times of plenty and in times of need. That’s why Paul says – NOW is the day of salvation. That’s why Paul urges us - on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Not just when you need him – but always. But, the reality is – we need God always – it’s just when there are good times that we feel we don’t need him.

 

In this 40 day journey through Lent we are encouraged to focus on our relationship with God. So much of our lives are consumed with focusing on ourselves. As damaging as the restrictions through Covid were on us they did allow us to reflect on what was important in our lives when they were taken away from us. Now that things have sort of returned to normal it is easy to slot back into our regular way of life. So in these 40 days we are invited to journey with Jesus to the cross and examine our relationship with God. To examine what it is that inhibits our reconciliation with God. Because may, whatever is inhibiting our reconciliation with God is preventing us from being reconciled with one another.

 

This is the background for what Jesus says in our gospel reading where the focus of each of the people was on themselves rather than God. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you – don’t let the focus be on YOU. "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. The focus was on them rather than God. "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, so that the focus is on you. Let the focus remain on God. Store up riches in heaven not on earth.

 

As we journey from Covid and still through Covid our Gospel reminds us that our riches on earth are fleeting. We have seen firsthand how earthly things can be whisked away from us in an instant and without any control by ourselves. But our treasures in Heaven cannot be touched. Our treasures in heaven are where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.

When our focus is away from ourselves and what God provides we discover that our lives are filled to the brim and in fact overflowing. As Psalm 23 says - You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. As much as the world can try to take away our riches God always overcomes. As Paul points our: We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. But when our focus is on ourselves – praying to be seen by others – giving so that others see and praise us – fasting and looking somber so people have pity on us – Jesus says you have received your reward and it is a reward that can rust, decay and be stolen from you. But not God’s treasures that he has stored in your heart.

 

So as we journey these 40 days with Jesus may we reflect on our heavenly treasures so we are not overcome by the burdens of our everyday lives because the one who had no sin became our sin so that we could become his righteousness – and there is no greater treasure than being right with God. So let us be reconciled to God now because today is the day of our salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

 

Sermon 27th February 2022, The Transfiguration Text: Luke 9:28-36 – God’s ultimate sequel

 Sermon 27^th February 2022, The Transfiguration

Text: Luke 9:28-36 – God’s ultimate sequel

 

Prequels are a popular style of movie presentation these days. We are familiar with sequels to movies. Sequels happen when a movie has become popular so that they bring out the next episode in the story line – such as –

Rocky, then Rocky, 2, 3, 4 and 5. And then there are spin offs such as the Rocky franchise of Creed, Creed 2 and Creed 3.

But then movie producers realized that not only can we keep going forward with our sequels but we can also go backwards and show previous storylines of how we got to the first one. Such as Godfather 3 – which is the story before the original Godfather movie. But the most famous and successful would probably be Star Wars (although I’ve never seen an episode before. In 1977 they released the original Star Wars movie, then the sequels in 1980 The Empire Strikes Back and then 1983 The Return of the Jedi. But rather than doing another sequel they decided to go back and show how it began with a prequel in 1999 with The Phantom Menace. And it is now recommended that you watch this movie out of chronological order and watch the prequels first even though they were made later.

 

The reason I’m explaining this is because we have a similar situation happening in our Gospel reading with the Transfiguration. Jesus is taking Peter, James and John on a journey with him as he is about to begin the last stage of his journey to the cross. But before he moves into the final sequel of his life journey he gives them a prequel – he shows them his heavenly glory. The heavenly glory that St Paul says – he emptied himself of when he became a human being. Why did he do that for Peter, James and John? The same reason movie producers introduce prequels – so we can understand the full story. If we just look at the final part of Jesus’ life we will not understand what is going on. He will be humiliated, tortured and eventually killed. But so that his disciples understand  what is really happening, Jesus reveals his true self to them and not what they are about to see.

 

While Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, that is, his death on the cross. Jesus had earlier tried to explain to his disciples the entire process but they didn’t understand. He said that he must go to Jerusalem where he will be handed over, suffer and die – and on the third day rise again. But they focused only on the earlier segment that he must suffer and die. So Jesus brings forward the sequel – and on the third day rise again – and reveals it as a prequel so they can understand.

 

And what is interesting in this transfiguration is that God links it to his Baptism -  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" The same words from Jesus Baptism. This is my Son whom I love.

And that was no coincidence but intentional because that now becomes for us our prequel in life. As we go through life and face the challenges of suffering and death in life we don’t focus on the here and now but on the reality of being children of God. We go back to our Baptism and the promise God made to us there.We hear those very same words spoken to Peter, James and John – this is my Son whom I love – and we read them into our own Baptism – you are my son – you are my daughter whom I love.

 

If we only focus on the day-to-day events in our lives then we will not understand what is going on; In fact we will come to the wrong conclusion as so many do – how can there be a loving God. How is God all powerful if he cannot control the evil in the world. How can God be all loving if he allows me to suffer. How is God all knowing – otherwise he would stop the evil in the world. God is all powerful in that he defeated death by Jesus rising from the dead. God is all loving in that just as Jesus rose from the dead so shall we. God is all knowing in that his Son experienced all that we experienced to give us hope. And this is the experience that Peter James and John are given so they don’t focus on what is about to happen but what happens next – that on the 3rd day Jesus will rise from the dead.

 

This is also hidden in our text when Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus. Luke says that they meet with him to talk about his “departure”. In the original Greek language it says they spoke to him about his “exodus”. If we link that back to the original exodus, Israel’s departure from Egypt we remember that they left Egypt in order to enter the Promised Land. And this is also the ultimate sequel to our lives as well. As we depart from this life we too enter into our Promised Land – Heaven.

As sad and as difficult as it is to understand death, we understand death in the new reality that Jesus revealed today. That death is our departure – our exodus from this world and entry into Heaven – into the glory that Jesus reveals today.

So the purpose of the Transfiguration for us is to keep focused on the sequel to our life – that God loves the world so much that he sent his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. What we go through in this life is not an indication of the reality of God’s love and power. What we go through in this life is a sad consequence of a broken world which cannot be avoided. Even though Peter wanted to stay in that glory – let me build 3 shelters – one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah, but it was only a glimpse of the true and full glory  that awaited them and us after his departure – his Exodus into the Promise Land.

 

And that is also our glory that awaits as Jesus will tell all the disciples soon before his death when he says – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; I am going there 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. That’s the reality – that’s the glory that awaits us in heaven where this reality will go as John says in Revelation – Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 

The reality we live now is not easy and for some it is extremely difficult – but our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the true glory that awaits. The glory which Peter, James and John saw a brief glimpse of but the glory that we will enter without end.