Have you ever wondered why God allows certain things to happen? Or maybe instead of the 'why' question you wonder how people can believe in God when there is so much suffering in the world. Good things happen to bad people - bad things happen to good people.
This week we're looking at the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. A man sows good seed, but an enemy comes along and sows weeds, so that when the wheat starts to grow the man's servants notice the weeds. Realising that this is the work of an enemy the man does not get his servants to pull out the weeds - that runs the risk of damaging the wheat. Instead the field is left until the harvest. Then the weeds are pulled out and burned, leaving the wheat to be harvested.
In my front garden I grow a few flowers - marigolds and roses. Flowers are there to look nice. In my back garden I have vegetables (see earlier blogs). Vegetables are not there to look nice - they're there for the harvest, when they will be eaten. As Christians sometimes we think of our life as a flower garden - it should look nice now. But in reality our life is a vegetable patch. Our goal is the harvest.
Life is messy. We live in a world influenced by sin. People have free will, and some do whatever they want no matter who gets hurt in the process. But we have to believe in the bigger picture. The eternal picture. Maybe you're really struggling with something at the moment, wondering why and how God can allow this to be happening to you... There are no easy answers, no answers that make it any less painful ... but remember the vegetable patch! Ask God for the faith to keep on keeping on, to keep on believing, to keep on trusting, to persevere so that when the harvest comes you will 'shine like the sun'.
To listen to this message click here.
Saturday 26 January 2008
Saturday 19 January 2008
The Good Samaritan - an Oxymoron
For most of the people listening to Jesus (Luke 10:25-37) there was no such thing as a Good Samaritan. There were plenty of Samaritans, but 'good' was not a suitable adjective to describe any of them.
Jesus has been involved in a discussion about eternal life, loving God, loving your neighbour, and 'just who is my neighbour?' And to help us get it he tells that well known story of the Good Samaritan. The man who helps a fellow human being who is in need, simply because he is in need and he can help - irrespective of what it will cost him, irrespective of the inconvenience, irrespective of the cultural or religious barriers that potentially could get in the way. Jesus is showing us, by painting this picture, that our love for God is demonstrated in the way we love others - even those who we may consider to be our enemies. The two (loving God - loving others) can't be separated from each other.
There are (at least) four levels of response we can make to any parable. 1) Nice story. 2) Nice story - but I wonder what the point is? 3) If that's the point - what does it mean for me? 4) Actually making a life-style change in the light of the point of the parable.
One of the dangers with a parable like this is that we easily answer levels 1-3, but when it comes to level 4 we generalise - so we talk about terrorists, rapists, murderers... But I don't believe that is the point Jesus is making. Jesus is saying that your neighbour is that person in need who you are going to come across tomorrow. They might be your best friend. They might be that person who really winds you up. They might be the atheist who is always having a go at your faith. They may even be a Man. Utd. fan. Who they are is irrelevant. What is important is that you demonstrate your love for God by the way you meet their need. Or do you cross over the road and leave it to someone else?
What difference would it make to the point of the story if the Samaritan got robbed and was helped by an ordinary Jew? The main point, I believe, would be the same. But, with the story as Jesus told it, we are alerted to the danger of painting whole groups of people with the same brush. We live, here in London, in a very multicultural, multi faith environment. And it can be very easy to adopt stereotypes. But that's wrong. Within every community there are individuals who will demonstrate compassion and love toward those who are in need. Young people, for example, generally get a really bad press - whenever they're in the news it's to do with drugs, drink, knives, guns, stealing, threatening behaviour, antisocial behaviour... But that is only a small fraction of the whole picture.
To listen to this message from Keith click here. This message included the Nooma DVD 009 Bullhorn by Rob Bell. For copyright reasons this has been removed from the audio. To see an extract from this short video click here.
Jesus has been involved in a discussion about eternal life, loving God, loving your neighbour, and 'just who is my neighbour?' And to help us get it he tells that well known story of the Good Samaritan. The man who helps a fellow human being who is in need, simply because he is in need and he can help - irrespective of what it will cost him, irrespective of the inconvenience, irrespective of the cultural or religious barriers that potentially could get in the way. Jesus is showing us, by painting this picture, that our love for God is demonstrated in the way we love others - even those who we may consider to be our enemies. The two (loving God - loving others) can't be separated from each other.
There are (at least) four levels of response we can make to any parable. 1) Nice story. 2) Nice story - but I wonder what the point is? 3) If that's the point - what does it mean for me? 4) Actually making a life-style change in the light of the point of the parable.
