First of two studies prepared for the Gibraltar Archdeaconry Synod 2011.
RELATIONSHIPS OR DIVISIONS?
The theme of this synod is ‘Growing Together’. The way Christians grow together is as the sheep of the Good Shepherd. This is a theme that runs through the Bible form Genesis to Revelations, from Abel to Jesus.
Jesus thought it was very significant and used the analogy frequently. It is worth revisiting to help us think through the state of the church and the implications for leadership, discipleship and mission. Perhaps you may feel that this biblical material is especially relevant in the context of ‘expat’ churches. Is there a tendency, perhaps, for some congregations to put up barriers and try to exist as little bastions of England?
How do we view sheep?
Positive Negative
Cuddly Stupid
Cute... Silly
Bible Study
John 10: 1 – 18, 27 – 30.
The quotes come from Ezekiel 34: 11 – 16 where God criticises the leaders of his people and promises to come in person. John 10 shows how Jesus fulfils this promise.
Discussion
Our relationship with God
1. It’s not always easy to distinguish God’s voice. In our churches, what realistic ways can we help each other grow in the ability to listen to, recognise, trust and follow our good shepherd?
2. Jesus defines the good shepherd as one who lays down his life for the sheep. He also claims he and the Father are one. As clergy or Synod representatives we have a leadership role. As leaders (shepherds) in our churches, in what ways do we find these claims reassuring or challenging, in what sense are we required to lay down our lives?
Example: we see God in the person of Jesus Example: If Jesus shows his vulnerability, and he and God are one, does that change our view of God?
Our relationship with each other
3a. The Church of England is currently full of divisions and strife e.g. topics such as women bishops and homosexuality. What changes would you like to see in the way these debates are conducted?
3b. How does the teaching in John 10 apply to our relationships with other churches and denominations? What about collaboration with other faiths? What approach is best and why?
Sharing Ideas
As leaders, are there any special challenges within an ‘expat’ church? For ourselves? For our ‘flocks’? How can these be overcome?
A chance to briefly share problems and solutions within the whole group.
Prayer
Father, we pray in humility that through this Synod we may increase our understanding of how we can work together for your glory. We pray that we can stick together with other like sheep, even if we find that image challenging or unflattering. As we think through the different issues that we are discussing this week, please guide us by your Holy Spirit so that we may do your will, not ours. Amen
Recommended reading: Alison, J. (1998) Knowing Jesus SPCK (This new edition has a foreword by ++ Rowan Williams)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Christian Unity - Short Address on Acts 2.1-12
Acts 2.1-12 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2011
We usually read this passage at Pentecost and when it is read at a different time of year, there is an opportunity to notice different things.
During a united service celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for example, you might be especially struck by the fact that the Holy Spirit came upon the Church WHEN THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE. No doubt there were tensions and differences of opinion amongst the disciples, as there are between the Catholic and Anglican Churches today. But they didn’t let their differences stop them gathering together in one place, just as we are doing this evening.
Gathering together in one place sounds like a lovely idea, but in practice it is often uncomfortable and may be risky. It was certainly risky for the disciples, who were known associates of a criminal who had recently been executed for a crime against the state.
But for the disciples, their uncomfortable and risky togetherness was rewarded by an unprecedented outpouring of the presence of God, which reversed at a stroke the curse of the Tower of Babel. The Holy Spirit empowered these humble, scared and uneducated Galileans to communicate the mighty works of God in a way which made a nonsense of all the ways that human beings define and divide themselves.
Differences of race, tribe, territory and language all became nonsense when the Spirit of God was poured out. Since that day of course human beings have carefully rebuilt the dividing walls that God had torn down and have built lots of new ones too. In fact as human beings we spend a large percentage of our time building walls against others.
And yet Pentecost was not just a historical event but also a prophetic event, in preparation for the day when there will be one flock and one shepherd, one holy people gathered before the throne of the Lamb of God. The disciples did something amazing that day, in response to the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for us today is that our gathering together would not just be prophetic but also historical. That responding to the Holy Spirit we would begin to do something amazing together, making real here and now in Barcelona the Unity which is God’s gift through Jesus Christ.
