Tawa Baptist

Salt & Pepper

Scripture: Mark 9:38-50

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

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The exorcist
  • Crime and punishment
  • Salty sayings
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Most dining tables have salt and pepper shakers on them. Salt and pepper add flavour and spice to the meal. The purpose of salt and pepper is to make the food taste better, but if you try eating salt and pepper on their own, you are in for a nasty surprise. 

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark, based on the lectionary readings. Last week we heard how Jesus defines greatness. The way up is down.

This week’s lectionary reading is a salt and pepper passage. By itself it tastes bitter and unpleasant. But mix a little salt and pepper in with Jesus’ goodness and grace, and it improves the quality of your relationships. From Mark 9, verse 38 we read…

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” 39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. 42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with each other.”

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

There’s an advert on TV which shows two toasters making toast. Each of the toasters is powered by electricity from different power companies. One of the power companies charges more for their electricity than the other company but, despite the difference in price, the toast comes out exactly the same.

There are any number of power companies, but electricity is electricity. It cooks toast the same, regardless of what power company you use. No power company has a monopoly on electricity.

In verse 38 of Mark 9, the disciple John reports how they saw someone driving out demons in the name of Jesus and told him to stop.

This is interesting. Earlier, in Mark chapter 9, the disciples had been unable to cast out a demon. Now we find someone who is not one of the twelve, but who believes in Jesus and is successful at performing exorcisms.

Why do the disciples think they have the right to instruct someone more competent than them? That’s like any one of us trying to tell Lydia Ko how to play golf.

Well, John told the unknown exorcist to stop because he was not one of them, he wasn’t in their club. The disciples think they are better than this unknown exorcist, even though the exorcist is more effective than they are.

Jesus had just been teaching his disciples about humility and service.

The unknown exorcist is serving the least and he is serving Jesus, but the disciples can’t see it. Jesus’ words haven’t sunk in yet. They don’t understand.  

You get the feeling John thinks he has done something good. Maybe he hopes to be commended by Jesus? Maybe he is wanting to climb the honour ladder and advance himself? But Jesus is not impressed.

In verse 39 Jesus corrects his disciples saying, ‘Do not stop him. For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.’  

To do something in Jesus’ name means to be a bona-fide representative of Jesus. And to be a bona-fide representative, you need to stand in right relationship with Jesus, you need to trust him. It’s more than simply adding Jesus’ name to the end of your prayer, as important as that is.

The unknown exorcist wasn’t using Jesus’ name like a magic spell.

The unknown exorcist stood in right relationship with Jesus. He trusted in Jesus and was able to cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

There are any number of power companies, but electricity is electricity.

It cooks toast the same, regardless of what power company you use.

No power company has a monopoly on electricity.

There are any number of Christians, but the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is free to work through any believer who stands in right relationship with Jesus. No disciple, no church, no denomination has a monopoly on overcoming evil by the power of the Spirit.  

If another Christian is doing good at school or at work, or if another church is doing good in the hood, then don’t knock them. Encourage them. We are on the same side.

In verse 41 Jesus goes on to say: Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

Don’t you love how Jesus keeps it real. Not many of us are going to perform miracles in this life. But any Christian believer can give a cup of water in Jesus’ name.

Any representative of Christ can show kindness. It’s like Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”     

The greatest power is love.

Crime and punishment:

I started this sermon talking about salt and pepper. Verses 42-50 contain the salt and pepper of the gospel in concentrated form. Taken by themselves these verses taste bitter and unpleasant. They were never meant to be read in isolation from the rest of the Bible. So, as you hear them, remember God’s love for you. Remember too, the grace of Jesus. From verse 42 we read…

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea…”

Jesus is talking about crime and punishment here.

Who are these little ones, that Jesus mentions?

In verse 37 Jesus took a small child in his arms and said, ‘whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me…’ So, these little ones might be young children generally. Don’t do anything to harm children or lead them into sin because God is just. He will hold you to account.  

However, these little ones might also be adults, like the unknown exorcist in verse 38, who believe in Jesus. Don’t do anything to cause a fellow believer to fall or lose faith because God is just. He will hold you to account.

The point here is that we have a responsibility to set a good example for others in the faith, especially those who are looking up to us. To trip up one who enjoys a close relationship with Jesus is a terrible crime and merits a terrible punishment.

I don’t often tell jokes in my sermons, partly because I’m not a funny person but also because many of you don’t share my sense of humour. That said, I’m going to take a risk and tell you a joke now…

A little girl was talking to a man on the train about whales. The man said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human being because even though whales are very large, their throats are very small.

The little girl said that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The man became visibly irritated saying again, in a stern voice, ‘It is physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human person’.

The little girl said, ‘When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah’. 

The man retorted, ‘What if Jonah goes to hell?’ 

To which the girl replied, ‘Then you ask him’.

In verses 43-48, Jesus talks about hell and how to avoid going there.

43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

Ditto that for your feet and your eyes.

In the first century, people were punished by having limbs lopped off.

The punishment for stealing was having your left hand cut off.

The punishment for a runaway slave was having one foot chopped off.

And sometimes people had an eye put out for various other crimes.

These sorts of punishments marked the offender for life, so everyone knew what they had done. And it made practical tasks a lot more difficult for the culprit themselves. 

That said, Jesus is not talking literally here. Jesus is not advocating self-harm. Jesus is speaking metaphorically. He is taking an image his listeners would be familiar with and using it to warn people not to go down the wrong path.

The hand is a metaphor for the sorts of things one might do that could lead them into sin. The foot is a metaphor for the sorts of places one might go that could lead them into sin. And the eye is a metaphor for the sorts of things one might look at that could lead them into sin.   

For example. If alcohol is a problem for you, then you need to be ruthless in cutting yourself off from alcohol. That doesn’t mean cutting off your hand so you can’t pick up a bottle.

That means not having any alcohol in the house. It means not going to the pub and not hanging out with friends who like to drink. And if there are lots of bottle stores between where you work and where you live, then it might mean taking an alternative route home to avoid temptation.

Now, I’m not picking on alcoholics here. You could substitute alcohol abuse for any other harmful behaviour, like gossip or sexual immorality or greed or pride or power or gambling or self-centredness or whatever. The point is to cut ourselves off from sin. Nip it in the bud.

That means we need to be thinking a few steps ahead. Where is this decision taking me? Where is this night out or this drink or this text message or this website or this friendship or this swipe right going to lead?  

Of course, we don’t always know where our first steps might take us. The thing about your hands and your feet and your eyes is that they are not inherently bad, they are useful and good in fact. Sometimes what seems innocent enough at first can be misleading. We need to be totally honest with ourselves.

Three times in three verses we come across the word hell. No one in the Bible talks about hell more than Jesus. The actual word translated as ‘hell’ is Gehenna, also known (in the Old Testament) as the Valley of Hinnom, that is, the Valley of Wailing. Gehenna is located on the south side of old Jerusalem.

