Who we follow can have big consequences

There is a universal love among people for a good story. Sometimes, however, it doesn’t have a happy ending. This is the case with the story of the Pied Piper where all the children of the village are taken away.  In some ways it is also the case in a parable which Jesus tells. The difference with this one is that we are all in it.

The background to this parable is the Roman occupation of Judah and the cruel king Archelaus who the Romans had left in charge. Jesus is approaching the end of his journey and the people were wanting him to rule over them as their king. He tells them though that he must leave them. Jesus did come to save them but his rule was to be very different. Unlike Archelaus he was not going to cruelly oppress them but to be a sacrifice for them.

The parable tells us also that Jesus is a king who rewards. Forgiveness is a free gift to all who trust in him but the use of the ‘minas’ he gives to his people does result in rewards. Every servant of his is given spiritual gifts which are meant to be used for his kingdom. Sadly, this story does not have a happy ending for some. Rejecting Jesus as king has fatal results.

A difficult teaching which caused many to turn away.

When Jesus described himself as the ‘bread of life’ it would have sounded strange to many people. This, however, is really a wonderful pointer to what he was coming to do through his death on the cross. It is ‘food’ for all those who recognize that they are sinners and need God’s forgiveness.

Two aspects in particular can be hard for people to take in. Firstly is the fact of his incarnation. His taking on flesh and becoming like us … being born of a woman and living an earthly life. We are told in this passage (v33) that he is the ‘bread’ which came down from heaven.

The second thing is his being a substitute who would make things right between those who trust in Him and God. He spoke of the ‘bread’ of his flesh which he gave for the life of the world. These difficult teachings caused many of his followers to leave him because they could not accept him in this way.

The book of Revelation for most is a mystery … the book where they try to crack the code. So what do you do with this book. Well, first and foremost, it is a letter with echoes from the beginning to the end. But what about its relevance for today? It is both for now and it is also a book of prophecy.

Apocalyptic images contained in the book are not to be taken literally. It is not a puzzle book to be solved but a picture book to give encouragement. It is a blessing … but only if we take what it offers to us. In Chapter 1 we find that Jesus is the ruler over all God’s creation echoing what he said … ‘I am the Alpha and Omega.’ He is also the one who has freed his people from their sins by his blood. What was once applied to Israel is now applied to the church.

What’s your picture of God? The God who is described here is awesome and overpowering but, as his people, we should never be afraid. This book is about the suffering of Christians for the kingdom of God. It is also about His care for his people in the midst of their suffering. He is the one who controls death and Hades and rules from the midst of his churches. Jesus wins.

A different perspective on a much misunderstood matter

There have been many and varied approaches to the matter of authority over the years. Perhaps one of the most surprising was that of the Queen’s uncle, King Edward V111. His relationship with an American divorcee, who he wanted to marry, sparked a constitutional crisis. This ended up in him abdicating the throne rather than ending the relationship.

In this passage we find a startling approach to authority by the apostle Paul where he sets aside his authority and appeals to Philemon, in the matter of forgiving his runaway slave, on the basis of love. The slave, Onesimus, had become a Christian while he and Paul were in jail. Paul was not in jail for anything he had done wrong but for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We can learn 3 things about authority in the way Paul writes to Philemon, who had also come to Christ under Paul’s ministry. Firstly, authority should prefer to appeal rather than command. Secondly, authority should be willing to intercede. Paul uses paternal language in writing to Philemon about his slave. Thirdly, authority is willing to take the place of another. Paul had been willing to give up everything to everyone that they might come to Christ. It is a beautiful picture of how Jesus used his authority for us. He did this by going to the cross.

There are 3 indicators for us in this: the moral test, the relational test and the truth test.

These passages contain information for us on each of these indicators.  With the moral test we are directed to the keeping of God’s commands and especially Jesus’ words: ‘If you love me you will keep my commands’. This is always in the context of free forgiveness through gospel grace.

The relational test is to do with love. Our first love to God and then to those around us …’Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself’. It is good to ask the question ‘Do I sacrifice what I want to do in order to help someone else’. Finally, there is the test for correct understanding of the teaching about Jesus. Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ does not have the truth in them (Vs22). Being in a right relationship with God means receiving by faith what Jesus has accomplished for us at the cross.

