Please turn with me to Luke 22, verse 39, page 111 in your pew Bibles.
In this Scripture passage we hear how Jesus prays the night before his crucifixion and death. From Luke 22, verse 39 we read…
39 Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with him. 40 When he arrived at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
41 Then he went off from them about the distance of a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed. 42 “Father,” he said, “if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 Rising from his prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
47 Jesus was still speaking when a crowd arrived, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”
49 When the disciples who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Shall we use our swords, Lord?” 50 And one of them struck the High Priest’s slave and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders who had come there to get him, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw? 53 I was with you in the Temple every day, and you did not try to arrest me. But this is your hour to act, when the power of darkness rules.”
54 They arrested Jesus and took him away into the house of the High Priest; and Peter followed at a distance.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
The night before an exam you prepare by getting a good sleep
The night before a marathon you prepare by eating lots of carbs
The night before your wedding you prepare by learning your vows
The night before a heavy rain you prepare by unblocking your drains
The night before his death Jesus prepared by praying
Twice in our reading Jesus told his disciples to pray so they would not fall into temptation. This tells us prayer is about being prepared. It’s about building a fence at the top of the cliff, so there’s no need for an ambulance at the bottom.
But the disciples were exhausted from their grief. While the disciples slept, Jesus stayed awake in prayer. Then when the crowd came to arrest Jesus, he was prepared. Jesus was not caught by surprise. He was in control of himself and the situation. In contrast, Jesus’ disciples were in a panic.
We note too that Jesus made a request of God when he prayed. He requested that this cup of suffering be taken away. It may seem obvious that prayer is about asking God for something. But actually making our request is not as simple or straight forward as it sounds.
Before you can make a request of God you have to know what it is you want. And that’s the tricky bit. Making a request requires us to be honest with ourselves and with God. Prayer is not a place to pretend or to say what we think God wants to hear, much less what others want to hear. Prayer is place to be real.
Jesus was honest with God. He did not hide or repress his truth. But nor did he get what he asked for on this occasion. Instead, God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus for the ordeal that lay ahead.
Perhaps, like Jesus, you have prayed earnestly for something only to be told ‘no’. Your prayer was not wasted. Your honesty is valued by God. Your honesty shows God you trust him and it provides a necessary release for your soul.
Verse 44 tells us that Jesus prayed in great anguish; his sweat falling to the ground like drops of blood. Blood falls heavy and thick.
I don’t pretend to fully comprehend Jesus’ anguish. Was it the anticipation of the physical pain he was about to suffer? Was it the bitter realisation of impending injustice? Was it the thought of being separated from his heavenly Father? Perhaps it was all these things and more besides.
What we do know is that Jesus was alone in a crowd. No one got it. No one (not even his disciples) understood. There is a certain agony in being surrounded by people and yet knowing you are completely alone.
Everyone suffers, sooner or later. There is no escaping it. Jesus sat with his anguish in prayer. Prayer isn’t just the words we say or think. Prayer is also the pain we hold before God.
Now it is important to understand that sitting with our anguish in prayer is not the same thing as wallowing in self-pity. The point is to face our pain squarely so that we are not afraid of it.
The disciples were not prepared to sit with their pain and who can blame them. But if we don’t face our anguish, as Jesus did, it can ambush us and quickly turn into assault.
One of the disciples lashed out with his sword, striking the servant of the high priest and cutting off his ear. But Jesus put a stop to it and healed the man.
The fourth thing we note about Jesus’ prayer is that it resulted in him yielding to the will of God. To yield is to give way. Although Jesus did not want to suffer and die, he qualified his request with the words, ‘Not my will, Father, but your will be done’.
Jesus did not hold anything over God’s head. Jesus submitted his request to God’s purpose. To do anything other than God’s will would be a betrayal.
It is difficult to know why Judas betrayed Jesus. Had he become disillusioned? Was he trying to manipulate the situation to force Jesus’ hand? Or was he simply selfish and greedy? We don’t know. Whatever his motive the outcome was the same. Judas yielded to temptation and the evil one led him down the path of betrayal.
Jesus shows us the purpose of prayer.
Jesus prepared for his suffering and death in prayer
Jesus expressed his honest request to God in prayer
Jesus faced his anguish in prayer
And ultimately, Jesus yielded to the will of God in prayer.
Let us pray…
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be prepared
Deliver us from the time of trial
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be honest with you and with ourselves
We would prefer not to suffer
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to face our anguish without self-pity
Give us courage and strength equal to the day
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to yield to God’s will and purpose
Some things in life are both/and, while other things are either/or. Some things go together and other things don’t.
For example: bread and butter, love and marriage, worship and sacrifice, breathing and singing, creativity and mess. These sorts of things are both/and, they go together.
Then there are those things which are either/or, things that should never really be put together. Like ice-cream and vegemite…
Now, at this point, some of you may be thinking, ‘Wait a second. This sounds familiar. I’m pretty sure we heard this last Sunday.’
Well, fear not. This is not ground hog day. You are not going to get the same message two weeks in a row.
Last week we heard about the either/or of Jesus’ earthly mission. How Jesus’ new way of doing things cannot be patched on to the old Jewish ceremonial law. This morning we hear about the both/and of Jesus’ mission.
Today marks the third week of the annual Tranzsend prayer and self-denial campaign. Tranzsend is the sending and resourcing arm of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. For the three Sundays of the self-denial campaign we have looked at different aspects of Jesus’ mission from the gospel of Mark.
Please turn with me to Mark chapter 6, page 53, near the back of your pew Bibles. In this reading Jesus sends out 12 of his disciples to help him in his mission work of preaching and healing. From Mark 6, verse 6b we read…
Then Jesus went to the villages around there, teaching the people. 7 He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits 8 and ordered them, “Don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick—no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in your pockets. 9 Wear sandals, but don’t carry an extra shirt.” 10 He also said, “Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place. 11 If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!”
12 So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. 13 They drove out many demons, and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
In this Scripture passage we note two both/ands. Jesus’ mission involves both rejection & expansion and Jesus’ missionaries are both powerful & vulnerable.
Rejection & expansion:
Has anyone here not heard of the name Google? [Wait] That’s what I thought.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin were still studying at Stanford University when they tried to sell their idea for $1,000,000 to George Bell, the CEO of Excite.
George Bell rejected their offer. Five months later two other companies agreed to inject $25,000,000 into Google, not as a buy-out but simply as an investment. The rest is history. Now Google has a market value of over one trillion dollars.
Van Gogh, a now famous and celebrated painter, faced a lot of rejection in his lifetime. He didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old and, while he was alive, he only sold one piece for very little money.
Van Gogh’s work was often criticised for being too dark but despite the lack of encouragement he kept painting, eventually producing over 900 pieces. His work wasn’t really appreciated until decades after his death. In 2017 a Van Gogh painting sold for $111 million.
In 1919 Walt Disney was fired from one of his first animation jobs. The editor said he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. Walt responded to that rejection by starting his own animation studio. It went bankrupt in 1923. But that did not deter him. Walt and his brother moved to Hollywood and started Disney Brothers Studios which is pretty big now.
Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, was fired from a number of jobs before he started cooking chicken at the age of 40. It took him over 10 years to perfect his secret recipe. He was rejected many times before finding a business partner. Now KFC is one of the world’s largest restaurant chains.
Stephen King, the famous author, struggled to write his first novel (Carrie) while living in a caravan and teaching English. That first book was rejected by 30 publishers before it finally went to print. Since then he has published more than 50 novels.
I could go on but the point is, each of these people persevered. They were not deterred by rejection and their work and enterprise eventually flourished. Their stories show us that rejection and expansion are not necessarily either/or, they can be both/and.
Our Bible reading today describes the expansion of Jesus’ mission, as the Lord sends out 12 of his disciples to preach and heal in the surrounding villages of Galilee. But immediately before today’s passage, Jesus was rejected by the people of his home town of Nazareth. From verse 1 of Mark 6 we read…
Jesus left that place and went back to his hometown, followed by his disciples. 2 On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue. Many people were there; and when they heard him, they were all amazed. “Where did he get all this?” they asked. “What wisdom is this that has been given him? How does he perform miracles? 3 Isn’t he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters living here?” And so they rejected him.
4 Jesus said to them, “Prophets are respected everywhere except in their own hometown and by their relatives and their family.”
5 He was not able to perform any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 He was greatly surprised, because the people did not have faith.
Despite the rejection he faced, Jesus’ belief in himself and his mission was stronger than the opinion of others and he did not dwell on it or take it too personally. He figured the problem was with their perception, not with him. People are sometimes blind to what is staring them in the face.
In any case, Jesus responded to that rejection by empowering his disciples and expanding his mission.
Verse 12 tells us the disciples went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. Their message was quite challenging. No one likes to be criticised. It was inevitable that some would reject their word.
With this in mind Jesus tells his disciples, in verse 11, how they should deal with rejection saying,
“If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet…”
In other words, don’t let it get to you. Don’t waste your time banging your head against a brick wall. Shake it off and move on without making too much of a fuss. There will be other people and places who do accept the message.
Rosalie Macgeorge, New Zealand’s first Baptist missionary faced some rejection in her work in India. It was tough going. While some did not mind her Bible teaching there were others who asked her, ‘Do you intend to teach that Jesus is the Son of God?’ When she said ‘Yes,’ they said point blank, ‘We don’t want you.’
The men grew noisy and vehement. But Rosalie quietly and bravely held her ground. She said a Bengali hymn and gave out tracts, offered to come into the homes and talk to the women if they invited her. During this tense moment, Rosalie asked to be allowed through the crowd and walked away quietly, followed by the children.
Soon she had permission to enter 30 homes weekly where there were about three women in each. God’s Spirit is able to turn rejection into expansion.
All of this is easier said than done. Rejection still hurts. Some personality types can more easily shake it off and move on. Others are more prone to brooding and feeling defeated. This may be one reason why Jesus sent the disciples out in twos, rather than on their own. Having someone beside you helps to remove the sting of rejection and keeps you both on track.
So that’s our first both/and. Jesus’ mission involves both rejection and expansion. Our next both/and seems just as unlikely. The disciples were both powerful and vulnerable at the same time.
Powerful & vulnerable:
Some of you may be in to superhero movies. The thing with superheroes is they each have a special power, whether that’s x-ray vision or flying or running really fast or invisibility or super strength or whatever.
There’s a scene in the movie Justice League when the Flash asks Bruce Wayne (aka: Batman) what his superpower is and Bruce says, “I’m rich.” Power comes in a variety forms.
Whether you are a DC fan or a Marvel fan, probably at some point you have dreamt of having a superpower.
In verse 7 we read that Jesus gave the twelve authority (or power) over the evil spirits. It was like Jesus shared some of his superpowers with his disciples. Or to use another metaphor, it was like Jesus was the sheriff and he deputised his disciples by giving them a spiritual badge and gun.
Then in verse 13 we are told the disciples drove out many demons and healed many people who were sick. Clearly the disciples were powerful. But it was a power borrowed from Jesus.
Acts of power in mission can come in a variety of forms, not always miraculous. Quite often mission power comes in the form of some special knowledge. Missionaries often serve as teachers or doctors or nurses or builders because these professions carry the power of knowledge to help people.
Rosalie Macgeorge’s main superpower was teaching English. She was also gifted in working with children. But on one occasion she saved a child from a snake bite through her quick thinking and practical first aid.
Sometimes when I’m at the supermarket buying groceries, I get an electric shock picking canned goods off the shelf. Not sure why that is. I guess there’s some power that needs to be earthed and I’m effectively the earth wire. Happens on trampolines too.
If power is not earthed with a low resistance wire, the one touching the power source is vulnerable to getting a shock. In order for power to be safe it needs to be earthed.
Jesus’ approach was very down to earth. Jesus’ instructions to his disciples, in verses 8-10, provide an earth. They keep the disciples’ feet on the ground…
“Don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick—no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in your pockets. 9 Wear sandals, but don’t carry an extra shirt.” 10 He also said, “Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place.
Jesus is basically telling his disciples to travel light. Take only what you need and rely on the hospitality of strangers. This is not a rule to be followed for all time irrespective of the circumstances. No. These are specific instructions for a specific situation. This is a short term mission trip in a cultural context quite different from our own. Later, in the gospels Jesus tells his disciples to kit up and be self-reliant because people are not going to be friendly to them. [1]
Thinking of the context of Mark 6, in that culture it was not the responsibility of the travelers to find their own accommodation, like it is today. Rather, it was the responsibility of the village to find accommodation for the visitor. If the village failed to provide hospitality to those in need, then it brought shame on the people in that village.
Nevertheless, there is a certain powerlessness or vulnerability to Jesus’ approach here. The disciples are being sent out into the world without any money or food or motel bookings.
Jesus wants his disciples to trust themselves to God and to the goodness of those they visit. In this way they are showing faith in humanity. Or said another way, they are modelling the example they want others to follow. Jesus wants people to respond to him and his message with openness and trust.
The disciples are to stay in the same house until they leave. This is about showing respect to the host and not dishonouring them by leaving if you get a better offer.
Living with the locals also helped the missionary disciples to get to know the people of that place and their ways. There is nothing like living with real people (as opposed to staying in a hotel) to keep one earthed and grounded.
Rosalie Macgeorge took a similar approach during her time as a missionary in India. She chose to live with a Hindu family and earned her keep by teaching some of them English and other subjects. This enabled her to understand the culture more.
The word vulnerability is interesting. It derives from the Latin word vulnus which means wound. To be vulnerable is to leave oneself open to injury. It may also mean letting people see our wounds. When you let people see your wounds (your vulnerability) this helps to create trust.
Of course, being vulnerable requires some wisdom. You don’t make yourself vulnerable to everyone and showing people your wounds is not normally the first thing you do in building a relationship. Share, don’t scare.
Again, Rosalie Macgeorge’s story is instructive. Rosalie’s witness was most powerful when she was vulnerable with an illness and living with a Hindu family. One evening a small boy peered into Rosalie’s room and saw her praying to her God. When Rosalie asked her house owner for some goat’s milk she carefully checked that the woman’s child would not receive less milk because of her. The boy saw this and later, as a grown man, became a Christian.
Henri Nouwen used to talk about the followers of Jesus being wounded healers.
Nouwen writes: “The great illusion of leadership is to think that humanity can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there.” When people have seen the scars you got from being in the desert, but also that you survived and found a way out, that speaks volumes.
If we try to separate vulnerability from power, it doesn’t usually end well. Straight after this account of Jesus empowering his disciples and sending them out in vulnerability we read the account of king Herod killing John the Baptist.
Herod had power but he wasn’t prepared to be vulnerable, at least not in the right way. Sadly, as a consequence, John lost his head.
Conclusion:
What is your superpower? What special gift has Jesus shared with you to help others? And what is your vulnerability? What is the wound that keeps you earthed (grounded) so that others don’t get a shock when they touch your power?
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?
Have you had an experience of being rejected (perhaps because of your faith)? What happened? How did you feel? How did you respond? Would you do anything differently? How did God expand (or bring good out of) that experience?
Why did Jesus instruct his disciples not to take money or food or an extra coat?
If you could choose a superpower, what would it be? Why? What power (or special ability/gift) has God given you? How can (or do) you use this power?
What is your point of vulnerability? What is the wound that keeps you earthed so that others don’t get a shock when they touch your power?
When is it appropriate to make oneself vulnerable? When is it not appropriate?
Today’s message touches on two both/ands of Jesus’ mission. What other both/ands can you see in these verses?
Some things in life are both/and, while other things are either/or. Some things go together and other things don’t.
For example: bread and butter, love and marriage, worship and sacrifice, breathing and singing, creativity and mess. These sorts of things are both/and, they go together.
Then there are those things which are either/or, things that should never really be put together.
Like ice-cream and vegemite, drinking and driving, children and violence, fasting and feasting, love and apathy. These sorts of things are either/or, they don’t go together.