We usually read this passage at Pentecost and when it is read at a different time of year, there is an opportunity to notice different things.
During a united service celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for example, you might be especially struck by the fact that the Holy Spirit came upon the Church WHEN THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE. No doubt there were tensions and differences of opinion amongst the disciples, as there are between the Catholic and Anglican Churches today. But they didn’t let their differences stop them gathering together in one place, just as we are doing this evening.
Gathering together in one place sounds like a lovely idea, but in practice it is often uncomfortable and may be risky. It was certainly risky for the disciples, who were known associates of a criminal who had recently been executed for a crime against the state.
But for the disciples, their uncomfortable and risky togetherness was rewarded by an unprecedented outpouring of the presence of God, which reversed at a stroke the curse of the Tower of Babel. The Holy Spirit empowered these humble, scared and uneducated Galileans to communicate the mighty works of God in a way which made a nonsense of all the ways that human beings define and divide themselves.
Differences of race, tribe, territory and language all became nonsense when the Spirit of God was poured out. Since that day of course human beings have carefully rebuilt the dividing walls that God had torn down and have built lots of new ones too. In fact as human beings we spend a large percentage of our time building walls against others.
And yet Pentecost was not just a historical event but also a prophetic event, in preparation for the day when there will be one flock and one shepherd, one holy people gathered before the throne of the Lamb of God. The disciples did something amazing that day, in response to the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for us today is that our gathering together would not just be prophetic but also historical. That responding to the Holy Spirit we would begin to do something amazing together, making real here and now in Barcelona the Unity which is God’s gift through Jesus Christ.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sermon John 1.29-42
Sermon John 1.29-42
What an extraordinary moment it must have been for Simon the fisherman. An ordinary working man from Bethsaida with little education or ambition other than to be a good Jew and provide for his family. Suddenly here he was, face to face with this new Rabbi his brother Andrew was excitedly insisting was the Messiah.
Well Andrew was a bit easily influenced and prone to follow the latest new teacher – last time it was that weird and scary Baptizer, John. And this bloke certainly didn’t look like the Messiah – the Anointed One to be sent by God who would surely end the Roman occupation and restore the fortunes of Israel.
But there was something intriguing about him, a deep integrity, a calm confidence and certainty as he looked Simon in the eye and said “You are Simon the son of John... but I’m going to call you Peter, “the Rock” – that’s who you are!
Just that – no explanation – and then a call to “follow”, to “come and see”…
Simon could have laughed it off and gone back to his boat, but somehow he was certain that this stranger was very close to God, that he knew Simon inside out and that Simon must drop everything and follow him wherever it might lead. He knew that he was anything but a Rock, a Peter, but perhaps he had potential no one else had seen and perhaps by following the stranger, this Jesus, he would develop into the person God intended him to be… A Follower of Jesus, this is what he must be!
One of my personal goals this year is to be more like the apostle Andrew. The first thing he did after meeting Jesus was to go and bring his brother to his own life changing meeting with the Lord. Later he brought the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus, later still it was some Greek enquirers... he was always introducing people to Jesus. And once they met Jesus their lives were changed forever.
Of course you have to think about how and when you introduce people to Jesus (some funny examples of getting it wrong…)
Follow me!
The call to follow Jesus was not just for Simon Peter, Andrew and the other apostles. The writer of the fourth gospel is clear that his purpose in writing is that others will believe in Jesus and will also become his followers, his disciples.
These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20.31
The call to believe in Jesus and follow him is repeatedly made in the first and last chapter of John and through the Apostles that call is directed to us, as individuals and as the Church – the new community which God is forming in His Son for the salvation of the whole world.
We are mainly going to be following Matthew’s gospel this year and we’ll find the same emphasis, the same purpose there.
So what do we do about it?
How does this translate to what we should actually do as the Christian community and as Christian individuals? How will the church and the individual Christian look and behave if they are serious about discipleship, about following Jesus ?
