The most important [commandment], answered Jesus, is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’.
Mark 12:29
One of my favourite films, and I know you’ll laugh at me for this, is Moulin Rouge, the story of a struggling writer and his relationship with a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. At the heart of the film is a routine called the Elephant Love Medley, in which the writer, played by Ewan McGregor, attempts to seduce the courtesan, played by Nicole Kidman, through song. During the medley, he sings snippets of many famous love songs, thirteen in all, including Up Where We Belong, All You Need Is Love, and Your Song. Not only is the medley a spectacular audio and visual treat, it also attests both to the power of a love song in our culture, and also to the power of love itself.
The greatest commandment
Jesus talked about the power and importance of love many times during his ministry, including in chapter twelve of Mark’s gospel. In this passage he spoke of the importance of loving God, and loving our neighbours as ourselves. As we strive to live our lives as #digidisciples, modelling the Christian life to all those we encounter online, it is worth reflecting on these verses. As we consider how modern Christians might use Google+ effectively, or seek to use Facebook and Twitter to share the gospel, we need to occasionally remind ourselves why we’re bothering.
Jesus tells us to love our neighbours as ourselves, and this can be applied to our digital neighbours just as much as our physical neighbours. This, though, is only the second commandment. The command to love our neighbours flows from the first.
We are called first to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength. This should be our number one priority.
Why love God?
Why, though? Why should we love God?
John, in his first letter, gives us a very good reason. He says, ‘we love because [God] first loved us’ (1 John 4:19). Our love for God is a response to his love for us.
Of course, he doesn’t force us to love him. He loves all the people he has created, but he gives us the freedom either to love him in return or turn our backs on him. Jesus himself made this clear when he stated, ‘I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous’ (Matthew 5:44-45). He loves and blesses all people, those who seek to follow him, the righteous; and those who don’t, the unrighteous.
As a Christian I believe that there are plenty of reasons for loving God. There is one in particular that stands out, however. John mentions this in his letter, saying, ‘this is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins’ (1 John 4:9-10).
Without Jesus we are condemned to death. Every day, we do things that disappoint God, and fail to do the things that he expects of us.
Through Jesus we have life
Through Jesus, however, we have life. When we say sorry for all that we have done wrong, accept that he died in our place, and promise to try to live a better life, we receive eternal life. As John stated in his gospel, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).
I don’t know about you, but for me that is a very good reason to love God!
At this point you’re probably thinking, yes, I know all this. What has this got to do with living as a #digidisciple?
It has everything to do with being a #digidisciple.
This is the gospel that we seek to proclaim when we engage with others, both online and offline. This acceptance of Christ’s death and resurrection, that he died for you and for me, is what should underpin our entire lives.
If we truly believe this gospel, our love for God should be evident for all to see. It should distinguish our tweets, status updates and blog posts from the constant stream in people’s timelines. It should also inspire us to follow the second commandment, to love our neighbours as ourselves. This is the topic I shall turn to next month.
For now though, just reflect on whether you truly love God. Do you live for your faith? Does your love for God distinguish you from the crowd?
This, after all, is the key to living as a #digidisciple.
This article was originally published by The Big Bible Project.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2
There doesn’t seem to be much good news around at the moment, does there? I suppose there’s nothing unusual about that, but the economic news in particular at the moment seems to be rather distressing. The global economy seems to be in tatters, Europe is poised, once again, on the brink of recession, and there are fears the Euro could fail. The story is not much better in America, with rising unemployment, a weakening of the credit rating, and uncertainty about what the future might hold. Years of spending too much and saving too little have taken their toll. It’s not just governments that have been doing this. Many ordinary people find themselves crippled by debt, sometimes because they find their circumstances have changed for the worse in these dark times, but sometimes because they have simply been living beyond their means. The desire to buy a bigger house, a newer car, and more extravagant holidays has proven to be too strong. Many blame this desire to have newer and better ‘stuff’ for the looting that afflicted British cities a couple of weeks ago.
Today’s verse, therefore, has enormous relevance for us. Paul writes to the Romans, and to us, telling us not to succumb to this earthly way of living, which is destined to end in disaster. Instead, he tells us to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Focus not on greed, but on God, Paul tells us. Don’t set your eyes on a bigger, better house, but set your eyes on the House of God, for heaven. Don’t long for the latest, newest gadget, but long for the certainty and security of the unchanging Lord. Rather than following the foolishness of the world, follow the wisdom of Christ. Set yourselves apart from the world, Paul says, and dedicate yourself to following Christ.