Today marks the second week of the annual Tranzsend prayer and self-denial campaign. Tranzsend is the sending and resourcing arm of the New Zealand Baptist missionary society. Next week, on the 28 March, we plan to collect a special offering to support the work of New Zealand Baptist missionaries.
Please turn with me to Mark chapter 2, verse 18, page 47 near the back of your pew Bibles. For the three Sundays of the self-denial campaign we plan to look at different aspects of Jesus’ mission from the gospel of Mark. Last Sunday we heard about 24 hours in Jesus’ mission, from Mark 1, where Jesus spent a day communicating and caring for people as well as communing with God.
In this morning’s passage we read about the newness Jesus brings. The new way of Jesus is an either/or thing (not both/and). The newness Jesus brings cannot be mixed with the old ways. From Mark 2, verse 18, we read…
18 On one occasion the followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and asked him, “Why is it that the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?”
19 Jesus answered, “Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that. 20 But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
21 “No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch up an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear off some of the old cloth, making an even bigger hole. 22 Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.”
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
Mark chapter 2 deals with a series of controversies and criticisms Jesus faced as he went about his mission. At the beginning of chapter 2 Jesus is criticized for forgiving a man’s sins. Then he calls Levi (a tax collector) to be one of his disciples and is criticized for eating with sinners and outcasts. In today’s reading Jesus’ disciples get some flack for not fasting. And in the verses that follow Jesus’ disciples are criticized for plucking a handful of grain on the Sabbath.
Clearly Jesus’ approach to life and mission was different to that of his contemporaries. Jesus’ way did not fit with the traditional approach of that time. Jesus’ response is not to criticize the old traditional way. Rather, Jesus defends his disciples by affirming the new way.
In the passage we just read, Jesus offers three parables or metaphors to make the point that his new way cannot be mixed with the old way. You don’t mix sadness with a wedding. You don’t patch an old garment with new cloth and you don’t put new wine into old wineskins. Each of these things is either/or.
This is not to say that the old should be done away with completely. It just doesn’t work to mix the two, that’s all.
Fasting v feasting:
We have had three weddings in the church so far this year. Weddings are a time for joy. In fact, the person who officiates at a wedding is called a marriage celebrant, from the word celebration. That’s because a wedding ceremony is a celebration of love and commitment and family.
Even though the first meal after a couple are married is usually dinner, it is called a breakfast because a wedding marks a new beginning, a new day and indeed a new covenant.
In the first of our three metaphors today, Jesus responds to the question of why his disciples do not fast. To fast, in this context, means to go without food. The Jewish Law only required people to fast one day in a year, on the day of atonement. [1] But over the centuries some of those who were more zealous or strict had volunteered to fast two days a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. This kind of fast was not for 24 hours, it was just during the daytime.
The purpose of their fast was to express mourning over Israel’s sins and grief over the fact that the longed for salvation of Israel (predicted by the prophets) had not appeared. [2] The fasts were a protest, a call to repentance.
“The Pharisees had assumed that the way to hasten and prepare for the coming of the new age was through stricter adherence to the Old Covenant. They did not seem to see that the coming of the new age was a gift of God’s grace.” [3]
In verse 19 Jesus says: “Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that.”
In this little parable Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom and his disciples as the guests. Jesus’ coming, his work on earth, is like a wedding in that it celebrates God’s love. It marks the beginning of something new, a new day, a new family and a new covenant. In and through Jesus, the promise of salvation (predicted by the prophets) is fulfilled.
Jesus’ appearance was cause for celebration, not cause for sadness. Feasting was a more appropriate response to Jesus’ coming than fasting. The meals the disciples enjoyed with Jesus were like a foreshadowing of the future heavenly banquet.
We might not think anything of it and perhaps it went over the heads of Jesus’ questioners at the time, but it was quite a thing for Jesus to refer to himself as ‘the bridegroom’. This is a title used of the Lord God (Yahweh) in the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus was aligning himself very closely with God here.
The other thing that is a bit shocking are Jesus’ words in verse 20…
But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Normally the wedding guests leave when the party is over and the groom gets on with married life. But in this scenario the groom is taken away from the wedding celebration by force. There is a strong hint of violence here. Jesus is anticipating his arrest, suffering and death.
The point with the wedding parable is that Jesus’ coming is a time for feasting, not fasting. It is a time for gladness, not sadness. A time for celebration, not mourning. So the disciples’ behaviour is entirely appropriate to the occasion. In fact, it would be rude and offensive if Jesus’ disciples did fast while he was still with them.
After having answered the question about fasting, Jesus then goes on to tell two more parables which address the bigger issue of the relationship between Jewish ceremonial practice and the arrival of the kingdom of God. [4]
Fixed or flexible:
If you have ever had a flat battery in your car, then you may have used jumper leads to get your car going again. The trick with jumper leads is to match the positive terminal on the donor battery to the positive terminal on the receiving battery.
Likewise, the negative terminal on one battery needs to be matched to the negative terminal on the other battery. So you match like to like. Positive to positive and negative to negative. Don’t get your wires crossed or sparks will fly.
In verse 21 Jesus says: “No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch up an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear off some of the old cloth, making an even bigger hole.
The old coat would have done its shrinking but the new cloth still had flexibility in it. Why waste new cloth on an old coat? Just as you do with jumper leads and car batteries, match like with like. Old to old. New to new.
I have here in my hand a rubber band. In its relaxed state it is about 6 or 7 cm’s long. How far do you think I can stretch this rubber band? Anyone want to take a punt?
Who thinks 10 centimeters?
What about 20 centimeters?
Any takers for 30 centimeters or more?
Well, let’s find out. Don’t try this at home by the way.
[Stretch the rubber band as far as it will go]
That stretched probably about 35 centimeters I reckon.
In verse 22 Jesus gives another pithy little parable which is related to the one before it. Jesus says: “Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.”
The wineskin parable needs a bit of explanation. Back in the day people did not store their wine in glass bottles. They stored it in leather animal skins that had been sewn together. You had to put new wine into new wineskins because the new wine gave off gas as it fermented and the gas caused the wineskin to stretch and expand.
If the wineskin was old, it had already stretched and had no give left in it, like our rubber band at full extension. New wine which was still fermenting would burst the old wine skin and both would be ruined. New wine needed a fresh skin which was supple and flexible and still had some stretch in it.
In both the parable of the cloth and the wineskin, the old coat and the old wineskin are fixed, while the new cloth and the new wineskin are flexible.
The new wine and new cloth that Jesus brings require a certain flexibility or elasticity of mind.
To translate this into the context of the first century, Jesus was basically saying: the old things of the Jewish ceremonial law (things like animal sacrifice, clean and unclean foods and male circumcision), no longer fitted with the new covenant and the new day that Jesus was ushering in.
Jesus was doing something new which could not be patched on to the old traditions. If we attempt to put the new wine of Jesus’ teaching into the old wineskin of Jewish ceremonial law, it just won’t work.
This is not to imply that Jesus came to do away with the law. No. Jesus came to fulfill the law of Moses. So, if the baby is the moral law and the bath water is the ceremonial law, then we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. We still need to obey God’s moral law.
Faith is still what saves and God still looks for faithfulness. But the new wine of righteousness that Jesus calls for is greater than the old righteousness of the law.
If you were here a couple of weeks ago you might remember the story of Rosalie Macgeorge, New Zealand’s first Baptist missionary. I imagine it took some real flexibility and elasticity of mind for the church of the 1880’s to send a woman as a missionary from New Zealand to India.
Indeed, Rosalie herself stretched things on occasion by refusing a salary and by publicly saying, at a missionary conference of Baptists in Bengal, that if a missionary was convinced of trying a new method from the others, she should be allowed to move to a branch station and do so.
Christian missionaries can never afford to be too rigid or fixed in their ways. Missionaries are often required to be flexible and adapt to the changing environment they find themselves in.
Ritual v renewal:
So far this morning we have talked about the either/or dichotomy between fasting and feasting, and between being fixed and being flexible. Today’s Scripture reading also touches on the relationship between ritual and renewal.
Ritual and renewal is not always a hard and fast dichotomy. It is not necessarily either/or. Ritual often provides a helpful transition to renewal.
Rituals tend to be external, physical type things like fasting. Giving up something during Lent can be helpful to your faith. It can help you to identify with Jesus and his suffering. But when Easter Sunday comes and Lent finishes you can stop the ritual of fasting.
Communion is another ritual for Christians. Communion helps to reminds us of Jesus’ presence. But when the Kingdom of God is realised in its fullness there won’t be the need for the ritual of communion because we will have the reality of Jesus’ presence.
Not all rituals are religious though. Scanning QR codes has become something of a public health ritual for us over the past year. As long as COVID is a threat, we need to keep up the ritual of scanning QR codes. But one day, when we have immunity and COVID is no longer a threat, we will hopefully be able to do away with the ritual of scanning.
Rituals serve a good purpose for a period of time but they are not an end in themselves. Rituals point to a reality beyond themselves, the reality of renewal.
Last year our national leader, Charles and some others came up with this descriptor of the Baptist churches of New Zealand…
“We are a collective of faith communities bringing gospel renewal to people and places within our local neighbourhoods.”
This statement describes who we are and what we are about. The part in the middle there, about bringing gospel renewal to people and places, seems to be a pretty good description of Jesus’ mission.
Gospel is a word that simply means ‘good news’. The gospel also refers to the first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) which tell of Jesus’ earthly mission.
When we read the gospels we get a picture of Jesus bringing the good news of renewal to people and places wherever he went. Jesus came to make all things new. Gospel renewal happens in all sorts of ways, through Jesus’ work of healing and setting free people free and forgiveness and restorative justice and so on.
There is a wonderful scene in the movie Forrest Gump, where a young Forrest is running away from some bullies. The doctor had prescribed special braces (or calipers) for Forrest’s legs. These braces were helpful for a while. They made his legs and back stronger. But there came a point when they actually got in the way.
In the scene from the movie, Forrest is making slow progress in the leg braces, trying to get away from his tormentors. It was an either/or scenario. Either, Forrest kept the leg braces on and got overtaken and beaten up. Or, he got rid of the braces and outran the kids chasing him.
As Forrest stretches out his legs and begins to run faster, the steel braces fall apart and Forrest is running free. (‘Run Forrest, run’.) Forrest doesn’t need the braces after that.
The rituals of the Jewish ceremonial law, like fasting and animal sacrifice and observing special holy days and only eating kosher food, were like Forrest’s braces on the legs of Israel. They were necessary for a time. They provided strength and support. But there came a point in God’s plan of salvation when they got in the way. Jesus’ coming brought renewal so that his disciples could run free.
In Acts 10 we read how God gave the apostle Peter a vision of all kinds of ritually unclean foods with a voice from heaven saying, ‘Get up Peter; kill and eat.’ At first Peter resisted the idea. ‘Certainly not Lord! I have never eaten anything ritually unclean or defiled.’ But Peter received this vision three times.
Then some men came knocking, asking Peter to come with them to the home of a Gentile called Cornelius. Normally Jews would not eat with Gentiles because it made them ceremonially unclean and they couldn’t participate in worship. But the vision he received unshackled Peter from the leg braces of ceremonial ritual, so he was free to preach the good news about Jesus to the Gentiles.
Sometimes the work of mission requires us to move beyond our set rituals in order to find and bring renewal. It’s not that rituals are bad. They are good up to a point. But, if Jesus is going to use us to bring gospel renewal, we need to have some flexibility.
Now when I say, we need some flexibility, I am talking about backbone flexibility, as opposed to being a jelly fish or a brick wall. In the process of bringing gospel renewal there are some things we should not compromise on. We can be flexible with rituals up to a point but moral stuff is not negotiable.
The gospel renewal that Jesus brings is a renewal of the heart. A renewal from the inside out. Jesus’ new way is less concerned with the externals of relating with God and more concerned with one’s heart attitude to God and neighbour.
Or to put it other terms, with Jesus’ new way, character is more important than ritual. Quality of relationship is more important than the number of activities or programmes we are involved in.
God longs for a heart that celebrates his presence by responding to him and caring for others. [5] That’s the kind of gospel renewal that Jesus brings. It is the sort of work our Tranzsend missionaries are involved in and it is the sort of work that Jesus calls the local church to be involved in too.
Conclusion:
One last thing to say. Gospel renewal, and in particular the renewal of the human heart, is often a long and painful experience. We need to trust ourselves to God’s Spirit and we need to have grace for ourselves in the process.
May the Spirit of Jesus help us to walk in freedom and in righteousness.
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 is the main point of Jesus’ three metaphors (or parables) in Mark 2:18-22?
Why does Jesus use the image of a wedding feast to describe his coming and mission? (What does this image show us about Jesus’ mission?)
What do the twin parables of the cloth and wineskins show us about the relationship between Jesus’ new way and the old ways of the Jewish ceremonial law?
Discuss / reflect on the relationship between ritual and renewal. What rituals do you practice? Are these helpful to you? When is it better for ritual to give way to renewal?
What might ‘gospel renewal’ look like in your life, in your home and in your neighbourhood?
There are 24 hours in a day. That’s 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds.
How do you spend that time?
The answer will differ from person to person and from day to day of course but if we say the average person works 8 hours, sleeps for 8 hours, spends about 2 hours eating & drinking, around 2 hours shopping or doing housework, maybe 30 minutes to an hour on personal care (depending how long you take in the shower and how many times you have to go to the toilet), and say 30 minutes to an hour travelling places. Then that leaves maybe 2-3 hours of spare time. The remains of the day.
Today marks the beginning of the annual Tranzsend prayer and self-denial campaign. Tranzsend is the sending and resourcing arm of the New Zealand Baptist missionary society. In two weeks’ time, on the 28 March, we plan to collect a special offering to support the work of New Zealand Baptist missionaries. On the table in the foyer are some A5 sized brochures explaining a little about Tranzsend, with a detachable bookmark to remind us to pray for our mission workers. You are welcome to take one per household after the service.
Please turn with me to Mark chapter 1, verse 21, page 45 near the back of your pew Bibles. For the three Sundays of the self-denial campaign we plan to look at different aspects of Jesus’ mission from the gospel of Mark. In this morning’s message we read how Jesus spent 24 hours, one day, near the beginning of his ministry. From Mark 1, verse 21, we read…
21 Jesus and his disciples came to the town of Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn’t like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority.
23 Just then a man with an evil spirit in him came into the synagogue and screamed, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are—you are God’s holy messenger!”
25 Jesus ordered the spirit, “Be quiet, and come out of the man!”
26 The evil spirit shook the man hard, gave a loud scream, and came out of him. 27 The people were all so amazed that they started saying to one another, “What is this? Is it some kind of new teaching? This man has authority to give orders to the evil spirits, and they obey him!”
28 And so the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the province of Galilee.
29 Jesus and his disciples, including James and John, left the synagogue and went straight to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and as soon as Jesus arrived, he was told about her. 31 He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to wait on them.
32 After the sun had set and evening had come, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had demons. 33 All the people of the town gathered in front of the house. 34 Jesus healed many who were sick with all kinds of diseases and drove out many demons. He would not let the demons say anything, because they knew who he was.
35 Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of the town to a lonely place, where he prayed. 36 But Simon and his companions went out searching for him, 37 and when they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38 But Jesus answered, “We must go on to the other villages around here. I have to preach in them also, because that is why I came.”
39 So he travelled all over Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
I’m not sure this was a typical day for Jesus but it was certainly a full day. At a guess he might have spent about 6 hours communicating with people, maybe 6 hours caring for people and probably around 6 hours communing with God. Which left him with roughly 6 hours for everything else, like eating, sleeping, walking, washing and toileting.
It’s impossible to be certain about these numbers but what we do know for sure is there was no screen time in Jesus’ day.
I don’t hold this pattern up as an example for us to follow necessarily. Most days we should be aiming for more than 3 or 4 hours sleep. If you tried to follow Jesus’ example in Mark 1 every day you would soon burn out.
