Tawa Baptist

Respectful Relationships

Scripture: John 4:5-26

Video Link: https://youtu.be/E2XyyjXWG1M

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Value not violence
  • Equality not entitlement
  • Honesty not humiliation
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been taking a closer look at some of the values of NZBMS, our Baptist Missionary Society. First we considered the core value of mutual humility, then last week the value of listening. Today we conclude the Renew Together campaign by exploring the value of respectful relationships.

Jesus modelled respectful relationships for us during his earthly ministry. With this in mind, the people at NZBMS have chosen the story of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, to help illustrate what a respectful relationship looks like. 

As I read John 4 I noticed three things in this regard. Respectful relationships are characterised by value not violence, by equality not entitlement and by honesty not humiliation. From John chapter 4, verse 4, we read…

4 Now he [Jesus] had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Value is at the heart of respect. Human beings are intrinsically valuable because God made us in his image. Each one of us is unique, one of a kind. Our lives are precious. Sadly, we have a tendency to forget both the value of others and our own value.

The Jews and Samaritans forgot. There was a terrible history between them. Violence, grudges and abuse were common between the two ethnicities. Around 722 BC the Assyrians invaded northern Israel and deported thousands of Jews, replacing them with settlers from Babylon, Syria and other nations.

These foreigners introduced pagan gods and intermarried with the Jewish people who remained. Their descendants became known as Samaritans. The southern Jews (the people of Judah) felt that the northern tribes had compromised their faith and their covenant with Yahweh and they hated the Samaritans for it.

In 128 BC the Jews destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim. Just over a century later, when Jesus was a toddler, a group of Samaritans dug up some Jewish bones, broke into the Jerusalem temple and scattered the bones in the holy of holies. In retaliation, the Jewish leaders enlisted the Romans to massacre Samaritans on Mount Gerizim.

In John 4, Jesus decided to leave Judea (in the south) and head home to Galilee (in the north). Rather than follow the normal Jewish route, which went out of the way to avoid Samaritan territory, Jesus took a more direct path through the heart of Samaria.

As he was waiting by a well outside the town of Sychar, a Samaritan woman came out to draw water from the well. It was pretty clear that something was amiss.

Normally women came out together (in groups) at the beginning and end of the day to avoid the heat. But this woman was on her own in the middle of the day. She was a social outcast. Nigella no mates. 

Jesus was thirsty and so he asked the woman for a drink. Jesus’ physical thirst here seems to mirror the woman’s spiritual thirst.

Now, to pretty much anyone of that time and culture, Jesus’ request would have seemed to be anything but respectful. The cultural expectation of that time was for Jesus to keep a reasonable distance and ignore the woman. Men were not supposed to talk to women they didn’t know and Jews were not supposed to interact with Samaritans. That was like consorting with the enemy.

Jesus knows this of course, but he is not satisfied with the status quo. Centuries of prejudice and violence has not worked and if what you are doing isn’t working, then more of the same isn’t going to help.

So Jesus tries something different. Jesus starts a conversation with this woman and in the process he shows us what a respectful relationship looks like. Jesus is physically thirsty and the woman is spiritually thirsty, so their mutual thirst provides some common ground for Jesus to start a conversation. 

Now, when we talk about having a conversation in the context of respectful relationships, we need to be clear about what we mean. To build and maintain respectful relationships the conversation needs to be non-violent.

Violence isn’t just physical; it can be verbal as well. People can say things that are unkind or untrue, they can make threats or use an angry tone in an attempt to try and gain control over the other person through fear.

We notice that Jesus does not use violence or intimidation in his conversation. To the contrary, Jesus makes himself vulnerable. By asking the woman for help, Jesus gives the woman a free choice, he gives her power and control in the situation.

She can choose to ignore him or she can choose to help him. If she helps him, Jesus will be in her debt. If she doesn’t help him, she can feel like she did not betray her own people by helping a Jew. Either way she wins.

The woman keeps her options open. She doesn’t give Jesus a drink but she doesn’t ignore him either. Clearly, she is not afraid of Jesus. She hasn’t run away, nor has she felt pressured to do what Jesus said. She is curious and enters into this conversation to find out more.

Understandably, she comes across as a bit defensive, pointing out the obvious differences between them. You are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman. Aren’t you breaking an unspoken code here?

Equality, not entitlement:

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?

The woman still hasn’t given Jesus that drink he asked for, but Jesus does not press his request. There is no male privilege, no sense of entitlement from Jesus. He respects her decision and continues to treat the woman as an equal.

Equality, not entitlement, is one of the characteristics of a respectful relationship. Equality is about being fair and even handed in our dealings with others. Not thinking too highly of ourselves in relation to others. But at the same time not thinking too little of ourselves either.

Equality keeps the door open for people to redeem themselves when they mess up, because we all mess up at some point. We all need a second chance. Jesus held the door of equality open for this woman when no one else would.  

The ‘living water’ Jesus mentions is likely the Holy Spirit. Jesus is speaking in metaphors but the woman takes him literally. In verse 12 she tests Jesus by asking…

12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

We see a little bit of a power play from the woman here. It’s like she is goading Jesus with an insult. A Samaritan woman naming Jacob as their common ancestor would probably aggravate most Jews who considered both Samaritans and women inferior and not worthy of claiming God’s promises through Jacob.

Jesus doesn’t take offence at her comment though. He keeps the door of the conversation open. Jesus doesn’t see any shame in being associated with a Samaritan woman. Jesus treats this woman with fairness, saying...

 13 “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

That term, eternal life, needs some explanation. Most people, when they hear the phrase, ‘eternal life’, think in terms of time. They think immortality, eternity, life that goes on and on and on forever without end. 

But in the gospel of John eternal life is primarily a reference to a quality relationship with God. A relationship characterised by friendship and intimacy with God. Eternal life is abundant life, life with joy and meaning. Life that we don’t ever want to end.