Centuries before Mark wrote his gospel, the Israelites had sacrificed their children to pagan gods in the Valley of Hinnom. God hated this evil practice. After that, Gehenna became a rubbish dump, where maggots fed off animal carcasses and rubbish was always smouldering.

Given the stench and the filth and the continual burning, Gehenna became a metaphor for hell. Jesus was using an image his listeners were familiar with to describe what happens to the enemies of God in the afterlife. Jesus uses the term hell to describe the way God’s justice will deal with evil.

Those who are committed to doing evil are destroyed and thrown out like rubbish, 48 where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Hell, therefore, is God’s righteous judgement on evil.

Verse 48 is a reference to the last verse in the book of Isaiah. It contains a message of judgment and hope. In Isaiah 66 we read…

23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all humankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. 

24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all humankind.”  

All this talk about hell is scary. It’s horrifying. Questions rise in our minds about what hell is like. What’s the temperature? Who will be there? Is it a place of conscious suffering? Or is it a place of annihilation? We simply don’t know the answers to those sorts of questions and we shouldn’t speculate.

What we can say is that God is good. He is just and merciful, gracious and true. God is love. The Lord of love is our judge and he will do what is right by each one.

The present reality is that this world is a war zone, spiritually speaking.

For the kingdom of God to be realised on earth, the kingdom of evil must be destroyed. Hell is the destruction of the kingdom of evil and that, ultimately, is good news for humanity.

In the same breath that Jesus talks about hell, he also talks about entering life and the kingdom of God. The point seems to be, participation in the kingdom of God is worth any sacrifice. It is better to be limited in what you do in this world, if that means enjoying eternal life.

Salty sayings:

Some of you may have played the word association game. With this game, you start with a word and then someone else says another word that is related in some way and you keep going like that until a word gets repeated or you can’t make an association.

For example, you might start with the word cow, then milk, cereal, breakfast, dinner, steak, salt, fire and so on. Now some of you may be thinking, I can see the connection between most of those words, but what’s the connection between salt and fire? Well, the thing that salt and fire have in common is they both purify things.  

In verses 49-50 of Mark 9, Jesus gives us three salty sayings. We don’t know whether Jesus said these sayings all on the same occasion or whether the gospel writer, Mark, simply collected the salty sayings of Jesus in one place to make them easier to recall.

What we do see here is a certain word association. Verse 48 talks about the fire that is not quenched and in verse 49 we get the saying, ‘everyone will be salted with fire’.

In the ancient world, salt was associated with purity because it came from the two most pure things known at the time. The sea and the sun. Likewise, fire was associated with purification because precious metals (like silver) were refined by fire.

Therefore, the phrase, everyone will be salted with fire, probably means everyone will be purified. This is not saying everyone will go through hell or purgatory. Being salted with fire is a metaphor for the process of purification we go through in this life.

Jesus’ second salty saying reads: Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?

Salt is a preservative. Salt fights corruption. Unless the Christian resists corruption and evil, bad things will flourish unchecked in the world.

Followers of Jesus are to live a pure life, a life of moral integrity.  

But wait, there’s more. In the Law of Moses, grain offerings needed to be seasoned with salt before being burned. In Leviticus chapter 2, we read…

13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

As well as being a preservative and a purifying agent, salt is also a symbol of a covenant commitment with God. To lose one’s saltiness is to lose one’s commitment to God. Mark 9, verse 50, is a warning against apostacy. Jesus is saying, don’t turn back on your commitment to God. Keep the faith.

Jesus’ third salty saying goes like this: Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with each other.

Salt brings out the best in food. Salt makes things taste more like themselves.

For example, if you put salt on an egg, it makes the egg taste more like an egg. Without salt, the egg tastes a bit like rubber.

To have salt among yourselves, therefore, is to bring out the best in each other. To help those around us to be the best version of themselves. Having salt among yourselves is the opposite of tripping others up or causing them to fall.

William Barclay explains Jesus’ meaning well. Have within yourselves the purifying influence of the Spirit of Christ. Be purified from selfishness and self-seeking, from bitterness and anger and grudge-bearing. Then you will be able to live in peace with those around you.[1]

Last week, we heard how the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest. This kind of thinking does not bring out the best in people. It brings out the worst. Jesus wants his disciples to preserve their relationships together and to bring out the best in each other. This requires a covenant of salt, a commitment to serving one another’s wellbeing. 

Conclusion:

Each of us (if we are honest with ourselves) is a mixture of good and evil.

We are not pure and we cannot purify ourselves. So where does that leave us?

Well, God does not want to send you to hell. The Lord does not want anyone to perish, he wants everyone to come to repentance and be saved. Your soul is precious to God. So precious in fact, that God sent his own dear Son, Jesus, to redeem your life.

We are made right with God through faith in Jesus. Learning to trust and obey Jesus is our purification process. Sometimes it hurts. We are made salty again as we submit to the work of God’s Spirit in our lives.

May the Lord guide us in the way of purity and peace. Amen.    

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. How do Jesus’ words in Mark 9:38-50 make you feel? Why do you feel this way?
  3. Why does John tell the unknown exorcist to stop driving out demons? Why does Jesus correct John?
  4. What does it mean to do something in the name of Jesus?
  5. Discuss / reflect on Mark 9:42-48. How are we to interpret these verses? Who are “these little ones”? What is hell? What notes of hope do you see?
  6. Is there anything in your life that you need to cut off? (E.g. a habit, a pattern of thought, a relationship, etc.) How might you do this? 
  7. Discuss / reflect on the three salty sayings of Jesus in Mark 9:49-50. What is the connection between salt and fire? What does it mean to lose one’s saltiness? How might we bring out the best in one another and be at peace?      

[1] William Barclay, Commentary on Mark’s gospel, page 244. (My paraphrase of WB’s words.)

Tawa Baptist

The intimacy of opposites

Scripture: John 20:11-18

Video Link: https://youtu.be/EJA2Fnz9wX8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Mary Magdalene
  • Blinded by grief
  • Seen by Jesus
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone and happy Easter.

We have a tradition, in our house, of making pancakes every Saturday morning. It says the weekend is here. For reasons I can’t really explain, it just doesn’t feel the same eating pancakes any other day.

Pancakes by themselves are a bit bland, they need some kind of topping. Being a creature of habit, I usually add lemon and sugar. There’s something about a sweet and sour combination that tastes so good. An intimacy of opposites.

Lemon and sugar on pancakes is a kind of parable for life. Much of day to day life is pretty bland, pretty flat. It’s the interaction of opposites that gives life it’s flavour. A squeeze of sourness here and a sprinkling of sweetness there. We need both, in the right measure.  

This morning’s message is based on John chapter 20, verses 11-18. The first thing that strikes me about this passage is the intimacy of opposites. In John 20, sweet meets sour. From verse 11 we read…

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

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

Mary Magdalene:

Put up your hand if there is someone in your family named Oliver, Jack or Noah. Now put up your hand if there is someone in your family named Charlotte, Isla or Olivia. Apparently, these are among the most common baby names in New Zealand in recent years. (You can put your hands down now.)