The point is, Jesus’ mission appears to have consisted of three main things: communicating with people, caring for people and communing with God. First let us consider Jesus’ communication. Jesus communicated with confidence.
Communicating with confidence:
When I pack the car to go away on holiday I always put the larger, less flexible, items in first. So the suitcases and chilli bin go in before anything else. If I can get the suitcases in, then I have confidence I can fit everything else in as well. Shoes and sleeping bags and raincoats and miscellaneous stuff like that can squeeze in the corners and gaps.
Communicating is like packing a car. Some topics are more important than others and if they are left unsaid that’s like leaving the suitcase of essential items behind. But once you have said the big stuff, the stuff that is weighing heavy on your mind, then you can have confidence that the other things will fit as well. The less bulky topics of conversation can be fitted in around the main suitcases.
There may be something important your family needs to discuss. You don’t try talking about those big issues when you are in a rush trying to get everyone off to school in the morning. You wait until a time when you can all sit down together, around the table at dinner, to talk things through in an unhurried way.
By the same token there are often little gaps in the day when you are walking or driving somewhere and are able to say something small but significant. How was your day at school? How was that meeting at work? Do we need milk? Life has felt quite full lately. Shall we try and get away this weekend?
I remember the day Robyn and I were married. We were being driven by a friend of my grandfather’s, Mr Ken Pike. Ken was a lovely guy and he used the time to make conversation with us. One of the things he said was, ‘Never let the sun go down on an argument.’ In other words, make it a priority to communicate. Don’t let the seed of bitterness or resentment take hold.
A big part of Jesus’ mission was to deliver a message; a suitcase of ideas if you like. He needed to make sure that packing that suit case in the boot of people’s minds was his priority.
I estimated before that about 6 hours of Jesus’ day was spent communicating. Some of that would have been formal public speaking, when Jesus preached in the synagogue in the morning. That was like the suitcase that he had to get in first.
But much of the communication would have been informal personal conversations with people, perhaps while he was walking to and from the synagogue or while he was having lunch at Simon & Andrew’s place.
Some of those informal conversations would have been significant but Jesus had to get the suitcase of preaching & teaching in first. His suitcase of ideas set the agenda for the little conversations that squeezed in the gaps of the day. Indeed, Jesus’ suitcase of teaching has set the agenda for the past 2000 years.
Today’s Scripture passage doesn’t tell us exactly what the content of Jesus’ preaching and conversation was but we get an idea from reading all four gospels. Probably it was about the Kingdom of God, the centrality of love, the dynamic between repentance and forgiveness, the importance of grace and the need for faith.
At this stage, Mark is more interested in pointing out that Jesus communicated and taught with authority. I take this to mean that Jesus spoke with confidence. Jesus’ words were original, they were his own words and ideas, and not someone else’s. More than that though, Jesus’ words had the ring of truth. They were not light weight. They had a substance and meaning that resonated in people’s hearts, minds and experience. Jesus’ words carried an eternal significance.
Verse 22 says that people were amazed at the way Jesus taught. Unfortunately, amazement is not really an adequate response. The obedience of faith is a better response to Jesus. In other words, we need to move beyond amazement to trust. The kind of trust that is willing to put Jesus’ words into action. When we do that, understanding follows. Not just understanding what Jesus’ words mean but understanding who Jesus is.
Last week we heard the story of Rosalie Macgeorge, the first New Zealand Baptist missionary. Rosalie left New Zealand in 1886 to reach women in Bengal. Most of her mission work centred around communication. She spent her first two years learning the language and most of the next two and half years talking to women and children about Jesus and the Bible. It was hard graft.
Communicating who Jesus is along with the content of the Christian faith is not easy in our land today. Like Rosalie Macgeorge and other overseas missionaries, we have to learn the language of contemporary New Zealand society. We have to find words and stories that are original and authentic to who we are. Words that relate and resonate with people.
It seems the church has lost something of its authority too. That means we have to build trust and confidence in the gospel by living the message we preach.
Caring with wisdom:
If the message Jesus preached was the suitcase, then Jesus’ wise care for people puts handles on that suitcase. Communicating and caring go together.
In today’s reading from Mark 1 we are told Jesus did two main things to demonstrate his care for people. Jesus cast out demons and he healed the sick. In other words, he cleansed people and made them functional again.
Ironically the demons recognised who Jesus was (the Holy One of God) but Jesus silenced them. Jesus did not give the demons an audience. It is not for evil spiritual beings to dictate the agenda.
People these days, people like us in the Western world, are heavily influenced by a materialistic mind-set. We find it difficult to accept anything non-material or non-physical. The fact remains there is a spiritual realm all around us which we don’t see but which is nevertheless very real. Christian mission is engagement in a spiritual war.
It’s not that Jesus or his followers go out looking for a fight. Rather, when one proclaims truth and does good, evil reacts in a defensive way. As Bono says: ‘Darkness gathers around the light’.
Once again Mark emphasises Jesus’ authority. After seeing Jesus cast out a demon the people in the synagogue remark how even the evil spirits obey Jesus.
Following the morning synagogue service (which was sort of like Jewish church) Jesus goes to Simon and Andrew’s house for lunch. As soon as he arrives Jesus is told that Simon’s mother-in-law is sick in bed with a fever. Without saying a word Jesus takes the woman by the hand and the fever leaves her. In this case Jesus is not casting out a demon, he is healing a physical illness.
The woman responds to Jesus’ care for her by showing care for him and serving them lunch. As is so often the case in the Bible, it is a woman who shows us the right kind of response. We are saved to serve.
After sunset the people of Capernaum brought to Jesus those who were sick or demon possessed and Jesus cleansed and healed them. The people waited until sunset because it had been the Sabbath day, a sacred day of rest, and the Sabbath ended at sunset.
By this stage it was after six at night. I imagine Jesus was quite tired and yet he summoned the energy to care for people where they were at.
A couple of things we note about Jesus’ care for people. Firstly, it was personal or one to one. Jesus did not apply a one size fits all protocol or procedure. He didn’t perform a mass healing. He dealt with people on an individual basis. This means he treated each person according to their need. The man screaming in the synagogue received a different kind of care to Simon’s mother-in-law who had a fever.
Dealing with people on a one to one basis like this is not efficient. It is time consuming. But it also makes the person receiving the care feel particularly loved and special.
The other thing we note is that Jesus’ care for people was wise. Although Mark doesn’t put a great focus on the wisdom of Jesus’ care we know from a wider reading of the gospels that Jesus cared in a wise way, a discerning way.
Jesus had the ability to accurately diagnose the problem at a glance. So his care was wise in that it treated the cause of the issue. We also know that Jesus was careful not to create dependencies. Jesus empowered people to be restored to inter-dependent relationships with others in the community.
The key to caring for people in a wise way is understanding what the individual can and can’t do for themselves. Jesus did not do everything for a person. Jesus’ care addressed the thing that person could not do for themselves. That’s wise. That’s empowering care.
We are not all able to do great things. We might not have the ability to drive out demons or heal people miraculously, like Jesus did, but we do have the capacity to care in practical ways, like Peter’s mother-in-law did when she waited on Jesus. Often it is simple acts of care and concern (small things done with great love) that communicate most powerfully the Christian message that God is love.
You may remember, from last Sunday, the power of Rosalie Macgeorge’s care. How when she asked for some goat’s milk for herself, she made sure the mother would not reduce the small boy’s share of milk. And how this impressed the small boy so much that, as a grown man, he later became a follower of Jesus.
After a full and busy day of communicating with and caring for people, Jesus spends probably the better part of six hours communing with God.
Communing with God:
In the old days of sailing, before satellite navigation and radar technology, sea captains set their course by the stars and by hand drawn maps. If you were heading for a small group of islands in the pacific you had to be pretty accurate with your bearings or you could easily sail right past the very place you needed to stop for water and provisions.
Navigating by the stars meant staying up late at night. We don’t know what time Jesus got to bed that evening. If people didn’t start turning up at Simon’s house until 6pm, then they probably didn’t leave until maybe 10 or 11pm. Verse 35 tells us that Jesus got up very early the next day, long before daylight. If daylight was around 6am then that means Jesus was up in the early hours of the morning, maybe 1 or 2am. That doesn’t leave much time for sleeping.
Verse 35 tells us that Jesus went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed. On this occasion at least, Jesus felt that communing with his heavenly Father was more important than sleep.
We know from reading the other gospels that Jesus often went off by himself to pray and commune with God. However, Mark’s gospel only mentions three occasions. Here at the beginning of his public mission, then in the middle of his ministry (after the feeding of the multitudes), and finally in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before his crucifixion.
Each of these three times marks a significant stage in Jesus’ journey to the cross. On each occasion Jesus needed to keep his perspective and get a bearing (not from the stars) but from God.
Mark chapter 1 describes the beginning of Jesus’ mission and the passage we heard this morning describes one day in particular when Jesus became famous and popular. The risk with popularity and fame is that one can be carried away by the adulation of the crowd and, in the process, lose perspective and direction.
Just as the sea captains of old needed to get up in the middle of the night to navigate by the stars, Jesus needed to spend time communing with God, in prayer, in order to stay on track and not lose his way.
The band Six60 have a song ‘Don’t forget your roots my friend’. It’s about remembering where you come from, who you are and where you belong. It’s about staying on track through life and not losing your way.
Taking time apart to commune with God was Jesus’ way of remembering his roots and his purpose. God the Father is Jesus’ roots and bringing in God’s kingdom (His reign) was Jesus’ purpose.
In order to stay true to God and his mission, Jesus needed to keep moving around preaching the Kingdom of God to other people. He could not allow himself to be side tracked or domesticated by the people of Capernaum. Jesus was not a people pleaser. He was a God pleaser. It made him unpopular and misunderstood at times but it resulted in our salvation.
In some ways this single verse about Jesus going to a lonely place to pray is really frustrating. I want to know how Jesus did it. How did he get close to God? How did he find that intimacy of communing with God? How did Jesus hear God’s voice with such clarity and find his direction? Mark doesn’t give us an answer. Jesus’ communion with God is cloaked in mystery
All we know is that it involves slowing down and setting apart time (a decent amount of quality time) to be with God. Now, in my experience, setting apart sacred time to listen to God does not automatically guarantee that you will hear God speak. Sometimes you hear God clearly and sometimes you don’t.
Whether you hear from God or not, there is still value in making time for him. If nothing else, it restores our perspective and reminds us that we are not in control. God is.
Conclusion:
This morning we have heard about three aspects of Jesus’ mission: communicating the suitcase of God’s message with confidence, caring for people with wisdom and making time to commune with God.
Communicating, caring and communing. These are not three separate things. They are all inter-related and overlapping. Caring for people gives credibility to our communication of the gospel message. And communing with God keeps us faithful to God’s mission and message.
The other thing that needs to be acknowledged is that Jesus is out of our league. Compared to us Jesus is a spiritual superman. He was able to do what he did as an individual but we can’t. We need to take a team approach to mission. We shouldn’t try to do it all on our own.
Whenever someone is baptised I’m conscious of the many people who have contributed to that person’s decision to be baptised. Whenever someone becomes a Christian it is usually because more than one person has cared for them and communicated to them the love and truth of Jesus in different ways.
It is God’s mission and it is our part to be available to serve him as He requires. In order to serve most effectively we need to stay close to God. We need to be still and commune with him.
The musicians will come now and lead us in the song: Be still and know…
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 do you spend your time in an average day?
What was the communication like in your home growing up? What is it like now? Are you happy with your communication? If not, what would you like to change?
How often is Jesus (and his ideas) in your conversation?
In what ways was Jesus’ care wise? Who do you provide care for and how do you do this?
Why did Jesus sacrifice sleep (at the end of a long and tiring day) to commune with God? Why is it important for us to make time to be with God?
Thinking of the three aspects of Jesus’ mission (communication, caring and communing) which do you think you are strong in? Which aspect(s) do you need to develop?
Can anyone tell me when New Zealand held its first general election. [Wait]
That’s right, it was 1853.
Can anyone tell me when the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society (or NZBMS) was founded. [Wait]
That’s right, it was 1885.
Just one year after that, in 1886, the NZBMS sent their first missionary overseas. Her name was Rosalie Macgeorge.
Today is Women’s Sunday, and the beginning of missions’ month. With this in view our message focuses on the story of Rosalie Macgeorge, New Zealand’s first Baptist missionary. But even if it wasn’t women’s day or missions’ month I would still want to tell Rosalie’s story because it is quite incredible really.
The newly founded New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society of the 1880’s had heard of a special need in Bengal. The seclusion of women in zenanas.
A zenana is an Indian term to describe the inner apartments of a house where the women of the family live. Some say a zenana is the Indian sub-continent’s equivalent of a harem. Essentially women in the zenanas were isolated or secluded and therefore not able to hear the Gospel of Christ.
The NZBMS took this need so seriously they were seeking only women missionaries to reach the Indian women in the zenanas.
In August 1886 two women from Hanover Street Baptist Church in Dunedin volunteered to go: A Miss Fulton and a Miss Rosalie Macgeorge. The idea was that the two should work together. This follows Jesus’ practice of sending apostles out in twos. Unfortunately, Miss Fulton pulled out.
I am not sure what motivated Rosalie. I don’t know if she had some mystical experience in which God spoke to her and told her to go. Or whether she simply felt an unction in her spirit. In any case, Rosalie stayed the course.
Leaving New Zealand
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s go back a step. Rosalie was born in Australia, in 1859, the third of nine children. She had seven sisters and one brother. It is thought she probably came to NZ when she was about five.
In her mid-twenties, Rosalie is described as “A young woman of fine appearance, strong character, and deep devotion to her Lord.” She had been baptised 12 years before, had become a church member, served in many departments of church life, and was an able speaker.
Rosalie’s family were respected and active members of the Hanover Street Baptist church. Rosalie herself was held in high esteem also. She was a trained teacher, and had a special love for children — a love and understanding that was demonstrated later in the many letters she wrote to them from India.
Rosalie’s departure was a rush. Her farewell was on the 28th September, 1886, barely a month after she had signed up. Rosalie would travel with English Baptist missionaries, Mr and Mrs Kerry, to Calcutta. Rosalie asked for the prayers of God’s people. She was 27 years old when she left NZ.
The minister, Rev Alfred North, noted that the occasion was unique as Rosalie was the first missionary from the Baptist denomination in New Zealand to go overseas, and the first woman sent by any NZ group for mission work.
Alfred North said something else that proved to be very true: ‘The work which lies before you is exceptionally hard and exhausting.’ He mentioned disappointments, pity, compassion, hope deferred, ignorance, time-consuming language study, separation from loved ones and climate.
In saying these things Rosalie’s pastor was essentially paraphrasing the words of Jesus, that going into the world as his representative would not be easy. That his followers would face many hardships.
The Rev North charged her,
…Go! In the assurance that His presence yields. Go! In simple faith in the power of the Gospel of His love. Go! Your heart over-brimming with love to all on whom His love is set, and for whom His blood was shed. So shall the blessing of the Lord Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, rest upon you for ever.’
The faith of Rosalie Macgeorge was truly remarkable. We need to remember that in 1886 there were no aeroplanes and no internet. One couldn’t skype or text or email or jump on a plane if things got tough. People travelled by boat over the ocean and they sent hand written letters which could take months to arrive.
This wasn’t like a short term mission trip. Once a missionary left they were gone for many years. Rosalie’s family and friends back home did not know if they would see her again (in this life at least).
The other thing to remember is that the 1880’s were not a time in history when women enjoyed equality. Rosalie Macgeorge left NZ six years before women anywhere in the world were given the vote.
Rosalie was an incredibly brave woman with a deep devotion to her Lord. She was walking by faith and not by sight. Like Peter, Rosalie stepped out of the boat to walk on water with Jesus. Unlike Peter though, she did not begin to sink.
