Peace – or a sword?

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 Overland Track Tasmania: Douglas Creek

Gospel of Matthew 10: 32-39 (NIV)

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – ³⁶ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
³⁷ “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Matthew has presented these words of Jesus as a continuation of his instruction to his disciples before sending them out, two by two, to preach that “the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 10: 7).

Jesus knew that, in some places, his disciples would encounter a hostile reception: “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10: 21-22).

He knew too that they would also find some eager to hear the good news: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10: 32).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ can be divisive, not necessarily because of what is contained in the message but because of the threat posed by the truth of that message to ways of living where self is intent on imposing its will over others, over institutions and over the created order.

The peace which Jesus proclaimed was peace between those who believed his message and God, and peace between fellow humans. Jesus would not tolerate peace with evil. Here there would be conflict, the “sword” of verse 34.

The person who believes the message of Jesus Christ must be willing to lose his or her life for Jesus’ sake (verse 39b). While this can require some of his followers to take up the cross, it will inevitably require of every follower that she or he yields, surrenders, “loses” her or his life, thereby allowing Jesus to live within that person. Only when Jesus lives within you will you find true life.

The lost sheep of Israel

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 Overland Track Tasmania: Ascent of Barn Bluff

Gospel of Matthew 10: 1, 5-7 (NIV)

¹ He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’”

Jesus’ mission, assigned him by the Father while he was constrained to ministering from within a human body, was to “the lost sheep of Israel”. He reinforced this message in the presence of his disciples later when they were in Gentile territory, the region of Tyre and Sidon. Pestered by a Canaanite woman whose daughter was suffering from demon-possession, Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15: 24). It was only when that woman claimed some of the crumbs that fell from the Master’s table that Jesus perceived the depth of her faith and granted her request.

Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, however, the scope of his mission changed and so too did that of his followers. His “Great Commission” to his disciples (Matthew 28: 18-20) would have them go “to all nations”. The book of the Acts of the Apostles reaffirms this commission with Jesus telling his disciples, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1: 8).

Our mission today is to all nations too; that must include those of our own nations who do not yet have a trusting personal relationship with Jesus. At the same time let us not overlook, in our prayers and in our evangelising, those who continue to be “the lost sheep of Israel”.

Make disciples … and then teach them

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 Overland Track Tasmania: The climb to Cradle Mountain summit

Gospel of Matthew 28: 16-20 (NIV)

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Church of God speaks to more than one audience and, when it does speak, it needs to realise which audience it is setting out to address.

This is not to say that the Church is at liberty to present a conflicted message. The message needs to be consistent so that the people of God truly represent Him whom they seek to serve. The way that the message is presented and the points of emphasis within it can be shaped, however, to ensure the message is relevant to and comprehensible to the specific audience for which it is intended. This is particularly the case when the Church is trying to reach those who are still outside it with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we read these last five verses of Matthew’s Gospel, we can recognise two audiences (at least): those represented by “all nations” and those who, having been baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, are to be taught to obey everything commanded by Jesus.

“Make disciples of all nations” refers to people outside the Church. Possibly not everybody in “all nations” will respond positively and become a disciple. The “Great Commission” could be seen to exhort Jesus’ followers to make disciples from all of the nations, to go out to all the nations with the Gospel and to accept the fact that some in “the world” will reject the invitation and the teaching of Jesus.

“Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” refers to those from “all nations” who have become disciples and consequently have been baptised. The message for this audience, people who now wish to live lives that are pleasing to Jesus and that bring him joy, will take a different form from the message to those who remain in “the world”. We all know of situations where those in “the world” have heard, without understanding it, the message intended for those in the Church and have become even more resolved to reject God as a consequence.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit for the wisdom to guide us daily in our encounters with others, to show us the lives to live and the words to employ so that we present to them an attractive Gospel message. As a consequence, we pray, they will become open to responding to Jesus and then learning to obey everything Jesus has commanded. We pray that they will come to know the joy of Jesus’ presence with them always, to the very end of the age.

The gift of the Holy Spirit

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 Eastern grey kangaroo family

Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-18 (NIV)

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
¹³ Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵ These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit …’”

First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 12: 1-13 (NIV)

¹ Now about spiritual gifts, … ³ no-one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no-one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
¹² The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body … and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Allow the word of God to speak to you without elaboration.

None has been lost

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 Magpie feeding

Gospel of John 17: 6-12 (NIV)

⁶ “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸ For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that scripture would be fulfilled.

“None has been lost”. We could read right past these words in verse 12 if it were not for the fact that John had already recorded Jesus’ saying, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (6: 39). The will of the Father is that, of those given Jesus by the Father, none is to be lost.