The name Mary doesn’t appear in that list but if we went back a few years I expect it would. Mary seems to have been a very popular name among Jewish women in the first century.

Today’s reading features Mary Magdalene. So who is she?

Well, this is not Mary the mother of Jesus. Nor is it Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Magdalene is not Mary’s surname. It is most likely the place she comes from, on the shores of Lake Galilee. ‘Magdalene’ means watch tower.

In Luke 8 we learn that Mary Magdalene (among others) provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples after Jesus had delivered her from seven demons. This would suggest Mary was relatively wealthy, very capable and probably a leader in her own right. Mary Magdalene is a tower of strength.

In popular culture there is this idea that Mary Magdalene was a bit promiscuous, maybe even a prostitute. But there is no historical evidence for this thought. Mary Magdalene was not the woman of ill repute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. That’s a different lady.

And, contrary to what the fiction writer, Dan Brown (of Da Vinci code fame), would have us believe, Mary Magdalene was not Jesus’ girlfriend or wife.    

Mary Magdalene was devoted to Jesus though. Not only did she support Jesus’ work in practical ways, she was also present at the cross when Jesus died just days before. The past 72 hours have been sour for her indeed but they are about to get sweeter.

Blinded by grief:

When I was a kid, my grandfather made my cousins and I an onion salad for lunch. When I say ‘salad’, it was basically a bowl of raw chopped onions with a few slices of tomato on top. No lettuce. No dressing.

He wasn’t being mean. He was a kind and generous granddad. But, for some reason, he believed that raw onions purified the blood. In his mind, onions prevented cancer. I’m not sure if there is any science behind that but I can tell you for a fact, it cured me of eating raw onions.  

Many years later I discovered caramelised onions. When you cook brown onions in a pan on a low heat, add some balsamic vinegar and a little brown sugar, the raw onion is transformed from bitterness to sweetness. A beautiful flavour. Who would have thought; vinegar & sugar. The intimacy of opposites.   

In verse 11 we catch Mary at a vulnerable moment, weeping at Jesus’ tomb. The sweetness of love, coupled with the bitterness of death, an intimacy of opposites. The more we love someone, the greater our grief when they die.

Mary isn’t just upset that Jesus has died. She is distraught that Jesus’ body is missing. Her mind is dragging her down a path she doesn’t want to go. She thinks ‘they’ (maybe the religious leaders) have stolen Jesus’ body.

When she looks inside the tomb she sees two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been. They ask her why she is crying. They are not asking because they don’t know. They are asking because tears are out of place at this moment.  

You would think the sight of two angels would startle Mary out of her grief but she doesn’t miss a beat. Her devotion to Jesus is so powerful, not even the presence of angels can distract her. Mary wants just one thing, to be close to Jesus.

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives the beatitudes. The beatitudes hold together the sweet and sour of being a follower of Jesus. These beautiful sayings of Jesus describe the intimacy of opposites. To live inside the beatitudes is to be close to Jesus.   

Mary is living inside three beatitudes in particular…

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.   

And blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Mary is poor in spirit, at the end of her rope. Heaven has come to earth for her. Mary is mourning, crying her eyes out. She is comforted by angels. Mary is pure in heart, willing one thing, to be close to Jesus. She is about to see God’s Son.

When Mary turns around, Jesus is standing there. But she doesn’t recognise him at first. She thinks Jesus is the gardener. Perception is a funny thing. So often we see what we expect to see, not what is actually there.  

When I write a sermon, I check the grammar and spelling. I think it’s all good to go and then I read it again the next day, with fresh eyes, and notice the odd word missing. With the first edit I saw what I expected to see, not what was actually there. It pays to take a second and third look.

Mary was not expecting Jesus to be alive and so she didn’t see him at first. She assumed him to be the gardener, perhaps because they were in a garden and who else would you expect to see that early in the morning.

But when we reflect on this scene, in the context of the Old Testament, we see there is perhaps a deeper connection here. The garden Mary and Jesus found themselves in would be fragrant with the myrrh and spices of Jesus’ grave clothes lying neatly in the tomb. This setting reminds us of the Song of Songs, that sacred love poem, which takes place in a garden filled with fragrance & spice.

In the Song of Songs the woman says…
16 Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere…
And the man replies…
1 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.

The Song of Songs celebrates a love so powerful it conquers death. The power of God’s love (in Christ) has conquered death. 

To be clear, Mary and Jesus were not lovers in a physical sense, but they did care deeply for each other. Mary’s devotion is tempered with restraint. You know that bitter sweet feeling (when you are young) and you like someone but you hold your feelings back? Lemon and sugar. The intimacy of opposites.

Seen by Jesus:

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
And in that moment Mary’s eyes are opened, her perception is changed and she recognises Jesus. He is risen. He is alive.

The interesting thing in verse 16 is that Jesus addresses Mary using the Hebrew version of her name, Miriam. Jesus speaks Mary’s heart language.

Tell me, who is Miriam in the Old Testament? [Wait] That’s right, Miriam is the older sister of Moses.  Miriam was devoted to Moses, taking care of him as a new born child, watching over him as his basket floated down the Nile to where an Egyptian princess was bathing.

Intimacy is when someone sees into you. They see you as you really are and still accept you. To be intimate with someone is to let down your guard, take off your mask and stop pretending. If you are comfortable to be yourself with someone and they are comfortable being themselves with you, that’s an intimate relationship.

Jesus had seen Mary at her worst, when her life was a mess and she was under the influence of seven demons. But Jesus saw past the mess and the demons. Jesus saw who Mary truly was, on the inside. Who God had made her to be.

Jesus is the new Moses. The new leader of God’s people. The one who fulfils the law. By calling Mary, ‘Miriam’, Jesus is honouring her as his big sister; a tower of strength who has taken care of him in life and in death.  Jesus is saying to Mary, ‘I see you’.

It’s only after Mary realises that the Lord sees her, that she is able to see the risen Jesus herself. It’s in being seen for who we are that our eyes are opened. It is through intimacy that we are set free to be our true selves.  

Intimacy requires trust. Trust is at the heart of faith. Putting your faith in Jesus doesn’t just mean believing he exists. Putting your faith in Jesus means trusting him enough to be yourself with him.  

Of course, when it comes to intimacy, we need to exercise wisdom. We cannot trust everyone. We cannot be intimate with everyone. We must be discerning about who we reveal ourselves to. Don’t put the pearls of your trust before swine. Your trust is precious. Value it.

Mary replies by addressing Jesus as ‘Rabboni’ (which means teacher). This indicates that Mary sees herself as one of Jesus’ disciples. She is his student, his apprentice. Sometimes men overlook the fact that Jesus had female disciples as well as male disciples.