The opposite of eternal life is loneliness, isolation, alienation, the hell of not being able to trust anyone. By offering this woman the gift of eternal life, Jesus is putting his finger on the deepest longing of this woman’s heart. She has no friends, no intimacy. She is an outcast, treated as unequal, at the bottom of the heap.

Jesus does not force the gift of living water on her, as if he is entitled to decide what is best for her. He holds the door of eternal life open for her. She is free to walk through or not.  

Honesty, not humiliation:

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

It seems she still doesn’t get Jesus’ meaning. She is still thinking literally. Either that, or she is being sarcastic and playing games. Either way, Jesus is determined to keep the relationship respectful. And a respectful relationship is an honest relationship. Things are about to get real…

16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

We are not told the back story with these six relationships but it is pretty clear this woman has been through the mill. Whether she is a widow or a divorcee or an adulterer or all three, she is first and foremost a person and she has suffered. Jesus sees her loneliness and thirst and he cares for her. That care includes facing the facts honestly and with grace.   

Honesty is essential to respectful relationships. Honesty is the oxygen of trust. Honesty enables the relationship to breathe. However, our honesty must always be mixed with grace. Pure oxygen will kill you. Honesty is not a license to be cruel or malicious. If our motivation in being honest is to humiliate the other person then we will only end up suffocating trust.

Jesus does not call out the woman’s chequered past to humiliate her. Jesus is seeking to build trust by being honest about himself. Jesus is a prophet but the woman does not yet realise this. If Jesus doesn’t reveal who he is soon, the woman may feel blindsided later. Honesty enables the relationship to breathe.  

Joy Oladokun has a song called Breathe Again. The chorus goes like this…

Am I looking for revival? Am I dressed in others’ sin?

Hold my breath until I’m honest, will I ever breathe again?

Jesus was dressed in others’ sin. He took the blame for things that were not his fault. He was unfairly treated and prejudged. When people need somewhere to put their anger, they often dump it on God. 

This song also reminds me of the Samaritan woman. She may not be perfect but nor can she wear the blame for five husbands by herself. She is, to some extent, like Jesus; dressed in others’ sin.

Her relationship status on Facebook would read, “It’s complicated”. It is difficult for a woman in her position to be honest. When we can’t be honest it’s like we can’t breathe, it creates a pressure in us (like anxiety). And if you can’t be honest, then you can’t be yourself. And if you can’t be yourself, then how can you be in a respectful relationship?

By disclosing that he knew her past, Jesus actually released the woman. Now she was free to be herself with him at least. She didn’t need to pretend. She could be honest at last. She could breathe again.

But honesty is not without risk. Jesus’ insight is cutting a bit close to the bone. The woman doesn’t want to talk about her failed relationships and changes the subject to religion and politics, because for some strange reason that feels safer.

19 “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

We New Zealanders don’t like to talk about religion and politics. A respectful relationship for us is one in which conversations about God and government are put aside in favour of talking about the weather and the rugby. But to not talk about what we believe is to not be entirely honest.

Jesus respects the woman’s wish to not talk about her failed marriages but he is still honest in saying what he believes about God…

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

In these verses Jesus is talking about worship and what a respectful relationship with God looks like. With the coming of Jesus, the centuries old feud between Jews and Samaritans over where God should be worshipped is a moot point. It is no longer relevant. All that bloodshed and animosity between the two ethnic groups was pointless.

Jesus replaces the temple building. Through faith in Jesus, God can be worshipped anywhere. What matters now is not where God is worshipped but the Spirit in which God is worshipped. 

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus is pretty guarded about his identity. He reveals who he is to his disciples but he doesn’t put himself out there with the crowds or the religious leaders.

Jesus’ honesty in disclosing that he is the Messiah, shows tremendous respect for the Samaritan woman. And the woman does not disappoint Jesus’ trust. She shows him the respect of believing in him and sharing the good news with her neighbours.

Jesus accepts the Samaritans’ offer of hospitality without anxiety of being contaminated by their Samaritan-ness. God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.

Conclusion:

Respectful relationships are characterised by value not violence, by equality not entitlement and by honesty not humiliation.  So how does this relate to us today?

Well, with so much blood being spilled in the name of God and religion, respectful relationships are needed more than ever between people of different faiths.

In about 30-40 years’ time it is predicted that 64% of the world’s population will be either Christian or Muslim. That means the way Christians and Muslims relate with each is going to have a significant impact on the world. You don’t want two thirds of the world at each other’s throats.

Maintaining respectful relationships with those who are different from us is essential to gospel renewal.

Thinking of your own personal relationships…

Who is it you often find yourself at odds with?

Maybe someone at work or school?

Maybe someone at home or church?

How might that relationship become more respectful?

Now, after hearing how Jesus built a respectful relationship with the Samaritan woman you might think, ‘That’s what I need to do too’. I need to be like Jesus. I need to make myself vulnerable, try and find some common ground, start a conversation, be honest and so on.

Well, maybe. But you also need to exercise wisdom. You can only build a respectful relationship with someone who is willing to be respectful in return. As I said at the beginning, a respectful conversation is a non-violent conversation.  

If the person you are at odds with is abusive, with no interest in a respectful relationship, then making yourself vulnerable with them probably isn’t a smart move. You have to have some respect for yourself as well.

Like Jesus said, “Don’t throw your pearls before swine”. In other words, be discerning. Jesus didn’t tell everyone he was the Messiah. He wasn’t vulnerable with every person he met.

But Jesus did see the value in others and he resisted the urge to violence.

Jesus was fair, he treated people with equality.

And Jesus was always honest, finding that perfect mix of grace & truth.

With the help of Jesus’ Spirit, we can aim for that as well.     