If we “renew our minds,” our perception of the world will change. Once we align our thinking with God’s by studying his word and praying to him, and seek to live out God’s pattern of living rather than that of the world’s, we will begin to understand what God’s will is, both for us as individuals, for our community, the church, and for the world we live in. We will see that God’s will is good, pleasing and perfect, not evil, corrupt and weak like the world that we live in.
This verse, and the one that preceded it, are without doubt difficult, both to understand and to action. Paul tells us that God demands we hand over our lives to him completely and utterly. Standing out from the world, living differently to those around us, is very hard indeed. But if we did, it wouldn’t just be us that would be transformed, but the whole world.
Let’s pray this verse today:
Father, we pray that you will help us to not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We ask that we will be able to test and approve what your will is—your good, pleasing and perfect will.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[a]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Mark 13:32-37
I’m coming to the end of a sabbatical, a year’s break from my usual job of teaching. My main focus during this year has not been “Homes Under The Hammer,” as some of my friends have cruelly suggested, but writing, specifically a couple of books. Because I have been based at home, however, it’s also fallen on me to do a lot of the household tasks, like the washing, the washing up, the cooking, and generally keeping our home tidy. Luckily, Claire, my wife, texts me as she is leaving work, so if I haven’t completed all my daily chores, I have a bit of notice to jump to it and get everything done!
The key message in this passage in Mark, however, is rather different; there will be no text message in advance of Jesus’ return, and the time when our saviour will come again is not known. We can’t leave the tasks he has set us to the last minute, because we don’t know when that will be. Rather, we need to work for the Lord all the time.
Every few years, someone or other will proclaim that they know the date the world will end. Most recently, Harold Camping, an American broadcaster, claimed that “the rapture” would occur on 21st May 2011. For one to claim that they know the date of the end the world marks the person out as a false prophet, however, when we consider today’s passage. Jesus says in verse 32, “but concerning that day or that hour, no one knows,” clearly stating that the time of his second coming cannot be known by a mere human. What’s more, to claim to know the date is to elevate oneself above the angels in heaven, and even Jesus himself. “Not even the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father” knows the date when God will call all believers to him at the end of time. Consequently, no matter how much intricate study of the Biblical text or any other source is carried out, we will not find the date of the second coming recorded anywhere; there is no way we can know it.
With this uncertainty, should we expect Jesus’ return during our own lifetime? After all, two thousand years have passed since Jesus last walked the earth, and it could easily be another two thousand before he returns. I hope I have another sixty years left in me at least, so should I really expect to see Jesus return in my lifetime? Who knows? Well, God the Father, and he alone! Despite this, we’re still called to “be on [our] guard, keep awake,” eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus. It wouldn’t do to be asleep, “lest he come suddenly and find [us] asleep.”
Rather than sleeping, Jesus calls us into action. In the parable he uses, Jesus talks of a man going on a journey, but first tasking his servants with jobs to do whilst he is away. The man probably represents Jesus, and the servants probably represent us. Just as the man in the parable gave his servants tasks to undertake in his absence, Jesus, when he went away, left us a specific task to do. At the close of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus instructs his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a). This, then, is our task; Jesus has instructed us to continue the work that he started: loving God and our neighbours, spreading the gospel to the world that we live in, and leading people to Christ. This is what we were told to do before he ascended into heaven, and this is what he expects us to do.
Is this all that we need do? Almost certainly not. In verse 34, the man who is going away leaves each of his servants with a particular assigned task. Similarly, each of us has received specific gifts that enable us to do particular tasks. Maybe we’re gifted musicians, or writers, or preachers. Perhaps we’re really good at dealing with pastoral concerns and supporting people. Maybe we’re called to full-time ministry within the church or a religious organisation, or maybe we’re called to live out our faith and model Christian living in the secular world. Wherever we believe our gifts and skills lie, it is up to us to identify the “assigned task” that Jesus has delegated to us. Not only that, but it is vital that we carry out that task, day after day. We never know when Jesus might return, and we wouldn’t want him to catch us taking a break, sleeping or wasting our talents when he does!
The final word of this chapter also issues us with a direct, single word instruction, “watch!” Jesus says. Indeed, he stresses that this instruction is for everyone, not just for people with a particular skill. We’re all called to actively watch for Jesus’ return. This means keeping his return at the uppermost in our minds.
I wonder how often you think about Jesus’ return? I suspect probably not very often.