In verse 17, Jesus says to Mary, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father…”

The first thing this verse tells us is that Mary is holding onto Jesus. Maybe clasping his feet or giving him a hug. It’s little wonder Mary responds by reaching out to hold Jesus. She loves him and is overjoyed to see him again.

The fact that Mary is able to touch Jesus shows us the risen Jesus has a physical body. He is real. Mary is not hallucinating. Jesus is alive, he is not a ghost.

We might be a little puzzled as to why Jesus tells Mary to stop holding on to him. It’s not that Jesus is afraid of being contaminated by Mary in some way.

Rather, Jesus wants Mary to know: I’m not leaving right now, but I will be ascending to God my Father soon, so our relationship is going to change. It won’t be like it was before when we all hung out together. Once I’ve ascended, we will have a different kind of intimacy, a deeper intimacy. You won’t see me or be able to touch me, but I will be with you and among you by my Spirit.     

Although Jesus doesn’t explicitly mention the Holy Spirit in his conversation with Mary, later in verse 22 when the Lord meets with the other disciples, we read how Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”.

The other reason Jesus tells Mary to let go, is because Jesus has something he wants Mary to do. Jesus says, “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

It’s interesting that Jesus chooses Mary to give this most important message. In the first century women were not legally allowed to be witnesses in court proceedings. They were considered inferior or not reliable enough.

That idea is offensive to us today and Jesus didn’t like it much either. Peter and John were at the tomb only moments before. Jesus could have appeared to them first but he waited until they had left and then appeared to Mary instead.

Jesus did not think women were inferior or unreliable. Jesus sees Mary and he commissions her to be an apostle to the apostles. By trusting Mary with the good news of his resurrection, Jesus was letting the disciples know that women have equal status, equal value with men.      

Notice though the intimacy in Jesus’ statement: “Go to my brothers… My Father and your Father. My God and your God.”

With Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples’ relationship, to Jesus has changed. Now they are family. Which means they have a closer connection, a deeper bond, with God through Jesus.

In obedience to Jesus, Mary went to the other disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord”. Intimacy with Jesus produces faithfulness to Jesus.

Conclusion:

Don’t you find it curious that when Jesus rose from the dead he didn’t appear in the temple and say, “I’m back”. Jesus did not reveal himself to the masses. He didn’t issue a press release and stage a massive rally. No.

Jesus revealed his resurrection personally, intimately, to individuals and small groups of people whom he had formed deep relationships with. Why did he do it this way? Because eternal life is not a stadium rock concert. Eternal life is intimacy with God through Jesus.

The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our hope of resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we have real hope of being raised to eternal life through faith in him.

But eternal life is not just something in the distant future when we die. Eternal life is intimacy with Jesus. And intimacy with Jesus can be experienced now, in this world, when life is making us suck lemons.

I would like to offer you a recipe or a formula for creating intimacy with Jesus, but it doesn’t work like that.

Maybe you have enjoyed an intimate experience with the Lord while working in your garden, or singing praise in church or reading your Bible in private or walking in the hills. But it’s not like that every time is it. Sometimes reading the Bible feels dry. Sometimes being in the garden is a chore. If Mary had gone back to the garden the next day, she would not have found Jesus there.

Intimacy isn’t something we can switch on like a light. Intimacy cannot be manufactured. Intimacy comes to us as a gift at the intersection of opposites, in the crucible of personal suffering, when we are least expecting it.   

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The intimacy of opposites. When we find ourselves inside the beatitudes, we are close to Jesus. May the Lord bless you with intimacy.

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 like to eat your pancakes? (What topping do you prefer?) What culinary opposites tend to work well together?
  • What do we know about Mary Magdalene from the Bible?
  • What is intimacy? Why do we need intimacy?
  • Discuss / reflect on the beatitudes of Jesus as examples of the intimacy of opposites. What does it mean to live inside the beatitudes? Which of the beatitudes are you living inside at the moment?
  • Why does Mary fail to recognise Jesus at first? How does Jesus enable Mary to see?
  • Why does Jesus tell Mary not to hold onto him? Why does Jesus choose Mary to be an apostle to the apostles?  

Outtakes

To mistake Jesus for the gardener reminds us of another garden and another gardener. I’m thinking of the garden of Eden, before the fall. We read in the opening chapters of Genesis how God took the first man (Adam) and put in him the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Now Jesus, the second Adam, the new paradigm or model of what it means to be human, is thought of (in Mary’s mind) as a gardener. We also read of the intimacy (the close companionship) Adam and Eve enjoyed with God, as the Lord walked in the garden of Eden in the cool of the day. Now Jesus, the Son of God, is walking in the garden of resurrection with Mary.

Tawa Baptist

Respectful Relationships

Scripture: John 4:5-26

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

Structure:

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

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Equality, not entitlement:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honesty, not humiliation:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

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

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

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

Thinking of your own personal relationships…

Who is it you often find yourself at odds with?

Maybe someone at work or school?

Maybe someone at home or church?

How might that relationship become more respectful?

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus was fair, he treated people with equality.

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

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

Grace and peace to you on the journey.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

Glory

Scripture: John 17:1-8

Title: Glory

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Glorifying God (Jesus is the glory of God)
  • Enjoying God forever (Jesus gives eternal life)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

There are moments in our lives when someone older and wiser tells us something meaningful, but at the time we don’t fully appreciate what they mean – it’s not until sometime later that their words sink in with the help of the spade of experience

–         I remember sitting by my grandfather’s bed as he was dying – his kidneys had failed and he was slowly drowning from the inside

–         He said to me, ‘Son, life goes by so fast. It seems like just yesterday I was young and starting out. It all went so quickly.’

–         At the time I was 24 and didn’t think too much of it

–         ‘Life goes by so fast’ sounds like a cliché – it’s something older people often say to parents with young children, ‘It goes so quickly. Make the most of it while you’ve still got them’

–         When I was a parent of young children it felt to me like time was slowing down – I welcomed the thought of the kids growing up so I could get a decent night’s sleep and not have to change nappies

–         But looking back now the last 20 years has gone quickly

‘Life goes by so fast’. At the time I didn’t fully appreciate what my grandfather was trying to say

–         There he was dying slowly and uncomfortably and yet he wasn’t thinking about that – his perspective was on the whole of life, not just the end

–         He was considering the bigger purpose & meaning of life

–         If 72 years seems short to a man whose days dragged long then that begs the question: Why are we here and what is the best way to use our time?

–         When you get to the end you don’t want to be thinking, ‘I wasted it’

 

Today is the third Sunday in Lent

–         Lent is traditionally a time when Christians prepare for Easter by remembering Jesus’ obedience to God the Father in going to the cross

–         This remembering isn’t just a casual recall of the Easter story though

–         Lent is an opportunity to get back in touch with the bigger purpose and meaning of life: Why am I here? Is it just for me and my own temporary concerns or is it for something bigger?

–         Is it for Christ and things of an eternal nature?