• Purpose This kind of Church will have a clear purpose and will communicate this clearly to all its members and to prospective members. The purpose will be closely allied to the great commission (to make disciples) and to the commandment to love God and neighbour. A Church that is serious about discipleship is more than a Sunday Club where nice people go and be nice to each other. It is more than a historical society where quaint old traditions are maintained. It is part of the rescue organisation through which God is saving the world in the sacrifice and the risen life of his Son.
• Flexibility On the other hand there will be flexibility in this purpose. The purpose mustn’t become like a straitjacket or a pair of blinkers a racehorse wears to keep it running in a straight line. The Church which is serious about discipleship will continually be reconsidering its purpose, humbly, prayerfully and with openness to being nudged in a different direction by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of a Church, especially a Church like St George’s which has a high turnover in membership, is not static. And its only through deep, committed prayer that we’ll be prepared for the changes of direction God wants us to make (24-7 Prayer event coming soon!)
• Process It is also understood that disciples are not born but made (Matt 28.19-20). The Church which is serious about discipleship focuses all its energy, its activities and its structures on the process which encourages non attenders to become attenders, attenders to become believing members, members to become ministers and missionaries. All the resources of scripture, preaching and teaching, prayer, praise and worship are consistently applied to support this process. Christians are helped to grow in maturity in the way they use their time, their money, their gifts and abilities.
• This leads on to the next point, that the Church which is serious about discipleship Trains and Empowers its members, enabling them to discover their unique vocation or SHAPE, and training them in the skills needed to apply this “shape” in discipleship. We are not all alike and do not all have the same gifts, abilities or opportunities. There are many ways that St George’s helps its members in these things. Think about joining a Home Group (or starting a new one in your area), having a SHAPE consultation or signing up for the next Roots1 or Routes2 course. And again there will be recognition that we don’t all stay the same SHAPE forever (like our bodies!) and our calling may have changed from what it was 5 or 10 years ago...
• Not stopping there, the Church which is serious about discipleship Deploys its Disciples in ministry and mission positions which they are suited to (like a jigsaw where every piece has a slightly different shape), creating completely new ministries where appropriate.
• And finally, it Provides a loving network of support and accountability for its disciples to work within.
I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of Church I want to be a member of and to serve in. I believe it is a vision which is consistent with the Church of the New Testament and with God’s purposes today. It is a kind of Church which will attract new believers and which can be a powerful agent for change in society. It is a Church which is inclusive AND transforming (we don’t have to be just one or the other).
Within such a Church, the individual Christian can grow to be a dedicated follower of Jesus, living a life which pleases God and fulfils the purpose for which it was created.
Where do you fit in?
I want you to think about this. I’m not just trying to make you feel guilty so that you will “do more”. I am asking you to pray and sincerely ask God to lead you…
Its about who you are; where you fit in; where God wants to take you. You may already be following Jesus with confidence and in the best way you can.
Or maybe you are more like Simon the fisherman, living in the village you were born in, stuck in a rut, doing the same work your father did. Could it be that Jesus has a new name for you and a new purpose for your life, within the big picture of his plans for the world?
What an extraordinary moment it must have been for Simon the fisherman. An ordinary working man from Bethsaida with little education or ambition other than to be a good Jew and provide for his family. Suddenly here he was, face to face with this new Rabbi his brother Andrew was excitedly insisting was the Messiah.
Well Andrew was a bit easily influenced and prone to follow the latest new teacher – last time it was that weird and scary Baptizer, John. And this bloke certainly didn’t look like the Messiah – the Anointed One to be sent by God who would surely end the Roman occupation and restore the fortunes of Israel.
But there was something intriguing about him, a deep integrity, a calm confidence and certainty as he looked Simon in the eye and said “You are Simon the son of John... but I’m going to call you Peter, “the Rock” – that’s who you are!
Just that – no explanation – and then a call to “follow”, to “come and see”…
Simon could have laughed it off and gone back to his boat, but somehow he was certain that this stranger was very close to God, that he knew Simon inside out and that Simon must drop everything and follow him wherever it might lead. He knew that he was anything but a Rock, a Peter, but perhaps he had potential no one else had seen and perhaps by following the stranger, this Jesus, he would develop into the person God intended him to be… A Follower of Jesus, this is what he must be!