I wonder how often you find yourself watching for his return, with eager expectation? If you’re anything like me, you get so involved in every day life that you watch hardly at all, if ever.
The words of this short passage of Mark’s Gospel provide us with real challenges. Do we pay attention to the false teachers who tell us they can name the date of Jesus’ return, or do we point them in the direction of this piece of scripture, and say that there is no way they can know? Do we make sure that we carry out the general and specific tasks that Christ left us, or do we neglect his calling? And do we carry out that last instruction, to “watch!”?
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1
If you’re a regular reader of Read, Mark Learn, you’ll probably know by now that I’m easily irritated by trivialities. One triviality that winds me up is the nonsensical way that sports stars, particularly football players, speak. They all seem to fall into cliché mode as soon as they open their mouths. Their talk of football being “a game of two halves” sets my blood boiling, as does their frequent statement that “at the end of the day, the best team won.” As for the claim that “when all is said and done, I gave 110 per cent, and I couldn’t give any more than that,” well, that has me shouting at my television. How can you give 110 per cent? It’s absurd!
Well, in today’s verse, Paul is telling us, members of the church of Christ, to give everything we have to serving Jesus. We can’t give 110 per cent, but we can give 100, and that’s what Paul urges us to do.
God has shown us an extraordinary amount of mercy. He loves us so much that he gave his only son to us. Jesus loves us so much that he died in our place, so that we could be reunited with God, cleansed of our sin, and made right with our heavenly father. At the most basic level, Jesus died for us. That is incredible, and surely demands a response.
The response that Paul encourages us to give is to “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice” to God. In the days of the old covenant in the Old Testament, to sacrifice something to God was to renounce your claim to the object, and to give it wholly over to God. That’s what Paul tells us to do with our bodies.
In recognition of all that God has done for us, we should renounce our claim to our own bodies. We should no longer seek self-gratification, but rather should give our whole being, body, mind and soul, to serving God. That is quite a demand to make, but if we love God, giving our lives to him will not be a hardship, but a pleasure and a joy. Serving God at times can be hard, particularly when we find ourselves facing opposition, but the knowledge that we are living for Christ, sharing the gospel, striving to love others and, above all else, loving God, far outweighs any negative aspects of living for God.
As we begin a new week, why not rededicate your life to Christ? Why not pray to God, “yes, Lord, I’m here, take my body, I offer it to your service”? As Paul says, this is your true and proper worship!
A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Matthew 15:22,28
A couple of years ago, I visited the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, which at that time was the world’s tallest building. In fact, I managed to visit twice in the space of a month, with a quick visit to Sussex in between! On my first visit, with my friend Clive, we took the lift to the top, where there is a glass floor, through which one can see the enormous drop down to the ground below. It was quite terrifying. Eventually, I plucked up the courage to step onto the glass and lived to tell the tale. As I stepped across, I had to have complete faith that the glass would not break under my weight. Luckily it didn’t!
In today’s reading, a non-Jewish, pagan woman from Canaan, approached Jesus. Even though Jesus had primarily ministered to the Jewish community, news of his amazing abilities had clearly reached her. Her poor daughter was possessed by a demon and was suffering terribly, but she believed completely that, if Jesus wanted to, he could save her daughter from the demon. She had complete faith in this man she’d heard all about, and was wiling to risk making a fool of herself in front of the assembled throng if it meant saving her daughter.
Jesus clearly admired the woman’s faith. He remarked on her great faith, and rewarded her by answering her request. He told her that her request was granted, and her daughter was saved from the demon straight away.
Jesus looks for faith in all people. If we have complete faith and put our trust wholly in him, he will grant our requests and answer our prayers. We must have the same “great faith” of the Canaanite woman, however, and be willing to step out in faith and approach Jesus. He knows our heart, and he knows whether we really have faith or not. Let’s pray today that God will help us to have total faith in Christ, and total confidence in his promises.
He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
Matthew 15:13-14
Last weekend, my wife, Claire, and I visited Belfast, Claire’s hometown. Whilst we we out for a walk on Saturday afternoon, a car pulled up alongside us, and the driver asked us for directions to Malone House. I was very glad that Claire was with me. I knew roughly where Malone House is, since we considered having our wedding reception there. Not knowing Belfast that well, however, I would have felt rather uncomfortable giving the driver directions; it would have been a bit like the blind leading the blind. Thankfully, Claire, as a native of Belfast City, was able to give the driver precise instructions to his destination.