For Jesus to say this to his disciples suggests that Jesus knew that his disciples could become lost. Each had the freedom of will that the Father graciously grants to all of creation, including us. Each could have turned away from Jesus when the going got tough.

Jesus knew too that his disciples would encounter spiritual attack. Recall Jesus words: “Simon, Simon, Satan has wanted to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22: 31-32).

Jesus knew how important it was to do the Father’s will: “that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day”. He spoke of this in parables: those of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (all in Luke 15).

Why focus on this? We all need to hear these four words, “None has been lost”, particularly when the going gets tough.

John’s Gospel was written, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20: 31). Jesus’ prayer was not only for the disciples: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one …” (John 17: 20-21).

“None has been lost” includes everyone who has come to Jesus since his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. That includes all today who claim Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

How are you travelling? You might be facing really tough times. You might feel deflated, unappreciated, lacking in energy, health or purpose. Be reassured that, no matter how you feel and how grim matters may appear to be right now, if you are walking with Jesus, fully trusting in him, he will not let you go.

Jesus on the Holy Trinity

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 Family of white-winged choughs feeding

Gospel of John 14: 15-21 (NIV)

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever – ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

How powerfully the image of the Holy Trinity is presented in this short passage! A single sentence from Jesus has brought all three persons together (verse 16): Jesus will ask the Father and the Father will give another Counsellor, the Spirit of truth who will be a companion forever.

From these verses I begin to understand why so many in the world not only reject Jesus but reject any possibility of his existence. It is evident from the Gospels that Jesus was known to ordinary people and to the Jewish and Roman authorities. Anticipating his imminent crucifixion, Jesus made what may seem to be an obvious statement: “Before long, the world will not see me any more …”. The startling part of this sentence was yet to come: “… but you will see me” (verse 19).

How could it be that “the world” would not see Jesus after his resurrection from death but that such a privilege would be granted only to his followers? It appears from verse 21 that Jesus is the one who decides to whom he will reveal himself. The opportunity to see him and the ability to recognise him are not necessarily prerogatives of just anybody for Jesus will show himself to the person who loves him. That person will in turn be loved by the Father and Jesus too will extend to that person his love.

The same, it seems, pertains to the Holy Spirit. “The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But,” said Jesus to his disciples, “you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (verse 17).

Loving God (the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit) is complemented by our putting into action our desire to do what pleases the beloved. That includes being obedient to what is commanded. I do not see this as responding instinctively to a word of command (the kind of obedience drilled into those in the uniformed services). Rather I see this as yearning always to be a source of delight to the beloved and that includes knowing what is required (commanded) and doing it willingly (obeying).

Conversely those who ignore God, those who deny God’s existence, have no sense of wishing to please God or to obey what is commanded. These are described as having eyes but not seeing, having ears but not hearing or, as Jesus said to the Pharisees, as facing condemnation: “now that you claim that you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9: 41).

Holy Spirit, live with us and be in us we pray, now and always. Amen.

Fear God, honour the king.

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 Haze from an autumn hazard reduction burn, Canberra.

First Epistle of Peter 2: 13-17 (NIV)

¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. ¹⁶ Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone. Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king.

We know from earlier passages in this letter that Peter was writing to a scattered Christian Church that was already facing persecution from diverse sources for its faith in the resurrected Christ: “In this (God’s salvation) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1: 6).

Suffering for Christ is more explicitly acknowledged in later passages too: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ …” (1 Peter 4: 12-13).

Peter knew that some of this suffering was at the hands of the Roman authorities and yet, in the passage above, he has commanded this scattered and suffering Church to “submit … for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king (read ‘Emperor’) as the supreme authority, or to governors …”. These same authorities, some 18 months after this letter was written, would execute Peter in Rome.

How was Peter able to reconcile enduring these “painful trials” with the apparently conflicting message he felt compelled to pass on to a suffering Church?

He knew well the teaching of his Master, for example during the “sermon on the mount” (Matthew 5) about being salt and light, about refusing to have anything to do with murder and anger and sexual lust, about turning the other cheek, about loving enemies and perhaps most significantly about “pray(ing) for those who persecute you”.

Peter was able to hold in tension these commands from Jesus and what he knew God would require of him in terms of obedience to the Father. Recall the situation described in the book of Acts where Peter and John healed a lame man in Jerusalem. The religious authorities were at a loss as to how to deal with Peter and John. The Sanhedrin called them in “and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’” (Acts 4: 18-20).

For each of us there will be a time to remain obedient to God regardless of the instructions we receive from the civil authorities. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit (the source of Peter’s inspiration – see Acts 4: 8) and to continue to pray for those who may then be persecuting us.

By being obedient first and foremost to God we will be living as the free people that Peter referred to (verse 16). At the same time we will be demonstrating what it is to live as servants of God.