When is the Church Really Poor?

There is an incident in Acts chapter 3 where Peter and John are entering the temple in Jerusalem in order to pray.

As they go through the temple gate, they see a poor crippled man sitting there begging. We are told that he was 40 years old and had been crippled since birth. His feet and ankles were so badly malformed that he couldn’t even stand, never mind walk. He had to be carried everywhere.

So, in order for him to help contribute to the families income, each day he is carried to the temple gates and he begs for alms from the worshippers.

When Peter and John see him, something grabs their attention. They discern that God wants to do something in this man’s life. Peter stares at the man intently, John asks the man to look at them. Once they have his undivided attention, Peter speaks.

Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold’.

Well, that’s disappointing for the poor crippled man. Who are these jokers? Are they making a fool of him, is this a wind-up?

But then Peter continues,

‘but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’ And we read, ‘he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.’

For some people, for the church to have to say “I have no silver and gold” is about the worst thing that can be said. They feel it is embarrassing for the church to be poor.

As I look around the 6 rural churches of the Hexagon Benefice that I serve, most of them are struggling to sustain themselves financially.

Even all 6 of us together can’t afford to pay a priest’s stipend. We certainly don’t have much in the way of silver and gold.

But there is an interesting story of a humble monk been shown around a cathedral by a cardinal in the Middle Ages when the Roman Catholic church was at its zenith of power, prestige, and wealth.

The cardinal pointed to all the opulent magnificence of the building and it’s god and silver furnishings and said to the monk with a wink, “We no longer have to say, I have no silver and gold.”

The monk paused and then looked the proud cardinal in the eye and said, “But neither can you say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’”

When is the church really poor?

The humble monk knew a truth that the proud cardinal didn’t.

The Church is only poor when she is no longer a place where God moves in salvation and healing. That is when the church is really poor. Silver and gold have nothing to do with it.

I don’t care how much money we have in the Hexagon Benefice, but I do care passionately that we should be a place where God’s power in salvation and healing is seen to be at work. That’s the ‘wealth’ I want to see.

How to Stop Being Embarrassed About Genesis

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him…
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.’
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2: 18, 21-24 (NRSVA)

I used to be embarrassed about the early chapters of Genesis. The only Christians that seemed to take them seriously were the slightly weird people who believed that the earth was only 10,000 years old and that the story of creation was a scientific description of the origin of the universe.

But the more I have studied them, the more astonishing and insightful I find these stories.
These stories are incredibly ancient. Our best guess is that they were first written down somewhere around 1,500 B.C. Which makes them, at least, 3,500 years old!

And these Jewish origin stories were dramatically different, revolutionary even, in comparison to the origin stories of the surrounding nations in Mesopotamia.

The other cultures understood the relationship between the gods and humans very differently. For them, humans were the servants or playthings of the gods. The gods themselves were capricious, distant, and mostly unconcerned with humanity.

But in this Jewish story, God is very different and the relationship between mankind and God is very different. In the Jewish origin story, God is loving, engaged with His creation and His relationship with humankind is seen as one of love, partnership, mutual respect. This was an astonishing innovation.

When we come to the creation of man in this story, we see that it happens differently to the creation of everything else. We read in the parallel story in Genesis chapter 1 that God said, “Let us make mankind in our image.” The plural, ‘us’ is one of the first inklings that God Himself is a trinity.

But this one phrase, “Let us make mankind in our image”, has transformed our world.

This phrase tells us something that might never have occurred to us otherwise. That each and every human being has worth, because each and every human being has something of the divine in them.
That was an astonishing idea.

In the cultures of the time, only some people had value – the rich, the powerful, those with skills, males, the healthy – and others had little or no value – the poor, the weak, the sick and disabled, women, and children. The idea that every human being had value and worth was revolutionary.

This idea led to the rule of Law. Because, if all people have intrinsic worth, then you cannot treat people any way you like, each human being has to be treated with dignity and respect – each human being has rights.

This one sentence brought the slave trade to an end, as people realised that human beings should not be treated as objects to be bought and sold.

This one sentence stopped the Early Christians from practicing the standard Roman practice, where unwanted babies were exposed on the hillside to die.

It also stopped them putting their sick relatives out onto the street. This was one of the reasons that the Christian population grew proportionally within Roman society. It turned out that if you cared for sick relatives, if you gave them fluids and food, they often got better. So, Christians survived plague and disease more often than the pagans, who simply put their sick relatives out on the street to die.

This phrase led to the creation of the first hospital (named for the practice of Christian hospitality) which was created by Bishop Basil of Caesarea in 369 AD. It was the first large-scale hospital for the poor and sick. In the ancient world, only the rich, or powerful were worth caring for when they were ill.

But because of that one sentence, about all human beings having value and worth, St Basil built the Basiliad, a 300-bed hospital, with a hospice for the dying, wards for sick travellers, and a unit for people with leprosy. All modern hospitals trace their origin from this.

So, this one sentence has transformed our world. Which is not bad for a text written 3,500 years ago!

But this story, also has something surprising to teach us about marriage.

In the creation every animal and bird is created male and female at the same time. But when it comes to humankind, God begins by only creating Adam. Why?

There is also a repeating refrain throughout the creation story. Every time God creates something we read that God looks at it and calls it good. But then, in a moment of striking discordancy, we hear God say, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone’.

Then something unexpected happens. Instead of God creating a woman we read that God brings all of the animals and birds to Adam so that he can give them names.

In Semitic culture, names are significant. They are meant to indicate something of the character of the person or thing. So, Adam would have had to closely observe each of the animals and birds. Notice how they lived, what their characteristics were.

And what dawns on Adam during this drawn-out process?

‘For the man there was not found a helper as his partner’.

Adam finally realises that nothing in the whole of creation is suited to be his helper, his partner. Adam suddenly realises, for the first time, that he is alone and incomplete. He realises that there are aspects of his personhood that cannot be fulfilled, because he is lacking the partner, the complement he needs.

At that precise moment of insight, we are told that God creates Eve.

Eve is not created from the dust, like Adam, but from Adam himself. She is literally a part of him, taken away, and then restored to him in a different way.
Now, all of this is deeply mystical.

And then God presents Eve to Adam, and we have the first recorded words of human speech in the Bible, and they are a love poem from Adam about Eve.

‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.’

Finally, Adam acknowledges he now has the helper and partner he needs. He is no longer alone. All of his human potential is now capable of expression, in this new love relationship. In Eve, that missing part of him has been restored. Do you see the point?