One of my personal goals this year is to be more like the apostle Andrew. The first thing he did after meeting Jesus was to go and bring his brother to his own life changing meeting with the Lord. Later he brought the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus, later still it was some Greek enquirers... he was always introducing people to Jesus. And once they met Jesus their lives were changed forever.
Of course you have to think about how and when you introduce people to Jesus (some funny examples of getting it wrong…)
Follow me!
The call to follow Jesus was not just for Simon Peter, Andrew and the other apostles. The writer of the fourth gospel is clear that his purpose in writing is that others will believe in Jesus and will also become his followers, his disciples.
These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20.31
The call to believe in Jesus and follow him is repeatedly made in the first and last chapter of John and through the Apostles that call is directed to us, as individuals and as the Church – the new community which God is forming in His Son for the salvation of the whole world.
We are mainly going to be following Matthew’s gospel this year and we’ll find the same emphasis, the same purpose there.
So what do we do about it?
How does this translate to what we should actually do as the Christian community and as Christian individuals? How will the church and the individual Christian look and behave if they are serious about discipleship, about following Jesus ?
• Purpose This kind of Church will have a clear purpose and will communicate this clearly to all its members and to prospective members. The purpose will be closely allied to the great commission (to make disciples) and to the commandment to love God and neighbour. A Church that is serious about discipleship is more than a Sunday Club where nice people go and be nice to each other. It is more than a historical society where quaint old traditions are maintained. It is part of the rescue organisation through which God is saving the world in the sacrifice and the risen life of his Son.
• Flexibility On the other hand there will be flexibility in this purpose. The purpose mustn’t become like a straitjacket or a pair of blinkers a racehorse wears to keep it running in a straight line. The Church which is serious about discipleship will continually be reconsidering its purpose, humbly, prayerfully and with openness to being nudged in a different direction by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of a Church, especially a Church like St George’s which has a high turnover in membership, is not static. And its only through deep, committed prayer that we’ll be prepared for the changes of direction God wants us to make (24-7 Prayer event coming soon!)
• Process It is also understood that disciples are not born but made (Matt 28.19-20). The Church which is serious about discipleship focuses all its energy, its activities and its structures on the process which encourages non attenders to become attenders, attenders to become believing members, members to become ministers and missionaries. All the resources of scripture, preaching and teaching, prayer, praise and worship are consistently applied to support this process. Christians are helped to grow in maturity in the way they use their time, their money, their gifts and abilities.
• This leads on to the next point, that the Church which is serious about discipleship Trains and Empowers its members, enabling them to discover their unique vocation or SHAPE, and training them in the skills needed to apply this “shape” in discipleship. We are not all alike and do not all have the same gifts, abilities or opportunities. There are many ways that St George’s helps its members in these things. Think about joining a Home Group (or starting a new one in your area), having a SHAPE consultation or signing up for the next Roots1 or Routes2 course. And again there will be recognition that we don’t all stay the same SHAPE forever (like our bodies!) and our calling may have changed from what it was 5 or 10 years ago...
• Not stopping there, the Church which is serious about discipleship Deploys its Disciples in ministry and mission positions which they are suited to (like a jigsaw where every piece has a slightly different shape), creating completely new ministries where appropriate.
• And finally, it Provides a loving network of support and accountability for its disciples to work within.
I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of Church I want to be a member of and to serve in. I believe it is a vision which is consistent with the Church of the New Testament and with God’s purposes today. It is a kind of Church which will attract new believers and which can be a powerful agent for change in society. It is a Church which is inclusive AND transforming (we don’t have to be just one or the other).
Within such a Church, the individual Christian can grow to be a dedicated follower of Jesus, living a life which pleases God and fulfils the purpose for which it was created.
Where do you fit in?
I want you to think about this. I’m not just trying to make you feel guilty so that you will “do more”. I am asking you to pray and sincerely ask God to lead you…
Its about who you are; where you fit in; where God wants to take you. You may already be following Jesus with confidence and in the best way you can.