 

The night before his crucifixion and death Jesus took his disciples aside and spoke with them to help them with what was coming

–         The gospel of John chapters 13-17, also known as Jesus’ farewell discourse, capture much of that (death bed) conversation

–         Probably the disciples didn’t fully appreciate all that Jesus was saying at the time but they would appreciate it in the days, weeks and years ahead

Please turn with me to John 17, page 140 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         John 17 is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus we have

–         In this prayer Jesus takes a look at the bigger purpose and meaning of his life and how he has used his time on earth

–         There is a lot going on in this prayer but in broad terms we could say that Jesus prays for three things: He prays for glory; He prays for his disciples; and he prays for us

–         Today the message focuses on the first 8 verses of John 17, where Jesus prays for glory – both for himself and for God the Father

–         From John 17, verses 1-8, we read…

After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you. 2 For you gave him authority over all people, so that he might give eternal life to all those you gave him. 3 And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do. 5 Father! Give me glory in your presence now, the same glory I had with you before the world was made.

6 “I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your word, 7 and now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. 8 I gave them the message that you gave me, and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from you, and they believe that you sent me.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Glorifying God:

The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us (and I paraphrase here)…

–         The chief purpose of humankind is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever

–         It is difficult to improve on that really

–         This statement seems to capture in a nutshell what Jesus is talking about in the opening verses of his prayer in John 17

–         There is certainly a lot of talk of glory on Jesus’ lips here

–         What then does it mean to glorify God?

The word glory has to do with honour, distinction, esteem, beauty, splendour, magnificence, mana and the like

–         Glory isn’t a word we New Zealanders are comfortable with – we tend to shy away from glory a bit – but to people in the ancient world the concept of glory was highly important

 

Now when we talk about ‘glorifying God’ we don’t mean adding to God’s honour and splendour and mana – God already has glory and there is nothing we can do to add to it (or take away from it)

–         From a human perspective, ‘glorifying God’ means revealing something of God’s glory – so in glorifying God we’re not adding something to him we are simply showing others what is already there

If we think of God’s glory as a bank account – then in glorifying God we’re not depositing any more money to his account, it’s more like we are showing others his bank balance

 

We glorify God like a lightbulb glorifies a beautiful person

–         If it is dark and the light is off you can’t see the person’s face let alone admire their beauty

–         But when the light is switched on the person’s beauty is revealed

–         The lightbulb doesn’t add anything to the person’s beauty – it simply helps others to see that beauty better

–         Of course, as lightbulbs we don’t have any power in ourselves to give light – God is the one who gives us the electricity to shine

 

Or take this apple as another example: While it’s in the bowl you can’t see it, the glory of the apple is hidden from you

–         For me to glorify this apple, I need to take it out of the bowl and hold it up for everyone to see

–         But seeing an apple from a distance doesn’t really reveal the apple in all its glory – to properly glorify this apple I need to bring it close so you can smell it and taste it – because the glory of the apple is in its taste

–         Obviously there is nothing I can do to make this apple taste better

–         The most I can do is reveal its glory by giving you a piece to eat

It’s similar with glorifying God – I can’t improve on God’s glory

–         The most I can do is offer you a piece of his glory to taste

–         When we love one another, forgive one another, show patience with one another, share good things with one another, and so on, then we let others experience a small taste of God’s glory

–         The thing is we can only really reveal God’s glory to the extent we have experienced (or tasted) it for ourselves

–         It’s only when I eat God’s apples and enjoy them that I’m impelled to share some with you

 

Glory is a weighty thing – if something is glorious it has substance, it affects us, it moves us

–         Consider the moon in the night sky for example

–         On the face of it the glory of the moon is in its radiance

–         Some nights the moon is more glorious than other nights

–         The moon is perhaps at its most glorious (or most radiant) on a clear night when it is full and close to the horizon

–         But it’s not just the sight of the moon that is glorious

–         The moon’s glory is a weighty thing – whether we can see the moon or not it’s gravity is moving the oceans of the world, drawing the tide in and out twice a day

–         There is nothing I can do to change the tide – all I can do is stand on the beach feel its power

It is similar with God – we can’t see God but we can feel the weight of his glory and power drawing whole nations here and there in accordance with his purpose

As the creator of all things – God is the one who gives the apple the glory of its taste and the moon the beauty of its radiance and the power of its gravity

 

In John 17 Jesus begins his prayer by saying…

–         Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you…

The context of Jesus’ request is a Father / Son relationship, one in which Jesus the Son depends on God the Father for everything – his identity, his existence, his message, his everything

‘The hour has come’, refers to the hour of Jesus’ trial, suffering and death on the cross – so when Jesus talks about glory here it is with the cross in view

Jesus asks God to glorify him (the Son)

–         At first glance this might seem a bit ego centric or selfish but it’s not – Jesus is asking an entirely reasonable and good thing

–         Jesus is saying, make my suffering count – give it weight, reveal your love for the world (and our love for each other) through my death

–         Because if I’m going through all this I want the tides of history to be moved by it – I want people’s hearts to be changed

God the Father and Jesus the Son are one – they are so closely connected that in asking for glory for himself Jesus is really asking glory for God too

–         When a sports team wins against a difficult opponent, that reflects well on the coach

–         When a river is clean, that reflects well on the people who live near that river

–         When a plane lands safely on just one engine (or in a howling southerly in Wellington), that reflects well on the pilot

–         When a 71 year old man at prayer greets a gunman with ‘hello bother’, that reflects well on his courage and humanity

–         When a Prime Minister (and her people) respond with compassion & justice to a mass shooting, that reflects well on the whole country

–         When God’s Son endures the suffering of the cross with dignity & grace, that reflects well on God the Father

 

In verse 4 Jesus has some more to say about glory…

–         I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do.      

What does it mean that Jesus has shown God’s glory on earth? How did Jesus do this? What is the work God gave Jesus to do?

 

The first thing Jesus did to reveal God’s glory was to become human – we call that the incarnation, when God became human in the birth of Christ

–         This means that Jesus is, in fact, the glory of God in human form

–         Jesus doesn’t just shine a light on God’s beauty, he is God’s beauty

–         Jesus doesn’t just share the apple of God’s glory, so others can taste God’s goodness, Jesus is the apple

 

Returning to our apple in the bowl – when Jesus was born God’s glory was plucked from the tree of heaven and put in a bowl on earth

–         Jesus, the very glory of God, stayed in the bowl hidden from sight for 30 years, until John the baptist lifted Jesus out of the bowl and said…

–         ‘This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’

–         This is the glory of God in human form

–         Throughout his ministry Jesus taught the people and healed the people and forgave the people and delivered the people from all sorts of evil

–         And each time he did that he cut off a little piece of himself so that those who believed in him could taste something of the glory of God

 

Now, at the hour of his death, Jesus had got down to the core of God’s glory – suffering out of love to save others – giving himself completely to redeem creation

 

In verse 5 Jesus asks God again saying…

–         Father, give me glory in your presence now, the same glory I had with you before the world was made.