The thing with ancient stories is that nothing in them is accidental or haphazard. Each word, each phrase has been carefully chosen and distilled through the millennia.

It is no accident that the first human words are a love poem from a husband to his wife. It is telling us something deeply significant about what marriage means.

If that were not enough, we then have an editorial comment, which just in case you missed, pulls out the meaning of the story.

‘Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.’

That is a startling and profound concept. It tells us that the primary human relationship is not parent-child, but husband-wife.

It tells us that when two people fall in love and decide to get married, that relationship becomes for them the most significant relationship in their lives. Every other relationship has to take second-place, even the relationship with their parents.

In marrying, two people enter a new state of being – the cling together, they become one flesh. They are united – emotionally, relationally, sexually, and also, mystically.

So, this seemingly simple, you might even say naïve, 3,500 year-old story actually tells us something amazingly deep and profound about marriage.

In some ways this story is every person’s story. Most of us reach a moment in our lives when we sense that we are incomplete on our own. We feel a need for a partner, a helper, someone both similar and different to us, someone with whom we can finally realise our full human potential.

And when we meet them, it is like a missing part of ourselves has been restored. We join ourselves to them in marriage and that relationship then becomes the most significant and important relationship in our lives. A relationship we must prize, value, and protect, above all others.

All this comes to us from a story written 3,500 years ago. You might be forgiven for thinking it has something of the divine in it. But whatever you think, it is a story that is wonderfully and deeply true, and very beautiful.

All married couples, I commend this understanding of marriage to you.

Make it your understanding of the relationship that you are in.

Hear the truth and the beauty of this astonishing ancient story.

Receive its wisdom. Amen.

The Bread and the Kiss

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking… ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.

John 12

Jesus tells John that the person to whom he gives the next piece of bread would be the one who will betray him. He then breaks off a piece of bread, dips it in the olive oil, and offers it to Judas.

Now this was quite a normal thing to happen at a meal. It was a gesture of honour, something like toasting someone at a banquet.

You know, at weddings or formal meals, someone will stand up and say, “Ladies and gentlemen, can I invite you to raise your glasses and drink a toast with me to Bob. Bob is a wonderful person and we are delighted to have the joy of his company this evening, To Bob!” And everybody goes ‘Hear, hear!’ And we all drink a toast to Bob.

Well, in Jesus’ culture, the host offering someone at the table a piece of food, fulfilled the same social purpose. It marked that person out for particular honour within the group. It was a gesture designed to show honour, respect and love.

Interestingly, when the moment of betrayal comes, Judas arranges a sign for the soldiers, to show them who Jesus is. Can you remember how Judas will do that?

Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.”

Mark 14:44

Jesus is betrayed with a kiss. A kiss on the cheek was a familial greeting. For a disciple and his rabbi, a kiss was an expression of honour, respect and love.

So, we have here a remarkable parallel.

Jesus indicates who will betray Him though an act that shows honour, respect, and love.
Judas betrays Jesus through an act that shows honour, respect, and love.

I know there is something deep in this parallel, but I have struggled this week to try and get to the bottom of it, to pull it out, and I’m not there yet.

Why is it that Jesus indicates Judas as his betrayer through an act that gives him honour? Is he giving Judas one last chance? Is this a final opportunity for Judas, a final plea from Jesus, don’t do this, don’t be this person, don’t make this choice? Is it a final chance for Judas to accept the honour, love and respect that Christ offers him?

Judas receives the bread, but he rejects the love.

And we are told that at this very moment, Satan enters him. When a person rejects Christ, when they deliberately turn away from Jesus, then they put themselves in a very dangerous position spiritually. They open themselves up to Satan, and that always leads to destruction. As we will see, Judas will kill himself shortly after betraying Jesus.

This demonic influence over Judas is seen in how he carries out his treachery. He do so with a kiss. Judas takes Jesus’ offer of love and he throws it back in His face. Judas comes with a Satanic perversion of the love Christ offers. He comes with a kiss that is bastardised, reversed, perverted. A kiss that is an outward show of love but is in reality an expression of hate.

We know from the Easter story that all the disciples abandoned Jesus. They all betrayed Him to a degree. Peter denied Him three times. Only John, the Beloved Disciple, was there at the foot of the cross.

This is our story too. We all deny Christ, turn away from Him. Throw the love He offers back in His face.

So, at each Eucharist, Christ reaches out and offers us the bread. An echo of that moment with Judas. We are invited to change our hearts and minds, turn to Christ, live in His love. Amen.

At What Age Can We Be Spiritual?

At what age do we develop the capacity to be spiritual?

This is an interesting question. Churches have often set particular ages for things like first communion and confirmation. This expresses an idea that the capacity for making a spiritual response to God develops as we grow.

But what, if this was backwards?

A story from the life of St Cuthbert (c. 634, Dunbar – 20th March 687, Farne Islands)

“When he (Cuthbert) was a child of eight years he excelled all his companions of the same age in activity and playfulness, so that often, when the others were tired out and obliged to rest, he would remain by himself, as though triumphant, on the playground, challenging any of them to contend longer with him.
One day a number of lads were assembled in the meadow, he himself amongst them, when they began to engage in all manner of wild and extravagant freaks. Some actually took their clothes off and stood on their heads, with their feet and legs in the air, performing other antics and feats of strength.
One of their number, a little boy only three years old, kept repeatedly calling out to him, “O be quiet, and leave off this foolish play!” Receiving no attention, he insisted more and more, and at last began to cry and sob violently, being quite inconsolable.
After they had repeatedly asked him what was the matter, he called out, “O holy bishop and priest Cuthbert, these tricks of agility are quite unsuitable to your character and position.”
Cuthbert did not at the time understand the meaning of these words, yet he left off his play to comfort the child and, returning to his home, revolved the word of prophecy in his mind, as holy Mary kept the words foretold of Jesus, pondering them in her heart.”

Anonymous, Life of st cuthbert, c. 698-705

This story from the life of St Cuthbert records a moment in his childhood, when a three-year-old boy prophetically spoke into his life.

It was a spiritual moment, that the 8-year-old Cuthbert took seriously and was the beginning of his response to God.

It is a reminder that the Christian faith has always understood spirituality to be something for human beings of whatever age.

From the gospel account of the life of Jesus, we can push things back even further.

We are told that St John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb, when the pregnant Mary visited their home. So, the ministry of St John the Baptist – announcing the coming of the Messiah – begins whilst he is as yet unborn, when he points to the presence of the, as yet also unborn, Messiah!