Grace and peace to you on the journey.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why is respect important in relationships?
  • What is respect? The sermon mentions three characteristics of respectful relationships (i.e. value, equality and honesty). Can you think of any other characteristics?
  • What makes a person valuable? How might we value others?
  • What do we mean by equality? Can you think of an example of equality in your own experience? 
  • Why did Jesus disclose to the woman that he knew about her past? Why do we need to be honest in our relationships with others? What does honesty do?
  • Are your relationships respectful? If not, what needs to change for them to become more respectful? Ask Jesus’ help and guidance with this.  
Tawa Baptist

Whakarongo

Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21

Video Link: https://youtu.be/7473HF-pZf4

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Don’t be blinded by the past
  • Be open to the future
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If I say to you, ‘whakarongo mai’, what am I asking you to do? [Wait]

That’s right, I’m asking you to ‘listen here’ or ‘listen to me’.

We are currently in the middle of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society’s Renew Together campaign. ‘Renew Together’ is the new name for Self Denial.

The purpose of the Renew Together campaign is to raise awareness of and funds for the work of NZBMS. For three Sundays we are using the sermon time to focus on some of the core values of NZBMS. Last week we explored the value of mutual humility. Today we consider the value of whakarongo or listening.

In a deeper sense the word whakarongo means more than just listening physically with our ears. It refers to feeling, sensing and perceiving.

Spiritually speaking, things happen when we listen to and obey God’s word. This idea of listening to God and following his voice, comes up time and time again in the Bible. The focus of our message today is Isaiah 43:16-21. Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet. From verse 16 we read…   

16 This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

20 The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In a nutshell, today’s reading is saying: Don’t be blinded by the past, be open to the future. This, of course, requires us to listen to God.

Don’t be blinded by the past:

Alexander Graham Bell was a scientist, an engineer and an inventor. He is probably most famous for inventing the telephone. Alexander Bell became interested in the science of sound because both his mother and his wife were deaf. He himself was a teacher of the deaf.

It was his experiments in sound that led to the invention of the telephone. While the first telephone wasn’t all that useful to the deaf, later developments in phone technology, like texting, have made communication by phone accessible to the deaf community.  

Alexander Bell came up with a listening device that, for centuries before him, no one had perceived would be possible. He wasn’t blinded by the past. He was open to the future and to new possibilities.

It was Alexander Bell who gave us the wisdom of this saying: Sometimes we stare so long at the door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.

In other words, don’t be blinded by the past, be open to the future.

Returning to today’s Scripture. In 586 BC the city of Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and the survivors (from the tribe of Judah) were forced into exile in Babylon.

The challenge for the Jewish exiles was to maintain their identity as God’s chosen people while living in a foreign land. Remembering the stories of their past (how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt) was one of the ways the people in captivity maintained their identity. The old familiar stories also had a soothing affect, they were a comfort, like a security blanket.

Second Isaiah (which includes chapter 43) was written for the Jewish exiles in Babylon. So it comes as a surprise when the prophet says in verse 18…

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

This is especially jarring because recalling the past is exactly what Isaiah has just been doing. In verses 16-17 the prophet makes a clear reference to the first exodus, when Yahweh led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.

So what’s going on here? Well, it is probably a rhetorical device designed to get people’s attention. Isaiah moves from the familiar to the unfamiliar. It’s a poetic way of saying, ‘whakarongo mai’ – listen carefully here.

More than just getting people’s attention though, Isaiah was probably aware that dwelling on the past was holding people back.

The past can become an idealised world into which we retreat when the future becomes too frightening to face. The Jewish exiles were at risk of looking so long at a door that had closed that they would miss the new door God was opening.

Israel’s attachment to nostalgia threatened to blind them to new possibilities and prevent them from moving forward. Isaiah does not want Israel to retreat into the past. He does want them to remember God’s power and faithfulness though.

Not dwelling too long on the past isn’t just a warning against a retreat from present realities. It may also mean, don’t spend all your time thinking about what they did to you and how they hurt you all those years ago.

There is a time and place for lament but once you have got it out of your system, once you have expressed your grief, don’t wallow in self-pity and resentment. Keep pressing on.

Perhaps too, forgetting the former things carries the meaning of forgiving yourself, not condemning yourself for your past mistakes. Israel went into exile because of their disloyalty and their injustice. Fifty years is a long time to be in exile, a long time to live with regret.

The people were going to need all their energy for what God was planning to do next. They could not afford to carry their past mistakes with them.    

What is it that holds you back?

What things from the past do you need to spend less time dwelling on?

Do you look at the good old days through rose tinted glasses?

Do you spend too much time retreating to the past?

Do you hold onto hurts and the cruel things people have said to you?

Do you need to grieve that hurt, let it go and move on?

Do you dwell too long on your own mistakes, never quite able to atone for your failure?  Do you need to trust yourself to God’s grace and be on your own side?

Don’t be blinded by the past, be open to the future.

Be open to the future:

In verse 19 the Lord says: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

This is a call to whakarongo, to listen to the Lord. To try and perceive the new thing God is doing. To be open to the future.

After some decades the Babylonian empire was conquered by the Medes who took a different approach. In 538 BC (around 50 years after the fall of Jerusalem) King Cyrus released the Jewish exiles, allowing them to return to their homeland to rebuild the Jerusalem temple.

This was different. This was not like when their ancestors were slaves in Egypt and Pharaoh became stubborn, refusing to let the people go. Unlike Pharaoh, King Cyrus acted as the servant of the Lord, sending the Jews off with his blessing. The Jews did not need to fight the Medes and Persians.

There was, however, some similarity with the past. The returning exiles had to make an epic journey through the wilderness. Unlike the first exodus though, it didn’t take 40 years. Probably more like 4-6 months, depending on the route they travelled. 

Even so, it would not have been easy. The Jewish exiles had become quite settled in Babylon. Those young enough to make the journey would have been born in exile and wouldn’t know anything of their homeland.

The prospect of picking up sticks to resettle in Palestine would be quite daunting. They were returning to ruins. They would have to rebuild from scratch. They needed reassurance and encouragement and so the Lord says in verse 19…

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

This verse can be taken both literally and metaphorically. God was literally making a way in the wilderness for the exiles to return home from Babylon. God was promising to provide all the people needed to rebuild a new life in Jerusalem.  