One of the dangers with a parable like this is that we easily answer levels 1-3, but when it comes to level 4 we generalise - so we talk about terrorists, rapists, murderers... But I don't believe that is the point Jesus is making. Jesus is saying that your neighbour is that person in need who you are going to come across tomorrow. They might be your best friend. They might be that person who really winds you up. They might be the atheist who is always having a go at your faith. They may even be a Man. Utd. fan. Who they are is irrelevant. What is important is that you demonstrate your love for God by the way you meet their need. Or do you cross over the road and leave it to someone else?
What difference would it make to the point of the story if the Samaritan got robbed and was helped by an ordinary Jew? The main point, I believe, would be the same. But, with the story as Jesus told it, we are alerted to the danger of painting whole groups of people with the same brush. We live, here in London, in a very multicultural, multi faith environment. And it can be very easy to adopt stereotypes. But that's wrong. Within every community there are individuals who will demonstrate compassion and love toward those who are in need. Young people, for example, generally get a really bad press - whenever they're in the news it's to do with drugs, drink, knives, guns, stealing, threatening behaviour, antisocial behaviour... But that is only a small fraction of the whole picture.
To listen to this message from Keith click here. This message included the Nooma DVD 009 Bullhorn by Rob Bell. For copyright reasons this has been removed from the audio. To see an extract from this short video click here.
Saturday 12 January 2008
What's the Point?
This week we begin a new preaching series that will go through to Easter, looking at some of the parables found in the gospels. I like to think of a parable as 'a story with a point'. To be specific it is a story with a spiritual point.
We're starting this week with the Parable of the Four Soils in Matthew 13:1-23. It is more widely known as the Parable of the Sower, but the parable isn't really about the sower or the seed - it is about the soil. The seed is thrown onto the field. Whether or not the seed grows and produces a harvest depends on the kind of soil that it lands on.
Just before this story Jesus has been receiving a mixed response from the crowd to his teaching and miracles. Some think he's the best thing since sliced bread. Some think he's the Messiah. Some think he's from the devil. Some couldn't care less and can't wait to get home for their dinner and an afternoon in front of the footie (it doesn't say this in the passage - but they're always there somewhere in the crowd/congregation). How are we to make sense of these different reactions? Isn't it obvious that Jesus is the Messiah and what he's saying is true?
Sometimes we think that the occasional miracle would bring people flooding into church - but Jesus' experience and his teaching here warns us against thinking this way.
Some people will never be touched by anything that God might do - they're like the pathway - the seed never gets in, it bounces off the hard exterior and is eaten by the birds.
Other people will respond immediately because the gospel has a lot to offer - but when it comes to the question of commitment and suffering and sacrifice they don't want to know. They're like the rocky soil where there are no roots, and so the plants just whither.
Others will respond well, and really start to grow, but soon the trappings of this life go to their heads and rather than focusing on Jesus they start to think about money, and influence and power; and they start to worry about this, that and the other. A bit like the plant that is choked by the thorns and the brambles.
But others will start to produce fruit, they will begin to change, they will start to be more and more like Jesus. The kinds of things that we see in their lives are characteristics like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
The question for us is, what kind of soil am I?
We're starting this week with the Parable of the Four Soils in Matthew 13:1-23. It is more widely known as the Parable of the Sower, but the parable isn't really about the sower or the seed - it is about the soil. The seed is thrown onto the field. Whether or not the seed grows and produces a harvest depends on the kind of soil that it lands on.
Just before this story Jesus has been receiving a mixed response from the crowd to his teaching and miracles. Some think he's the best thing since sliced bread. Some think he's the Messiah. Some think he's from the devil. Some couldn't care less and can't wait to get home for their dinner and an afternoon in front of the footie (it doesn't say this in the passage - but they're always there somewhere in the crowd/congregation). How are we to make sense of these different reactions? Isn't it obvious that Jesus is the Messiah and what he's saying is true?
Sometimes we think that the occasional miracle would bring people flooding into church - but Jesus' experience and his teaching here warns us against thinking this way.
Some people will never be touched by anything that God might do - they're like the pathway - the seed never gets in, it bounces off the hard exterior and is eaten by the birds.
Other people will respond immediately because the gospel has a lot to offer - but when it comes to the question of commitment and suffering and sacrifice they don't want to know. They're like the rocky soil where there are no roots, and so the plants just whither.
Others will respond well, and really start to grow, but soon the trappings of this life go to their heads and rather than focusing on Jesus they start to think about money, and influence and power; and they start to worry about this, that and the other. A bit like the plant that is choked by the thorns and the brambles.
