Faith as small as a mustard seed

[14] When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. [15] “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. [16] I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” [17] “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” [18] Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. [19] Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” [20] He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:14-21

I really hope that we don’t have any more lockdowns – for many, many reasons. One reason is because my family found home learning, how can I put this… challenging! My children generally do well at school, but it was really tough trying to support them through their learning at home. I lost track of the number of times I said to them, “just believe in yourself, have faith in your own ability, you can do it!” They seem to accept this from their teachers, but not from me!

In today’s reading, Jesus is teaching his disciples about faith. A man had taken his son to Jesus’ disciples. His son suffered from seizures, and had hoped that Jesus’ disciples would heal him. They failed to do so, however. The man’s son was subsequently healed by Jesus, and Jesus used this situation as a lesson in faith for the disciples. 

Interestingly, in other healings, we see people made better because of their faith in Jesus. The man in this story clearly has faith in Jesus’ disciples – but his son wasn’t healed. Jesus’ disciples want to know why not.

Jesus tells them that they were unable to heal the son because they have so little faith; it wasn’t the man’s faith that was left wanting, but the faith of the disciples. 

The power to heal came not from the disciples themselves, but from God. It was God who would heal, not the disciples. It was crucial, therefore, that they had faith in God’s ability to heal; if they lacked faith, then the healing wouldn’t take place. 

What’s more, they didn’t need a huge amount of faith. Jesus explains that, “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.” 

I find this reassuring but also challenging. 

I find it reassuring because sometimes my level of faith feels small. Sometimes I wonder if my faith is really genuine, because I am more aware of my lack of great faith rather than my possession of a small faith. And yet, even with faith as small as a mustard seed, great things can still be accomplished for the glory of God and his his kingdom. 

I find it challenging, because if I could metaphorically move mountains with even a tiny amount of faith, what might be possible if I had more faith!  How much difference could I make to God’s kingdom, to the world, if only I had a little more faith! How much more could God work through me if I trusted more in him?

Jesus criticised the disciples for their lack of faith. How can we be sure that we don’t also suffer from lack of faith?

Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). If we want to build our faith, then, we should endeavour to immerse ourselves in the Word of God, found in the Bible. 

It could be said that faith leads to greater faith. Our faith leads us to the Bible, to the Word of God, and to prayer. The Word and prayer in turn strengthen our faith, which in turn leads us deeper into the Word and prayer. The Word and prayer serves to strengthen our faith further.

In contrast, lack of faith leads to a greater lack of faith. We doubt our faith so neglect our Bible study and avoid prayer. Since we’re not immersing ourselves in the Word of God and engaging in prayer, our faith weakens.

Two cycles then – a virtuous faith cycle, and a vicious lack of faith cycle.

The great news is that if we find ourselves on the latter, it is easy to switch to the former; we just need to pick up the Bible, study the Word, and to pray to God.

I wonder which of these cycles you are currently on?

Do you want to strengthen your faith?  

How might you do this?

Listen to him

[1] After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. [3] Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. [4] Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” [5] While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Matthew 17:1-5

I do enjoy reading Which? Magazine. My wife subscribes (well, I think it’s more a case of she’s forgotten to cancel her trial subscription of some years ago!) Whenever I’m planning a purchase I consult Which? to check for their reviews. If they recommend a product, or have selected it as a Best Buy, then it is highly likely that it will make it to the top of my list of possible purchases. An endorsement from Which? is a big deal as far as I’m concerned!

In today’s reading, Jesus receives three endorsements, one of which truly is the ultimate endorsement; from God himself!

Jesus has headed up a mountain with three of his closest disciples, Peter, James and John. Whilst he was there the disciples were absolutely stunned to witness his transfiguration – defined by my dictionary as “a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.” Then Moses and Elijah appeared, and talked with Jesus! What a completely remarkable sight that must have been! Here we see Jesus meeting with Moses, the deliverer of Israelites and lawgiver, and Elijah, the great prophet. Jesus is the ultimate fulfilment of their work – pointing people to God, reaffirming God’s law and rule, and delivering all of humanity from their sin. Moses and Elijah therefore could be seen to endorse Jesus’ work.

Peter, keen to extend this amazing moment for as long as possible, offered to put up shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, but this clearly wasn’t the time – he was interrupted by none other than God!