So, whatever we might think about spirituality, we must give up on the idea that it is something children grow into.

Rather, I think spirituality is an innate capacity of human beings, and one we tend to suppress and lose, as we age.

It is something that, as adults, we often need to recover.

Perhaps this is what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples;

‘He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”’

Matthew 18:2-3

The Difference Jesus Makes to Everybody

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.

Jeremiah 31.31ff

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.
They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’

John 12.20ff

The two passages that follow the verses above, show us the difference that Jesus makes.

Firstly, for the Jews, the people of God. Jeremiah 31:31, is the ‘pivot point’ of the whole Bible. The moment when a new and better covenant is announced. No longer a covenant based upon the externals of behaviour, but an internal covenant, a relationship of the heart. God is no longer an external policeman, but lives in us, in a relationship of deep intimacy, constantly moving us towards Himself.

We see this idea expressed in the New Testament Epistles;

‘…for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’

Philippians 2:13, NRSVA

Because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the barrier of sin that separated humankind from God, is now dealt with. If we receive that forgiveness and restoration, a deep, intimate, personal, moment by moment relationship with God becomes possible.

For the Jews, the Law would no longer need to be written on their doorposts, or bound to their arms and foreheads in phylacteries, it will be written in their hearts.

No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

This new relationship with God is open to all. It is a fully democratic and egalitarian mode of being. An intimate relationship with God that is open to all – the greatest to the lowest.
No-one has any more privileged access to God than anyone else. God inhabits each baptised person and is at work in them.

The only difference is the degree to which we choose to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, to open ourselves up to God, to follow his promptings, to put aside our own priorities and desires, in order to be at work with God in the building of His kingdom.

The grace of the invitation extends to each person to exactly the same degree. The only difference is the depth and quality of our response.

The Law is pushed down deeper into the soul of humankind – no longer a mental policeman, active in your head, judging your actions and seeking to highlight failure and sin – but now it is about a change of heart, an inner desire and motivation towards God, brought about actively by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – God within each believer.

If this is the difference the New Covenant is going to make for the Jews, our gospel reading shows us the difference Jesus will make for the whole of humanity.

Now Gentiles are to be included amongst God’s people too. What God had originally promised Abram in Genesis 26 – ‘and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you’ – is finally to be fulfilled.

Some Greeks were in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. They may have been proselytes to the Jewish religion, but this seems unlikely. More probable is the possibility that they were attracted to the Jewish faith, that they were God-fearers. That is to say, people who worshipped Yahweh, but hadn’t gone as far as to convert to Judaism.

For the significance of this, we need to remember, the Christmas story.

At the start of Jesus’ life, the Gentile Magi came to visit Jesus and offer Him gifts and worship Him. Well, here at the end of Jesus’ life, the same thing happens. The Magi came from the East, from Persia, the Greeks come from the West, Greece.

These two instances of Gentiles coming to Jesus, at the start and the end of His life, from East and West, can be seen as an image of all Gentiles coming to Jesus.

Note that they are uninvited. They have been purely inspired, motivated and drawn by the Holy Spirit. It is God Himself who draws both the Magi and these Greeks to Himself. This is a reminder that Jesus is for everyone, not just the Jews.

They approach Phillip, who goes and gets Andrew. Now, interestingly, Phillip and Andrew are both Greek names. So, although they are Jews, their names indicate that they have been raised in areas that have a certain degree of cultural openness. Perhaps this is why the Greeks approached them?

Their request is simple, “Sir, we want to see Jesus”. This text is often engraved on pulpits. Not on the outside for the congregation to see, but on the inside for the preacher to read. A reminder that all preaching, to be authentically Christian, must show people Jesus.

Why do these Greeks ask to see Jesus? The Greeks were not like Jews, they had no expectation of a messiah. But they may have heard about the recent raising from the dead of Lazarus. Certainly, Jerusalem at the time of the great Jewish festival would have been buzzing about all the recent activities of Jesus. So, it is not surprising that the Greeks want to find out more.

But does Jesus ‘do’ Gentiles? Does he break Jewish rules and have dealings with non-Jews? They aren’t sure, so they approach carefully.

I wonder what they were expecting or hoping for. A miracle, or a healing, or some wise spiritual teaching?

What they get from Jesus is very different. Jesus tells them that “the hour has come.” It’s the moment that his whole life has been leading up to, the hour in which he is to be glorified.
It’s clear that he wants his disciples to understand what he means, but before he explains himself, he offers them a confusing proverb… that a grain of wheat must die if it is to bear fruit.

Jesus then explains that in response to Him everyone faces a choice. He tells them what that choice is, what it entails, and what it leads to.

• Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.
• If you will respond to Jesus, you have to choose the life to come over the hear and now. You have to put eternity front and centre in your life. This is expressed hyperbolically – exaggeratedly – in the expression about ‘hating this life’.
• If you will respond to Jesus, you have to follow Him. Live in His way, adopt His priorities, be led and guided by His Spirit.
• But if you do that, you are rewarded by a life of intimacy with Jesus and you will be honoured by the Father.

Jesus, contemplating what His own obedience to the Father is going to cost Him, expresses his anxiety.

‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’

As Jesus expresses His choice to obey His Father there is a theophany – a rare thing in Scripture – a moment when God Himself speaks. At 4 key moments in Jesus’ life we see these happen – at Jesus’ Baptism, on the Mount of Transfiguration, here, and finally on the cross.

Why is this moment so honoured? Jesus is just having a conversation with some Greeks, why is this such a key moment, that God Himself speaks?

Well, Jesus has just expressed His commitment to do whatever the Father asks Him to do. He commits Himself, fully and utterly to the mission of God. Knowing the cost, Jesus still chooses to obey. It is this that the Father responds to, and the Father’s response is to promise to glorify the name of Jesus forever.

As is the case every time God speaks, some people hear it clearly, some people only get a confused sense of what is said, others think it was just thunder. Jesus often closed his parables with the invitation, “He who has ears, let him hear”. Each of us has to be listening correctly in order to hear God. We choose to hear or not to hear. Every time we read scripture, every time someone preaches, we choose to hear or not to hear.

Jesus finishes by telling his disciples what is going to happen and how.
Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’

The world’s current ruler is about to be deposed, and Jesus is going to accomplish that by His death on the cross. He will gather all peoples to himself, not from a throne, but from a cross. In other words, when Jesus is crucified, when He is lifted up, then all the world – including the Greeks – will see Jesus.