In today’s passage, Jesus warns his disciples about the Pharisees, a group of religious leaders who not only had a poor understanding of God’s message, but had actively corrupted it. Jesus warns that the Pharisees are ‘blind guides’. Just as I have only a fuzzy understanding of the geography of Belfast, they had at best a fuzzy understanding of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. Whilst I was reluctant to give advice to the driver, though, they continued to teach people about God. What’s more, they actively misled people to their own personal advantage, to gain money and power. Jesus has stern words for the Pharisees, describing them as a plant that God has not planted, which will be pulled up by the roots. They will be punished for their misleading teaching.
In the twenty-first century it is very easy to access teachings on the Christian gospel. There are Christian magazines, newspapers and television channels, radio stations, podcasts, websites, Facebook and Twitter accounts. This is fantastic, but whilst we’re using these amazing resources, it is important that we are careful to ensure we are not being led by the blind. Can we be confident that the websites we visit or television channels we watch are teaching faithfully, or are they plants not planted by our heavenly Father? A great way to tell is to examine if they have a “statement of faith” that embraces the Gospel, and by reflecting on their use of scripture. Is the Bible at the heart of what they do, or is it sidelined? If they have sidelined the Word of God, it might be worth asking why!
Give thanks today for the abundance of teaching materials we have access to at the beginning of the twenty-first century, but pray that God’s message will be taught faithfully, and that we won’t be misled by false teaching.
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Matthew 15:10-11
What is it, do you think, that marks someone out as a “good person,” and more particularly, a “good, Godly person”? Those people that we see at church every week – are they all good, Godly people? In Jesus’ time this was a major issue. The Pharisees and other religious leaders judged people by how closely they followed the rules of scripture, of which a large number concerned what they could and couldn’t eat. Woe betide anyone who was seen eating something considered unclean by the Old Testament! This even remained a concern for the early Christian church for sometime as they sought to follow Jesus.
Jesus was clear, however, that what you eat is no indication of Godliness. In fact, as he states in today’s passage, it’s not what you put in your mouth that makes you Godly or defiles you, but what comes out of your mouth. What you say, after all, is a far better guide of the kind of person you are and the way that you live your life. The words you say can demonstrate if you’re really a Godly person. If you attend church every Sunday but constantly criticise other people, seek to bring them down, upset them and make them feel inadequate or unworthy, are you really a Christian? Are you really loving your neighbour as yourself?
If you seek to follow Christ, it should be clear to all those whom you meet and speak to. If your words mark you out as a caring, considerate and compassionate person, it’s a good indication that you are indeed seeking to love others, just as Christ did.
Why not reflect today on the words that you use? The things that you say can hurt or build up. Try today to be positive and loving with all that you say, whilst also striving to refrain from using harsh words that could hurt or offend. And remember – your words demonstrate the attitude of your heart. Do your words serve as a witness to Christ? Or do they merely demonstrate that you are a fallen individual?
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:25-31
It seems that the worst of the disturbances that have blighted British cities over the last few nights have come to an end. We can give thanks that order seems to have been restored to our country, and that the authorities are once again in control, rather than the rampaging looters.
Perhaps you’ve considered over the last few days how you, as a Christian, could get involved in your community to try to prevent such a scenario developing again. Maybe you were even inspired by yesterday’s reflection to take action, to love the looters, and to support our young people as they grow up in situations which are often far from loving.
But perhaps you also find yourself thinking, how can I make a difference? There’s no way that anything I can do could have any impact on the world. I’m just one person. It would be impossible for me to make a difference.
And yet Jesus calls to do the impossible.
In today’s reading, the disciples see Jesus walking on the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee. They’re initially petrified, assuming that the figure they can see is a ghost. Then, however, Jesus calls out to them, and reassures them that it is he.
Peter’s response is to call on Jesus to tell him to come across the water to him. Jesus answers with just a single word: come.
Two amazing things happen next. Firstly, Peter actually steps out onto the water. Secondly, just for a brief while, he succeeds in walking on the water!
Jesus calls Peter to do the impossible, and, through his faith in Jesus, he succeeds in doing it!
It is only when Peter takes his eyes off Christ and looks around him at the stormy waters that he loses his faith. When he loses his faith, he begins to sink.
Jesus reacts instantly to Peter’s sinking. He immediately reached out his hand and grabbed him, thereby saving his life.