Rosalie reached Calcutta in December that same year (1886), so it took her about 2 or 3 months to get to India. Once in Calcutta she travelled to Faridpur to join women on the South Australian mission society while she studied Bengali.
The next month she wrote to the children at her church how a woman who was helping her learn was crying bitterly because her baby had died. Rosalie was deeply distressed that she had no words to tell of Jesus and his love. She was impatient to start work but recognised she must do about two years of study.
There was bookish, classical Bengali but that was a little different from the common spoken language. One time she got her words mixed up and called her teacher a cow. He was not amused. But Rosalie was never content with the books. She insisted on gaining colloquial words, tones and twists of language, even asking local children to correct her. She wanted free conversation style, something many missionaries had missed out on.
Reaching out
By early 1888, after just over a year in India, Rosalie could write, ‘I feel I could do a little in the zenanas if necessary, but it would be blundering work, and would cripple me in the language for the future.’ Rosalie wanted to lay a good foundation before reaching out. She knew the way to build that foundation was by listening and learning, so she kept studying.
Rosalie prepared a short talk to give to the women in the zenanas, carefully correcting her pronunciation. Her joy was great when seven weeks later, she found she was understood by the women in a house. Yay! She was getting somewhere. She visited five houses a week and talked to the women for an hour.
Later in the year Rosalie started a young men’s Bible Class for Hindu boys who were learning English. Rosalie told them, ‘Of course, my motive is to teach you about the Bible, but at the same time you will have the advantages of hearing English spoken and of having your mistakes corrected.’ I like the way Rosalie was up front about her agenda.
The class grew from three to eight, to eleven… Soon the boys were more interested in the Bible than in English. By May two of this class wanted to know more of Jesus and by the end of the year 100 students had been through her class at some point.
In Mark’s gospel Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, saying: “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,or what parable shall we use to describe it?31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
In Christian work we do not despise small beginnings. God can work with small. Rosalie’s English class started with just three boys but it grew. Not only that but the seed of the gospel grew in people’s hearts and minds.
As Mother Teresa said: ‘We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love.’
An Indian Pastor was preaching at a mela (festival) and Rosalie, together with an Australian woman, Miss Newcombe, helped by giving out tracts and singing hymns. Rosalie played on her concertina.
Miss Newcombe told the story of Rosalie saving a little girl’s life. The girl was bitten on the leg by a snake, and her father saw Rosalie walking past and called her to help. ‘Rosalie ran and applied a ligature above the bite, and then sucked out the snake poison. Her quick resourcefulness undoubtedly saved the life of the child, who, within a few days was almost completely well again. [As a consequence] the parents sent two sons to the Sunday School.’
I like this little vignette. It demonstrates how God uses people. Rosalie’s response was very practical. The miracle was in God’s timing, that Rosalie was walking by at just the right moment to help. We notice too, the response of faith by the boy’s father. Rosalie’s action inspired the parents to trust so they sent their sons to Sunday school.
The New Zealand Baptist mission wanted a site of their own from which to work. Dacca (Dhaka) was suggested, but Rosalie wanted somewhere smaller, so they chose the sizeable river port of Narayangunj. The Australians and Rosalie asked the committee in NZ to send them more workers as soon as possible.
This reminds us of Jesus’ words in Matthew 9…
36 When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Rosalie’s sister Lillian offered to come, and soon another woman, Hopestill Pillow, offered as well.
Rosalie started by walking the streets of Narayangunj with a muslin saree over her dress to indicate she wished to identify with the people. Initially she spoke to a few women who were willing to learn to read.
It was tough going, though. Hindus did not mind her Bible teaching but on occasion Muslims asked her, ‘Do you intend to teach that Jesus is the Son of God?’ When she said ‘Yes,’ they said point blank, ‘We don’t want you.’
The men grew noisy and vehement. But Rosalie quietly and bravely held her ground. She said a Bengali hymn or gave out tracts, offered to come into the homes and talk to the women if they invited her. During this tense moment, she asked to be allowed through the crowd and walked away quietly, followed by the children.
Soon she had permission to enter 30 homes weekly where there were about three women in each. Some women listened happily. Some didn’t. Some babies cried too loud for lessons to happen. Some women chattered non-stop. Some asked questions. ‘Why don’t you get married?’ ‘What soap do you use?’ ‘Will you have a smoke?’ ‘What did you eat for breakfast?’ ‘How do you twist your hair up?’ ‘Let us see the colour of your feet.’ ‘How much money does the government pay you?’ [The government didn’t pay her anything of course.]
Sometimes we can romanticise the work of ministry and mission. While good things do happen it does not always feel meaningful. Missionaries are not immune from frustration. It was hard work for Rosalie, especially with the language difficulties, but some women were also interested in the Bible stories. Children loved Rosalie and she loved them and taught them songs that helped them remember her lessons.
We are reminded of Jesus’ parable of the four soils in Mark 4, where Jesus says,
3 “Listen! 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, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
The seed is the gospel of Christ and the soil is the human heart.
Difficulties
Sadly, Miss Newcombe became unwell and in 1889 doctors told her to return to Australia and not to return to Bengal. This was a big blow to Rosalie, who longed for and needed a fellow-worker.
Rosalie’s health had been good but in April 1889 she became unwell and was sent to the cool of the hills, in Darjeeling, for some respite. In June she returned to Narayangunj feeling much better, but was promptly dragged down in health and by July was unwell again.
On top of all this Rosalie was beginning to feel affected by the loneliness. She had been expecting her sister, Lillian, to set out for India but Lillian was given a negative health report and told to stay in New Zealand. Hope deferred.
Remaining in India was becoming more difficult. No land had been bought for the NZ mission base and no decision made. But Narayangunj itself added to Rosalie’s difficulties. Her biographer notes that ‘The sights and sounds appalled her, the smells, the poor hygiene, the lot of women, the plight of the widows, the sad little child-wives, the rudeness and discourtesy of the men, the poverty, the disease, and the godlessness of the English residents, the idolatry… She was never free of it and she had no one to share it with.’
This is the experience of exile.
Still, there were some good things. There was a woman who, in great discouragement, turned to Jesus for help and continued to pray. Another, at the end of Rosalie’s long day visiting homes, who said she believed in Jesus Christ and her husband had concluded the Bible was a true book. Rosalie now had some new converts to nurture.
During 1889 Rosalie worried the NZBMS committee back in New Zealand by refusing to accept a personal salary. They tried to dissuade her, fearing she may no longer obey them if not in their pay.
But Rosalie had prayed about it and was determined. She believed God would bless a simple life of trust. She felt receiving a salary compromised people’s view of her, making them think she was a government agent. And she wanted to free up mission funds to support others.
So instead she lived with a Hindu family and earned her keep by teaching some of them English and other subjects. This would also enable her to understand the culture more.
The apostle Paul took a similar approach. Paul was a tent maker by trade and, at times, he supported himself financially by doing that. Better to give than to receive, I suppose. But Paul didn’t always refuse financial help. There were times when he did have the grace to receive.
The Baptist Assembly in New Zealand made a resolution that they were highly satisfied with Rosalie’s usefulness, her devotion and success but regrets that she does not accept her salary and hopes there may be no cause for divergence between them.
Rosalie wrote and delivered a ‘paper’ at a missionary conference of Baptists in Bengal to the effect that if a missionary was convinced of trying a new method from the others, she should be allowed to move to a branch station and do so.
At this time the NZBMS enlisted the help of Baptist missionaries of Australia and the UK to try to settle on a place for a New Zealand mission site. They chose against Narayangunj (which was prone to flooding), and got Rosalie to move to Comilla, to the south-east.
They then considered Pabna at the request of the Australians, but eventually, with Rosalie’s encouragement, they chose Brahmanbaria. Rosalie was caught up in this stressful indecision.
Rosalie moved to the town of Muradnagar and told schoolboys she would like to meet their mothers. This worked. A Hindu man invited her to stay in a bamboo hut on their family grounds.
It turned out he had given up worshiping idols, forbidding his wife and children to do so as well, and wanted to learn about Christ and God from Miss Macgeorge. Rosalie enjoyed her 10 days there, so many people wanted her to teach them.
About this time Rosalie again became ill. She stayed in her hut and one evening a small boy peered in and saw her pray to her God. When she asked her house owner for some goat’s milk she carefully checked that the woman’s child would not receive less milk because of her. Small things done with great love.
Two new companions and an experienced middle-aged couple arrived from New Zealand to work with Rosalie. Wonderful! Miss Hopestill Pillow worked with her for a while and then went to Faridpur to concentrate on language study. The next was Miss Bacon, also going to Faridpur. This was a relief to Rosalie, who had spent so much time alone.
In January 1891 Rosalie wrote home that she was well and strong again and ready for another year’s work. However, at a routine doctor’s visit, she was told to return to New Zealand immediately. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
A dispirited and unhappy Rosalie left East Bengal to go home via Calcutta and Sri Lanka (which was then called Ceylon). Old friends, the Carters, met her in Ceylon, finding her ill with a fever, and immediately arranged a stay inland.
Even though Rosalie was attended by a skilled doctor she passed away six days later on 12 April 1891. She was 31 years old. (Women had still not been given the vote.)
Missionaries and Tamil Christians sang as they carried her to her resting place in the garden town of Kandy. In four and half years of missionary service Rosalie had, with devotion and zeal, forged a pathway for others while winning a number of converts.
Conclusion
But Rosalie’s story doesn’t end there. Many years later a man asked at a nearby mission station to be baptised. The pastor enquired as to how he was converted. He said he was the small boy that Rosalie had been concerned about. At Rosalie’s request, his mother had pledged not to decrease his milk. He had been deeply impressed by this, and by Rosalie’s piety, unselfishness and gentleness. So years later he had searched for and found Rosalie’s Saviour.
In John 12, Jesus says…
24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep itfor eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will be also.My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Not everyone is called to overseas mission, as Rosalie Macgeorge was. Some are called to serve God in the home, others in the work place and others in the local church. Where has God called you to serve Him?
Sources
Summarised from ‘Rosalie Macgeorge—Missionary Pioneer’, by R.J. Mardle, a Paper of New Zealand Baptist Historical Society, published November 1960.
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 do you feel hearing/reading Rosalie Macgeorge’s story?
Indian women in the zenanas were secluded and not able to hear the gospel of Christ. Who do you know who has not heard the gospel?
Not everyone is called to overseas mission. Some are called to serve God in the home, others in the work place and others in the local church. Where has God called you to serve Him?
Discuss (or reflect on) Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed in Mark 4:30-32. What small thing can you do with great love?
Discuss (or reflect on) Jesus’ parable of the four soils in Mark 4:3-8. How does this fit with your experience of being a Christian and sharing the gospel?
Today we conclude our series in the New Testament letter of first Peter, focusing on chapter 5, verses 6-14.
When I started this series back in the middle of August last year, I thought this is a relatively short letter, just five chapters. It shouldn’t take too long.
I didn’t quite appreciate how much Peter was able to say in so few words. Peter’s letter is like Dr Who’s Tardis; it is a lot bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside. Excluding the holidays, it has taken 19 weeks to work through. But that is God’s word for you, generous and full of hidden gems.
From 1st Peter chapter 5, verses 6-14, we read…
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
The main metaphor Peter has used in his letter, to describe Christian believers, is that of the Jewish exile. In many ways the Christians of the first century were like exiles or resident aliens in a foreign land. As God’s people they were a marginalized minority. They were not in a position of political strength and were vulnerable to the pressure to conform to the pagan way of life around them. In that context it would have been very easy for Peter’s readers to lose faith in God and be assimilated into the cultural soup they found themselves in.
These Christian believers needed to remain very clear about their identity and their future hope, when God would restore them. They needed to stand their ground, without resorting to violence, and without compromising who they are.
While the church in New Zealand today does not have it as hard as the church of the first century in Asia Minor, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold to Christian faith and values. We need to resist being assimilated into the prevailing culture. More than ever we need to be clear about who we are and whose we are.
With this in mind, Peter closes his letter with three pieces of encouragement for those who, because of their faith in Jesus, feel like exiles in a foreign land:
Cast off your anxiety, stand firm in the faith and know that you are not alone.
Cast off anxiety:
Have you ever been swimming in jeans? I don’t recommend it. Swimming in heavy clothes that cling to you is hard work and quite dangerous. You tire more quickly and tend to be dragged under more easily.
Maybe you haven’t swum in jeans but you might have been caught in a surf rip. They say the best thing to do when you are caught in a rip is to not fight it but go with it. Then swim to the side before coming back to shore.
In verse 7 Peter says: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
This verse is talking about giving your worry to God rather than stressing out by trying to handle everything yourself.
In some ways anxiety is like trying to swim in jeans – it tires you out and drags you down. The best thing is to cast off the denim of your anxious thoughts before you go swimming. You might do this in prayer, by talking to God and asking him to deal with whatever problem is bothering you.
You might say, for example, ‘Lord, this issue feels too big for me to handle myself. I am looking to you for help. You know all things and you know what is best in this situation. I put it in your hands. Show me what part you want me to take responsibility for and what part I need to let go of.’
Often the next day, after you have prayed about it and slept on it, your perspective returns and the path forward becomes clear. God has a mysterious way of providing a remedy which we usually only see in the rear vision mirror.
Of course, as anyone who has struggled with anxiety will tell you, it’s not always as simple as saying a prayer. After giving our worries to God we might feel a compulsion to take them straight back again.
And so sometimes, anxiety can be like getting caught in a rip. You don’t feel in control and the harder you fight against it the worse it seems to get. The more you try not to think about the thing that is stressing you out the more anxious you become.
If that happens one strategy is to distract yourself by doing something completely different for a while, something you enjoy. In this way you conserve your energy until the fear passes and you can find your way back to solid ground.
You need not wait until you are in the rip tide of anxiety though. It is good practice to have built in routines in your day and week which create circuit breakers for anxiety. The Sabbath (a day of rest) is actually a God given circuit breaker but you may do other things in between as well.
What is your circuit breaker? What is that thing you can do which disrupts the holding pattern of anxious thoughts? It needs to be something quite different from your regular job, something which gives your mind a rest from focusing on the stresses and strains of life? Maybe its gardening or wood working or baking or beekeeping or kitesurfing or music or sewing or something else. Work it into the rhythm and routine of your life. In this way you will find it a bit easier to cast your anxiety on God.
Now I need to point out that casting your anxiety on God is not the same thing as throwing caution to the wind. Casting off anxiety is not a roll of the dice. No. In casting off anxiety we are still holding onto our responsibility.
Peter was a fisherman and with fishing there are no guarantees. Some things are outside of your control. You can’t control the weather, for example, or where the fish are going to be. But you can look after your equipment so that when the weather is right and the fish are teeming, your net doesn’t break and your boat doesn’t sink.
The point is, we take responsibility for those things we can control and we leave the rest to God. We trust God with the outcome knowing that he cares for us. Doing that enables us to stay calm and think more clearly.
Cast off your anxiety but hold on to your responsibility. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. You can get rid of the dirty bath water of anxiety. But you have a responsibility to take care of the baby.
One thing that creates anxiety for many people is imagining what other people think of them. But what other people think is outside of your control.
When you are a child you go through life blissfully unaware that other people may have a perception of you that is different from your perception of yourself. But when you go through adolescence your brain becomes aware that other people see you differently from the way you see yourself. This can be difficult to come to terms with and may be one reason why teenagers can be quite sensitive at times.
If you are a teenager and you struggle with angst and social anxiety, then take heart. Those intense feelings won’t last forever. As you get older you tend to be less concerned about what other people think.
As Christians we need to be more concerned with God’s opinion of us than anyone else’s opinion. This is what we call ‘the fear of the Lord’. Fear of the Lord releases us from the fear of people.