Bob Dylan sang, ‘You Gotta Serve Somebody’.

You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Ultimately, every human being has to choose who to serve. As C.S. Lewis put it:

There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.

C.S. Lewis, Christian Reflections

We are either living in God’s kingdom, or in Satan’s. We are either serving God or serving our sinful desires and the ruler of this world.

Jesus died on the cross to free us from our sin, and to claim us for his own, to transfer us from one kingdom to another. From the kingdom of sin, death, and the devil, to the kingdom of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The bad news is, you cannot be free. The good news is, because of the cross, you can choose your master.

A man was once ridiculed for his Christian faith. Someone told him that he was fool to follow Jesus. He replied, “Well I may be a fool for Christ, but whose fool are you?”

You gotta serve somebody. Whose fool are you? Amen.

Motherhood at the Centre of Salvation History

When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river.
His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.
When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said.

Exodus 2

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’
Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’
And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

John 19.25b-27

Here we have two stories of motherhood. Both stories, show motherhood in a variety of guises. We see that motherhood can be complicated.

Who was really Moses’ mother in the story? His birth-mother, or his adoptive mother – the daughter of Pharaoh who rescued him, or even his big sister Miriam, who watched over him and who, later in the story, used quick-thinking and daring, to transform tragedy into blessing?

In the gospel reading, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as she watches her son die, is made mother to John, the Beloved disciple.

• The daughter of Pharaoh, chooses to take on the role of mother, to a child not her own.
• Mary accepts the role of a mother, in response to Christ’s command.

Two stories of mothering that are much more complicated than simply giving birth to children. I think these readings push us to think more broadly about what it means to act as a mother, and to realise that motherhood takes many forms and is expressed in a variety of ways.

Of course, we have all known women who mothered without ever having children themselves. My children had primary school teachers who had never married, but I would say they expressed motherhood in the sacrificial love, nurture, and care they gave to their pupils.

I know in my family there were in the past, informal adoption arrangements. Aunties without children, took on the care of their sisters’ or brothers’ children, after that family was hit by tragedy, or ill health, or was just unable to cope.

So, perhaps the first thing we can say, is that our biblical texts, and our experience of life, show us that motherhood can be complex and mean something more than just physically bearing children.

The second thing we note in our readings, is that motherhood is often deeply painful.

Think of the torment of Moses’ mother. The Hebrews are enslaved in Egypt. Their numbers are growing and the Egyptians are starting to get worried. So, Pharoah commands that every Hebrew baby boy born, is to be killed.

Imagine the horror of being pregnant in those circumstances. Firstly, perhaps trying to keep your pregnancy secret. Then trying to give birth quietly and then, finding that you have given birth to a son, trying to keep him hidden. Imagine those 3 months living with constant dread. Terrified that your neighbours would here something and alert the authorities. Dreading at any moment a knock at the door, and your son being ripped from your arms and summarily despatched. What horror! Imagine living with that for months. The anxiety, the fear.

Finally, Moses can be hidden no more. In a desperate act, his mother takes him down to the crocodile-infested Nile. She constructs a mini-Noah’s Ark and leaves him floating amongst the reeds, close to the bank.

Notice that she can’t bear to watch what happens. She runs from the scene, leaving Moses’ older sister, Miriam, to witness what happens.

Pharaoh’s daughter comes down to bathe in the river, she spots the ark in the water, sends a maid to fetch it. They open it and see a crying baby boy.

Moved by compassion, she decides to act. She chooses to behave as a mother. She accepts the role.

Moses’ sister, who, to coin a phrase, has ‘more front than Brighton’, breezily suggests she can find a Hebrew nurse to wean the child. It seems a bit obvious. Does Pharaoh’s daughter guess what is happening? It seems likely, but she plays along. Moses’ mother is called, and she is made wet-nurse to her own son, who is now under the protection of Pharaoh’s daughter.

We are told that when the child grew up, he was taken into the royal palace and raised as one of the royal princes. What age was Moses, when this happened? Being weaned could mean anything from 3 to 12 years of age.

But finally, that day comes, and it is more agony for Moses’ mother. She has to give up her son permanently, probably never to see him again. Moses is to be raised as a royal Egyptian prince, and as such, would not be allowed to mix with Hebrew slaves.

Theologically, what is happening in this story? The Noah’s ark reference is a clue. It’s something of a re-playing of the Noah story. God saves the righteous from death by water through an ark.

But it is also a prophetic foreshadowing of what Moses will do. He will lead the people of Israel to safety and freedom through the waters of the red Sea.

From our New testament perspective, both of these events are seen as pointing to Christian baptism, we are all saved through water.

If we now turn to our gospel passage, again we see a complex picture of motherhood. It also starts in excruciating pain. Mary is literally watching her first-born son die the most agonising death.

She stands there in unimaginable torment of soul, watching all her dreams and hopes shatter before her eyes. All those angelic visitations, all those divine promises, all those wonderful words about all generations calling her blessed, all the successful ministry and the miracles – all fallen to dust and ashes. Where is God now? Where are all those wonderful promises and prophecies now?

Maybe her mind goes back to those confusing and ominous words of Simeon, spoken over her in the Temple after the birth of Jesus –

‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

Luke 2:34-35, NRSVA

I expect she felt exactly like that, a sword piercing her soul. How do you survive something like that? How do you find the courage to make it through such horror?

Well, Mary is supported by others, present with her, sharing her pain – Mary’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene, plus the Beloved disciple John.

Jesus also helps Mary, by giving her a new role. She is losing her son, but she can be a mother to his closest friend, John.

Catholic theologians see this event as deeply meaningful. They understand this passage telling us that Mary is being designated as the mother of all Christians. The beloved disciple, John, represents all believers. So, Jesus is saying that Mary is now the mother of all the faithful.

There are several reasons for this interpretation. Jesus’ is stated as having 4 brothers and some sisters. So why would there be any need for someone else to take care of Mary? It seems unnecessary.

But the Greek word for ‘siblings’ is a bit slippery. It can mean ‘cousins’ as well as ‘brothers and sisters’; extended families were the norm at this time. Catholics believe that Mary had no further children after Jesus as none are mentioned in the infancy narratives.

Also, the moment is highly significant. It is the culmination of Jesus’ life and mission. Who are there – his mother, and his closest disciple. Mary, who was the first to believe, and John who was the best believer. Two people who have stayed with Him right to the end. One is his blood-mother, the other is in a chosen relationship of devoted discipleship.

