On Pain

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A basking seal, Narooma, New South Wales

Gospel according to John 14: 1-3 (NIV)

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Pain, it seems, is common to the human condition. We all know pain, whether it is inflicted on the external parts of our bodies or is borne inwardly, as is the case with some illnesses.

We know too the pain of severed relationships and of broken friendships. We know the pain that is associated with loss, whether of somebody close to us or of a part of our own selves: loss of home, loss of job, loss of independence, loss of hope. We know the pain of watching a loved one suffer; such pain is the more acute for us if we feel utterly helpless, unable to relieve that suffering.

Pain is not always for the worst: in childbirth, the joy associated with a newly-born baby is able to replace pain and, to a great extent, compensate for it.

Pain too is the pathway to physical improvement for athletes, although the training they undertake should be regarded more as discomfort from exertion than as a penalty for striving.

These three verses of Scripture give little hint of the pain Jesus was about to endure.

He spoke on the night he was to be betrayed by one of his disciples. It was the night he would be denied by another and abandoned by all.

He was soon to be bound, flogged, abused, falsely convicted, nailed to a rough timber beam and hoisted high on a pole to die a criminal’s death. He knew pain, perhaps more acutely than most of us ever will.

As he addressed his closest friends on that last night of his life, his concern was for them and for their reaction to the fate that awaited him. He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

Despite the loss that Jesus’ disciples and close followers were about to endure, he wanted them to remain hope-filled. His reason is clear. The end of this life is not the end of the story. The end of this life is, instead, a transition to another life. Christians believe this life-to-come is what Jesus promised to his disciples: life eternal with him where he is.

In that reading, Jesus said, “I am going there (to my Father’s house) to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

For those who trust Jesus, today’s pain is to be replaced by tomorrow’s joy. That future life will be peaceful, painless and without tears.

Perhaps our greatest sympathy should be for those who carry no hope of a life beyond this one. For somebody convinced that death is the end and that nothing awaits them on the other side, pain could become totally unbearable.

We, however, can accept the assurance that Jesus gave to his disciples so that they could pass Jesus’ words on to us: “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

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The two great commandments

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“Australia Rock” Narooma, New South Wales

Gospel according to Luke 10: 25-37 (NIV)

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”
³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half-dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.³³ But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

The expert in the law framed his questions not to elicit information but to test Jesus (verses 25 and 29). Jesus, on the other hand, framed his questions (verses 26 and 36) to help the expert in the law to learn about the kingdom of God. The expert in the law seemed to be motivated by a sense of superiority; Jesus was motivated by a genuine desire to help this man and to guide him as his understanding moved from head knowledge to the realm of heart knowledge.

Regardless of the significance of the details of the parable, by describing as “a Samaritan” “the one who had mercy” on the man attacked by robbers, Jesus emphasised that the one whom Jews might consider less likely to be a neighbour was the one whose actions should be emulated.

Do you find it interesting that, in both of Jesus’ commands to the expert in the law, he used the imperative “do”? “Do this and you will live,” he said, and then, “do likewise”. Jesus was not assigning a greater importance to what we do than to our having faith; rather, he emphasised the importance of love. To love as required by the “two great commandments”, to love God and to love neighbour above all else, is to adopt an attitude of the heart. Such an attitude can only be maintained through faith in the one true God; without such faith the significance of love is diminished to the extent that loving is easily ignored.

Let us also “do likewise”, love God with all our hearts and souls and strengths and minds and love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

Prayer is essential

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 A new day at Narooma, New South Wales

Gospel according to Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20 (NIV)

¹ After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal those there who are ill and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”

¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

While still in Galilee, Jesus had sent out the Twelve “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal those who were ill” (Luke 9: 2).“(H)e gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases” (Luke 9: 1). As they proceeded on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus again gave authority (verse 19) to those whom he sent, two by two, ahead of him. Perhaps they did not expect the results this authority achieved. Is there a hint of surprise here: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (verse 17)? Yet these had been given authority “to overcome all the power of the enemy” (verse 19).

The power of Satan today is in his ability to deceive those who set out to follow Jesus so that they then disobey God’s will for them. The “father of lies” (John 8: 44) wants to destroy all on earth that belongs to God. Satan’s tempting uses half-truths and false promises. Jesus warned the seventy-two, “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves” (verse 3).

We, too, are like lambs among wolves. Whether or not we have been given a special authority such as Jesus bestowed on the Twelve and on the seventy-two, all of us have a direct link to God through his Son. This allows us to ask for his protection, his support, his guidance and his empowering, anticipating that we will be confronted by the evil one. We need wisdom to recognise our needs and our vulnerabilities and the will to submit ourselves entirely to God. Prayer is therefore essential.

Where are you in your Christian walk?

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Crimson rosellas

Gospel according to Luke 9: 57-62 (NIV)

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was no longer in Galilee. He had “resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9: 51). How did he engage with these people along the road? Had he recently addressed a crowd? Were these “chance” encounters? The dialogue reveals the high expectations he held for any who would follow him. He intended that they should know this right from the start.

Perhaps Jesus anticipated that he would not return to Galilee before his death. Having a “home” in Nazareth was in the past. Before him was uncertainty about the route he would tread, the places he would sleep and how his and his disciples’ needs would be met.

Luke does not reveal whether the first man eventually decided to follow Jesus. Jesus’ warning informs us that, if he did, it would not necessarily have been an easy vocation.

Whereas the first man volunteered his intention to follow Jesus, the second was invited to follow him. That man may have held noble intentions but he recognised a higher or more urgent priority than devoting all of his future to Jesus.