At the same time this verse stands as a metaphor for the exiles and for us. Sometimes in life we are faced with trials and difficulties. Not just a bad day, but a prolonged period of hardship. We call this a wilderness experience.

A wilderness experience is not something we can avoid. It is something we have to go through. To go through the wilderness is to be vulnerable. When we are in the wilderness we are conscious of just how small and powerless we really are. The wilderness can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

Wilderness experiences come in many forms. For example, a battle with cancer or a war with depression. Going through a divorce can be a wilderness experience. Being made redundant after years of service and wondering what the point of your life is. Losing a child or a spouse or a parent. Losing your home and becoming a refugee, being forced to flee to another country and start again. Facing a crisis of faith is also a wilderness experience.

I could go on but you get the idea. The wilderness is not an easy or comfortable place to be and it is hardly ever a place you choose to be. The wilderness tests you beyond what you thought were your limits.

When you are in the wilderness you cannot afford to be blinded by the past. You have to listen, you have to be present, you have to be aware of your environment. You use all your senses just to survive. The wilderness shows you what you are made of and it throws you on the mercy of God.

At some point in your wilderness experience you will think to yourself, “I don’t think I can carry on. I can’t see a way forward. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this situation.”  And yet, somehow, God makes a way for you.

After you have passed through the wilderness you may feel like a part of you died there but you are not sorry for that. You see that it made room for something new to grow. Now you carry a piece of the wilderness in you. You are not necessarily stronger. You may even walk with a limp because of your experience. But you are freer somehow.     

Have you been through the wilderness? Perhaps you are in the wilderness right now? Let me say to you: The Lord is at home in the wilderness. And that is good news because it means he can make a way for you when you cannot see a way for yourself. He is the ‘way maker’.

But here’s the thing; the way God makes for us is not the same every time. When Job was in the wilderness of unjust suffering, God met him in a hurricane, a storm. But when Moses was in the wilderness of obscurity, Yahweh met Israel’s great leader in a burning bush.

When Jacob was in the wilderness (on the run from his brother Esau), God gave him a vision of a ladder from heaven to earth with angels ascending and descending, and this vision opened the way for Jacob to move forward into the unknown. But when Elijah was in the wilderness at Mount Horeb (aka Mount Sinai) the Lord came to him not in a vision and not in the earthquake, wind or fire, but in a gentle whisper, that still small voice.

When Mary & Martha were in the wilderness of grief after their brother Lazarus had died, the Lord came in tears, Jesus wept. Then he raised Lazarus from the dead. That was new. That opened the way for many to believe.

The idea of God making a way in the wilderness continues in verses 20 & 21 of Isaiah 43, where the Lord says…

20 The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

Previously in the book of Isaiah (in chapter 34) we read how the jackals and owls (unclean animals) prowl among the ruins. They were associated with God’s judgement and with chaos. Now (in chapter 43) Isaiah reintroduces the jackals and owls, not as prowlers, but this time as giving honour to God. [1]

The image here is one of restoration. God is going to transform the wasteland and the ruins into a place of new life and refreshment. And God’s people (the returning exiles) will be witnesses to this, proclaiming God’s praise for the way of salvation he has made.

The message is one of hope. The very things we dread, the wilderness and wasteland, are often the very things God uses for our salvation. We see the way of God’s salvation fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. God used the cross, an instrument of cruelty, judgement and shame, as the instrument of forgiveness, reconciliation and new life, through faith in Jesus.

Conclusion:

For some time now the church in the west has been going into exile. The gap between church and society has been growing. Society is going its own way and the church appears to be in decline. Some might say the church is finding itself in the wilderness.

We might feel tempted to retreat into the past, to dwell on the good old days. But we must not be blinded by the past. We must remain open to the future. We do well to remember, the good old days were not always that good. Truth be told, they were a mixed bag.

It also helps to look outward. As we heard last week, the church in places like Africa and Asia is thriving. God is always at work, doing a new thing.

This does not mean God has forgotten us here in the west. But it does mean we have to be alert. We have to whakarongo (to listen) to God. We have to use all our senses to try and perceive what God is doing.

We might not be able to see a clear way forward but God is the way maker. He can create a highway in the desert and streams of new life in the wilderness.

Let us pray…

Jesus, you are the way, the truth and the life. You have walked the wilderness and made a way through. We face uncertain times. May we not retreat into the past for fear of the future. Rather, may we be open to the way forward you have created. Help us to hear what you are saying to the church and give us courage to obey your call. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What are verses 16-17 referring to? Why would this be a comfort to the Jewish exiles in Babylon?
  • Why does the Lord say (in verse 18), “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”? What does he mean?
  • What is it that holds you back? What things from the past do you need to spend less time dwelling on?
  • Have you had a wilderness experience? What happened? How did God make a way through for you? Did the wilderness change you? If so, how?
  • In what ways is Isaiah 43:16-21 relevant for the church in the west today?  What can we do to stay alert and listen to God? How might we perceive the new thing God is doing?

[1] Refer Paul Hanson’s Interpretation commentary on Isaiah.

Tawa Baptist

Mutual Humility

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-9 & 18-23

Video Link: https://youtu.be/iKs8MSu63cU

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The seed of God’s word
  • The soil of our lives
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Can anyone tell me what the letters NZBMS stand for? [Wait]

That’s right, New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. NZBMS is the overseas missions arm of our Baptist movement.

Today (and for the next two Sundays) we take a break from our series in Deuteronomy to focus on the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society’s Renew Together campaign. ‘Renew Together’ is the new name for Self Denial.

The purpose of the Renew Together campaign is to raise awareness of and funds for the work of NZBMS. For three Sundays we will use the sermon time to focus on some of the core values of NZBMS. The first value is mutual humility. 

Listening is key to humility. To aid our understanding of mutual humility, let’s listen to Jesus’ parable of the sower in Matthew 13. This is a parable about God’s kingdom.  From verse 3 of Matthew 13, we read…

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

A parable is a story which teaches a spiritual truth. A parable uses something known and familiar to teach something unknown or unfamiliar. In this case, Jesus uses the familiar image of a farmer sowing seed to teach us about the kingdom of God which is unfamiliar to us. 