Just as Jesus called Peter to do the impossible, there are times when he calls us to do things that we believe are impossible too. Perhaps working to shape our communities, and supporting the young people who have been rioting and looting, falls into that category. These things might seem like impossible tasks, but if we have faith in Jesus, and keep our eyes focused on him, then we can achieve anything.
If we should find ourselves losing faith, losing confidence, and taking our eyes off Christ, all we need to do is call out “Lord, save me!” as Peter did, and we can be confident, certain even, that Jesus will rescue us.
So as we come towards what has been a difficult week for the UK, don’t underestimate the impact that you can have on your community. Don’t withdraw, believing that it would be impossible for you to have any impact, but trust in Christ, keep your eyes fixed on him, and stride out in faith.
When we keep our eyes on Jesus, there is no limit to what we can do.
“The most important [commandment],” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31
Wherever you live in the world, I’m sure you’ve heard about the riots in cities across the United Kingdom. For the last few nights, large groups of people, mainly young men and boys, have taken to the streets. Homes, businesses and cars have been burnt, shops have been looted, and skirmishes have broken out. What started as a demonstration about the shooting of a young man in Tottenham, a district of London, has spun out of control. It’s all rather distressing.
Watching the television reports, reading the newspapers and listening to the politicians, it’s clear that the vast majority of people in the UK are very angry, upset and disappointed by what is happening in their country. Politicians and the media join with the rest of the population in dismissing the people rioting as “feral youth,” “yobs,” “hooligans,” “petty criminals,” “scum,” “chavs” and “the underclass.” Perhaps these are fair descriptions. After all, smashing up shops and stealing plasma televisions is not the kind of activity one would associate with ordinary, decent human beings.
But what should the Christian response to this horrible scenario should be?
Today’s verses have been going round and round in my head for several months now, and I have written a handful of articles on the concept of “#justlove” and preached a sermon on this topic too. Jesus, in these verses, states that the second most important commandment is to “love your neighbour as yourself.”
If we’re called to “love our neighbours,” maybe we should love the looters.
Rather than labelling them, rather than demeaning them as human beings, perhaps we should just love.
Maybe that’s what has gone wrong.
Maybe that’s why our society seems to be imploding.
Because we haven’t loved.
Andrew Neil, a prominent political journalist and commentator tweeted yesterday (Tuesday), that “surveys suggest that in areas like Tottenham as many as 80% of families have absent/no fathers. Similar to worst ghettoes in US.”
Many of us have been quick to judge the looters, quick to label them, and quick to distance ourselves from these people. These people are not like us, we think. They’re anti-social idiots, morons who should have been shown some discipline. How could the parents allow their children to behave in this way?
Perhaps, though, instead of labelling and judging, we should look at ourselves. We might seek to distance ourselves from these people, but these are members of our society. We live near these people, we encounter them in the streets, in the cinema, in the shops. We are connected to these people, whether we like it or not. These people are our neighbours. The very neighbours that we’re called to love.
Maybe, therefore, we should examine ourselves before judging too quickly.
As Christians, as a Church, we are called to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
Where were we, then, when our society was breaking down?
What have we done as Christians, as Churches, to model community to those around us?
Did we reach out to single parent families with love?
Where were we when these young people were growing up?
There are many Christians in our country who do amazing work with the poor and needy in our society. There are many Churches who run effective youth groups and support our young people. But there are even more who do nothing.
What these riots say to me is that, somewhere along the line, we have failed as a society.
We have failed as a Church.
We have failed as Christians.
We need to take a good look at ourselves and question how we live out our faith.
Does our faith in Jesus Christ underpin how we live?
Does the gospel inform our every action?
Can we honestly say that we love our neighbour?
If we call ourselves Christians yet do not allow our faith to shape how we live and what we do, then we might us well not bother. James, in his letter, wrote, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).
Just as Jesus got out into his community and ate with the people who were despised and rejected by society, we need to do the same.
If we want to transform our society, if we want to prevent the riots we’re seeing now becoming a regular feature of our lives, we need to take action. We need to get out of our Churches and into our communities. And we need to do it now.
We need to be investing our money in projects that will engage and inspire young people as they grow up.
We need to be giving our time to voluntary projects that transform our bleakest communities.
We need to ensure that Christian men provide male role models for the many children growing up without a father.
And we need to pray.
We need to get on our knees and repent on behalf of our society for the way that we have turned away from Christ.
We need to pray for renewal, for the Holy Spirit to convict our collective society of our sin, and for revival.
This is a time for the Church to be strong, to take a lead in society. This is not the time to be hiding away, to be embarrassed of our faith. This is a time for us to be confident of the gospel that we proclaim.