Early Christians could not afford to care too much about what others thought of them. First century society generally looked down on Christians and said things about them that were untrue and unkind. The average believer was routinely prejudged, misunderstood and humiliated by the words of their neighbours. And it hurt. A humble, lowly status was forced on Christians whether they liked it or not.
It is no accident that Peter’s exhortation to cast your anxiety on God comes straight after the part where says, Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. It can make us anxious to suffer insult and humiliation. To humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand is to leave your reputation with God. Let him vindicate you in due time. Your responsibility is to manage yourself with a clear conscience.
Okay, so that’s the first thing: cast your anxiety on him who cares for you.
Peter’s next encouragement is to stand firm in the faith.
Stand firm:
One thing they say to every soldier is, ‘Look after your feet’. Your feet are like the foundation of your physical body. When the foundation is sound you can stand your ground.
From verse 8 Peter writes…
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith,
This is the only time in his letter that Peter talks about the devil. Peter doesn’t give the devil much attention and so we should probably take our cue from that and follow Peter’s example.
Suffice to say the term ‘devil’ means slanderer or accuser. This was quite pertinent to Peter’s readers who suffered slander and false accusation from the prevailing society in which they lived as spiritual exiles.
A roaring lion is something which provokes fear. The devil, who personifies evil, works by trying to intimidate believers. Unlike God, who cares for people, the devil wants to devour and destroy.
I said a couple of weeks ago that our faith is incredibly precious to God. He treasures our faith. Faith makes love possible and that is why the devil seeks to destroy faith.
But the devil is not like a lion in every respect. Peter says we are to resist the devil, standing firm in the faith. You can’t really resist an actual lion, in the wild, by standing your ground. The lion is too strong. It will overpower you. If you hear a lion in the wild you need to quietly get out of its way.
The devil is not like an actual lion though, because we can resist him by standing our ground. Because Jesus has defeated the devil we are able to resist him. Faith in God is the devil’s kryptonite. When we make faithful obedience to Jesus the foundation of our life (when we build our life on Christ and his teachings) the house of our soul stands firm through the storm.
To put it more plainly, Peter seems to be saying, “Don’t be intimated by the devil’s roar (his slander, his false accusation and his threats). Stand your ground. Maintain your belief and trust in Jesus. Don’t modify your behavior in order to fit in. Don’t assimilate to the pagan culture around you and don’t renounce your faith. Keep trusting Jesus. Remain loyal to him.”
It is interesting that Peter prefaces this stuff about the devil by saying, Be alert and of sober mind. Evil often looks for a way in through the mind. A mind which is alert and sober can act like a gate keeper for the soul, keeping out the Trojan horses and poison thoughts.
When discerning which thoughts to follow and which to ignore you could apply the THINK acrostic (T.H.I.N.K.) I’ve mentioned this on other occasions. Before you walk down a particular path in your mind ask yourself…
Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If the answer to any of those questions is ‘no’ then it’s probably best not to pursue the thought.
Peter’s encouragement to stand firm in the faith was tested more than once. On the night when Jesus was arrested Peter tried to stay close to Jesus. He managed to position himself in the courtyard of the house where Jesus was being questioned.
Despite his great enthusiasm, only hours before, Peter buckled under pressure and denied the Lord three times before the cock crowed. He was bitterly ashamed of himself but, as we heard last week, Jesus didn’t hold it against Peter. Jesus restored Peter and made him steadfast and strong.
Peter’s story gives us hope. Like Peter we may deny our Lord and assimilate to the surrounding culture in a hundred different ways, large and small. We may be right to feel guilty about that. But we do no one any favours if we allow our guilt to paralyze us. It is how we respond to failure that matters. It is not how one starts but how one finishes that really counts.
Several weeks after denying Christ, Peter boldly testified to Jesus’ death and resurrection, on the day of Pentecost. Then, after leading the church for many years, and I imagine suffering many trials, Peter’s faith was tested one last time and proved true. The Bible does not tell us how Peter died but tradition says that he was martyred for his faith. He did not count himself worthy to die in the same way as Jesus and so they crucified him upside down.
Standing firm in the faith goes hand in glove with casting your anxiety on the Lord.
Peter’s third piece of encouragement, in these closing verses of his letter, is to remember you are not alone.
You are not alone:
Sometimes at weddings you hear that reading from Ecclesiastes that a rope of three strands is not quickly broken. It is very appropriate for marriage and for life generally. We are stronger together than alone.
If I take a single piece of paper it is very easy for me to tear it in two, like this. (Hopefully that sound effect comes through on-line.) But if I take two or three pieces of paper and fold them a few times, it becomes a lot more difficult to tear the paper. We are stronger when we are folded together than when we are alone.
Sometimes when we suffer we think we are the only ones and that creates a very lonely feeling. Loneliness makes us vulnerable to anxiety and despair. Loneliness discourages us. It makes us want to give up. Feeling that we are on our own makes us fragile, like a single piece of paper, easily torn.
In verse 9 Peter reminds his readers they are not alone in their suffering. Other believers throughout the world are suffering in similar ways. There is a certain solidarity in knowing that.
I’m not sure about you but it actually doesn’t make me feel better to know others are suffering. It’s hard to enjoy life when you know others are doing it tough. But knowing others are suffering for their faith does motivate me to stand strong with and for them.
As Christians we are all connected. We may not always be aware of this connection consciously but I believe it operates on a subconscious level. If a fellow believer drops out of the faith, then we may feel a certain sadness or loneliness about that. But when a believer hangs tough for Jesus we can feel a certain solidarity or strength and can take courage from that.
Peter reinforces the point that his readers are not alone (with another fold of the paper) in verse 10, where he says…
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Not only do we stand in solidarity with other Christians all over the world, God also stands in solidarity with us.
Verse 10 reminds us of the past, the present and the future of God’s grace. God has called you, so you have history with God. In the light of eternity, your suffering is just for a little while, that is the present dimension. And the future looks bright, for God will restore you. In other words, God will complete his work in you and make all things new. Your present situation of weakness is not permanent.
Peter’s letter ends with a number of greetings which further reinforce the fact that his readers are not alone. Peter sends greetings from Mark and Silas. We can’t be sure but most likely this is the same Mark who wrote Mark’s gospel. Peter refers to him as a son, not in a biological sense, but in a spiritual sense.
Silas is most probably the same person we read of in Acts, who travelled on mission trips with Paul and others. It appears that Silas was the one who delivered Peter’s letter to the house churches in Asia Minor. His physical presence in delivering Peter’s letter would have demonstrated to the church how they were connected to the wider family of believers.
In verse 13 Peter gets poetic saying, She, who is in Babylon, …sends you her greetings. In all likelihood the ‘she who is in Babylon’ refers to the church in Rome. Babylon being a cryptic way of referring to Rome. (The actual city of Babylon lay in ruins at the time Peter was writing.)
All these greetings underline the point that the church in Asia Minor is not alone, they are connected. Peter’s last instruction, to Greet one another with a kiss of love, is an encouragement for believers to remain connected with each other.
This kiss of love is a form of family like affection. Sort of like we might give someone a hug or shake their hand. It is a physical reminder that we are not alone. And it is not a difficult instruction to carry out. It is something pleasant.
Conclusion:
Having read and studied this letter of Peter’s we can see the apostle has come a long way. In the gospels Peter comes across as a bit brash and somewhat of a blunderer. Sincere and well intentioned, for sure, but often putting his foot in it. He had the tendency to speak before thinking and to make grand claims he could not support. Sometimes his words hit the mark but just as often they were out of place.
The letter of 1st Peter reveals something of Peter’s personal transformation. His words are thoughtful and his attitude is humble. He is uncompromising in his loyalty to Jesus but quite gracious and kind in the way he writes.
There is a winsomeness to this Peter that we don’t see so much in the gospels. It is truly lovely that he should close his correspondence with the threefold encouragement to cast your anxieties on the Lord, to stand firm in the faith and to know that you are not alone.
In the journey of Christian faith, it is not how one starts but how one finishes that really counts.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
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 Christian believers need to be clear about who they are and whose they are?
How might we cast all our anxiety on God? What are some practical strategies that work for you? What is your circuit breaker?
What does it mean to stand firm in the faith? How can we avoid assimilating to the world’s values?
How might we vet or sieve our thoughts in order to protect our mind?
How do you feel when other Christians suffer? What might you do to stand in solidarity with them? How do you feel when a fellow Christian turns away from their faith in Jesus? What might you do to stand firm in your faith in that situation?
What practical things can you do to strengthen your connection with other Christian believers?
“I am endlessly fascinated that playing football is considered a training ground for leadership, but raising children isn’t.”
Dee Dee worked in the white house during the Clinton administration. Her observation reveals the western world’s often misplaced values when it comes to the question of what makes a good leader.
Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of first Peter, focusing on chapter 5, verses 1-5. In this passage the apostle Peter addresses the elders of the church, giving guidance on the what, why and how of church leadership. Peter’s wisdom shows us what we need to look for in a leader.
From 1st Peter 5, verse 1 we read…
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elderand a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;not greedy for money,but eager to serve; 3 not lording it overthose entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherdappears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humilitytoward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
In these verses Peter lays out the what, why and how of church leadership. First let’s consider what the role a Christian leader is.
What?
There is a lovely term in cricket called ‘shepherding the tail’. The tail here refers to the lower order batsmen, those who are usually better at bowling than batting and therefore more vulnerable when at the cress.
Shepherding the tail is when the more skilled batsman, in this scenario, supports and protects the weaker batsman. This support may come in the form of words of encouragement and advice between balls. It may also mean the stronger of the two batsman facing more of the strike.
In verse 2 Peter appeals to the elders of the church to be shepherds and overseers of God’s flock.
What is the role of the elders or leadership of the church? To be shepherds.
The thing we notice here is that Peter doesn’t get into a detailed job description about what the leaders of the church are to do. He doesn’t start with the specific tasks of leadership. No. He starts deeper than that, at the level of their being. Peter’s logic is that if the leaders of the church get their being right, the doing will take care of itself.
People tend to do what they are. Doing comes out of being. If you are a builder, you will naturally be inclined to lay a good foundation, measure twice and cut once. If you are an accountant, you will look to reconcile things and take a prudent approach. If you are a nurse, you will want to provide practical care for people.
A shepherd is inclined to watch, protect, feed, care for, count and heal their flock. Shepherds are used to long hours, hard work and difficult conditions. A shepherd thinks in terms of the whole flock collectively as well as the individual sheep and lambs. A shepherd is vigilant, aware and present.
Shepherding is like parenting. It is a better training ground for leadership than playing football.
God seems to have a thing for shepherds. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all shepherds, as were Moses and king David. Jesus was a carpenter but he described himself as the good shepherd. God often chose shepherds to lead his people because shepherds are wired up to take care of living things.
Earlier in the service we heard a conversation between Jesus and Peter, from chapter 21 of John’s gospel. The risen Lord Jesus appears to his disciples and has breakfast with them. After breakfast Jesus takes Peter aside and asks him three times to care for his sheep. (Some versions say ‘feed my sheep’)
Peter had it imprinted in the very fiber of his being that Jesus wanted him to be a shepherd to other believers in Christ. Peter is asking the leaders of the church to do the same – to be shepherds to the people entrusted to them.
The image of the early church as a flock of sheep and the elders of the church as shepherds was very appropriate to Peter’s readers. Sheep are basically defenseless. They can’t run very fast, they are not naturally camouflaged and they don’t have sharp teeth or claws to defend themselves.
As we have heard over the past few months, the church in Asia Minor during the first century, was small and vulnerable, like sheep. Christians were marginalized, misunderstood and hated. Eventually Peter’s readers would be persecuted. They didn’t need a CEO style leader or a military commander. They needed leaders with the heart of a shepherd who would care for, guide, feed and protect them.
So how does this translate to our church context today? Shepherding is more of an attitude, or a mind-set, than a task. Doing comes out of being.
The equivalent of elders or leaders at Tawa Baptist are our Deacons and pastors. One of the Deacons’ tasks is to make decisions in the life of the congregation. Making decisions in itself is not necessarily shepherding. What makes the Deacons shepherds is their care for the congregation. So when the Deacons make a decision they are thinking about the welfare of the people in parallel with God’s will & purpose.
One of the classic expressions of shepherding a congregation is preaching. It is not the preacher’s job to entertain you or make you laugh, although it is okay if he or she does. It is the preacher’s job to lead you to the green pastures and still waters of God’s word, in the Scriptures, so you can find the guidance and nourishment you need for your souls.
Not everyone can preach but most of you can visit. When you make a pastoral visit to someone the main purpose is to listen and seek to understand the person you are visiting. You can’t help someone unless you know them. You may feel a bit useless just sitting and listening and drinking tea, but actually your presence has more power than you think. Your listening with empathy is a salve for loneliness. It creates a connection that God can use.
Of course, shepherding is not limited to preaching & visiting. There is a lot of administration and compliance involved with church leadership these days. A shepherding attitude does not ignore the necessary admin but rather looks to see how it can serve the well-being of the people. For this reason, health & safety is important to us, not because we like paper work, but because we want to protect people.
You may have twigged by now that shepherding isn’t just something the deacons and pastors do. In reality we all have a shepherding role to play. If you are the leader of a home group or if you are a Sunday school teacher or a crèche worker or youth leader, then you are a shepherd to those in your care.
But even if you don’t have an official role in one of our church programmes, you can still be a shepherd to someone in an informal way. Maybe by being present when someone is going through a difficult time. Or helping in a practical way with a meal. Or looking after their kids. Or simply noticing a change in them and asking, ‘Are you okay?’
Doing a particular set of tasks does not make you a shepherd. Shepherding is an attitude, or a mind-set, out of which a task of care is born.
Having addressed the what of church leadership (to be shepherds), Peter then talks about the why of leadership.
Why?
The question of why one should be a leader has to do with motivation and purpose. Peter says…
Be shepherds of God’s flock… not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;not greedy for money,but eager to serve…
Leadership is not easy. Like being a shepherd, the hours are long, the work is hard and the conditions are often difficult. There are certain pressures, both internal and external, that come with leadership. Often in leadership one is caught between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes a leader has to make decisions that are unpopular and lonely.
As Max Lucado says, “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.”
Being a leader in the church of the first century was not easy. The elders Peter was addressing were coping with enormous pressures from the society around them. Being a leader in that context required them to turn their back on the crowd in order to lead the orchestra of the church. It took real commitment.
Before you accept the mantle of leadership, you need to be very clear about why you are doing it. You can’t afford to go into leadership half-hearted. You need to embrace the commitment fully. You need to be willing.
It appears from verse 2 that ‘the church felt an obligation to provide financially for those whose Christian service prevented them from earning what they needed to live.’ [1] So some of the church leaders probably received a modest stipend.
While there is nothing wrong with paying people for their service to the church (don’t muzzle an ox while it treads the grain and all that), money in itself is not an adequate reason to serve in Christian leadership. You have to find an intrinsic motivation.
Although Peter doesn’t explicitly say in these verses, the motivation of love must surely have been in his mind. You remember that when Jesus asked Simon Peter to feed his lambs (in John 21), Jesus prefaced that request each time with the question: ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’
In this way Jesus helped Peter to be clear about his why. The primary motivation for any Christian leader has to be love for Jesus. You might start out enjoying the tasks of Christian ministry but that won’t be enough to sustain you. You might feel a certain affection for people but people will inevitably let you down.
The number one priority for any Christian leader is to keep the fire of their love for Christ alive. Love for Jesus is our why.
There is a plant that produces a lovely deep coloured flower, known as the Amaranth plant. The name Amaranth derives from a Greek word meaning ‘the unfading flower’. The Amaranth flower is so called because it does not fade. It retains its rich deep colour.
In ancient times the Greeks would show honour to someone by putting a wreath or crown of flowers on that person’s head, much like we might award a medal to an Olympic champion. The wreath could be made of any kind of foliage but an Amaranth wreath was special because it did not fade in the same way other crowns did.