There are two parts to today’s message. The first part deals with the seed of God’s word and the second part looks at the soil of our lives. When you put the seed of God’s word together with the good soil of our lives, the Holy Spirit works to produce the crop of God’s kingdom.  

The seed of God’s word:

God’s kingdom is not the same as the kingdoms or governments of this world. Broadly speaking we might think of the kingdoms of this world on a spectrum, with democratic government at one end and dictatorships at the other. 

With dictatorships, one person makes governing decisions that affect everyone. The will of the one is forced on the many, whether people like it not.

With democracy, the majority rule. This means the will of the majority is forced on the minority, although the minority still have a voice and can protest if they wish. This is an over simplification but you get the general idea. 

Neither of these forms of government are perfect but people in the west, at least, generally prefer a democratic form of government.     

God’s kingdom is not on this spectrum. God’s kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world. God’s kingdom is in a category all of its own. We find it hard to imagine God’s kingdom because it is so profoundly different from what we know and are familiar with.

When we consider the parable of the sower we see that God’s kingdom is organic. God does not force his kingdom on us. There is no coercion with God’s kingdom, no military conquest, no emotional manipulation, no media spin, no political manoeuvring.

God approaches humankind humbly, in the form of a man (Jesus), who speaks God’s word and embodies God’s word. Jesus is both the sower of the seed of God’s word and the seed itself.   

A seed is a small thing, a humble thing. Likewise, the seed of God’s word appears quite unimpressive and easy to miss at first. A seed enters the ground quietly, gradually, gently. In fact, the seed won’t enter the soil unless the ground is open to receive it. 

But the soil needs the seed. Once the seed germinates and takes root it transforms the soil for good. Without the seed, the soil would erode and the land would turn into a desert. Likewise, without the seed of God’s word, the soil of our lives is at risk of being blown away. God’s word gives our lives coherence, meaning and abundance.

In verse 9, after giving the parable, Jesus says: 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. And in verse 18, before explaining the parable, Jesus says: 18 Listen then to what the parable of the sower means…

If God’s word is the seed and our lives are the soil, then hearing or listening is how we receive God’s word. True listening, listening with openness and a genuine desire to understand, is a sign of humility.

When we think of overseas mission we may have a picture of a European going to Africa or Asia or South America to tell the indigenous people there about the gospel of Jesus. Sort of like they are the ones in need and we have the solution.

But the landscape of the world has changed dramatically in recent years. The movement of mission is no longer ‘from the west to the rest’. Now mission is from everywhere to everywhere. Thousands of missionaries are being sent from places like Latin America, Africa, South Korea and the Philippines.

The church may be in decline in the west but it is growing in other parts of the world. Those in the global south and east are moving to evangelise the post-Christian west.

We, in the west, need to have the humility to acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers and to listen. It’s not that we have nothing to offer. Rather, we need to think of mission in terms of partnership and service.

Brian Smith, a former Principal of Carey Baptist College, was sent to Asia as a missionary many years ago. When he first got there he spent time simply listening to the locals. It was only after many months of listening that Brian began a translation of the New Testament into the local language.

When it comes to mission (whether that’s local mission or overseas mission) we need to be listening to what God is saying to us and we need to be listening to the society we live in as well. God is already at work in our land and in the lives of people who do not yet know him. So the question is, how do we join God in his work?

God’s kingdom comes on earth when the seed of God’s word is planted in the good soil of people’s lives. So what does Jesus say about the soil?

The soil of our lives:

Jesus’ parables function as a mirror. They show us what we are truly like. Having an accurate self-awareness, facing ourselves as we really are, is at the heart of true humility. In Matthew 13, Jesus describes four different types of soil. These soil types show us a mirror. They humble us.    

The four types of soil illustrate four responses to the gospel message or the seed of God’s word. The first three soils shine a light on why the kingdom of God doesn’t bear fruit in a person’s life. They equate to having a hard heart, a shallow commitment and divided attention.  

In the time of Jesus, when farmers scattered seed by hand, some of the seed would inevitably land on the path. The path was hard packed ground from having been walked over so much. The seed could not penetrate the path.

Some people are hard hearted when it comes to the gospel message. They refuse to understand. They either can’t or won’t let God’s word penetrate into their life.

People can be hard hearted for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is because they have been hurt in the past or had too many people trample through their heart. As a consequence, they don’t want to let anyone or anything else in. It’s a self-protection thing.  

Other times though a hard heart is more the product of arrogance or prejudice. Like when a person thinks they know best and are not prepared to give God’s word a fair hearing.

Ironically, many of the Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus’ time give us a picture of the hard hearted. They heard Jesus’ message but it bounced off. In their pride and prejudice, they refused to believe what Jesus was saying and so the seed of God’s word did not take root in the soil of their lives.

The hard heart needs softening if it is to receive the seed of God’s word. How exactly God may soften a person’s heart depends very much on the individual person and the reason for their hardness.

If someone has been hardened by a tough upbringing or through rough or unfair treatment, then they probably need to be shown kindness and grace. Like the priest did for Jean Val Jean in Victor Hugo’s story, Les Miserable. When Jean Val Jean stole the silver, the old priest gave him the candle stick too and that softened Jean Val Jean’s heart so the seed of the gospel could find a way in.

But if someone’s hardness of heart is due to their own pride or prejudice, then it may be necessary for God to challenge their prejudice and undo their pride. Nothing removes the stain of prejudice like walking in the shoes of the person you had prejudged. And nothing undoes pride like weakness and failure.  

At the height of his power and success, we read how king Nebuchadnezzar’s ‘heart became arrogant and hardened with pride’. As a consequence, 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes. [1]

God undid Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and softened his heart through weakness and failure.  

Perhaps the most pleasant way God softens the human heart though is through the presence of children. There is something about small children which makes us want to be better.