God endorses his son, Jesus. He declares him to be his son. He declares his love for him. He affirms that he is pleased with him. And he issues an instruction: “listen to him!” Through God’s interruption of Peter it is clear that Jesus is above even the law and the prophets. He is like Moses, but better. He is like Elijah, but better. He is better because he is the son of God. He supersedes all others. He is greater than all others. 

Yesterday we considered that great question that Jesus posed to his disciples: “who do you say I am?”

Today we find an answer to that question. Jesus is God’s son.

The question for us today is, do we obey that instruction issued by God during the transfiguration? Do we listen to Jesus? Do we study his words in the Bible and seek to apply them to our lives? Do we strive to live by his teachings? 

If God commands us to listen to his son, perhaps we should make sure we do just that. 

Who do you say I am?

[13] When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” [14] They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” [15] “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” [16] Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-16

Do you remember dinner parties? Drinks receptions? Work conferences? What with the global pandemic, I suspect that this are little more than a distant memory! Maybe you think that’s a good thing! Back when we did meet up socially more regularly, what would you ask someone you met for the first time? I suspect there’s a very good chance that it was, “and what do you do?” We’ve become very good at defining who we are by what we do for a living. It’s almost as if how we make the money that pays our bills is the most defining aspect of our identity. 

Our passage today describes a pivotal point in Jesus’ ministry as he prompts those following him to reflect upon his identity. It all stems from the probing question that Jesus asks his disciples: “who do people say the Son of Man is?” 

Jesus used this title, Son of Man, as a messianic title – a name to describe the Messiah. The best explanation for this term is to be found in Daniel 7:13-14:

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Studying this conception of the Son of Man, we can see that:

• The Son of Man comes with the clouds of heaven;
• The Son of Man is able to approach God, and stand in his presence, suggesting an absence of sin;
• The Son of Man has been given authority, glory and power to rule by God;
• The Son of Man will be worshipped by all nations, by people who spread every language;
• The Son of Man rules over a “dominion” that will last forever, that will never be destroyed.

This is who Jesus no doubt has in mind when he asks his disciples, “who do people say the Son of Man is?” He is asking, who do people say is the Messiah, the sinless, powerful, eternal ruler, given authority by God himself?

That’s quite a question! 

Jesus disciples don’t shy away from an answer, though. Their response suggests that the Jewish community was experiencing heightened anticipation for the coming Messiah. Some think that John the Baptist is the Messiah. Some believe that Elijah is the Messiah and would be returning soon. (Indeed, some thought John the Baptist was Elijah; it is certainly true that he was an Elijah-like figure). Some believed that one of the prophets of the Old Testament was actually the Messiah. 

Jesus then redirects this question to his disciples, and to Peter in particular. “What about you?” he asks. “Who do YOU say I am?”

We know that the disciples’ response is going to be insightful. They, after all, have spent lots of time with Jesus. They have followed him from place to place. They have listened to him teach. They have seen him perform miracles. They have seen him heal. 

So who DO they think that Jesus is?

A great teacher? A magician? A prophet? A fraud?

No, Peter answers for the disciples: “you are the Messiah, the son of the living God.”

Peter believes that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God. Peter believes that Jesus is the Son of Man. 

Peter’s response suggests that Jesus is the one who stands in God’s presence, who has been given authority, glory and powder to rule by God. Peter’s answer suggests that Jesus is the won who will be worshipped by all nations, and who rules over an eternal kingdom.

Whether Peter fully understands the implications of what he says is unclear. Indeed, from Mark’s account of this episode in Mark 8, it is likely that Peter didn’t have the full picture of what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah. But we do see here a burgeoning understanding amongst Jesus’ disciples that their master is different – he is not merely a teacher, but someone who will make a significant impression on the world. 

How would WE answer this question? Who so WE say that Jesus is? 

This is one of the most important questions we face, and it’s definitely worth reflecting carefully on our answer, as well as thinking through the implications of our answer.

If we believe Jesus to be the Son of Man, the Messiah, how does this change our lives, how we live, what we do?

What better time could there be than advent to think about this? As we think about that baby born to Mary all those years ago, as we attend Christmas services, as we share the joys of the season with our family and friends – who do WE say that Jesus is?

They Praised the God of Israel

[29] Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. [30] Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. [31] The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Matthew 15:29-31

Sometimes I’m at home with my children whilst my wife is at work. They often ask, “when will mummy be home?” When she does arrive back, as soon as she puts the key in the door the children drop everything and run to the door, shouting, “mummy! Mummy!”