But others will start to produce fruit, they will begin to change, they will start to be more and more like Jesus. The kinds of things that we see in their lives are characteristics like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
The question for us is, what kind of soil am I?
Saturday 5 January 2008
New Year's Resolutions
Approaching the end of the first week of 2008 and there is a one in four chance that if you made a New Year’s resolution, it has already been broken! On a more encouraging note – only one in eight ‘resolvers’ make it through to the end of the year unscathed. But why do so many of us make New Year’s resolutions year after year? The end of another year provides a point in the calendar where we are encouraged to look back and look forward. Back at the year that has gone, with all its ups and downs; and forward with the hope that comes with a new year and a new beginning. Among favourite resolutions we find things like: lose weight and get fitter; spend more time with friends and family; learn something new; stop smoking…I wonder if anyone has ever compiled a list of Christian New Year’s resolutions? Not that they would be radically different from any other list, but they might include things like: pray more; read my Bible more; give more…
Whilst these are all good things they reveal, as do all resolutions, that we’re not particularly happy with who we are now, and we’re conscious that we don’t match the ideal that we have set for ourselves, whether consciously or unconsciously. Ultimately our resolution, as Christians, should be ‘to be more like Jesus’, but vague resolutions are the most likely to fail. ‘I’m going to get fitter’ is not a good resolution, whereas ‘I’m going to run for 15 mins on a Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm’ is specific and is more likely to lead to the goal – ‘I’m going to get fitter’.
Of course, we don’t need to wait until 1 January to look to make a clean start. Jesus continually offers us that promise – when we confess our sin we experience forgiveness and a new start (1 John 1:9). There is no time like the present.
I think another mistake people make in their resolutions is being too ambitious, too soon. If the attempt to get fit requires 4 10 mile runs a week, and 3 90 minute sessions is the gym then we're probably destined to failure. Start small and work up. This equally applies with our spiritual disciplines. We know that praying and reading the Bible are important for the Christian. But if, on Jan. 1, you set yourself the target of 1 hour of Bible reading followed by an hour of praying each morning before work, the chances are that your resolution has already come unstuck. But if you build up gradually, you will save yourself the discouragement that comes from being over-ambitious.
The Christian is a part of a worldwide family – with a local expression, called the church. Those with resolutions to give up smoking or drinking, or to lose weight, know the importance of being involved with others. And this is true for the Christian too. You are much more likely to succeed in your resolutions if others are involved with you. This might be a house group or it might simply be a friend who texts/emails you each day. Agreeing to pray with a friend at work each day is more likely to see results than going it alone. We live very individualistic lives yet we are called to be a part of a community.
As far as what our resolutions should be I’ll leave that to you…
Whilst these are all good things they reveal, as do all resolutions, that we’re not particularly happy with who we are now, and we’re conscious that we don’t match the ideal that we have set for ourselves, whether consciously or unconsciously. Ultimately our resolution, as Christians, should be ‘to be more like Jesus’, but vague resolutions are the most likely to fail. ‘I’m going to get fitter’ is not a good resolution, whereas ‘I’m going to run for 15 mins on a Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm’ is specific and is more likely to lead to the goal – ‘I’m going to get fitter’.
Of course, we don’t need to wait until 1 January to look to make a clean start. Jesus continually offers us that promise – when we confess our sin we experience forgiveness and a new start (1 John 1:9). There is no time like the present.
I think another mistake people make in their resolutions is being too ambitious, too soon. If the attempt to get fit requires 4 10 mile runs a week, and 3 90 minute sessions is the gym then we're probably destined to failure. Start small and work up. This equally applies with our spiritual disciplines. We know that praying and reading the Bible are important for the Christian. But if, on Jan. 1, you set yourself the target of 1 hour of Bible reading followed by an hour of praying each morning before work, the chances are that your resolution has already come unstuck. But if you build up gradually, you will save yourself the discouragement that comes from being over-ambitious.
The Christian is a part of a worldwide family – with a local expression, called the church. Those with resolutions to give up smoking or drinking, or to lose weight, know the importance of being involved with others. And this is true for the Christian too. You are much more likely to succeed in your resolutions if others are involved with you. This might be a house group or it might simply be a friend who texts/emails you each day. Agreeing to pray with a friend at work each day is more likely to see results than going it alone. We live very individualistic lives yet we are called to be a part of a community.
As far as what our resolutions should be I’ll leave that to you…
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