 

The obvious implication in these verses is that Jesus (the Son) was pre-existent with God the Father

–         John has already said this at the beginning of his gospel when he wrote:

–         Before the world was created, the Word already existed; he was with God and he was the same as God. 

–         Jesus, the glory of God and the apple of God’s eye, is looking forward to returning to the tree of heaven

–         Here on earth God’s glory is veiled – we can’t see God, although with the eyes of faith we can see where he has been, much like we can see where the rain has been because the grass is green and not brown

–         In heaven though God’s glory is plain to see – there is no drought

 

There are two parts to the Westminster’s statement on the chief purpose of human beings:

–         We’ve talked about the first part, of glorifying God

–         The second part is enjoying God forever – which is rather a nice way of describing ‘eternal life’

 

Enjoying God forever:

In verse 3 Jesus says: And eternal life means knowing you, the only true God, and knowing Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

 

We have to pay close attention here because this definition of eternal life goes beyond our normal categories

–         For many years I thought eternal life simply meant time without end, so that one was immortal and never died

–         And while living forever may be one by-product of eternal life it isn’t the star of the show

–         Eternal life isn’t just quantity of life, it is more importantly quality of life

–         And that quality of life comes from knowing God & Jesus

 

Now when Jesus talks about ‘knowing’ in this verse, he doesn’t just mean knowing something in your head – he means knowing it in your experience, knowing it, intimately, in the core of your being

–         I might be able to learn some facts about someone by stalking them on Facebook – I might be able to find out when they were born, what their favourite colour is, how they spend their time, where they went on holiday, that sort of thing, but that doesn’t mean I know them

–         To know someone I’ve actually got to meet them and spend time with them, listen to them, hang out with their friends, do life with them

–         Then, after building a relationship with them, I can say I know them

–         Eternal life is essentially a wonderful relationship in which we know God in our experience, as a friend, and enjoy Him forever

This means that eternal life isn’t just something a way off in the future after we die – if eternal life is a relationship with God then eternal life is something we can experience now, through Christ

 

Once again we note the close relationship between God and Jesus – they go together – we can’t know God the Father without knowing Jesus

–         Jesus (the glory of God) shows us what God the Father is like

–         Trying to have a relationship with God the Father without Jesus is like trying to use a computer without a keyboard or a screen – Jesus is the interface between God and humanity

–         Trying to have a relationship with God the Father without Jesus is like trying to cross the ocean without a boat – God is infinite. Being ‘in Christ’ is what supports us and keeps us afloat in the sea of God’s love

–         Trying to have a relationship with God the Father without Jesus is like trying to have a conversation without sharing a common language – Jesus is the Word of God (a language we can understand) by which we comprehend something of the mystery of God

 

In verses 6-8 Jesus gives us a few more clues about what it means to know God

I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your word, and now they know everything you gave me comes from you. I gave them the message that you gave me and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from you, and they believe that you sent me.

Jesus is talking about imparting eternal life to his disciples by making God known to them

–         Of course a relationship is a two way thing – the disciples have to receive that knowledge, the penny has to drop for them, they have to get it

–         And the key to getting it – the key to knowing God – is obeying Jesus

–         It is with obedience that understanding and relationship forms

–         This means that we have to obey in faith or in trust – we have to do what God asks without knowing for certain what the outcome is going to be

 

The disciples obeyed Jesus in faith – they left their work, their families and their homes to follow Jesus without knowing where it would lead

–         But through that act of obedience they came to know God – they formed a friendship with God and with one another, through Jesus

–         The kind of knowing that is in view here is not a scientific, evidence based knowing – it’s the kind of knowing which comes through obedience & belief

 

The classic Biblical story of knowing God through obedience and belief is the Exodus story

–         When God instructed Moses to approach Pharaoh and ask for the Israelites’ freedom, Moses wasn’t that keen at first – he could see it was big ask

–         It wasn’t until Moses obeyed God, and God delivered the people, that he knew God’s character

 

It was similar with the nation of Israel themselves

–         Before the exodus from Egypt, Israel’s experience was one of suffering &  oppression – the evidence for God’s care & concern for them was a fairy tale from the past – it wasn’t part of their present reality

–         Before they could know that God cared for them – that he was a God of justice & compassion – they had to take a step of obedience in leaving Egypt

–         Their obedience (like ours) was a faltering obedience and so they were 40 years in the wilderness learning to trust & obey God

–         When it was time to leave the wilderness and enter the Promised Land, they had to take another step of obedience in crossing the Jordan River

–         It wasn’t until they literally took that first step into the waters of the Jordan that the river stopped and they were able to cross

–         But through that obedience the people knew that God was powerful and was with them as they entered Canaan

 

Eternal life is knowing (and enjoying) God in our personal experience

–         We come to know God through believing in and obeying Jesus

–         I expect many of you have your own stories of knowing God’s goodness and provision through faith & obedience

 

Conclusion:

The purpose of humankind is to glorify God and enjoy him forever

 

Let us pray…

–         Father God, glorify yourself we pray, especially through our suffering

–         May Christ be lifted up in our life in both the ordinary & extraordinary

–         May people taste & see that the Lord is good through their interaction us

–         And may our relationship with you be a source of delight & enjoyment

–         Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    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?

2.)    What do you think of when you hear the word ‘glory’?

3.)    What does it mean to glorify God?

–         How might we glorify God in practical terms?

4.)    Why does Jesus ask for glory for himself?

5.)    How did Jesus glorify God?

–         How is this different to how we might glorify God?

6.)    What is eternal life?

–         What does it mean to know God?

7.)    What is the key to knowing God?

–         Can you recall a time in your life when you obeyed God in faith and came to know him better? What happened?

8.)    Take some time this week to enjoy God

 

 

 

Tawa Baptist

Nurture

Scripture: Luke 10:25-42

Title: Nurture

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Eternal life – vv. 25-28
  • The Samaritan – vv. 29-37
  • The benefits of nurture
  • Conclusion – Mary & Martha – vv. 38-42

Introduction:

A number of the images the Bible gives us of God are images of nurture, care and protection – God is referred to as a Father, a Gardner, a Shepherd and even as a Mother Hen

Today we continue our series on well-being and care of the soul, using the acronym: HEALING.

–         Each letter represents a word which, when properly applied, is life giving to the human soul…

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Over the last couple of weeks we have looked at inter-dependence

–         This morning our focus is nurture

Nurture is about caring for & protecting others, in contrast to abuse & neglect

–         Nurture facilitates inter-dependence and the growth of healthy relationships – without nurture we wouldn’t have inter-dependence

–         Last week I compared inter-dependence to a net – open and flexible

–         Well, if inter-dependence is a net, then nurture is tying the nots that hold the net together – nurture is mending the net

In Biblical terms nurture is about loving God and loving your neighbour

–         In Luke 10 Jesus tells a parable which illustrates what it means to love God and your neighbour – from verse 25 we read…

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ ”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Eternal Life:

Our reading this morning begins with a question about eternal life

–         How do we inherit or receive eternal life?