The Amaranth doesn’t just look good though, it is also good for your health. People use the plant to make medicine to treat ulcers, diarrhoea, swollen mouths and to reduce high cholesterol.
In verse 4 Peter gives another reason why Christian leaders should serve…
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
A more literal translation of the original Greek reads…
4 And when the Chief Shepherdappears, you will obtain the amaranth crown of glory.
The ‘amaranth crown’ is paraphrased by most English translations as ‘the crown of glory that will never fade’, because the metaphor is lost on modern readers. The Chief Shepherd refers to Jesus and the amaranth crown is the eternal reward Jesus gives to those who go the distance in God’s will for them.
The Lord is no one’s debtor. He does not expect his servants to work for nothing. Those who shepherd God’s people have much to look forward to.
So then, we have two answers to the why of Christian leadership. Our motivation needs to be love for Christ and the hope of glory.
We have heard about the what and the why of church leadership. Now let’s consider how a church elder is to lead or shepherd God’s people?
How?
There is a Chinese Proverb which says: ‘Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow’.
I take this to mean that the best way to lead is by your example.
One of the shepherds, in my life when I was younger, was a man called Gus Row. Gus was the director of Youth for Christ Waikato when I was involved with YFC during the late 1980’s and early 90’s. He was nicknamed ‘the Ox’.
Among his many gifts Gus was a wonderful speaker. He fed us with his words. One of Gus’ illustrations was of a pair of oxen. He said in days of old, when oxen were used to plough fields, they would often pair an old ox with a young ox. The young ox had the strength and vigour to spur the older ox on. While the older ox had the patience and steadiness to guide and pace the younger ox so it could go the distance. The older ox acted as an example to the younger ox.
Gus used this metaphor to encourage older leaders to come alongside and mentor younger ones. There is a mutual benefit.
In verse 3 Peter appeals to the elders of the church not to lord it overthose entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.
This recalls Jesus’ words to his disciples in Matthew 20:25-28…
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
How are Christian elders to lead the church? By coming alongside and being an example of the way of Christ.
Or, to put it another way, “Leaders don’t inflict pain, they share pain.” [2]
Peter practiced what he preached as well. In verse 1 of chapter 5, Peter comes alongside his readers saying…
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elderand a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
Notice how Peter does not pull rank on his readers here. Peter is the premiere apostle but he doesn’t issue an edict or a command from on high. He doesn’t lord it over them or use his status to demand obedience. No. He humbly comes alongside and appeals to the elders of the church in Asia Minor as a fellow elder on the same footing.
In effect Peter says, “I’m an elder like you. I know what it’s like. I feel your pain. We are on the same side with the same goal. We both share in Christ’s sufferings and will share in his glory too.”
Peter learned the how of Christian leadership directly from Jesus of course. After Peter had denied Jesus three times, the Lord did not stand on high and reprimand Peter. He did not use the guilt Peter obviously felt to leverage Peter into doing him a favour. He didn’t say to Peter, ‘Look, you let me down and now you owe me. But you can make it up to me by taking care of my flock. Then we’ll be even.’
No. As we heard in John 21 earlier, Jesus came alongside Peter and restored him. No recrimination, no guilt, no shame, no leveraging, just the undeserved trust of a second chance. That is grace. That is the way of Jesus. That is the how of Christ’s example.
When we think of coming alongside and being an example to others we are reminded of the philosophy of 24-7 youth work. 24-7 uses a presence based (shepherding type) model. The idea is for youth workers to come alongside students and be hand holders, not problem solvers.
Now in saying that the how of Christian leadership is to come alongside and be an example, we do not mean to imply that church leaders can’t speak difficult truths to those in their care. Sometimes it is necessary for shepherds to discipline the flock. But to discipline means to teach, more than to punish. And the most powerful teaching method is our example.
Conclusion:
Sam Rayburn is quoted as saying, “You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.”
Our reading today concludes with Peter’s appeal to young people and indeed to all people in the church. Peter says in verse 5…
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humilitytoward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
We have talked about humility a bit recently so there is no need to labour the point now. Suffice to say that humility is not putting yourself down. Humility requires a healthy self-awareness, not thinking too much or too little of yourself.
Humility is the necessary companion to Godly submission. Submitting to others is not popular. We are too infatuated with the illusion of personal freedom. We need to recover a right understanding of what Christian submission is.
Peter is not suggesting believers should submit to immoral leadership, without question. The kind of leadership Peter is asking his readers to submit to is a shepherding style of leadership modelled after the example of Christ.
As Joel Green reminds us, to submit is to find and occupy responsibly one’s place in the community of faith. To submit oneself is the opposite of withdrawal. Submission is not about numbing or negating yourself. Submission is about embracing one’s personhood. [3]
Likewise, humility is about going with the grain of who you are, who God made you to be. The way of Christ is not to revolt and rebel. The way of Christ is to understand who you are and where you fit in God’s purpose.
By appealing to the young people to submit to their elders, Peter is in fact putting them on a path to becoming leaders themselves one day. Submitting to legitimate authority is one of the lessons every leader needs to learn.
“You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.”
This morning we’ve heard Peter’s what, why and how for Christian leaders.
A Christian leader is a shepherd. Their motivation is love for Christ and the hope of unfading glory. A Christian leader leads by coming alongside and being an example.
Whether you are a leader or not we all need God’s grace. With this in mind let’s stand and sing Gracious Spirit dwell with me. Make this your prayer…
[If you would like prayer, there will be someone available to pray with you after the service at front on the north side of the auditorium.]
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 leadership lessons might we learn from raising or caring for children?
Why do you think God often chose shepherds to lead his people?
What does it mean to be a shepherd leader? Who has God entrusted to your care and how do you shepherd them?
Why is love for Jesus so important for a Christian leader? What can you do to keep the fire of your love for Jesus alive?
What does it mean to ‘come alongside’?
Why does Peter appeal to the young people to submit to their elders? How does submission to legitimate authority prepare us for leadership?
Take some time this week to reflect on your own style of leadership. What might those in your care be learning from your example?
[1] Refer Howard Marshall’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 163.
Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of first Peter, focusing on chapter 4, verses 12-19. Peter was writing to encourage the fledging church in Asia Minor who were suffering because of their faith in Jesus.
In today’s reading Peter gives some practical advice on how Christian believers can handle suffering for their faith in a positive way. From 1st Peter, chapter 4, verse 12 we read…
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you that is taking place to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ,so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed,for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s willshould entrust themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
As I mentioned at the beginning, this reading contains Peter’s advice on how Christians can handle suffering for their faith in a way that is life giving.
Three things Peter suggests: Manage your expectations. Think of suffering as evidence and entrust yourself to God.
Manage your expectations
Peter, as you know, was a fisherman by trade. Fishing can be a fickle business and involves a fair bit of suffering. It is heavy, dangerous work. Sometimes you can be out all night and come home cold, wet and tired, with nothing to show for your efforts. It doesn’t seem fair. Eventually though, if you persevere, you get a reward. I guess through his work as a fisherman Peter learned to manage his expectations.
Some of you, over the holidays, may have completed a jigsaw puzzle. Those puzzlers who like a bit of a challenge might be familiar with the Wasgij range of puzzles. Wasgij is simply the word ‘Jigsaw’ spelt backwards.
With a regular puzzle you have the advantage of seeing the picture you are putting together on the box. You know what to expect. But with a Wasgij the picture on the box is not the same as the picture you are assembling. So you don’t know what to expect. Often it is the inverse of the image you are given on the box.
In some ways the journey of Christian faith is a bit like working on a Wasgij. When we become a Christian we may (for whatever reason) have this picture in mind about how our life is going to be. We may think life will be easier now that we believe in Jesus because we have God on our side. We might imagine people will be okay with our decision to become a Christian and want to join us, but that is not necessarily a realistic expectation.
While it is true that God is on our side when we put our faith in Jesus, it does not automatically follow that our life will get better or that others will welcome our decision. Your life may improve in some ways but it will probably get harder in other ways. Some people may be tolerant of your decision to follow Christ, but you may also lose some friends.
Jesus of course was very clear that following him would be no picnic. He did not mislead anyone.
In verses 12 & 13 of chapter 4 Peter writes…
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you that is taking place to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ,
Peter, the veteran fisherman, is gently telling his readers to manage their expectations. People are naturally surprised when something does not happen as they expect. Peter is removing the element of surprise by reminding them that they can’t expect everyone to celebrate their decision to follow Jesus. They should expect a bit of push back. Christ suffered, therefore as his followers, you can expect to suffer as well, although probably not to the same extent.
Christianity, at that stage in history, was a brand new religion. It was not an established tradition and so the general population did not really know it or trust it. Most of the people Peter was writing to were Gentiles. For them converting to Christianity meant a comprehensive change of lifestyle.
At the time of Peter’s letter, it wasn’t that Christians were systematically persecuted as such. That came later. It was more that they were socially marginalized. People spoke against them to heap shame on them.
Peter describes the rejection they are facing as a ‘fiery ordeal to test them’. This is a metaphor. Just as precious metals, like silver and gold, are tested and proved through fire, so too the precious metal of Christian faith is tested by the fiery ordeal of being insulted and put to shame. If Peter’s readers stayed loyal to Christ, even though people who were once their friends and family rejected them, then the metal of their faith was proved true.
Now in saying that we need to manage our expectations Peter does not mean always thinking the worst will happen. If we do that we will soon lose hope. Peter wants his readers to replace their surprise (or disappointment) with the joy that comes from hope. So, while we need to be prepared to suffer in the short to medium term, we still remain confident that God will work things for good in the long run. That is our hope and that is where our joy comes from.
Last year we baptized a new believer here in our church. A few weeks ago we prayed for him as he had to return home to India. His prayer request was that he be able to confess the name of Jesus before his family and his community and that this would go well. But even if he was rejected he wanted to stay true to Jesus. This man was managing his expectations, just like Peter said. He was expecting a fiery ordeal but still hoping for the best.
Most of us have not had to suffer the kind of test of faith that many of our Christian brothers and sisters overseas have. But even so we still do come under some scrutiny and pressure for our faith in Jesus. The wider NZ society in which we live is not as friendly toward Christians as it once was. There is a certain loss of face and loneliness that comes with following Jesus, which is one reason why we need to love one another.
I remember when I left my job in Tauranga to train for ministry in Auckland, I got a mixed response. Some people were encouraging and supportive. Some couldn’t understand it and told me so. Others didn’t really care. Then there were one or two who, after I had left, said some things that were unkind and untrue. We can’t expect everyone to like us let alone understand or accept us.
The journey of faith is like a Wasgij puzzle. The picture we have in our mind beforehand is seldom, if ever, the same as the reality we end up experiencing. One strategy for handling suffering is managing our expectations. Another strategy is to think of suffering as evidence.
Suffering is evidence
When we suffer in some way we tend to ask ourselves, why? Why is this happening to me? Why does this sort of thing happen to anyone?
If you are a person of faith, then your mind may take you down one of a number of different paths. If you have a sensitive conscience you might, for example, ask, ‘What have I done wrong? Is God angry with me? Am I being punished, is that why I’m suffering?’
On the other hand, you could go down another path in your mind and think to yourself, ‘This isn’t fair. God must have abandoned me. He doesn’t care.’
Or you might try to give meaning to your suffering by telling yourself, ‘This is character building. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’
Peter’s first century audience were suffering injustice for their obedience to Christ and Peter offers a completely different way to think about it. Peter’s advice is not to think of suffering as a mystery or a problem to be solved. (Don’t go down that rabbit hole. You risk getting lost.) Instead think of suffering as evidence. In particular, suffering for Christ is evidence that the Spirit of God is with you. It’s also evidence that you belong to the household of God. From verse 14 Peter writes…
14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed,for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Now when Peter says, if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, he does not mean that suffering and insult are a blessing. They are not. Suffering and insult hurt. Under certain circumstances suffering can be character building but it is more likely to destroy character. It is more accurate to say that suffering reveals character. Suffering provides evidence of what a person is like on the inside.
In any case the blessing is not in the suffering. The blessing is in the presence of God’s Spirit.
Suffering for Christ is no cause for guilt or shame. God is not punishing you. To the contrary, being insulted for the name of Christ is evidence of the Spirit of glory. Suffering injustice, in a noble way, is the prerequisite of glory.
What’s more, suffering for your association with Jesus does not imply that God has abandoned you. Far from being abandoned, suffering for Christ is evidence of God’s presence. The Holy Spirit being the manifestation of God’s presence.
Most of you would have heard of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The thing that people seem to overlook about Goldie Locks is that she was a burglar, a vandal and a meddler. She broke into someone else’s house, ate their porridge, wreaked their furniture and messed up their beds. Being blonde and cute is no excuse for bad behavior. You have to ask yourself, what was a small child doing on her own in a bear’s house? I expect her family and friends told her to go and play in the woods because she was annoying them.
The real heroes in this story are the three bears because (in one version of the story at least) they showed Christian love and forbearance to the delinquent child. Despite the bad reputation bears get in the media they didn’t eat her or take revenge in anyway. They didn’t even file a complaint with the police or try to press charges. They simply let Goldilocks go, cleaned up her mess and quietly got on with their lives.
In verses 15 & 16 Peter makes it clear that not all suffering qualifies for the blessing of God’s Spirit. Peter says…
15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
We all have a bit of Goldie Locks in us, don’t we. You know, we are not easily satisfied. We want things ‘just right’. It’s like Peter is saying, ‘Don’t be like Goldilocks. Be like the three bears’.
The label ‘Christian’ was not thought up by the followers of Jesus. The nickname ‘Christian’ was coined by unbelievers. It was not a term of endearment either. It was an insult. Like bears, Christians had a bad reputation. People hated them because they were different. Christians wouldn’t bow to idols or participate in pagan rituals.
To most people in the first century Christians were a detestable lot and lumped in the same category as criminals. Not because they broke any laws or did anything wrong. But simply because their religion was new and unusual.
Peter’s point is that you cannot expect the blessing of God’s Spirit, the Spirit of glory, if you do things that are clearly wrong (like murder and theft). Nor can you expect God’s blessing if you do things that are simply annoying (like meddling in other people’s business). If someone suffers for being bad or foolish (like Goldilocks did) then they are not suffering according to God’s will; they are suffering by their own hand and deserve what they get.
The suffering Peter has in mind is suffering for bearing the name of Christ. It is undeserved suffering, similar to what the bears endured as a result of Goldilocks’ visit.
But wait, suffering provides even more evidence. Suffering for Christ now (in this life) proves you are part of the household of God and therefore will be saved in the long run. From verse 17 Peter writes…
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
Judgment has become almost a swear word in the English language today. It has undertones of condemnation and punishment. However, there is more to God’s judgment than that. Judgment also includes the process of discerning or sorting or deciding. And that is probably the sense in which Peter is using the word in relation to God’s household.
Peter is implying that the hostility his readers are experiencing is an integral part of God’s end-times judgment. [1] It has the effect of sorting out those who are loyal to Christ and those who are not. If it was too easy to obey Jesus everyone would do it and how would you know who was truly loyal.
Everyone, whether they are a Christian or not, must face God’s judgment at some stage. Believers get judged first but if we remain loyal to Christ we do not need to fear. Suffering for Christ now is, in fact, evidence that you belong to God’s household and that is something to celebrate.
Okay, so Peter’s first two pieces of advice for handling suffering are:
Take the element of surprise out by managing your expectations, and
Don’t approach suffering as though it were a mystery to be solved, rather think of suffering as hard evidence that God is with you and for you.
Peter’s third piece of advice is, entrust yourself to God.
Entrust yourself to God
When you reach a certain age, or when you get married or when you have children, it is advisable to update your will. When you go to the solicitor they normally ask you who you would like to appoint as your power of attorney. And if you have children they want to know who you will entrust with the care of your children.