Above all, this is a time for us to love. To love God for what he has done for us, and to be inspired by that love to love our communities.
Let’s not label and judge the young people running amuck on our streets, but let’s love the looters.
Maybe if we had done that in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:22-23
What follows is the text of a sermon I preached on 7th August 2011 at Southwater Community Methodist Church in West Sussex.
As you may know, Claire and I moved house this week. Claire’s job has taken her to Hastings, and I’m about to start a new job in Battersea, so we needed to move somewhere that would enable us both to be able to travel to work without too much difficulty. Moving house is never an easy task, but we managed to make it harder for ourselves by going on holiday for two weeks just before the move! We managed to get some of the packing done before we left, but as soon as we returned we had to get straight back into it. We had a couple of very late nights and very early mornings, but somehow we had just about managed to cram all of our possessions into boxes as the removal van pulled up at 8am on Tuesday morning. It seemed from the outset like a difficult task, but somehow we did it.
I’m sure that you’ve had similar experiences. Perhaps, like us, you’ve had to move home. Maybe you’ve found yourself up against a deadline at work that you thought you’d never manage to hit. Perhaps you’ve struggled to complete an essay or dissertation by the deadline. It’s amazing, isn’t it, how when we persevere, when we have faith in ourselves and confidence in our own abilities, we can achieve things that we thought would be difficult to do.
In today’s reading we will consider how Jesus calls us to action, and sometimes to tackle tasks that we might think are not just difficult, but impossible. We’ll also look at how Jesus responds to our call, “lord, save me!” when things just seem too difficult. First, though, we’ll consider how the power of Jesus can challenge, frighten and intimidate.
At the beginning of our reading, we saw how Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him in a boat whilst he dismissed the crowds and went up to the mountains to pray. Soon the disciples found themselves caught up in a storm on the lake, battling against the wind and the waves. Interestingly, Matthew, in his account of this incident, does not say that the disciples were afraid facing the storm. Many of the disciples, of course, were fishermen who no doubt would have faced similar storms on this lake many times before. Presumably they trusted their boat, and trusted in their own ability to ride the storm out. This was their natural environment after all.
So why is it that one of the things we remember most about this passage is the fear of the disciples?
Well, the disciples were afraid, but it wasn’t the storm that scared them, but the ghostly figure they see striding out across the water towards them.
Sometime between 3am and 6am, Jesus began walking on the sea towards the disciples’ boat. Seeing the figure of a man walking across the stormy waters, the disciples were absolutely petrified. They saw something that they just did not understand, and couldn’t rationalise. How can anyone walk across water? They believed that what they were seeing was a ghost and were very frightened.
The disciples were challenged by the very existence of Jesus in this incident. They had never seen anyone walk on water before, and why would they have? They didn’t expect Jesus to be able to walk on water. Despite all the amazing things that they had seen, Jesus confounded their expectations.
Many people still fear Jesus today. There are times when I fear Jesus. I wonder if you do too?
Sometimes, as I read my Bible, or listen to a sermon I am amazed and confounded by what Jesus has done, and what he continues to do. Sometimes this can lead to doubts in my own mind.
How could Jesus heal a blind man?
How could he calm a storm?
How could he feed five thousand people with just five loaves and two fish?
Surely this is impossible?
Yet it is precisely through his actions that Jesus shows that he is God. Jesus’ teaching was amazing, incredible and truly inspirational. But it is through his actions that he demonstrates his sovereignty. And that can be terrifying, particularly if we don’t understand that Jesus is the Son of God, indeed God himself.
Still today, when people see God at work, fear is a common response. Healings still occur today, and these can shock and scare people if they don’t know where this healing power has come from. Miracles still happen across the world, and can often leave people feeling fearful.
It’s that fear that afflicts the disciples as they see Jesus walking on the water towards them.
Jesus is quick to allay his disciples fears. After they cry out in fear, Jesus immediately calls out to his disciples, “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.” He reassures them that the figure they see walking on the stormy water before them is the same man, the same teacher that they have been following for the past few months.
Whether or not this statement calmed the disciples isn’t recorded in Matthew’s gospel. What is is Peter’s response. Peter called back to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
Quite why Peter responded in this way is open to much discussion and debate. What we can ascertain from the New Testament, however, is that Peter was a rather impetuous character, one of those people who acts first, and thinks later. People have debated as to whether this incident demonstrates that Peter had a great deal of faith in Jesus, or not very much at all. Those who believe that Peter’s challenge to Jesus demonstrates a lack of faith say that Peter was challenging Jesus to demonstrate his power, he was asking for a sign. I’m not entirely sure about this myself; after all, Peter had enough confidence in Jesus that if he stepped out onto the water in a raging storm, Jesus would ensure that he didn’t drown!