The second soil type relates to the seed that fell on rocky ground. These people respond enthusiastically to the gospel message at first. They listen to it with an open mind, they believe and receive it with joy but their roots don’t go down very deep. Then, when trouble or persecution comes, they fall away.  The roots of their commitment are shallow.

Near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, people flocked to see the Lord. He was popular with the crowds because of his teaching and his miracles. Many of those same people would later turn on Jesus at the end of his ministry, calling for his crucifixion.

They had false expectations. They believed in a kind of prosperity gospel. They thought following Jesus would make their life easier, giving them wealth, health and victory over the Romans. But Jesus did not promise that. Jesus was very clear that identifying with him would bring suffering in this life and glory in the next. 

The only way to deepen commitment to Jesus is by sticking with Jesus.

Coming to faith in Jesus is a little bit like falling in love. At first you have this idealised picture of the one you love. You see only what you want to see, the good stuff. They can do no wrong. The feeling is wonderful and you think it will last.

But then, when some of your expectations are not met, the feeling wears off and you go through a stage of disenchantment or disorientation. It might feel like God is distant and you start to question much of what you believed to be true.

This process of questioning our faith needs to happen if we are to grow. Some of the beliefs and consequent expectations we adopted when we first received Christ may be false and need to be put aside. While other beliefs need to be refined and held on to.

The temptation at this stage is to give up on Jesus altogether, but that won’t help you in the long run. In this process of editing our faith (discerning what is true and what is false) we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. When we hold to Christ and his resurrection we come to realise these three remain: faith, hope & love.

The first impediment to God’s kingdom growing in the soil of our lives is a hard heart. The second impediment is shallow commitment and the third impediment is divided attention. 

In verse 22 Jesus explains…

22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

These people have received the seed of God’s word into the soil of their lives. They have maintained their commitment to Christ but their attention is divided. They (or perhaps I could say ‘we’) are distracted and our energy is syphoned off by worry over material things. 

C.S. Lewis said, “If Satan can’t make you sin, he will make you busy”.

The thing about thorns is that we don’t go out of our way to choose them. Worry about how we are going to make a living and the fruitless busy-ness this creates, spring up by themselves. To get rid of these thorns we have to be quite intentional and careful, so we don’t cut ourselves on the sharp bits. 

When we are young, we are inclined to try and do everything. As we get older we realise we can’t do everything. Humility involves accepting our limitations and making choices (sometimes quite difficult choices) to prioritise God’s purpose in our lives.

There are so many voices clamouring for our attention. We need to listen for and heed the still small voice of God’s Spirit. Making room in our lives to listen to God and obey him might mean changing our job. It might mean taking a pay cut.

If those with a hard heart need softening and those with shallow commitment need deepening, then those with divided attention need decluttering; they need space in which to centre their lives on Christ. How do you make room to listen to God? Do you set aside a regular, daily time for prayer and Bible study?

I know that’s easier for some than others. If you care for young children, then it can be difficult finding five spare minutes let alone 30 minutes for a quiet time with God.

Likewise, if you are a doctor or a teacher or a high flying executive, then it will be hard for you too. Having the minister, who only works one day a week, say you have to add something else (like a devotional time) to your already over full schedule probably isn’t helpful. I get that.

As important as a regular devotional time is, you need to have grace for yourself. Making Jesus the centre of your life and work does not necessarily mean quitting your job and joining a monastery.

You can make Jesus the centre by seeing your job as God’s calling on your life, one of the ways he ministers his grace through you. One of the ways you bear fruit for his glory. One of the ways his kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.

For example, if you are a stay at home parent, then you are not just making meals and doing the washing. You are raising your children to know God and love him. You could make space for God by doing your devotions with your kids, in a way they can relate with.               

Or if you are a health professional or a teacher working 60 plus hours a week, then you are not just making scientific diagnoses or teaching reading and maths. You are God’s hands and feet caring for your patients and students. You might make space for God by quietly praying for those in your care, seeking God in the situation while you are on the job.

Or if you are a high flying corporate type, then you aren’t just making deals for financial gain. You are thinking, how can I be generous with people and if I can’t be generous, then how can I at least be fair? Perhaps you make room for God by using your travel time to listen to sermon podcasts or reading the Bible.

Whatever we do with our time, we need to be open to conversations about our faith with those who welcome it. Humility requires us to listen more than we speak in those conversations. And faith invites us to consider, how is God already at work in that person’s life?

Conclusion:

In contrast to the hard soil, the shallow soil and the thorny soil, there are those whose lives are like good soil.

23 …the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

This is a parable about the kingdom of God and so the crop being produced here is God’s reign on earth. The crop of God’s kingdom is obedience to God’s will. It is acts of justice and mercy. It is love, joy, peace, patience, generosity, faithfulness and self-control. It is transformation to greater Christ-likeness.

Jesus’ parables are a mirror. They show us what we are really like. What do you see when you look in the mirror of this parable? What type of soil best fits you?

Bringing this back to the core value of mutual humility, we need to cultivate a lifestyle of listening well, because it is through listening to God’s word and obeying it that God’s kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.

Next week’s message focuses on what it means to listen.  

Let us pray…

Father God, you are the gardener. Cultivate humility in the soil of our lives we ask. Soften our hearts to receive the seed of your word. May the roots of our commitment to Christ grow deep. Gently remove the thorns of worry and busy-ness. Help us to make room to obey your call on our lives. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • How does God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven?
  • Where is God at work in your neighbourhood? How can you join God in what he is doing in your local neighbourhood? (If you are not sure, how might you find out?)
  • Jesus’ parables function as a mirror. They show us ourselves as we really are. When you look into Jesus’ parable of the sower, what do you see in the mirror? What soil type do you sense might best describe you? Why do you think this?
  • What does it mean to be hard hearted? What do the hard of heart need? How might God soften a person’s heart? What does your heart need?
  • How deep do the roots of your commitment to Jesus go? Do you have false expectations of Jesus (or erroneous beliefs about God) that need to be amended? Is there someone who can walk with you, listen to you and guide you in this process? 
  • On a scale of 1-10, what is your life schedule like? (With 1 being very quiet and 10 being super busy.) What would it look like to centre your life / work around Christ? How do you make time / room for God’s purpose?