Or maybe you are more like Simon the fisherman, living in the village you were born in, stuck in a rut, doing the same work your father did. Could it be that Jesus has a new name for you and a new purpose for your life, within the big picture of his plans for the world?
Building for God; Nehemiah 1 to 6
Building for God, Prayer and Opposition in Nehemiah chapters 1 to 6
1. Nehemiah prayed
Have a look at the following prayers of Nehemiah. In each case consider 3 questions:-
Why did he pray?
In what way did he pray?
How was his prayer answered?
1.4-11
2.4
4.4-5
4.9
5.19
6.9
6.14
2. Opposition to God’s work
Now let’s look at the opposition to Nehemiah’s work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In each case let’s think about:-
Why and from what source does the opposition come?
How do Nehemiah and the Jewish people respond?
In what ways is the opposition developing as the story progresses?
2.10
2.19
4.1-3
5.1
6.1-2
6.5-7
6.10
The outcome of all this prayer and opposition is shown in 6.15-16, but there were still problems for Nehemiah in Jerusalem (6.17-19) and the rest of the book is also well worth studying, especially the amazing prayer of confession/summary of Israel’s history in ch 9.
3. Application
Finally, think about what you have learned from Nehemiah’s example and how you personally and your church can apply this teaching in practice.
1. Nehemiah prayed
Have a look at the following prayers of Nehemiah. In each case consider 3 questions:-
Why did he pray?
In what way did he pray?
How was his prayer answered?
1.4-11
2.4
4.4-5
4.9
5.19
6.9
6.14
2. Opposition to God’s work
Now let’s look at the opposition to Nehemiah’s work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In each case let’s think about:-
Why and from what source does the opposition come?
How do Nehemiah and the Jewish people respond?
In what ways is the opposition developing as the story progresses?
2.10
2.19
4.1-3
5.1
6.1-2
6.5-7
6.10
The outcome of all this prayer and opposition is shown in 6.15-16, but there were still problems for Nehemiah in Jerusalem (6.17-19) and the rest of the book is also well worth studying, especially the amazing prayer of confession/summary of Israel’s history in ch 9.
3. Application
Finally, think about what you have learned from Nehemiah’s example and how you personally and your church can apply this teaching in practice.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Matthew 1 Sermon
Sermon outline – 19th Dec 2010
Advent 4 – Matthew 1.(1-17) 18-25
The Family Tree
• Strange way to start a book – not even a brief family history, just a list of ancestors. Not exactly gripping. If you sent it to a potential publisher they might not get past the first page. And maybe this is why we usually give one of the other gospels to new Christians rather than Matt?
• Temptation is to skip the genealogy or just glance at it and decide it is simply to prove Jesus’s ancestry confirms he is the Messiah. Just a list of Israel’s noble kings and other leaders right back to Abraham, right?
• Wrong! Actually all kinds of characters – good, bad and ugly – and full of important details, pointing towards some of biggest gospel themes.
• Let’s listen to four characters from J’s family tree telling their own stories:-
Tamar’s story
All I wanted was justice, but the family of my dead husband denied me my right to marry his youngest brother and continue the family line of Judah. They didn’t care what happened to me or what was written in their law. Maybe its because I was a foreigner, an Aramean. In my desperation I resorted to deceit, tricking my father-in-law into thinking I was a prostitute and getting pregnant by him. He would have had me burned to death if I hadn’t kept his signet ring. Then he had to admit he was more guilty than me. I’m not proud of what I did but don’t judge me. God has shown me mercy. The family line had to continue because God has revealed that one of my descendents will save the world, I don’t know how, but God will do it.
Rahab’s story
I had a hard early life in Jericho and I’m not proud of my first job, working on the streets. I’m ashamed to say that my door was open to any man but, incredibly, that’s how God found me. Some Israelite spies came to hide in my house and begged me to hide them. They had been seen, and word got to our King, who demanded I turn them over, because they were a threat to our country. But somehow I knew that their God was the one true God and I decided to risk everything and put my trust in that God. I helped the spies escape and, true to their word they came back and saved me and all my parents’ household. I married one of the Israelites and came to know and trust their God as well as anyone. Somehow I know that one of my descendents will be the greatest King the world has ever seen. I don’t know how, but God will do it.