The two people who believe in Jesus the most, are brought together at the foot of the cross, and a new family is created. We often think of Pentecost as the birth of the Church, but perhaps it is right here in this moment.

Two people, both devoted to Christ, are brought into a new familial relationship – the Church, the family of Christ. Every time we receive Holy Communion, like Mary and John, we kneel at the foot of the cross and as we do that, may we comprehend something of what Christ is doing in that moment. May we hear anew those words – this is your mother, this is your son – we are being made into a family.

As Christ’s blood is shed on the cross, he makes Mary and John, blood-relations. As Christians, we are also blood-relatives – united by the blood of Jesus.

Do you see the wonder of this!?

Jesus, at the very moment of greatest weakness, at the very point of death, achieves His greatest success. Jesus creates the Church.

Both of our readings are stories of incredible reversals.

Moses is abandoned to the crocodiles, but is saved and taken to be a royal prince, given the education and training that will enable him to lead the people of Israel out of slavery and into nationhood.

Jesus, seemingly at the moment when everything crashes to the ground, when all the promises and prophecies evaporate like morning mist, in that very moment He gives birth to the Church.

And mothers and motherhood are right at the centre of it all. Blood-mothers and adoptive mothers. Chosen motherhood and accepted motherhood.

So what, you might ask?

Firstly, I think we have to learn to celebrate and give thanks for motherhood in all its complexity. Blood-mothers, adoptive-mothers, motherhood that was self-chosen, or a call to motherhood that was accepted. Let’s thank God for all those who are mothers in our communities in all ways.

Secondly, we need to acknowledge that motherhood always involves pain. Mothers never stop caring, never stop worrying. It is a burden they carry, probably what often drives them to prayer for their children. Let us remember all those in our communities who know the pain of motherhood, let’s give thanks for all the mother’s prayers prayed for us.

Thirdly, we see that Jesus’ response to Mary’s pain, is to place her in a new family. The Church is meant to be a family for the hurt and broken; a place where we find support, encouragement, love, and compassion when life is painful. This is what the Church is meant to be.

Finally, we see our God is a God of surprising reversals. With God, no situation, no matter how desperate, is hopeless.

We can sometimes look at ourselves and our churches and feel like there is no hope. It is all doomed and done for – Last one to leave, turn off the lights! But that kind of despair is never appropriate. There are 6 times in Scripture when we the question “Who knows?” is asked regarding the will of God .

In every case, disaster was looming, yet in 5 out of 6 cases, the disaster was avoided. We should always be praying ‘who knows’ prayers regarding our future. ‘God, it looks like we are done for, but we do not give up hope. We continue to pray for ‘who knows’ what you might do?’

Our God is a God of great reversals. Amen.

Jockeying for Position

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him.
And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers.

Matthew 20

Sometimes, we can imagine that the disciples were perfect people. Faith superheroes, almost as good as Jesus. I mean all but one or two ended up being martyred rather than deny Christ, that makes them something special, right?

But, every now and then in the gospels, we get a little insight into what they were really like; and it wasn’t all sweetness and light. In some ways, it is what we might expect.

They were all very different people – some were rough, tough fishermen, one had worked as a tax collector for the hated Romans, one was a political activist, Judas was a thief – you can imagine that, in a group of blokes as diverse as that, sparks often flew amongst them! And our gospel reading, was one such instance!

In a parallel passage in Mark’s gospel, Jesus is announcing his coming betrayal, torture, crucifixion, death, and resurrection and we are told that Peter’s response was outrage. He was scandalised. He couldn’t accept that this would happen to Jesus. He wanted to change Jesus’ mind.

Here we have a very different response to the same message.

The response is made by the mother of James and John, the wife of Zebedee. She is usually identified as Salome. Possibly Mary Salome. She is a key figure in the gospels. She is present at the crucifixion, and also one of the three Marys who goes to anoint Jesus’ body in his tomb.

Peter’s response was a response of fear – he dreaded what Jesus predicted coming to pass. Salome’s response is a response of faith. Hearing Jesus’ announcement, Peter hears only the bits about suffering and death; Salome hears, ‘and on the third day he will be raised’.

Peter hears Christ’s suffering and death, Salome hears Christ’s ultimate victory.

And she puts two and two together. If Jesus is going to conquer death, then that means He will establish His Kingdom. If He establishes His kingdom, then there are going to be positions of responsibility within that kingdom. So, what would any ambitious mother do? She wants a piece of the action for her two boys.

So, she comes to Jesus, she kneels before Him. Actually, the word used means she prostrates herself, she lies on the ground before Him, as you would before a great king. She anticipates Christ as King of the Kingdom of God – it is a prophetic act.

Then she asks that her two boys, James and John, might be Jesus’ seconds-in-command. She wants the tops jobs for them.

It’s a bit cheeky. It’s a bit daring. But if you don’t ask, you don’t get, right?

In the book of James we read, ‘You do not have because you do not ask God‘. So, Salome, makes her request.

In some ways, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to ask. Along with Peter, James and John are part of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, so it was reasonable that they would have pre-eminence in His Kingdom.

What is Jesus’ response? Well, He doesn’t address to Salome. Instead, He speaks to James and John. Which may be an indication that they have put her up to this.

Maybe, they thought Jesus was fond of her – she may have been His aunty – the sister of His mother Mary – so maybe they thought it would be better coming from her. If Jesus couldn’t refuse his mother at the wedding feast of Cana, maybe he won’t be able to refuse his aunty?

Jesus tells James and John that they don’t know what they are asking for. He then asks them if they think they can drink the cup that He is about to drink – meaning His suffering and death. They are full of confidence – sure, no problem, boss.

In fact, James will be martyred by Herod Agrippa, killed with the sword. John’s fate is less certain. At least one source reports his martyrdom, but another reports his death in Ephesus at an old age. Acts 4 does tell us that he is arrested in Jerusalem, so we can safely assume that he didn’t have an easy life.

Jesus’ response is not a rebuke. Rather he confirms that they will ‘drink the cup he drinks’. But He adds that the places of honour within His kingdom are not His to grant. It is the Father who will decide that.

This situation then creates what in Scots is termed a ‘stooshie’ – a commotion, a rumpus, a row. The other disciples are incandescent with rage. Possibly because they didn’t think to ask Jesus for the top jobs first, or maybe they are outraged at James and John’s pushing themselves forward.

So, Jesus gathers them all together. And, as He often does, He uses the situation that has occurred as a teaching opportunity.