–         Before we talk about that though we first need to have some idea of what eternal life is

To the First Century Jewish lawyer who asked this question eternal life was a future age or epoch in which God’s Kingdom would come in its fullness (as symbolised by the green upward arrow) – in contrast to this life now (as symbolised by the red downward curve)

–         Eternal life goes on forever whereas this life is finite – it ends in death

–         This diagram doesn’t tell the full story though

 

For Christians, eternal life is more than simply everlasting time into the future

–         For Christians – eternal life is the very life that God has

–         It is God’s own kind of life, divine life. [1]

 

In John 17 Jesus says in prayer, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

–         This tells us that eternal life is essentially a relationship with God

–         To receive eternal life then is to know God, not just in our head, but intimately, in our experience, and to have him know us personally too

–         A better image of eternal life might be the closeness between a mother and child, or the intimacy between two lovers or the bond between the dearest of friends

–         But even the closest and most functional of human relationships are only approximations – no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him  [2]

–         The point is: eternal life isn’t just about living forever, it is about enjoying a certain quality of life in relationship with God – abundant life, life with peace & joy and wholeness – Life which finds deep satisfaction & meaning through a close, loving connection with the Lord

–         We receive eternal life (we know intimacy with God) through Jesus

 

The lawyer asked Jesus about eternal life to test Jesus, maybe even trip him up

–         Jesus senses this and gets the lawyer to answer his own question

–         We inherit eternal life by loving God with our all and loving our neighbour as our self

–         Love God, love your neighbour – seems straight forward enough, except no one but Jesus has been able to do this perfectly

–         Asking us to sustain whole hearted love of God and our neighbour over a lifetime is like asking us to fly to the moon by flapping our arms

–         Without the transport Jesus offers we won’t even get off the ground

 

The Samaritan:

The lawyer is astute enough to realise that he can’t love everyone all the time but he still thinks he can love some people enough of the time – so he seeks clarification as to who his neighbour is

–         In other words, who do I need to love and who do I not need to worry about?

–         He probably expected Jesus to say, your neighbour is a fellow Jew who keeps the law and possibly even the resident alien who worships the Lord

–         Anyone who doesn’t fall into either of those categories you can ignore

 

Jesus doesn’t answer as expected though – he tells a parable which undermines the lawyer’s categories…

 

A man is walking down the hill from Jerusalem to Jericho – a notoriously dangerous 20 miles of road, with rocky outcroppings and sudden turns which provide ideal ambush spots for bandits [3]

–         Not surprisingly this man is stopped by robbers, stripped, beaten and left unconscious on the side of the road

–         Jesus doesn’t tell us the identity of the man – we don’t know if he is a Jew or a Gentile, a worshipper of Yahweh or a pagan – and the passers-by don’t know either

–         In that culture you could tell where someone was from by the clothes they wore and by their accent, but this man had been stripped naked and he couldn’t talk because he was half dead, so no way to identify him

 

A priest is walking down that road, sees the man and passes by

–         Jewish priests at that time normally served for about two weeks a year in the temple

–         Most likely this priest has just finished his duty and is on his way home, because he is headed down the hill, away from the temple in Jerusalem

–         Although the wounded stranger’s identity is ambiguous the priest has decided this man does not qualify as his neighbour

 

Next a Levite comes along, sees the man and passes by

–         Levites were assistants to the priests – they helped in the temple but had less status than the priests

–         The Levite also decides the wounded stranger does not qualify as his neighbour

 

Lastly a Samaritan comes along

–         Now, we need to remember that Samaritans and Jews hated each other

–         They were enemies – there was no nurture happening between them

–         To the Jews there was no such thing as a ‘good’ Samaritan

 

Last summer I read a novel by Anthony Doerr, called All the Light We Cannot See. It took a bit of getting into but in the end was a satisfying read

–         Set in Europe during World War 2 it tells the story of a blind girl living in Paris during the German occupation and also the story of a German orphan boy conscripted into Hitler Youth and eventually the SS

–         As the title of the book suggests there was good & bad behaviour on both sides – not all the Germans were terrible & not all the French were saints

–         There is light in everyone, only sometimes we can’t see it due to our prejudice

 

Jesus’ largely Jewish audience couldn’t see any light in the Samaritans, even though there was light there, and so what comes next in this parable is a complete shock to them – like hearing of a blind French girl receiving care and protection from an SS soldier in 1944

 

When the Samaritan sees the wounded man he has compassion on him

–         Compassion is the feeling or motivation that accompanies nurture

–         Compassion moves us to care for and protect others

 

At some risk and inconvenience to himself the Samaritan gives the wounded stranger first aid – pouring wine & olive oil on wounds was common medical practice at that time

–         Apparently the Samaritan is not concerned with abstract debates about who his neighbour is – he sees a need and responds with care

–         Stopping to help the man is risky in that the bandits may still be lurking close by and could attack him also – but the Samaritan’s love is greater than his fear

 

Then the Samaritan puts the wounded man on his donkey while he walks beside

–         In that culture the one who rides the donkey is in the place of the master, while the one who walks alongside is in the place of the servant

–         So we have here a picture of the Samaritan taking the role of a servant – sort of like Jesus took the role of a servant to save us

 

The Samaritan takes the injured man to an inn and looks after him for the night – they didn’t have hospitals in those days

–         The next morning before leaving he pays the inn keeper two denarii to look after the man

–         Two denarii would have allowed the recuperating man to stay for a number of weeks – plenty of time to get better

–         But in case it’s not enough the Samaritan guarantees to reimburse any extra costs next time he passes that way

–         If the inn keeper was unscrupulous he could easily take advantage of the Samaritan’s kindness

 

We may wonder why the Samaritan doesn’t stay longer to care for the man

–         Well, he was getting the wider community involved

–         The Samaritan doesn’t try to do everything himself, he operates in an inter-dependent way

 

I expect also the Samaritan wanted to avoid any conflict

–         There is a scene in the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves, where Kevin Costner finds a woman alone in the wilderness, bleeding

–         He uses his flag to bind her wounds and then carries her on his horse to find help

–         He comes across a tribe of Indians, the same tribe to which she belongs

–         There he is, dressed in his army uniform (looking like the enemy) carrying a badly injured member of their tribe

–         Some of the younger Indians misunderstand and attack him because it appears he caused the injuries

–         He didn’t of course – it was a case of all the light we cannot see

–         In that scene Kevin Costner is a Samaritan to the Indians

 

By taking the wounded man to an inn and staying the night the Samaritan took a risk – a bit like Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves

–         As a Samaritan in close proximity to Jerusalem he is in enemy territory and that makes him a target

–         Leaving, before his presence brought trouble, was a wise & prudent move – the Samaritan was loving his neighbour, without neglecting himself

 

Looking at the parable as a whole, the unidentified man in Jesus’ parable experiences abuse from the thieves, neglect from the clergy and generous nurture from the Samaritan

–         And he does this without any expectation of repayment – the wounded man has lost everything, he has nothing to offer in return

–         Despite their pedigree the priest and the Levite performed poorly, whereas the Samaritan had no pedigree but performed well

 

The benefits of nurture:

Now at this point you might be thinking – okay I can see how the Samaritan gives us a good example of nurture. He clearly shows practical love, care and support for the injured man

–         But while the Samaritan’s nurture was good for the man who had been beaten up, it’s difficult to see how it was good for the Samaritan himself

–         After all, the main point of this sermon series is care of our own soul

–         How does nurturing someone else, especially at great risk and expense to oneself, help the nurturer?