I wonder what Peter was hoping to achieve with his challenge to Christ?
Perhaps it was something very basic. Perhaps he looked at Jesus and thought that walking on water was rather cool, and he’d like a go.
Perhaps it was something more spiritual; maybe he had in mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 10 when Jesus gave his disciples authority over unclean spirits and to heal every disease and affliction, and thought that Jesus’ delegation extended to everything that Jesus did.
Or perhaps it was something else. Maybe Peter was so passionate about Christ, so enthusiastic for everything he stood for, that he just wanted to be with Jesus, and to do the things that his master and teacher was doing.
Whatever the reason, Jesus’ response to Peter was simple; come, he said.
Just one simple command: come.
This echoes the first call that Jesus made to Peter and his brother Andrew at the beginning of his ministry when he called on them to follow him.
It also foreshadows Jesus’ commandment to all believers at the very end of his ministry, when he tells us to go and make disciples of all nations.
The ministry that Jesus calls us to is a ministry of action. Christianity isn’t a faith based solely on a set of beliefs or rituals. Our faith is one of action. Just as Jesus demonstrated who he was through his actions, we’re called to action, to follow Christ, to come to him, and to go and make disciples.
In today’s passage, Jesus calls Peter to him in extraordinary circumstances. He calls Peter to come to him over the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee.
In stepping out of the boat, Peter risked everything. It was quite rare for Palestinian fishermen to be able to swim; if their boat capsized or sank, they preferred the prospect of a rapid death rather than hours splashing around before eventually succumbing to the inevitable. If Peter had not managed to step onto the water, therefore, he would be doomed to death by drowning in the stormy waters of the lake. Even if he survived, he would forever face the ridicule of his friends for believing that he could walk on water.
The step of faith that Peter took in getting out of the boat, therefore, was enormous. He must have had complete and utter faith in Jesus to even attempt to walk on the water, yet that was just what he did. Jesus commanded him to come, and that’s exactly what Peter did.
A fishing boat is, of course, a perfectly sensible place for a fisherman to be. I’m sure that Peter and his companions felt safe, relaxed and at home in their boat.
Similarly, a Church is a perfectly sensible place for a Christian to be. I’m sure that many of us here this morning feel safe, relaxed and at home here in our Church.
Just as Peter was called out of the boat by Jesus, though, we too are called by Christ into the stormy world in which we live, a world that at times can be a dangerous place for a Christian to be, a world where in many places we could face death for our beliefs, a world in which we may be subject to the ridicule of our friends for our beliefs.
It’s easy being a Christian in Church.
It’s easy to be a Christian at a Christian event like Spring Harvest or Soul Survivor.
It’s much harder to be a Christian in the world outside the comfort of our church.
If we seek to live an active faith, however, a life of action, Jesus calls us all to step out of our place of comfort and into the world, to minister to the sick, to support the needy, to love our neighbours and ourselves.
Walking on water seemed like an impossibility to Peter, yet that’s what Jesus called him to do, and he did it. We can expect too that sometimes Jesus will ask us to take a step that seems completely impossible to us.
Perhaps Jesus might call us to minister as a Local Preacher, but we feel that we don’t know enough and hate speaking in public. How could I ever do that?
Maybe he calls us to serve in Junior Church, but we don’t have any experience of working with children and feel that we’d be rubbish.
Perhaps he calls us to work as a missionary in the inner city or in a foreign country. How could I give up my home and my job and uproot my family to serve in that way?
Maybe he calls us to befriend prisoners, or the homeless, or drug addicts. How could I possibly do that?
Jesus calls us all in some way or another, and at times the call he makes on us looks totally impossible. What is clear in this passage is that we are called to action, to get out of the boat, away from our comfort zone. We mustn’t fear, we must do!
If, like Peter, we keep our eyes on Jesus, he will work through us and ensure that we can fulfil the impossible task that he sets us.
If we seek out the task to which Christ calls us, that stepping out of the boat, and we have confidence in Christ and maintain our focus on Christ, we can achieve anything, and we can transform the world.