He says, ‘Guys. Guys. You are behaving like Gentiles.’ Well, that’s a stinging rebuke for a proud Jew!

Jesus says, look around at the Roman empire. It is all about power. A constant jockeying for position, trying to climb up the greasy pole of power, getting in with the right people, hanging on their coattails, jumping ship if ever someone else looks like a more promising candidate.

Jesus says, that’s not My Kingdom. My Kingdom is not about power but about gentleness. Not about thrusting upwards, but about climbing downwards. Not about wanting to rule others, but about wanting to serve them.

As He often does, Jesus gives Himself as the example. Look at me. Christ the King of the Universe, Son of God, Creator and Sustainer of the Cosmos – what am I like?

In Philippians 2 we have a hymn that was sung in the early Church. It is called the ‘Hymn of Christ’, it starts like this;

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8, NRSVA

This speaks of Jesus emptying Himself. But how did Jesus ‘empty’ Himself?

• Where the disciples want to move upwards, Jesus moved downwards.
• Where the disciples want to be in charge, Jesus became a slave.
• Where the disciples want glory, Jesus gave up his glory and became a man.
• Where the disciples are full of pride, Jesus was full of humility.
• Where the disciples want to rule, Jesus was obedient, even to the cross.

So what? What does this mean for us today?

Firstly, we need to learn from Salome’s example. She listened with faith, whereas Peter listened with fear. Peter only heard the bit about Christ’s suffering and death, Salome heard about the coming of Christ’s Kingdom.

There are a lot of negative stories about the UK Church at the moment. Every day we are haemorrhaging worshippers. Every week there is a new financial crisis. We are spending thousands of hours debating human sexuality when our churches are empty and our house is falling into ruin.

It would be very easy to only hear the negative stuff. To get all, ‘Wailey, wailey, we’re doomed Captain MAINWEARING’.

But globally the Christian Church is growing faster than ever – 3% per year.

Even in this country, some churches, churches that preach the Christian gospel faithfully, churches that pray, churches that form people as disciples and send them out into the world each Sunday as Christ’s ambassadors – those churches are still growing.

So, let’s see the hope, not the despair. Maybe the Church of England is on its uppers, but the Church of Christ is still going strong.

Secondly, we need to acknowledge that we are no better than the disciples. They fell out with each other. They fought. They had differences of opinion. But they sorted it out. They confessed to each other when they got it wrong. They found a way to be reconciled to one another.

When we fight, when we fall out, when we have differences of opinion and annoy each other, we too need to find the grace of reconciliation.

We are obligated to do that by Christ Himself, ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us’.

Note that this is the only part of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus explains – just in case you missed what it means. He specifically states that receiving forgiveness from God is dependent upon our offering forgiveness to others.

Finally, we need to be very careful about power in the Church. There have been some worrying examples recently of archbishops and bishops forcing through decisions in synod instead of respecting due process. There seems to have often been a lack of transparency, which reeks of manipulation, and power games. That is not how we should be as leaders in Christ’s Church.

I even have to be careful in my lowly curate’s role. Some of you defer to me. Some of you see me as being above you. Because I have theological degrees and I wear a clerical collar, some of you give my words more weight than maybe they merit. Be careful of that. Power is a dangerous thing in the Church.

Let me close by re-reading the ‘Hymn of Christ’ we looked at earlier;

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Amen.

Too Good to be True, Or Too Awful to be Right?

No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

Genesis 17:5-7, NRSVA

A full 25 years after God’s initial promise, God appears to Abram again. God reminds Abram that He has not forgotten the covenant.

Abram is becoming a great man of faith, and you do not become a great person of faith overnight. What makes you a great person of faith is years of mundane trusting in God. It is by long periods, holding on to God’s promises, that faith grows.

God announces that he is changing Abram’s name from Abram (father of many) to Abraham (father of many nations).

It almost feels cruel. “Father of many,” must have been a hard name to carry for a man who was the father of none, especially in a culture where children were seen as a sign of God’s blessing.

But now, God goes a step further and makes his name “father of many nations.” Abram must have wanted to escape the burden of his name. Instead, God doubles-down and increases the burden.

God also increases the scope of his promises to Abraham;

• Never before had God specifically said that multiple nations would come from Abraham.
• Never before had God specifically said that kings would descend from Abraham.
• God also specifically promised that the covenant He originally made with Abram would be passed down the generations, as an everlasting covenant.

What was Abraham’s response to all this?

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, ‘Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’

Abraham – the great man of faith – has no faith.

He has clearly given up on the promises of God. When he hears God restate them, even increase them, he is incredulous. He can’t help himself; he just laughs. The idea is so ridiculous, so nonsensical, it flies in the face of all the facts.

So, Abraham tries to make it easier for God. He asks God to consider Ishmael – the son born to him from his concubine Hagar – as his heir, and to fulfil the promises through him.

But God refuses. It is through Sarah’s offspring that the promises will be fulfilled. And now God gives a timescale, a son will be born to her within a year.

In the next chapter of Genesis, three mysterious visitors will appear to Abraham and one of them will prophesy that, by this time next year, Sarah will have a child.

Sarah – who is listening from inside the tent – laughs when she overhears this.

So, both Abraham and Sarah laugh when they are told God’s promised future.

And when their son is born, what do they name him? Isaac, ‘one who laughs’.

God’s promised future is revealed, and the response is incredulous laughter.

In a parallel gospel passage, St Peter is scandalised when Jesus announces that he will suffer, die, and rise from the dead.

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Mark 8:31-33, NRSVA

Abraham and Sarah’s response to God’s promised future is placed in parallel with St Peter’s response to Jesus’ announced future. In both readings, a promised future is revealed by God and the person hearing it reacts emotionally.

• Abraham and Sarah are incredulous and laugh at what God promises. St Peter is scandalised and outraged by what Jesus predicts.
• Abraham and Sarah can’t believe what will happen. St Peter won’t accept what will happen.
• For Abraham and Sarah God’s promised future is too good to be true. For St Peter, God’s promised future is too awful to be right.
• Both of them immediately try to change God’s plans. Abraham wants God to accept Ishmael as the son of the covenant. Peter wants Jesus to avoid the cross.

If we step back for a moment, what we are seeing here is the normal way God acts. In Amos 3:7 we read;

Surely the Lord God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

amos 3:7, nrsva

God always announces beforehand what he is going to do. The people who receive those future indications are called prophets.

This means that there are two essential ministries in the life of the Church – the ministries of priesthood and prophecy.