You go to the solicitor imagining it is going to be a quick appointment and you come away thinking who can I really trust with my children and my money?
In verse 19 of chapter 4 Peter says quite plainly…
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s willshould entrust themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
In the first Century they didn’t have banks like we do today. So if you wanted to go away for a while you had to find a friend (someone you trusted completely) to look after your life savings. You committed or entrusted your nest egg to that person and on your return they were honour bound to give it all back to you.
The Greek word Peter uses for entrust, in verse 19, is the technical word for depositing money with a trusted friend. It is the same word used by Jesus on the cross, in Luke 23:46, when he said: “Father, into your hands I commit (or entrust) my spirit.”
Peter is saying, when we suffer according to God’s will (and not as a murderer or a thief or a meddler) we should entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator and continue to do good.
The implication is that God is a close friend to those who suffer according to his will; close enough to be your power of attorney and banker all rolled into one. Except it isn’t just your money you are entrusting to God. It is your reputation, your job, the rightness of your cause, your family and your very life you are placing in God’s hands.
Peter describes God here as a faithful Creator. This speaks of God’s trustworthiness and also his wisdom and power to make things new and to restore order to the world.
The message here is that we are not defined by what others say about us or do to us. Therefore, we do not need to waste our time and energy trying to justify ourselves to others. We have nothing to prove. God will vindicate us in the end. So we can invest our time and energy into doing good now.
Suffering drains life and vitality from you. Too much suffering is soul destroying; it weakens your character. Doing good, on the other hand, nourishes your soul; it affirms your identity in Christ and builds character.
Conclusion:
This morning we have heard three pieces of advice, from Peter, for those who suffer for being a Christian.
Do not let suffering take you by surprise. Manage your expectations.
Do not try to solve the problem of suffering in some deep philosophical way. Instead think of suffering as hard evidence that God is with you and for you.
And thirdly, when you suffer injustice, entrust yourself to God and do those things that are good for you and good for others. In this way you will restore what the locusts have eaten.
May God give us the strength to remain loyal to Christ when our faith is tested and the grace to apply Peter’s advice when we suffer.
If you are going through a hard time at the moment and would like prayer, then there will be someone available to pray with you after the service at the front by the water cooler.
The musicians will lead us now in our closing hymn.
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?
Have you ever suffered because of your association with Christ? What happened and how did you feel?
How might we manage our expectations, without always thinking the worst?
When you suffer, what path does your mind go down? (E.g. do you think you are being punished or do you think God has abandoned you or do you think this is character building or something else?)
What difference does it make thinking of suffering for Christ as evidence that God is with you and for you? What is the blessing in being insulted for bearing the name of Christ?
What does it mean to entrust yourself to God and do good? How might we do this? What good things can you do for yourself and others that will nourish your soul and build your character?
[1] Karen Jobes, Commentary on 1st Peter, page 292
In 2010 a movie came out called Eat, Pray Love, based on a book by the same name. I never got round to watching it so I can’t make any comment on its content but the title of the film connects in some ways with today’s Scripture reading.
This morning we pick up our series in the New Testament letter of 1st Peter, which we began last year. You may remember the apostle Peter was writing to encourage the fledging church in Asia Minor who, in the first century, were initially marginalized and then later persecuted for their faith in Jesus.
We continue our series in 1st Peter from chapter 4, verses 7-11. In this passage Peter instructs his readers to pray, love, eat and serve. From verse 7 of chapter 4 we read…
7 The end of all things is near.Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlledso that you can pray.8 Above all, love each other earnestly,because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitalityto one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,as faithfulstewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
Apart from being the title of a book and a movie, Eat, Pray, Love, sounds like good general lifestyle advice. It speaks of finding a healthy balance for your whole self, body & soul. Peter’s advice, in chapter 4, isn’t exactly the same though. The priority order is different. It’s not Eat, Pray, Love but rather Pray, Love, Eat and Serve. Peter starts with prayer. In essence he says, pray with clarity.
Pray with clarity:
School has started back for many this past week and with it homework and assignments. One way or another we all tend to be motivated by a deadline or a goal to aim for. Some people like to get organized a long way in advance and others become more motivated as the date for handing in the assignment gets closer.
When we were at University, Robyn used to sit down at her type writer and smash out an essay the night before it was due. This was before we could afford a computer. Every time, without fail, she would get an A. It was astonishing.
When I asked her how she did it Robyn explained that for about two weeks beforehand she would lie awake at night organizing the ideas in her head. Then at the last minute, when she was clear in her mind what she wanted to say, she typed it all out.
My process is a bit different to that. I can’t hold too many things in my mind at the same time. In fact, it is in the process of writing that ideas and clarity come. Writing unblocks my mind in a way.
In verse 7 of chapter 4 Peter says: The end of all things is near.Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlledso that you can pray.
‘The end of all things’ refers to the goal of salvation history. The nearness of the end is defined by Christ’s resurrection. [1] The resurrection of Jesus is the motivation to get your act together so you can pray with clarity. That is, with a clear mind and self-control.
When we are young we imagine we can do almost everything because we have energy to burn and time is on our side. But as we get older we begin to realise that we don’t have all the time in the world to achieve everything we had hoped. So, in mid-life, we feel the need to prioritize. We say to ourselves, I may only have 15-20 good years left. What’s important to me, what’s the goal here, and how am I going to spend that precious time?
There’s nothing like a funeral to give you clarity. As the end draws near we become more clear minded, more focused, about what we need to do with our lives.
This is not to imply that we are to be reckless or careless, far from it. When the great reformer Martin Luther was asked what he would do if the end were to come today, he replied that he would plant a tree and pay his taxes. Planting a tree is something you do for the future and paying your taxes is about meeting your obligations in the present. ‘Luther meant that he lived every day in light of the end and hence he would do the appointed task of that day.’ [2]
Stepping back and taking a broader look at the arc of human history, Jesus’ coming (2000 years ago) signals a kind of mid-life crisis for humanity. Peter is saying, given where we stand in history (in relation to Jesus’ resurrection), we need to get some clarity on what really matters and therefore what to give our lives to. And we need to pray; we need to talk about this with God, because God stands on both sides of the divide.
Prayer isn’t just asking God for stuff in this life. Prayer is primarily about strengthening our relationship with God, by communicating with him. Prayer, in that sense, helps us in this life and the next.
Okay, so that’s the first thing Peter says: understand where you are in relation to the end goal, get things clear in your mind and pray. Pray with clarity.
The next thing is love – love with forbearance.
Love with forbearance
When you cook a roast dinner it always pays to make plenty of gravy. If you don’t quite get the timing right, if you over cook the meat so it dries out, then covering it with gravy saves the dinner.
In verse 8 Peter writes: Above all, love each other earnestly,because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Now the kind of love that is in view here is not an emotional warm fuzzy feeling, like falling in love. It is deeper than that. The love in view here is a thoughtful commitment to the well-being of others, even when they irritate you. Love, in this context, means treating others in the Christian community in a way that takes care of relationships. It is an earnest love that persists despite little rubs and difficulties.
If our relationships in the church together are like a roast dinner, then earnest love is like the gravy; it covers over a multitude of sins.
This does not mean that if we love others God will forgive or cover our sins. No, our sins were taken care of by Jesus on the cross. Nor is Peter saying that serious sin in the church should be ignored or denied or covered up. [3] Rather sin needs to be dealt with in a way that sets people free to live righteous lives.
Peter is probably drawing on Proverbs 10:12 which says: Hatred stirs up dissension but love covers over all wrongs.
The point seems to be that when we love someone we don’t allow the little irritations to create a rift or bitterness between us.
In the church hall kitchen, we have a fire blanket. If something catches alight, you can throw the fire blanket over the flames and it suffocates the fire. Love covers sins sort of like a fire blanket covers flames and extinguishers the fire before it gets out of control. Love suffocates sin to stop it from spreading.
Or, to use another metaphor, you might go out for lunch with someone and when it comes time to pay they realise they have left their wallet behind. Because you love the person (because you care about the relationship more than money) you don’t give way to irritation but quietly cover the cost for them, without making a fuss. Love covers over a multitude of sins.
Quite a lot of the tensions we experience in our relationships, whether in the church or at work or school or in the home, aren’t actually sins. They are merely differences in personality or simple misunderstandings.
For example, some people like to be organized well in advance. Others are real last minute, seat of your pants types. It’s not a sin to be last minute but it can be irritating to those who like to have things settled days beforehand. Personality differences like this can be covered or overlooked with earnest love.
Many years ago, before we lived in Tawa, we had some friends over to our house. I happened to be folding towels at the time, putting the washing away, and one of our friends pointed out that I was doing it all wrong. Apparently my towel folding was offensive (or at least mildly irritating) to her. It didn’t bother me, nor was it sinful. It just wasn’t worth getting into an argument about. So I waited until she left and folded the washing in my own unique (Will) way.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of repair. Earnest love prevents those little irritations from getting a foothold and turning into full blown sins.
Some of you may remember JP. JP passed away a couple of years ago but when he was alive I would sometimes visit him at his home in W. On more than one occasion, as men are inclined to do, we ended up talking in his shed. JP’s garden tools, his spade and trowel especially, were quite old and well used but he always kept them pristine and gleaming.
A coastal environment can be quite corrosive on metal tools but JP prevented any rust by always washing his tools after he had used them and then applying a thin coat of oil on the exposed metal.
Love that covers all wrongs is like the oil on JP’s tools. The oil of love actually protects relationships from corrosion and prevents sin from getting a foothold in the first place.
Pray with clarity, love with forbearance and eat with others.
Eat with others
To be more accurate, Peter doesn’t literally say, ‘Eat with others’. He says offer hospitality to one another, or as the Good News translation puts it, open your homes to each other without complaining. Eating with others is of course something that normally accompanies the offer of hospitality.
In practical terms hospitality could mean giving people a meal or a bed for the night. But at a deeper level hospitality is about making room for people, creating a comfortable space for others, where they can feel safe to be themselves. In this deeper sense, making space to listen to others is one of the primary expressions of hospitality.
In the context of the first century, hospitality was essential to the survival of the church. Missionaries and apostles relied on the hospitality of others as they travelled around preaching the gospel. The person who delivered Peter’s letter to the churches in Asia Minor would also have trusted the Christian community to give him a bed for the night.
Not only that but the early church didn’t have dedicated buildings for gathered worship. People used to meet in one another’s homes. It was a house church arrangement, sort of like when we were in level 2 lockdown and small groups of you got together for on-line services in each other’s living rooms.
For most of Jesus’ ministry he and his disciples were guests in other people’s homes. Luke 10 famously describes Jesus’ stay in the home of Mary and Martha. Martha became upset because she was left to do all the house work by herself while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Poor Martha was too frazzled to see that Mary was showing a greater form of hospitality by making space to listen to Jesus. Jesus defended Mary, without condemning Martha.
Jesus wasn’t always the guest though. He showed hospitality to others as well. Jesus made himself available. He created a safe space in and around himself. He fed people with the word of God and he restored lost souls.
Jesus took the role of host on a number of occasions, most notably when he fed the multitudes in the wilderness and at the last supper when he washed the disciples’ feet. In some traditions the priest actually calls the communion bread ‘the host’ because it represents Christ’s body. When we share communion, Jesus is the host and we are his guests.
Hospitality, when it is preceded by prayer and love, creates the opportunity for intimacy and intimacy dissolves loneliness.
Pray, love, eat and serve. Servewith faithfulness.
Serve with faithfulness
In verse 10 of chapter 4 Peter writes:
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,as faithfulstewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
A steward is a manager. Management or stewardship is about the effective and efficient use of resources. In this case the resources are the gift God has given you. To be a faithful manager, one must be thoughtful and diligent.
The thing about being a manager is that you don’t own the resource yourself. Someone else owns it and you are responsible for taking care of it and making the most of it. That means being clear in your own mind about what the purpose of the gift is and discerning in the way you use it.
Let me tell you a story to illustrate what it means to be a faithful manager.
Once, in the days before electricity and automation, there was a lighthouse keeper who had but one job – to keep the lamp burning at night so ships could find their way and not come aground on the rocks.
The lighthouse keeper was given an allowance of oil as fuel for the lamp. Each week he received a new batch of oil, just enough to keep the lamp of the lighthouse burning for seven nights until a new batch came. He could not afford to spare any oil or the lamp would go out.
One day a travelling merchant came by and asked the lighthouse keeper to sell him some oil at a fair price. But the lighthouse keeper refused and the merchant went away complaining about how unreasonable the lighthouse keeper was.
The next day a farmer came and asked to borrow some oil for the wheels of his wagon. But the lighthouse keeper refused and the farmer went away grumbling about how mean spirited the lighthouse keeper was.
Then on Saturday the minister of the local church came by asking for oil for the evening service the next day. But the lighthouse keeper refused him too and the minister went away to preach a vigorous sermon on the evils of greed.
The following day a poor widow came and asked the lighthouse keeper for some oil for her stove, because her children were hungry and her house was cold. The lighthouse keeper made an exception for her but he didn’t touch the oil set aside for the lighthouse lamp. Instead he gave her oil from his own stove and went hungry himself that night. He only had one condition: that she didn’t tell anyone.
Every day someone came wanting oil for some good reason or other and, except for the poor widow, the lighthouse keeper turned them all away empty handed. The lighthouse keeper remained faithful to his calling, always keeping the lamp lit.
One night the merchant, the farmer and the minister all found themselves on a ship off the coast of where they lived. As they sat together, each with a glass of brandy in hand, complaining about the lighthouse keeper and the price of oil, a strong wind picked up and the seas began to swell.
Thick clouds blotted out the moon and stars, casting a heavy darkness over the sea and their thoughts. How would the captain find the harbour? How would he avoid the rocks? The conversation grew quiet.
Just then they saw it – the slow arc of the lighthouse keeper’s beacon, reaching out its giant arm of hope. Now they understood why the lighthouse keeper refused them oil. Now they were thankful. Never again would they say a word against the lighthouse keeper.
The ship made it safely to shore and over the next few days the three men put things right. The merchant brought a gift of oil to the lighthouse keeper for his stove. The farmer left ham and eggs on the lighthouse keeper’s door step and the minister preached a sermon on ‘Jesus the light of the world’, giving thanks for the keeper of our souls.
What I like about this story is that it shows us we don’t have to be all things to all people. We are each given oil (a particular gift from God) in some form another. Our job is to be faithful managers of that oil, clear minded about the purpose of our gift and discerning about how best to use it in service to others.
From verse 11 of chapter 4 Peter continues…
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
Peter is saying here that we have all been given a different gift from God. Our job is to be faithful managers of what God has entrusted to us. We are not to hoard our gift or hide it away. Nor are we to waste it or treat it cheaply. We are to be thoughtful in how we make the most of it in service to others.
If God’s gifts to us are like water, then we are like a smart tap. A tap that knows when to turn on and when to turn off. We don’t produce the water ourselves, God does that. Our job is to release the water when it is needed. We don’t leave the tap running unnecessarily. Nor do we shut off the water supply altogether. We give drink to the thirsty and cleansing to the filthy.
You may have heard me compare preaching to making a cup of tea. If the sermon is the tea, then the preacher is the tea pot. God puts the tea bags and hot water of his word into the preacher and lets it brew during the week. It is not comfortable for the preacher but it is necessary to the process. Then, on a Sunday, the preacher pours the tea. (Biblical preaching is one form of God’s hospitality for you.)
The purpose of our faithful service is that God may be praised through Jesus Christ. God gives a meaning and dignity to our service of others which makes it all worthwhile. Like the townsfolk in the story of the lighthouse keeper, people may not appreciate the way you manage the gift God has given you. But you are not doing it just for them. You are doing it primarily for God.
Conclusion
Today’s passage ends with a doxology,
To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
A doxology is a short hymn of praise to God, a declaration of his glory.
A declaration of God’s glory often follows the contemplation of his gifts.