Ruth’s story
I’m a Moabite but my husband was Jewish. My heart was broken when he died young, but it was even harder for his mother, who lost her husband and her other son as well, one after the other. She sent us home to our own people, me and my sister-in-law. But somehow I knew I had to stay with her and her people. I don’t know where the words came from, but I really said them “wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you live, I shall live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” I meant it, and God has helped me keep that promise.
I found a new husband from Naomi’s family, a good kind man, Boaz. His mother Rahab is a foreigner too. I like her a lot and she has this crazy idea that one of our descendants will be a great King. But how could that happen?
Bathsheba’s story
The answer to your question is “Yes”, I did deliberately use my charms to attract King David - it wasn’t just his fault. I cheated on my first husband, poor noble Uriah, and what I did led indirectly to his death and the death of the first child I bore David. I’m not proud of any of that. David’s confession is in your Bibles (Psalm 51). Mine is not, but I confessed too and was forgiven and healed by God. God only knows why he accepted me, after what I’d done, but if there’s hope for me, there’s hope for anybody. In God’s mercy I was able to have another son with David. And somehow I know that the Son of David will be the Saviour of the world.
• What’s the first thing you notice about these four characters from the family tree of Jesus? Yes – all women. Surprising in a Jewish family record which would only usually name the men.
• Secondly at least two are definitely not Jewish (R and R), Tamar was probably not Jewish and Bathsheba was first married to a non-Jew. Again very surprising in a Jewish family history.
• Thirdly, a mixed group of saints and sinners. All changed history and furthered God’s plan through their intelligence and bravery, but apart from Ruth, they all had serious flaws too. Rahab worked as a prostitute, Tamar, in her quest for justice, deceived and slept with her Father-in-Law, Bathsheba probably deliberately courted the King’s attention and certainly committed adultery with him, while her noble husband was away fighting in the war.
• Matthew’s family tree of Joseph, the family into which Jesus was adopted, does not consist of a line of perfect, holy people, but flawed people – we’d see this even more clearly if we went through all the men too – murderers, liars, cheats and cowards, foreigners, outsiders and losers … so there is hope for us all, for the whole human race.
Joseph the bit-part player?
And what about Joseph, who speaks not a word in our Bibles and even in Nativity plays is usually no more than a walk on, walk off part, a strong, silent, rather docile type. But is this the right way to think about Joseph?
In Matthew’s eyes he is actually the main player in the story. Let’s hear it from Joseph himself:-
Joseph’s story
So as if it wasn’t bad enough growing up as an ordinary kid with a ‘royal’ family name – being teased; ‘King of the Planks’ they called me at carpentry school – this Mary, this young virgin my parents had chosen as a wife for me, got herself pregnant before I’d even been anywhere near her. Your Bibles might say I ‘considered’ this before deciding what to do, but that’s a poor translation of enthymeomai ; it should say I was angry and distressed about it. It was a disgrace
and I was fuming! … I know what people were all thinking and I could hear the sniggers behind my back.
I’d have been perfectly within my rights to have her stoned to death – Deuteronomy 22.24, you can look it up – and that’s what everybody thought I should do.
But I couldn’t do it. And something told me God didn’t want me to harm the girl. You know which Bible stories I enjoyed most when I was growing up? The Servant Songs of Isaiah. You’ve heard them;
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”
I guess that’s the God I’ve always believed in. A God who doesn’t stone the guilty… he saves them. His justice is healing, not punishment.
So I found a loophole in the Law allowing me to just divorce the girl quietly by writing out a certificate (Deuteronomy 24.1!) and that’s what I decided to do. Not a perfect solution but at least she’d survive, probably.