Priestly ministry forms disciples, it teaches and trains, it oversees the worshipping life and the mission of the local faith community. If you like, priestly ministry keeps the wheels of the Church turning.

But alongside priestly ministry, we also need prophetic ministry. Prophets hear from God about the future direction of God’s activity, so God’s people can prepare themselves and recognise when God acts. If priests keep the wheels of the Church turning, prophets help make sure the wheels are pointing in the right direction. Both ministries are essential for every church.

If the Holy Spirit is doing His job, then within each Christian community He has placed all the gifts that we need to be the Church.

Are you someone who has dreams that feel significant, and not just for yourself but for others? Or do verses of Scripture sometimes jump out at you? Do you have pictures that form in your mind that feel important? Or do you sometimes have a strong sense that something is going to happen? If any of that happens to you, then maybe you have a prophetic gift.

If so, your faith community needs you to share your gift! Share what you sense God might be saying. When you do, it can be discerned together. Your faith community can decide if they feel this genuinely is a message from God for them.

Of course, then the real challenge comes.

When God reveals his promised future, then you either face the challenge of Abraham and Sarah – can you believe it, or does it seem too good to be true? Or the challenge of Peter – can you accept it, or does it seem so awful it must be wrong?

Note that in both cases, what was revealed about the future did come to pass.

Abraham and Sarah did have Isaac, and from him did come the fulfilment of all God’s promises.

Jesus did suffer and die, yet that wasn’t the disaster that St Peter imagined it would be. Rather it brought about the defeat of Satan, the inauguration of the Kingdom of God, and made possible the redemption of humankind.

So what? you might ask. What do we take away from these readings?

Firstly, God always announces what he is going to do in advance. The people who God speaks to are prophets. Prophets then share what they think God might be saying to the faith community, who then discerns what has been shared.

Secondly, when the community agrees that they have heard from God about what He intends to do, that message will often be uncomfortable. It may seem too good to be true, or too awful to be right.

You may also have to wait a long time, learning to live by faith like Abraham and Sarah – stubbornly holding on to a promise that you cannot imagine being fulfilled; or like St Peter, dreading a future you can’t see any good in.

The only thing that can enable us to do all this, is the foundational conviction that God knows what He is doing.

Isaac WAS born and all of God’s promises to Abraham were fulfilled. Jesus did suffer, die, and rise again, and the Church was born and grew faster that St Peter could ever have imagined.

God knows what He is doing. Let’s learn to live by faith, not by sight. Amen.

Who Was Released From Hell?

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all,
the righteous for the unrighteous,
in order to bring you to God.

He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,
in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison,
who in former times did not obey,
when God waited patiently in the days of Noah,
during the building of the ark,
in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water.

And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—
not as a removal of dirt from the body,
but as an appeal to God for a good conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

1 Peter 3.18-end

This passage summarises all that Christ achieved in his life, death, and resurrection, and also speaks of baptism, rooting it in the Old Testament.

St Peter begins by summarising Christ’s messianic work and you would be hard pressed to find a more succinct summary of the core message of the Christian gospel.

Christ suffered for sins – In Judaism, the paschal lamb was killed at Passover and it’s shed blood sprinkled on the doorposts and lintels of the home, to turn away the wrath of God. This was a foreshadowing of Jesus – the ultimate paschal Lamb – who by his shed blood sprinkled on the cross, turns away the wrath of God. After Calvary, there is only one kind of sin in the world – forgiven sin. But we have to receive that forgiveness through repentance and faith.

Once for all – Christ’s death was unique and complete, no further sacrifice is necessary.
The righteous for the unrighteous – It is Christ’s perfection and purity that makes his death substitutionary – he can only die in our place because he is guiltless himself.

In order to bring you to God – This is why Christ died. Christ’s whole mission was about enabling us to re-connect with the God who loves us, but from whom we are estranged by our sin. Christ deals with our sin, and thus opens up to us the possibility to be adopted into God’s family, share in his work on earth, and be with him forever in glory.

Put to death in the flesh, made alive by the Spirit – A careful reading of Scripture reveals something amazing about the resurrection.

Romans 6:4 tells us, ‘Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father‘.

In John 2:19, Jesus tells the Jews, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’

So those three passages, by different authors, written independently, yet they show us the whole trinity was involved in Christ’s resurrection – Father, Son, and Spirit.

These things aren’t just coincidences you know, this is why we can say with confidence that the Scriptures are inspired by the Spirit.

he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison – Now we get into full mystical theology. We are told that between Christ’s death and resurrection, he descended to Hell and preached there. Why? To whom did he preach? What did Christ preach?

It talks about ‘the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah’. Well, what is that about?

There are a few possibilities;

• It could be that Christ preaches to all those who were killed in the flood.
• It could be that Christ preaches to all those who died throughout the whole of human history because they hadn’t had the opportunity to hear the gospel and respond.
• It could be that Christ proclaims his triumph to the fallen spiritual beings who were imprisoned in hell.

Honestly, we have no idea, but the fact that Christ did descend into hell has been a core Christian doctrine from earliest times. It is included in the earliest creedal statement, The Apostles’ Creed, where we say – ‘he descended to the dead’.

This passage also connects with the weirdest passage in Matthew’s gospel. Writing about the exact moment of Christ’s death on the cross, St Matthew writes;

‘Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
The earth shook, and the rocks were split.
The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.’

Matthew 27:50-53

Well, what are we to make of that?

It is certainly making a fairly obvious theological point; that at the very moment of Christ’s death – his apparent defeat – we see a concrete demonstration that actually it is a victory – as the dead in Christ are raised to life.

It is like a foretaste, a proof of concept, an indication of the greater, final fulfilment at the end of days.

I suppose it answers the potential lingering doubt; Okay, so Jesus may have conquered death for himself, but what about for us? Does his resurrection really mean that we can have the same hope. Well, here you go. Proof positive. The dead in Christ rise at the very moment of his death.

Putting this passage together with the 1 Peter passage we see that after his death, Christ enters into hell, Satan’s stronghold, Satan’s domain.

He does this to demonstrate his authority, his mastery. Christ goes wherever he wills. Even to hell, the epi-centre of all that stands opposed to God. And there, right in Satan’s face, Jesus proclaims the gospel message of hope. He declares his eternal victory and Satan’s complete and utter defeat.

He then demonstrates this victory by releasing from death his faithful ones. Satan has no more hold over them, no longer any right to retain them. They are Christ’s, he has redeemed them, they belong to him. So, he removes them from hell, and he restores them to life – seemingly temporarily – before they go to be with him in heaven.