Pray, love, eat and serve. This is Peter’s lifestyle advice for his readers.
What we notice with these practices is that they are ordinary everyday things. There are no grand gestures in view here, just small things done with great love.
In a few minutes we will share communion together.
Communion is a time to pray, love, eat and serve.
The musicians will come now to lead us in song as we prepare our hearts.
We love him because he first loved us…
Communion
If you would like prayer there will be someone available to pray with you after this morning’s service, at the front by the water cooler.
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 helps you to be ready and able to pray? How does a clear mind and self-control support prayer?
What would you do if the end were to come today?
What does Peter mean by ‘earnest love’, in verse 8? What does he mean when he says, ‘love covers over a multitude of sins’?
Why is hospitality important to the Christian community? What is at the heart of true hospitality? How did Jesus practice hospitality? How do you practice hospitality?
What gift has God given you? What is the purpose of this gift? How are you managing the gift/grace God has entrusted you with?
Take some time to reflect on Peter’s four pieces of lifestyle advice: pray, love, eat and serve. Which of these do you sense needs your attention?
[1] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 275.
[2] Refer Thomas Schreiner’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 211.
[3] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 279.
Sometimes we go through life unaware. Unaware of ourselves. Unaware of the burdens our neighbours carry. Unaware of the way our actions affect others, for good or ill. Unaware of what is just around the corner. No one thinks it will happen to them.
Kevin
Hi. My full name is a bit of a mouthful so you can just call me Kevin for short. It will make it easier for you. I know what you’re thinking, Will and I look exactly the same. The likeness is uncanny I know. But I’m actually slightly more handsome than Will (especially for my age) and better at preaching. Don’t say anything to Will though. He can be a bit sensitive about that sort of stuff.
Anyway, Will asked me to speak to you this morning because it is world leprosy day. I was born around 2000 years ago and lived in what you know as the middle east – on a hill in central Palestine, in the West Bank territory, to be more precise.
My father sold figs and other fruit in the local market. He was a kind man, probably too kind for his own good in his line of work. I loved being with him and he was happy for me to tag along.
Working in the markets as we did, bartering and haggling, you learned to be aware. Aware of who was around you and who was missing. Aware of regulars and tourists. Aware of small kindnesses and large injustices. Aware of those willing to pay a fair price and those who would rob you if they could. Aware of changes in mood and atmosphere – like the way people stiffened and closed up around occupation soldiers and then relaxed when the threat was gone. Always we were aware of honour and shame.
It’s not like that today. The people I see here, in your world, often seem unaware – plugged in and tuned out. It’s a self-preservation thing I suppose. You are saturated with information. Distractions are constant. I don’t blame you for using a filter. But it’s not good for you to be too closed off. You still need to let some light in.
My dad was aware. He let the light in. At the end of each day, when we were packing up and walking home he would always find something to be thankful for. Even on the seemingly bad days when we didn’t sell much fruit he still found something positive to focus on. Years later I came to realise it was his thankful attitude that funded his kindness.
None of us know what’s around the corner. I certainly didn’t. My dad’s heart stopped when I was 14, which meant I became responsible for feeding the family. Just my mum and my younger sister. I carried on selling figs and I tried to be thankful but it wasn’t the same without dad. I made enough to get by but, financially, we sailed pretty close to the wind, like almost everyone else.
Things were okay for a couple of years and then I became aware of patches of discoloured skin on my body. There was a numbness in my finger-tips too, which was weird. I ignored it for a while. No one thinks it will happen to them.
Besides, I couldn’t afford to have anything wrong with me. I had to provide for my family. As the patches spread I did my best to cover them up. No one wants to buy fruit off someone who looks sick. But eventually I was found out. It was impossible for me to hide the loss of my eyebrows and eyelashes.
One of my customers, the mother of a girl I quite liked actually, saw me fumble some fruit. It’s hard to hold onto things when you can’t feel them. She looked at my hand first, then at my missing eyebrows, before drawing a breath in horror and walking off quickly. The shame and humiliation of it was overwhelming.
Shortly afterwards I was aware of a change in the atmosphere. She must have told her neighbours because it wasn’t long before people in the market were whispering to each other and looking at me with disgust and fear, like I was an occupation soldier.
Nothing is as dangerous as a crowd with an idea in mind. I packed up my fruit stand and headed home as quickly as I could. I didn’t get far though. The first blow was soft and hit me in the back of the head. Never saw it coming. Just a fig. The next blow was a lot harder though and hit me in the chest. A rock. Things were about to get ugly.
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. In Leviticus the law laid down protocols for dealing with people with skin diseases. I should be examined by a priest, in private. The priest was supposed to make the decision about whether I was clean or unclean and even then there was a seven-day self-isolation period. If my skin disease had not improved in a week then I was to leave.
But the crowd had taken matters into their own hands. They didn’t want my kind around. So I ran as hard as I could and I didn’t look back.
With tears streaming down my face, I wondered if I would ever see my mother and sister again. I couldn’t go home because that would put their lives in danger. What would happen to them now I wasn’t there to provide? There was no government welfare system.
People often aren’t aware of the burdens their neighbours carry or how their own actions affect others.
That night I took shelter under a mustard tree, hungry, cold and exhausted. My feet were bleeding but I couldn’t feel any pain. Not physical pain anyway. There was another kind of pain though, like an emptiness in my heart, that I was all too aware of. Some of you might know it as loneliness. Despite the emptiness I couldn’t find room to be thankful.
I never thought this would happen to me. And by ‘this’ I mean leprosy. We always think it will happen to someone else. But why shouldn’t it happen to me? It happens to someone around the world almost every hour. I wasn’t so special.
There is a randomness to life, it seems, that is as cruel as it is blind. Why should one person be born rich and another poor? Why should one man die in battle and another live? Why should some women lose their husband and their son while others never grieve? God is moral. I know that to be true. But the world we live in is not. We do not get what we deserve. We get what we get.
I waited for sleep to overcome me, hoping I would never wake up. But God, who is intimately aware of the thoughts of the human heart, sent his angel to watch over me.
Trevor
We often think of angels as perfect heavenly beings, all clothed in purest white, with beautiful faces, fresh breath and soft wings. Yea, nah. The angel God assigned to me was a real fright to look at. His clothes were stained and ripped, his breath smelled like rotten fish and where his wings should have been there was just an unsightly hump.
But he was perfect. Had God sent someone clean and healthy and well-groomed I would have only hated myself all the more for being none of those things. Instead God sent me someone beautifully imperfect, someone I could feel comfortable with.
Trevor, whose real name you could never pronounce, may have been hard to look at but he was the kindest person I have ever met. In that way, at least, he reminded me of my dad. Trevor took care of me. He bandaged my feet, gave me food to eat and water to drink, introduced me to others like us and taught me how to survive.
Not just physical survival but mental survival. Each of us walks a tight rope in our mind you see. Trevor helped me to keep my balance – to avoid self-pity, resentment, bitterness and other forms of self-harm. By his own example Trevor showed me how to keep a sense of humour, maintain healthy boundaries and take care of myself without disrespecting those around me.
And he understood the Scriptures in a way that was fresh and simple and profound all at the same time. Ironically, Trevor used to be a Jewish priest. That’s especially ironic because I am a Samaritan, from the West Bank. I suppose in today’s terms that’s like saying I’m a Palestinian.
Traditionally Jews and Samaritans have a long history of tit for tat reprisals and enmity. We hate each other or at least we are expected to. But Trevor didn’t get that email. He loved everyone. It hardly matters when you have leprosy anyway. Leprosy effectively puts Jews & Samaritans, rich & poor, black & white in the same category – unclean, outcast, to be avoided at all costs.
Trevor explained to me that being unclean was not a moral thing. It was a ceremonial thing. We were not bad people or at least not worse than anyone else. Having leprosy was not a punishment from God. We may have been unlucky but our misfortune did not make us any less loved by God.
Likewise, although we were not able to participate in rituals of community worship, we could still praise God. Trevor taught me that God doesn’t just live in a temple. He fills the whole earth. God is not impressed by aesthetics or how something looks on the outside. True worship comes from a thankful heart, he said. This reminded me of my dad.
Not everyone in our community was as positive or enlightened as Trevor though. Living with leprosy, being estranged from your family, not knowing where your next meal is coming from, all that sort of stuff is hard. It’s next level hard. And when life is tough it tends to create callouses on the heart. Thankfulness is too easily swallowed up by cynicism.
But Trevor’s heart never lost its feeling. I think this was because Trevor was aware. Aware of himself and aware of his neighbours. He understood the way his actions affected others. I suppose you might call that empathy or compassion. No one knows what is just around the corner though, not even Trevor.
He died, suddenly one night. Just went to sleep and didn’t wake up. Like my father I guess he was too good for this world. Death happened all the time in our community but that didn’t make Trevor’s passing any easier.
After Trevor’s death I almost lost my balance and fell off that tight rope in my mind. Somehow I managed to hold on by my fingertips. I wasn’t strong or wise or inspirational like Trevor. But I was aware there was no safety net for people like me. Holding on was all I could do. Sometimes though holding on is all you need to do.
Jesus
No one ever thinks it will happen to them. People never think they will win Lotto, but they still buy a ticket anyway, just in case. I never thought I would see my family again, but I still thought about them often and asked God to look after them.
It started out like any other day, no breakfast, just a gnawing hunger and the now familiar numbness. One of the men in our community, he used to be a doctor (leprosy doesn’t discriminate) asked me if I was coming with them. The man they called Jesus was rumoured to be passing by a couple of miles away.
This seemed strange to me. What was Jesus doing all the way out here on the border between Galilee and Samaria? I had nothing else to do so I joined the group. We had all heard about this man called Jesus, who apparently spoke with real authority, stood up to the religious authorities, drove out demons and healed people of all sorts of ailments.
The ten of us walked in silence. There was no one around and therefore no reason to warn others we were coming. As we walked I felt something stir inside me. I didn’t recognise it at first because it had been a long time since I had felt it. It was hope. Hope is a frightening thing. Misplaced hope, hope that lifts you up only to dump you in a heap of disappointment, is dangerous.
Living with leprosy one learns to manage their hope. I had got into the habit of insuring against the loss of hope by thinking the worst. But that’s no way to live. You have to let some light in. You have to give yourself something to look forward to. Nothing too big. Just enough to keep you going.
So there I was, walking along in silence, aware of this tension within me. Torn between risking it all on this man they called Jesus and holding on to the security blanket of my despair. What if the rumours of Jesus passing our way were not true? Or even worse, what if the rumours were true but he rejected us? Rejection, by now, was my majority experience and it is very difficult to argue with your own experience.
Unlike the other nine I had two strikes against me. Not only did I live with leprosy, I was a Palestinian from the West Bank and Jesus was an Israeli.
We came round a bend in the road and there he was. It’s strange how we had never seen the man before but somehow we knew it was him. Jesus had this presence about him. He was so centred, so completely at home in his own skin, so confident, without being a poser.
In your English Bibles it says that we stood at a distance and shouted out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus! Master! Have pity on us.’ The part about standing at a distance and shouting is true but that word translated in English as ‘pity’ isn’t quite right.
‘Pity’ urinates on dignity. It has a corrosive effect on your soul after a while. The pity of others makes you feel less somehow. It reminds you that you have nothing to offer, nothing the other person wants anyway. And it leaves you feeling worse than before. No, ‘pity’ is the wrong word.
In the Maori version of the New Testament, it says that we cried out for Jesus to have ‘aroha’ on us. Aroha is a better word. Aroha means love, affection or compassion. Aroha is what we wanted. Not money, not stones turned into bread, not a sign in the sky and certainly not pity. We wanted to be loved because when you are loved the emptiness in your heart is filled. When you are loved there is no room for loneliness but plenty of room for thankfulness.
Jesus saw us. I can’t begin to tell you what it means to be seen by Jesus. When you live with leprosy, people avoid looking at you. They pretend not to see you. They suddenly become interested in something on the ground. They don’t want to see you. But Jesus saw us. He looked at us and he understood the pain we were in, on the inside. My heart felt strangely warmed.
Thinking about it later I reckon Jesus saw us because he was like us. Rejected, despised, misunderstood. There may have been a physical distance between us and Jesus on that road but there was communion with Christ in our hearts.
Jesus simply told us to ‘go and let the priests examine you’. This was in accordance with the law. Jesus was no liberal. Jesus did things by the book. Nor was he conservative though. Jesus transcended our categories and was in a class all of his own. He did something no one else has ever done. He fulfilled the law.
We hadn’t recovered from our leprosy though. At that point we were still unclean but we understood this was a test of faith. Naaman, the Syrian, was told by Elisha to wash in the River Jordan. Jesus told us to go and see the priests. So we obeyed, because Jesus had seen us and we trusted him.
I don’t remember the precise moment it happened but we hadn’t walked far when I became aware that the skin against my clothes was smooth again. Feeling had returned to my hands and feet. I felt around my eyes. The eyebrows and eyelashes had regrown. The ten of us looked around at each other. We had all been healed.
It was over. Our exile was ended. We were clean at last. We could finally go home to our families. We could find work and participate in worship once more. Maybe find a wife and start a family. All those things I hadn’t dared to hope for were now suddenly possible again.
We quickened our pace, looking for a priest to pronounce us clean as the law required. Then it occurred to me; Jesus was a priest of far higher standing than any in Jerusalem or Samaria. None of those priests could actually heal a person of leprosy. Jesus had healed me and so surely he could pronounce me clean.
I left the others and ran back to find Jesus. True worship comes from a thankful heart. I needed to worship God at the feet of Jesus. And so that’s what I did. Jesus is high priest and temple all rolled into one. In him the presence of God dwells.
When the man they call Jesus saw me do this he said to his disciples, “There were ten men who were healed; where are the other nine? Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?”
Jesus was pointing out the irony to his disciples, that a Palestinian from the West Bank was more spiritually aware than the average Israelite was.
He called me a ‘foreigner’ because, from the disciples’ perspective, that’s what I was, a Samaritan. A traditional enemy to them. Someone they despised and thought was outside of God’s grace. Perhaps Jesus wanted his followers to become aware of their own prejudice. Maybe he wanted them to see that God loves all people, even Palestinian lepers.
I’m not sure the disciples fully comprehended what Jesus was implying but eventually they would. Some years later a couple of those men came to the West Bank to tell us about Jesus, how he had been crucified and then raised to life on the third day. I welcomed them and they remembered me.
I would have stayed there all day at Jesus’ feet but he said to me, “Get up and go; your faith has made you well.”
Jesus honoured me with his words. Those words gave me my dignity back. He is so generous. The credit for the healing belonged entirely to him and yet he shared the credit with me. He acknowledged the mustard seed of faith that I brought to the situation, respecting it like a precious pearl. For indeed it is.
Do you trust Jesus? Our trust is incredibly valuable to God. He treasures it more than we know.
Conclusion:
Sometimes we go through life unaware. Unaware of the hundreds of small miracles God performs for us each day. True worship comes from a thankful heart. A thankful heart funds kindness. My prayer for you is that you would let the light in and be aware that you are loved.
And if that seems impossible to believe right now, if you don’t want to take that kind of risk with your hope, then hold on. Jesus sees you.
Will tells me you are going to sing a song now and collect a special offering for the leprosy mission.
May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
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?
Who do you identify with most in the story Kevin told? Why is that do you think?
What does it mean to ‘let the light in’? How might you let the light into your life?
In what ways did Jesus fulfill the law for the men he cured of leprosy?
Kevin made the comment that Jesus is high priest and temple all rolled into one. In what ways does Jesus function as a priest? In what ways does he function as a temple?
True worship comes from a thankful heart. Think of one thing from the past 24 hours that you are thankful for? Take some time to remain present to that thing in your mind. Write it down in your journal. Hold it in your awareness through the day. How might you express your gratitude to God? Repeat this ritual every day for a week (or as long as you can).
Tawa Baptist 