Then I had a dream straight from God, I’m absolutely certain it was. And then I knew … everything. Mary’s not even guilty, the Father of the child is not some stranger, but God. And I don’t have to be afraid. I know what I have to do. This is my destiny. I must love and protect and nurture them both. I must adopt this child as my own, into the family line of my ancestors Abraham and David – God hadn’t forgotten them after all. I must name the boy Jesus, which means “He Saves”. And I don’t know how he’ll do it but he will save them, everybody.
Conclusion
And so Joseph the bit-part player turns out to be an incredibly important player in the story of salvation. And what an example he sets for his adopted son and for those who will believe in him.
In humble circumstances yet of noble blood Joseph displays his nobility not by a show of power or an angry demand for his legal rights, but by showing mercy and living by faith in God’s promise. The words he then hears from God defy all logic, all evidence and yet he turns away from the cultural prejudice of his day and walks by faith.
The lives of Mary and Jesus are saved by the choices Joseph makes – the marriage, the adoption. Painful, difficult and unselfish choices which paved the way for the salvation of us all and our adoption into God’s family, God’s people.
What a plan! What a God!
Advent 4 – Matthew 1.(1-17) 18-25
The Family Tree
• Strange way to start a book – not even a brief family history, just a list of ancestors. Not exactly gripping. If you sent it to a potential publisher they might not get past the first page. And maybe this is why we usually give one of the other gospels to new Christians rather than Matt?
• Temptation is to skip the genealogy or just glance at it and decide it is simply to prove Jesus’s ancestry confirms he is the Messiah. Just a list of Israel’s noble kings and other leaders right back to Abraham, right?
• Wrong! Actually all kinds of characters – good, bad and ugly – and full of important details, pointing towards some of biggest gospel themes.
• Let’s listen to four characters from J’s family tree telling their own stories:-
Tamar’s story
All I wanted was justice, but the family of my dead husband denied me my right to marry his youngest brother and continue the family line of Judah. They didn’t care what happened to me or what was written in their law. Maybe its because I was a foreigner, an Aramean. In my desperation I resorted to deceit, tricking my father-in-law into thinking I was a prostitute and getting pregnant by him. He would have had me burned to death if I hadn’t kept his signet ring. Then he had to admit he was more guilty than me. I’m not proud of what I did but don’t judge me. God has shown me mercy. The family line had to continue because God has revealed that one of my descendents will save the world, I don’t know how, but God will do it.
Rahab’s story
I had a hard early life in Jericho and I’m not proud of my first job, working on the streets. I’m ashamed to say that my door was open to any man but, incredibly, that’s how God found me. Some Israelite spies came to hide in my house and begged me to hide them. They had been seen, and word got to our King, who demanded I turn them over, because they were a threat to our country. But somehow I knew that their God was the one true God and I decided to risk everything and put my trust in that God. I helped the spies escape and, true to their word they came back and saved me and all my parents’ household. I married one of the Israelites and came to know and trust their God as well as anyone. Somehow I know that one of my descendents will be the greatest King the world has ever seen. I don’t know how, but God will do it.
Ruth’s story
I’m a Moabite but my husband was Jewish. My heart was broken when he died young, but it was even harder for his mother, who lost her husband and her other son as well, one after the other. She sent us home to our own people, me and my sister-in-law. But somehow I knew I had to stay with her and her people. I don’t know where the words came from, but I really said them “wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you live, I shall live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” I meant it, and God has helped me keep that promise.
I found a new husband from Naomi’s family, a good kind man, Boaz. His mother Rahab is a foreigner too. I like her a lot and she has this crazy idea that one of our descendants will be a great King. But how could that happen?
Bathsheba’s story
The answer to your question is “Yes”, I did deliberately use my charms to attract King David - it wasn’t just his fault. I cheated on my first husband, poor noble Uriah, and what I did led indirectly to his death and the death of the first child I bore David. I’m not proud of any of that. David’s confession is in your Bibles (Psalm 51). Mine is not, but I confessed too and was forgiven and healed by God. God only knows why he accepted me, after what I’d done, but if there’s hope for me, there’s hope for anybody. In God’s mercy I was able to have another son with David. And somehow I know that the Son of David will be the Saviour of the world.