I was in All Saints Church, Gilmorton recently and they have a stained-glass window showing Christ’s releasing of the faithful dead. This event is known as the Harrowing of Hell.

As a harrow breaks the ground up, tears it open, so Christ tears open hell. Often pictures of this event show Jesus smashing the doors of hell in. In the stained-glass window it shows some of the faithful dead being released by Christ.

We can see, Satan defeated, cowering under Christ’s feet. We can identify King David with his harp, John the Baptist, Adam and Eve.

But the most interesting figure to me is the bottom right. An old man holds a knife in his right hand.

Now, the only saint associated with a knife is St Bartholomew, who was flayed alive, and so is often shown holding a knife.

But St Bartholomew wasn’t dead when Christ died, he wouldn’t be martyred until 69 A.D. So, it made me wonder, who is this meant to be? Who is this person holding a knife.

Then I thought, wait a minute, carpenters use knives. Maybe it is St Joseph, the carpenter – Jesus’ dad?

Wouldn’t that be wonderful, if one of the first people Jesus goes to release from hell, is his old dad? Isn’t that a beautiful thought?

The 1 Peter reading goes on to use Noah and the flood as a symbol of baptism. Eight people were saved in the ark – which is why baptismal fonts are usually octagonal; eight is the number of salvation.

As God saved Noah and his family by the ark from his punishment of the wickedness of the earth, so Christ’s baptism saves us from punishment for sin – we are cleansed, forgiven, restored, reconciled, adopted into God’s family, given the Holy Spirit, commissioned for service in Christ’s mission – all through the sacrament of baptism.

We read of Christ’s baptism in the gospels. It was obviously a unique event, but it is also a model of what happens in our baptism.

The Holy Spirit descends upon Christ – exactly what happens to us in our baptism.

The voice of God the Father states, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; in whom I am well pleased’ – which is what happens to us too. We are adopted into the family of God, we become God’s children. God calls us his beloved children.

This is a truth about ourselves that we have a hard time accepting. Henri NOUWEN, the famous spiritual writer wrote a book, ‘Life of the Beloved’, trying to help Christians really accept the reality that God calls them his beloved.

Brennan MANNING, wrote several books on the same theme, perhaps the best is ‘Abba’s Child’.

We really struggle to accept our belovedness. But when we do, it is transformative – no more self-doubt, no more thoughts of worthlessness, no more beating ourselves up, no more trying so hard to prove our value and our worth. We can simply rest in the fact that God calls us his beloved, and nothing can change that fact.

The Christian life is the process of learning to live into what we already are – the beloved of God.

But there is a reality check here too. In the gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism, Jesus is named the Beloved and then immediately led into the desert in order to be tempted.

Being the Beloved doesn’t mean life is an easy ride. Jesus has to live as the Beloved in a harsh environment of danger from wild beast, privation, heat and cold, and also spiritual attack. But with the Spirit’s help and support, with the ministry of angels, he emerges victorious.

So what, you might ask? What do we take away from all the mystical stuff? We’re ordinary , everyday people, what does this mean for us?

Firstly, it means we can face our own death with hope and confidence. Christ has demonstrated his victory over death. He has proven his power and his ability to raise the faithful dead to new life. The doors of Hell have been busted open, it has been ransacked, Christ has brought out his own.

Secondly, we need to remember the startling meaning of the baptism we received, and what that has done in our lives. We have been cleansed, forgiven, restored, reconciled, adopted into God’s family, given the Holy Spirit, and commissioned for service in Christ’s mission. God has pronounced that we are now his children, not only that, but his beloved children.

How is the fact of your belovedness, impacting your life?

Maybe this Lent, you might want to read one of the books I mentioned, that might help you comprehend and live into the depth and wonder of your belovedness?

Finally, our belovedness does not mean a life full of plain sailing. There will be trials, difficulties, stresses and strains, spiritual attack. But we ARE God’s beloved. His Spirit indwells us. His angels surround us to minister to us. We can come through all of the difficulties of life victorious in Christ.

The 600 Year Old Secret Code

“Go through Jerusalem. Put a mark on the foreheads of the people who groan and cry about all the terrible things being done among them.”
As I listened, the Lord spoke to the other men. He said, “Go through the city behind the man dressed in linen and kill. Don’t pity anyone. Don’t show mercy. Kill and destroy old men, young men and women, little children and older women.
But don’t touch anyone who has the mark on them.”

Ezekiel 9:4-6, ICB

This story is a dream that God gave to Ezekiel, as a way of God showing how unhappy God was with how his people were living.

The people had turned their back on God. They weren’t loving God. They weren’t caring for others. Everyone was just being selfish and greedy and poor people were being hurt.

God says, this can’t go on. I’m going to stop this. I’m going to punish them. I’m going to make them see how bad they are being.

But when God punishes wickedness he has to punish all wickedness, otherwise he is not being fair.

So everyone, old and young, men and women, important people and ordinary people, will all get equally punished.

But before God sends people to punish the wicked, God says that he was going to protect the people who were being good. He was going to take care of them and keep them safe.

They way that God was going to keep the good people safe was to put a mark on their foreheads.

In Hebrew – the language in which this was first written – it actually says, ‘put a tav on their foreheads’.

‘Tav’ was a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Interestingly, at this time the letter ‘tav’ was written as a cross. (See Diagram)

The letter Tav had its origin in two crossed sticks that marked a certain place. Like in pirate treasure maps, X marks the spot.

So, when two people agreed where they would build a house, or put up a fence, they would make an X. So, the letter Tav came to have the meaning of an agreement.

For Ezekiel, Tav was simply a sign to identify people who agreed with God. Who were upset at the wickedness around them. The Tav was a sign that these people agreed with God and that God promised he will protect them when punishment comes.

But, 600 years later, after Jesus died on the cross, to save us, Christians read the story from Ezekiel and finally understood.

They cracked the secret code.

They finally understood what the Tav meant!

The Tav was actually pointing to Jesus! It was a sign showing us that it is by Jesus dying on the cross that we can be saved and kept safe.

Ther Tav was a secret code pointing to something that would happen 600 years later.

The fact that God’s people were marked with the cross, and that this cross saved them from judgement, was a secret sign pointing to the fact that it is the cross of Jesus that keeps us safe, because Jesus died for our sins and his cross protects us from the punishment our sins deserve.

Isn’t that an amazing thing!