The manager of a construction company was once asked about issues he was having with the workers. He said there were many but that the main one was ‘entitlement’. They were focused not on what they could give but on what they can get. We see something similar in these passages as we look at the apostle Peter.

Peter’s question to Jesus was ‘we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?’ Jesus’ response was firstly to affirm Peter’s question but warns him by saying ‘many who were first will be last and the last first’.  The implications of this are explained in Chapter 20. The workers who came last to the vineyard and only worked for part of the day were paid first and received the same amount as those who had worked hard all day.

The point of all this is that through what Jesus Christ has accomplished on the cross every disciple has received an abundance of good things in their salvation from sin. It is not about comparisons with others or what I do but about God’s rich grace. The disciples, especially Peter, needed to be warned about the danger of seeking ownership of God’s vineyard instead of resting humbly and contentedly in their privileged position of being the workers.

  It’s not circumstances that restrict true freedom

Have you ever wanted to be free from worry … free from the feeling of being ’stuck’ in a situation over which you have no control? There is a desire, especially in the West, for freedom to do and be whoever and whatever we want and not be accountable to anyone. In this passage Jesus tells the Jewish followers they are not free unless they hold to his teaching. If they do this they will know the truth and the truth will set them free.

We see in the Jews response that they misunderstood this …’We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.’ Jesus goes on to say ‘everyone who sins is a slave to sin.’ In this he is trying to show them that the real bondage they need to be set free from is sin. Sin and the guilt which comes from it has a type of paralysing effect on peoples’ lives.

The real freedom, which everyone needs, can only be found in Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished on the cross as a substitute. That is why he says ‘if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’ Those who are truly free know that, through faith, all their sins, past, present and future, have been forgiven. They have a clear conscience before God. This is to be ‘free indeed.’

                         

Guilt can have a paralyzing effect and the natural reaction is to try to do something ‘good’ to make up for the wrong …. to ‘earn’ forgiveness. The gospel way is entirely different. God justifies people (He declares them not guilty) through faith in Christ, without them having to earn it. How can God do this and remain just?  We find the answer in the last part of the passage.

Paul tells us that through the cross Jesus has made possible the offer of peace with God to all mankind. If God did not punish wrong He would not be just. Amazingly, His way of providing forgiveness for wrong, through the sacrifice of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, demonstrates His ‘right-ness’,  justice and love..

Testing of faith is not judgement but more like refinement. It is a gracious thing from God. It proves the genuineness of faith. The trials that come are actually helpful when viewed in a right way. They are painful but necessary.

Testing often occurs in having to wait for something. It is easy when things happen in a way that can be seen but what about the things that cannot be seen. The passage shows that king Saul was relying on what he could see ….. he wasn’t really considering the things he could not see.

As a result of this Saul forfeits God’s blessing. His heart was not after the Lord. The Philistines came against him with a much stronger army and the people became afraid. Both he and his soldiers should have trusted in almighty God, not what they could see.

Once people really see the cross they know that they can trust God in anything.

   The law does not provide acceptance but shows us why we must have it.

The early church in Rome was made up of believers from two very different backgrounds. Some had been brought up as Jews …… others had not. There were tensions between the two groups and so the apostle Paul wrote a pastoral letter to the church. In this letter he explains what they have in common, which is the essential thing …… both groups of believers have been made right with God by trusting in Jesus Christ.

This would have raised a question for those with a Jewish background. What about God’s Law summarized in the Ten Commandments? They had been trained to obey this Law. The non-Jews had not. Paul uses two illustrations by way of an answer. The first one is from marriage. It shows that people must be released from trying to be made right with God by how well they keep the Law (the first husband). They must only rely on what Jesus (the second husband) has accomplished for them. This is received by faith, not anything a person does or does not do.

The second illustration is about a very troubled person. This further shows that trying to obey the Law cannot make someone right with God. This is even though the Law is good and alerts people to those things in them which are wrong. They must only trust in Jesus otherwise there will be divided loyalties which cause a conflict within the person.