 

Well, nurturing others helps us in a number of ways…

–         Firstly, it makes us feel good inside – when we take care of others we feel more connected and less alone in the world.

 

Sometimes when we are hurting or in pain we can become quite self-absorbed and our perspective gets smaller & smaller until we find ourselves locked in self-destructive thought patterns – the temptation in grief is to self-pity

–         Nurturing others, looking to the well-being of others, actually enlarges our perspective and frees our mind, lifting our thought patterns out of the rut we sometimes get ourselves into

–         Self-pity leads us to neglect our soul. Nurture, of others, saves us from self-pity

 

Nurture also sets us free from slavery to an overbearing ego

–         By ‘ego’ I mean our sense of self importance

–         Someone with an over inflated ego thinks they are more important than they are – so they might, for example, worry too much about what other people think of them when in fact no one is giving them a second thought

–         Or perhaps they jump the queue or think the speed limit doesn’t apply to them because their time matters more than other people’s time or safety

–         Perhaps the priest and the Levite thought their needs were more important than the needs of the unconscious man on the side of the road?

–         Or perhaps they were overly worried about what others might think of them?

 

Now, having given examples of an over inflated ego it needs to be said, the ego isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself – we need an ego (in this life at least) to protect ourselves [4]

–         If we had no ego (no sense of self-worth or importance) we wouldn’t value ourselves and would let others walk all over us

–         The ego acts as a kind of hedge – it protects us

–         Without an ego we are vulnerable to abuse & neglect – we would get hurt

–         But if the hedge of our ego grows too large it cuts us off from right relationship with other people

–         Nurturing other people trims the hedge – it helps to keep our ego under control so we don’t become disconnected from the people around us

 

The second greatest commandment is to, ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’

–         Notice that’s it’s not, ‘love your neighbour as you neglect yourself’

–         Nor is it, ‘love your neighbour half as much as you love yourself’

–         It’s, ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’

–         In other words, you are just as important as your neighbour – no more, no less, so treat others the way you would like to be treated

–         Nurture of others regulates our ego and keeps us connected in an inter-dependent way

 

Another benefit to nurturing others is it brings us closer to God

–         As I said at the beginning of this message, God is a nurturer

–         Father, Gardener, Shepherd, Mother Hen – they are all images of nurture

–         While we can’t earn eternal life by doing good works, we can (at times) find ourselves close to God when performing practical acts of love

–         The Samaritan in Jesus’ parable actually entered into the life of God when he helped the wounded man on the side of the road

–         Caring for others is what God does – in fact some people see in the Samaritan a picture of Christ himself

–         So when we provide nurture for others we are sharing in God’s work and therefore in his eternal life

–         The good we do, in love, never dies, it is eternal – the knowledge of that should feed our soul with everlasting meaning and purpose

 

Conclusion:

The other thing to say about nurture – and this is very important – is that we can’t care for others without first taking care of our relationship with God

–         Love of God goes hand in hand with love of neighbour

–         Caring for others apart from God is like trying to water the garden with only your spit – not very effective or sustainable

–         To water the garden (or to care for others) generously and properly we must be connected to the water mains

–         It is out of the reservoir of God’s love that we find the resources to nurture others

 

Immediately after the parable of the Samaritan, we read the account of Jesus at Mary & Martha’s house

–         You know the one – Martha becomes frustrated with Mary and with the Lord because Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching, while Martha is run off her feet providing care and hospitality for a house full of disciples

–         But Jesus defends Mary saying, “Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her

–         Martha may have been providing nurture for everyone else but it was in her own strength, apart from Jesus

 

On the face things it would appear that Martha’s ego was too big – my work of doing the cooking & cleaning is more important than listening to Jesus

–         But when we dig a little deeper I wonder if in fact Martha’s ego wasn’t too big, but rather too small

–         Perhaps Martha didn’t think she was important enough to sit at Jesus’ feet and receive his teaching, like Mary and the men

–         Perhaps Martha ‘loved her neighbour as she neglected herself’ and this left her feeling resentful

–         The point is: before we can nurture others we need to spend time in Jesus’ presence, nurturing our relationship with the Lord

 

I imagine the Samaritan was ministering to the wounded man out of his own experience of God’s love for him

–         It was because the Samaritan appreciated God’s generous care for himself that he was able to be so generous in his care of someone he didn’t know

–         And it was because he was doing it for God that he didn’t need a reward

 

Personally I find Jesus’ parable of the Samaritan very challenging – it sets the bar high indeed

–         Even with an appreciation of God’s grace for us we may be forced at times to pick and choose who we help and who we walk past

–         I don’t think Jesus wants us to harbour feelings of misplaced guilt – it is not always in our power to do everything the Samaritan did

–         Sometimes we are the one naked and bleeding on the side of the road – sometimes we might be the ones in need of help

–         Other times we don’t have the wine or the bandages or the mule or the money to help

–         At those times we simply do what we can with what we have and we don’t feel bad about what we can’t do – grand gestures are not always called for

I like what Mother Teresa says…

–         Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is nurture?

–         How does nurture support/facilitate inter-dependence?

–         What images of God as a nurturer do we find in the Bible?

3.)    What is eternal life?

–         How might eternal life be different from this life now (finite life)?

4.)    What would have been surprising to Jesus’ original audience about the parable he told in Luke 10:30-35?

–         Who do you identify with most in this parable?

–         Do you have a Samaritan story (of unexpected kindness)? Share it.

5.)    What stops us from seeing the light in others?

–         What helps us to see the light in others?

6.)    What is compassion?

–         What moves you to compassionate action for others?

7.)    What was risky and costly about the Samaritan’s care for the wounded man?

–         What was wise and prudent about the Samaritan’s care?

8.)    How does nurturing others benefit our own soul and well-being?

–         How is the balance between loving your neighbour and taking care of yourself going for you personally at the moment?

9.)    What does the story of Mary & Martha (in Luke 10:38-42) teach us about nurture?

 

 

[1] M.M. Thompson, Gospel of John, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, page 381.

[2] 1st Corinthians 2:9

[3] William Barclay, ‘The Gospel of Luke’, page 141.

[4] The inspiration for this train of thought came from reading Johann Hari’s book “Lost Connections”, page 238.