• What’s the first thing you notice about these four characters from the family tree of Jesus? Yes – all women. Surprising in a Jewish family record which would only usually name the men.
• Secondly at least two are definitely not Jewish (R and R), Tamar was probably not Jewish and Bathsheba was first married to a non-Jew. Again very surprising in a Jewish family history.
• Thirdly, a mixed group of saints and sinners. All changed history and furthered God’s plan through their intelligence and bravery, but apart from Ruth, they all had serious flaws too. Rahab worked as a prostitute, Tamar, in her quest for justice, deceived and slept with her Father-in-Law, Bathsheba probably deliberately courted the King’s attention and certainly committed adultery with him, while her noble husband was away fighting in the war.
• Matthew’s family tree of Joseph, the family into which Jesus was adopted, does not consist of a line of perfect, holy people, but flawed people – we’d see this even more clearly if we went through all the men too – murderers, liars, cheats and cowards, foreigners, outsiders and losers … so there is hope for us all, for the whole human race.
Joseph the bit-part player?
And what about Joseph, who speaks not a word in our Bibles and even in Nativity plays is usually no more than a walk on, walk off part, a strong, silent, rather docile type. But is this the right way to think about Joseph?
In Matthew’s eyes he is actually the main player in the story. Let’s hear it from Joseph himself:-
Joseph’s story
So as if it wasn’t bad enough growing up as an ordinary kid with a ‘royal’ family name – being teased; ‘King of the Planks’ they called me at carpentry school – this Mary, this young virgin my parents had chosen as a wife for me, got herself pregnant before I’d even been anywhere near her. Your Bibles might say I ‘considered’ this before deciding what to do, but that’s a poor translation of enthymeomai ; it should say I was angry and distressed about it. It was a disgrace
and I was fuming! … I know what people were all thinking and I could hear the sniggers behind my back.
I’d have been perfectly within my rights to have her stoned to death – Deuteronomy 22.24, you can look it up – and that’s what everybody thought I should do.
But I couldn’t do it. And something told me God didn’t want me to harm the girl. You know which Bible stories I enjoyed most when I was growing up? The Servant Songs of Isaiah. You’ve heard them;
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”
I guess that’s the God I’ve always believed in. A God who doesn’t stone the guilty… he saves them. His justice is healing, not punishment.
So I found a loophole in the Law allowing me to just divorce the girl quietly by writing out a certificate (Deuteronomy 24.1!) and that’s what I decided to do. Not a perfect solution but at least she’d survive, probably.
Then I had a dream straight from God, I’m absolutely certain it was. And then I knew … everything. Mary’s not even guilty, the Father of the child is not some stranger, but God. And I don’t have to be afraid. I know what I have to do. This is my destiny. I must love and protect and nurture them both. I must adopt this child as my own, into the family line of my ancestors Abraham and David – God hadn’t forgotten them after all. I must name the boy Jesus, which means “He Saves”. And I don’t know how he’ll do it but he will save them, everybody.
Conclusion
And so Joseph the bit-part player turns out to be an incredibly important player in the story of salvation. And what an example he sets for his adopted son and for those who will believe in him.
In humble circumstances yet of noble blood Joseph displays his nobility not by a show of power or an angry demand for his legal rights, but by showing mercy and living by faith in God’s promise. The words he then hears from God defy all logic, all evidence and yet he turns away from the cultural prejudice of his day and walks by faith.
The lives of Mary and Jesus are saved by the choices Joseph makes – the marriage, the adoption. Painful, difficult and unselfish choices which paved the way for the salvation of us all and our adoption into God’s family, God’s people.
What a plan! What a God!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Slowing down with Matthew and Hauerwas
Forced to slow down this week because of conjunctivitis and losing my voice. Ah well, not a bad thing. New year of church calendar has started and we concentrate on Matthew's gospel. Stanley Hauerwas is my guide, with his excellent SCM Theological Commentary. A book full of wisdom and humility which draws you deeper into the gospel's meaning. So, thankyou Professor Hauerwas, and thank you God for slowing me down!
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