In today’s reading there’s another important lesson for us. Peter responded to Christ’s call, and stepped out of the boat. Sure enough, he was able to walk on the water! It wasn’t long, however, before Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked instead at the effect of the wind and the waves all around him. Despite the fact that he had proven that he could walk on water with Jesus’ help, he began to doubt. As he doubted, he began to sink.
Similarly, there will be times when we begin to doubt. We look around at the storms of the world we live in and think there’s just no way we can bring the task we’re set to completion.
Every time I sit down to write a sermon, I think to myself, why am I even doing this? There’s no way that I can preach.
I’m sure that you’ve felt the same thing once you have embarked on following your calling.
Perhaps the children start misbehaving at Junior Church and you lose confidence.
Perhaps you feel out of place and inadequate in the place to which you’ve been called.
It need not even be anything as radical as this, however.
Maybe you simply struggle to believe and you doubt the identity of Jesus, or doubt that he rose from the dead, or doubt that heaven even exists.
We can learn in our time of doubting from Peter. When we’re called out in faith, it is absolutely vital that we keep our eyes on Jesus, and remove any doubts we might have from our mind.
Jesus is our constant companion, and if we retain our focus on him, we can achieve whatever it is we’re called to do.
When we follow our calling, our strength comes from him, not from within us.
A man cannot walk on water, and yet, with Jesus’ help, Peter managed to do that.
I cannot write a decent sermon, but with Jesus’ help, perhaps I might produce something that has some impact.
So if we’re called to be a local preacher, or help with the Junior Church, or to be a missionary, or to work with prisoners, the homeless or drug addicts, or even if we’re called simply to live out our faith in the world, we must trust that Jesus will not abandon us, that he will not let us fail, that he will not allow us to sink out of our depth.
But what if we do find ourselves sinking? What if we do find ourselves flailing around because we have taken our eyes off Christ?
Well, it’s clear from today’s reading that there is still hope.
Note what happens to Peter in verses 30 and 31; he calls out to Jesus, “Lord, save me,” and Jesus immediately reached out and took his hand. He didn’t question him, he didn’t abandon him, he didn’t even stop to think about what to do. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed Peter, saving him from drowning in the stormy waters of the lake.
It’s exactly this call, of course, with which we all begin our spiritual journey. It’s a recognition that we are weak, that we are sinners, and that without Jesus we are doomed. When we call out, “Lord, save me!”, we move our trust from ourselves and onto him. We have confidence that Jesus has the ability to save us, and that he has the inclination to do so.
We can be confident that Jesus saves when we find ourselves flailing too. Should we find ourselves out of our depth, or struggling with the circumstances we find ourselves in, or if we turn our eyes from Jesus, if we call out to Jesus, “Lord, save me,” he will do exactly that.
Without hesitation.
In our times of trouble, in our need, or even when we simply find it hard to live a Christian life, Jesus is there for us. If we falter or if we fall, he will immediately grab us by the hand and pull us to safety.
I don’t know about you, but I find that immensely reassuring.
We all have times when we struggle with our faith, when we lose faith, and when we simply feel overwhelmed by life. We would not be human if we did not have doubts, that’s only natural.
Peter went on to be one of the great figures of the early church, one of the most influential people in proclaiming the gospel to the world, and ensuring that Jesus’ message of love, hope and forgiveness has lasted to this day. Here he is, though, struggling with his faith. At exactly the moment that he needs to have faith, he doubts. At the point at which his faith is a matter of life or death, between staying on the water and sinking under it, he doubts. And yet Jesus immediately reaches out to him and saves him from drowning.
As we draw to a close, therefore, let’s just bring together everything that we’ve learnt from this powerful passage of scripture.
We’ve seen that the power of Jesus can be challenging. If we do not understand who he is, or don’t recognise that he is the Son of God, indeed God himself, then the character and identity of Jesus can be very frightening indeed. How can he do all the incredible things he has been recorded doing? Yet if we recognise Jesus as the Son of God, the actions that he took, the healings, the miracles, the raising of the dead, all support Jesus’ divinity.
We’ve also seen that Christ calls us. He tells us to “come.” He calls us out into the world, away from our comfort zones, and to take radical action. He sometimes calls us to do things that we believe to be impossible, that we cannot do. Yet if we keep our eyes on him, if we focus on him, we can achieve anything.
Finally, we’ve seen that Jesus responds to our call when we cry out, “Lord, save me.” As he saves us from death, he will also save us from drowning in the storms of the world. If we lose faith, or begin to doubt, if we call on him to save us, he acts immediately to rescue us.
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