[1] Daniel 5:20-21

Tawa Baptist

Sabbath

Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Video Link: https://youtu.be/AwVMBilcHYA

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The Sabbath is about stopping
  • The Sabbath is about equality
  • The Sabbath is about redemption
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When a couple get married they normally exchange rings as part of the ceremony. The minister might say something like…

“Wedding rings serve as a symbol of the vows you have just made. They are the outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible love which binds your lives together.”

Each partner to the marriage wears a ring both as an inward reminder to themselves of the covenant commitment they have made and as an outward sign to others that they are married.

Today we continue our series in Deuteronomy. Over the past couple of weeks, we have been looking at the ten commandments (or the ten words) of Yahweh to Israel. This week we focus on the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy.

The Sabbath is like wearing a wedding ring, it has a dual purpose. The Sabbath reminds Israel of their covenant commitment to Yahweh and shows other people they are committed to God for the long haul.  From Deuteronomy 5, verses 12-15, we read…

12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

There is much we could say about the Sabbath, too much for one sermon. So our message today focuses on just three things. The Sabbath is about stopping. The Sabbath is about equality and the Sabbath is about redemption.

Stopping:

The Hebrew word ‘Sabbath’ comes from a root word which literally means to cease or to stop. The Sabbath day, therefore, is about stopping work.

A stop sign, on the road, is not like a give way sign. By law, a stop sign requires you to bring your vehicle to a complete stand still, irrespective of whether any other traffic is coming or not. They normally put stop signs in places where they want you to take extra care.

Just as a compulsory stop sign is there to prevent accidents, so too the compulsory stop of the Sabbath day is there to keep you safe.

The pace of life for many people these days is so fast. We often go from one thing to the next without a chance to catch our breath, let alone reflect. Taking one day in seven to stop, allows us the time and space we need to regather our thoughts and make better decisions; decisions which will prevent a crash.   

Most people can see the wisdom in taking a regular day off, and yet many of us find it quite hard to actually stop working completely. When we do take a day off work our hearts and minds are still on the job. It’s like we are on a treadmill.

Technology doesn’t help us to stop either. Technology exasperates the problem. We are tethered to our phones and laptops, literally the touch of a screen away from emails and work worry. So how do we stop?

Well, before we can down tools and walk off site, before we can resist the urge to check those emails one last time, we have to stop at a deeper internal level.

If we feel like the job isn’t finished, then it will be a lot harder to rest.  In my job I don’t feel like I can really knock off for the week until the sermon is preached on a Sunday and sometimes not even then.

Of course, most jobs can’t be completed in a week. If you are a builder, then it might take you months to complete the house you are working on. Or, if you are a teacher you will likely be with the same class of kids for a whole year.

You have to break the job down into smaller pieces. That way you give your mind permission to rest when you have completed the stage you had planned to accomplish that week.

The risk with this approach is that something else will come along to derail your goal for the week, so if you can’t accomplish what you had planned you feel like you have to use the weekend chasing your tail to catch up.

Going a little deeper, each of us has a drive for meaning. We want our lives to have purpose. When we retire, we want to feel like we did something worthwhile with our life.

We can find meaning in a whole variety of ways. For example: through quality long term relationships with other people; by raising children; through the nurture of a deep spiritual life; by making truckloads of money or conversely by giving away time and money in service to the community.

One of the main places people try to find meaning is in their career, their work. They may put all their eggs in one basket pursuing a career in sport or business or politics or academia or whatever and strive to become the top in their field because they believe that will fulfil their need for meaning.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to be the best you can be, but one would have to question the wisdom in sacrificing everything (your family, your health, your sanity, your very soul) for work.

Common sense says, spread the risk. Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket. Find a healthy balance. If work is the only place you find meaning in life, or even the primary place, then you will find it hard to stop and rest. You may also become starved of meaning when you cannot work any longer and all your eggs are broken.

Ultimately, our life finds its meaning and purpose in God. We live to glorify God and enjoy him. Enjoying God can happen any day of the week, but if we don’t practice Sabbath, then it probably won’t happen at all.

We are talking about the deeper things that prevent us from stopping and resting. Closely related to the search for meaning is that unconscious feeling which keeps telling us we are not enough.

It’s that voice inside which goads us and sometimes scolds us into justifying our own existence. ‘I must be productive, I must achieve this goal, I must do more in order to be enough.’

That voice is lying to you. You are enough already. You were born being enough. While you were still in your mother’s womb, before you could do anything for yourself let alone for anyone else, God looked at you with love and acceptance and said, ‘You are my child’.

Faith is believing that you are enough and you don’t need to prove anything. Christian faith is resting secure in the knowledge that you are accepted by God, through Jesus. We are accepted, not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done on our behalf.

When you know deep in your soul that you are justified by Christ, that Jesus has got you, then work becomes an expression of gratitude and Sabbath rest the warm embrace of your heavenly Father.     

The Sabbath is about stopping. Not just stopping our day job, but stopping at a deeper inner level. Stopping the compulsion to justify ourselves.

Equality:

Sabbath is also about equality. In verse 14 we read…

14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.

In ancient Israel there were three tiers or strata to society. There was the natural born Israelite, with Jewish parents. Then there was the resident alien or foreigner. Immigrants basically who were not Jewish by birth but for whatever reason chose to live among the Jews. And then there were slaves, referred to in the NIV translation as male and female servants.

What we notice in verse 14 is that all three classes of people are to be treated equally on the Sabbath. Distinctions over race, gender, free and slave, rich and poor are suspended on the Sabbath. No one has to justify their existence through productivity.

Our underlying value as human beings is upheld and given a chance to breathe on the Sabbath. This egalitarian approach, where everyone gets a break from work, reminds the economically secure that the people who work for them are to be treated with dignity and respect.