The third man offered to follow – but with a condition: other commitments still had precedence over becoming one of Jesus’ disciples.

Jesus set high standards for would-be disciples: no one who has lingering regrets about making a decision to follow him would be fit for the kingdom of God.

This message is as pertinent today as it was then. The one who ploughed with oxen needed to ensure the animals headed in the right direction and that the furrows were straight. One might glance over the shoulder to check the line of the furrows but one could not afford a lingering gaze in any direction other than where the plough was to turn the soil.

Where are you in your Christian walk? Are there distractions, competing commitments, that are more pressing than following Jesus? Are there demands from occupation, family or friends, leisure pursuits or the achievement of earthly ambition that “interfere” with becoming more like him? Is there a lingering regret because the life of the Christian is not compatible with what you think you would rather be doing? Is the task of supporting your Christian church or fellowship group requiring so much effort and energy that Jesus gets only left over scraps of time? In the context of this passage, what is Jesus now saying to you?

 

The authority of Jesus

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Spray of autumn colour, CSIRO Building, Canberra

Gospel according to Luke 8: 26-39 (NIV)

²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.
³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.
³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.

All three Synoptic Gospels record this encounter with the demon-possessed man (or men) immediately after Jesus with his disciples crossed stormy Lake Galilee. His disciples had feared for their lives as the wind and waves threatened to swamp their boat. Jesus commanded and the storm was stilled.

Stepping ashore, Jesus and his disciples encountered a different kind of “storm”. Many demons had gone into the man who met them there. Just as the winds and the waves must obey Jesus, so too the spirits of evil fall under his authority. He calmed the internal storm that had battered this man and driven him from human society.

We can liken some turbulent events across the world to the worst of storms. The safety and even the lives of our fellow human beings are being threatened. Jesus has authority to still such storms. Jesus has authority to cast out such “demons”.

Let us intensify our prayer for those who love Jesus and strive to be obedient to him, especially throughout the storms they encounter. Let us pray for the casting out of the “demons” and for the establishment of just and compassionate societies mirroring that which is promised when God’s kingdom comes.

Trinity Sunday

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 Eastern Grey Kangaroos grazing at sunset

Gospel according to John 16: 12-15 (NIV)

¹² “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

For Trinity Sunday, these four verses from the Gospel according to John are the *suggested reading. As is shown in paragraphs below, any of a number of similar passages could have been offered.

In John 16: 15 the three persons of the Trinity are clearly presented. Jesus explained, “All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Father and Jesus have been involved inseparably in all that has been created, including wisdom and including responses to the prayers of every person whom they have created. The Spirit has access to all of this and is able to receive it and declare it to those who are open to accepting it.

Though the word “Trinity” is not mentioned in any verses of Scripture, Jesus often presented the identity of the three persons through his teaching to his disciples. After Jesus’ ascension to be with the Father, the disciples experienced the presence of the Spirit (Acts 2) in an amazing and very public way.

In this long address to his disciples in the Gospel according to John, Jesus used a number of different names to refer to the Spirit. In John 15: 26 we read that the Spirit of truth is the “Advocate”: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me.”

In John 14: 26 we learn that this “Advocate” is the Holy Spirit: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” In both John 15: 26 and 14: 26 we find the identity of the three persons again clearly laid out before the disciples.

We can be grateful that this Advocate is not a “fly-in, fly-out” worker. In John 14: 16 Jesus has confirmed the permanence of the arrangement: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever.” The promise of the continual presence of the Holy Spirit should be for us a source of great comfort.

The fourth reference to “the Advocate” in this Gospel is in John 16: 7: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

While we might struggle with the intellectual conundrum of a single God manifest in three persons, Scripture leaves us in no doubt that Jesus wanted his disciples then and now to have faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

* An Australian Lectionary 2019, Year C, Broughton Publishing, Sydney, 2018.

We are God’s children

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Trooping the Colour – Queen’s Birthday Parade at the Royal Military College Duntroon

Epistle to the Romans 8: 14-17 (NIV)

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

The Apostle Paul’s references in these verses to “the children of God” and “heirs of God” reminds me of Jesus’ parable which we refer to as “The Parable of the Lost Son” or “The Parable of the Forgiving Father” (Luke 15: 11-32). The parable introduces to us two sons, both children of the same father. The younger son chose not to remain in the family but took his share of the estate and went off on his own wilful way.

All people whom God created are his children. Not all choose to remain in his family. Some are aware that God is referred to as their Father but reject their status, their son-ship or daughter-ship and, like the younger son in the parable, go off to lead an independent life. Others, sadly, are not even aware that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is their God too.

The children of God who know him as their Heavenly Father, which is what Jesus taught and what Paul repeated in verse 15, are those led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit which we have received has brought about our adoption into God’s intimate family as willing adoptees, grateful to be home with “Abba, Father”. Even as we call him “Father”, it is our spirit testifying with the Holy Spirit that we are God’s children, that we know we are God’s children and that we want forever to be God’s children.

That makes us heirs – heirs now and heirs into eternity. We are already in his kingdom on earth – with all the struggle that entails – and we are heirs of that heavenly kingdom to which we aspire with the confidence that can only come from the Holy Spirit’s leading within us.

As adopted sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father we owe him complete obedience. To give him this obedience should be for us a source of fulfilment and joy. This distinguishes us from the older brother in the parable referenced above, whose obedience was resentful and whose demeanour was not characterised by joy. Secure in the knowledge of our status as heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, we welcome into God’s kingdom all those who, like the younger son in the parable, in complete repentance return to him.