Likewise, it reminds the economically vulnerable of their humanity, that they are not tools. That their lives matter and count for something more than their mere usefulness on the farm.

We also notice God’s grace in extending the Sabbath rest to animals – to the oxen and donkeys for example. This reminds us of our responsibility as stewards or caretakers of God’s creation.

The equality of the Sabbath points beyond this world to the next. The equality of the Sabbath reminds us that it is God’s plan to stop slavery, stop sexism, stop exploitation, stop racism, stop the oppression of one group by another.

In his book called, The Sabbath, Abraham Heschel recalls a rabbinic legend:

At the time when God was giving the Torah to Israel, He said to them: My Children! If you accept the Torah and observe my [commandments]. I will give you for all eternity a thing most precious that I have in my possession.

And what, asked Israel, is that precious thing…?

The world to come [God answered]

Show us in this world an example of the world to come.

The Sabbath is an example of the world to come.

You see, God intended the Sabbath as a taste of heaven on earth. The Sabbath is meant to give us a picture of what God’s kingdom is like. Sabbath equality nourishes our hope for the future.    

The world we live in badly needs to observe a regular Sabbath. Many people today are short on hope and filled with anxiety. The justice and equality of the Sabbath interrupts our anxious thoughts and fosters hope of a better world to come.

Redemption:

For equality to be possible there must first be redemption. Redemption has to do with being saved from something bad; being delivered, set free or rescued. In Christian thought, redemption is closely related to atonement.  

In 1999, a 23 year old man, Cornelius Anderson (nicknamed Mike), robbed a Burger King at gunpoint, stealing $2,000. He was arrested and sentenced to 13 years in prison. They released him on bail and told him to await orders on when to show for his prison sentence.

Due to an admin error the orders did not come, so Anderson did not go to prison. At this point, Mike Anderson had a choice: either continue down the path of crime or choose an honest life.

Mike decided to make good and choose an honest life. He used his freedom to become a master carpenter and start his own construction business. He became a football coach, volunteered at his local church, got married, had three children and became a well-liked member of his community.

Thirteen years later the state discovered their error. They thought Mike was already in prison and only noticed their mistake when Mike was due to be released. The authorities then acted to have him incarcerated.

Mike wasn’t in prison long though. 35,000 people signed a petition for his release and after less than a year the judge let Mike go, saying he was a changed man. Anderson walked out of the courthouse thanking God.

That is a true story of redemption. Mike Anderson used the gift of freedom to turn his life around.

Some people might complain that justice was not served, that Mike got away with it, but I don’t see it that way. Redemption is not in conflict with justice. Redemption is a higher form of justice. Redemption is a God given opportunity to start again and make things right.

To force Mike Anderson to serve 13 years in jail after he had made good, would be to treat God’s grace with contempt.

In verse 15 of Deuteronomy 5, we read of another true story of redemption, Israel’s redemption…

15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

This verse points quite clearly to the purpose of the Sabbath, which is to remember and celebrate God’s redemption.

During the exile, when the Israelites were living in Babylon, the Sabbath became a symbol of solidarity and an exercise in hope.  God had led their ancestors out of Egypt with a mighty hand. This inspired the exiles to hope that he would lead them out of Babylon too, back to their homeland.

Over the centuries quite a few man made rules developed around the Sabbath commandment, detailing what people could and could not do on the Lord’s day. Sadly, the purpose or the spirit of the law got buried (or lost) along the way. 

Jesus challenged these man made rules on a number of occasions by healing people on the Sabbath day. In doing this he was reminding us the Sabbath is about redemption.

In Mark 2, Jesus famously said: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

When Jesus says, ‘the Sabbath was made for man’, he means it was made for humankind.

Conclusion:

I don’t want to tell you what you can and can’t do on your day off. But I do want to encourage to take one day off in seven. It tends to work better if you take the same day off as other people, whenever possible.

For the Jews the Sabbath is a Saturday, the last day of the week. For most Christians the Sabbath is traditionally a Sunday, the first day of the week. A Sunday Sabbath makes sense if you are a Christian because Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday and Jesus’ resurrection is the basis for our hope of redemption.

In keeping with Jesus’ teaching, that the Sabbath was made for man, we do well to ask ourselves: What is it that my soul needs?

Perhaps you have had a particularly difficult week and you need to think about something other than the problem you have been trying to solve. Focusing on God in adoration and worship could help with that.

Perhaps you sit at a desk in front of a computer most of the week. What is something you enjoy doing that is completely different from that? Maybe gardening or fishing or mountain biking or walking on the beach is what your soul needs.

Perhaps your work involves staying home and looking after children most of the time. Maybe some adult conversation is what you need?

Perhaps your job is highly pressured with back to back meetings and long hours. Maybe just sitting still in a quiet room with a good book will refill your tank.

Or perhaps you live alone, filling the hours as best you can. Maybe coming to church to be with others or going out to lunch to chat with friends is the Sabbath for you. 

Alongside this question, ‘what is it my soul needs?’, we also need to ask, what is it the people around me need? Because the Sabbath is for everyone.

If you are an extravert and you are married to an introvert, then what your partner needs on their day off is probably going to be different from what you need. How can you both get what you need? 

The Sabbath is about stopping and resting, on the inside and the out.

The Sabbath is about equality, being fair to yourself and those around you.

And the Sabbath is about redemption, using your freedom to put things right.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for the gift of Sabbath. Give us the grace we need to stop worrying, to stop striving and to stop trying to justify ourselves. Help us to see your redemption, both for ourselves and for others, and to walk in it. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why do we need to stop working on the Sabbath?
  • How do we stop working, on the inside and the out?
  • Where do you find meaning for your life? Are all your (meaning) eggs in the same basket? How might you diversify your meaning making?
  • What does verse 14 of Deuteronomy 5 tell us about the Sabbath? What does the Sabbath show us about God’s kingdom? How does Sabbath equality foster hope?
  • What is redemption? Can you think of an example of redemption from your own life (or from the Scriptures)?
  • What is it your soul needs? What is it those around you need?