In today’s passage Jesus returns to Galilee after his visit to Tyre and Sidon, where he encountered the Canaanite woman with the demon-possessed daughter. I can imagine the Galilean crowds asking themselves, “when will Jesus be back?” and peering over the horizon to see if they could see Jesus and his disciples returning. As it is, no sooner has he returned (and climbed up a mountain – presumably another attempt to get some peace and quiet after he was recognised in Tyre and Sidon!), than word spreads that Jesus has returned. Immediately, big crowds flocked to Jesus, “bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others” to him. 

What is Jesus’ response? He heals them – the mute spoke, the crippled were healed, the lame walked and the blind saw.

Just pause for a minute and reflect on that. How incredible must it have been to witness this? A man dismissed by some as no more than a carpenter from Nazareth healing scores of people! Imagine the joy of all those who had been healed, and of their friends who had supported them to get up the mountain!

The most important aspect of this story for me is the response of the crowd. What do they do after being healed, or seeing their friends receive healing? They “praised the God of Israel.” They turned their joy into praise for God. They recognised that they had received healing from God, and praised him in response. 

This was the key to Jesus’ ministry; to get people to the point of praising God. Whether it was through his teaching, his healing, or, ultimately his death and resurrection, he points the crowds – and us – to God. He brings us to God and God to us. He bridges the chasm that has emerged between sinful humans and perfect God. He seeks to restore the perfect relationship that humanity and God had known before the fall. And through his death and resurrection he does exactly that.

Jesus loves his father and wants us to love him too.

Jesus loved the crowds. He his compassion for all. 

How do we measure up to this example that Jesus lays out before us?

Do we love our fellow people, have compassion on them, and seek to serve them as Jesus serves the crowds here?

And do we love God? Do we turn every blessing we receive back into praise, “praising the God of Israel?”

These are great questions to ponder this weekend!

[21] Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. [22] 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.” [23] Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” [24] He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” [25] The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. [26] He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” [27] “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” [28] Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Matthew 15:21-28

It’s great to visit other countries. I really enjoy getting out of England and seeing some of the rest of the world. There’s nothing better than a relaxing holiday in foreign climes – especially, in my opinion, if those climes are warmer and sunnier than at home! But trips away also have the potential to change us. Sometime ago I spent a month in Belarus, and those four weeks away changed me more as a person than any other four-week period that I can remember. Whilst I was dating my wife, I often visited her at home in Northern Ireland. It dawned on me one day whilst there how I had always regarded people from countries other than England as somehow “different” – but that when I was in Northern Ireland it was me who was “different,” not the Northern Irish! Perhaps we’re ALL different – or, looking at it from another perspective, perhaps we’re all the same really, no matter where we are from, or what our culture, beliefs or heritage are.

In today’s passage, Jesus has left behind the familiar Jewish region of Galilee, perhaps as a result of his run in with the Pharisees, that we reflected upon yesterday. He has withdrawn to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he no doubt hoped to escape from the crowds of people who had been following him. No sooner had he arrived, though, when he is confronted by “a Canaanite woman.” 

It’s very interesting how this woman addresses Jesus. Despite Jesus’ expectation that he would be rather more anonymous away from Galilee, this woman immediately cries out to him, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!” She understood that Jesus was a descendent of King David – as the prophesied Messiah would be. What’s more, she follows up this statement with a plea – “my daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” She clearly believed that Jesus had the ability to expel the demon and to end her suffering. 

Is it possible that she recognises Jesus as the Jewish Messiah – something that even the disciples had failed to fully grasp? Her greeting here would suggest that yes, she does!

Jesus’ response has challenged believers for generations – he seems to be uncharacteristically dismissive. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” he declares. When she falls to her knees and begs him, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responds with the statement, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Is Jesus calling this woman a dog?! Apparently the word rendered dog here is actually closer to the word ‘puppy,’ suggesting a beloved household pet rather than a vicious wild animal, but even so, it still doesn’t sound very polite!

Some writers have pondered whether this is the more human aspect of Jesus’ character coming through. Perhaps Jesus himself hasn’t fully grasped what it means to be Messiah, they reason. I’m not sufficiently knowledgeable to comment on this, but if Jesus was sin-free, as Christians hold him to be,  I would suggest that we need to be careful where such thinking takes us!

Whatever the reason for Jesus’ seemingly harsh response, the woman gives as good as she gets. She replies, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” She’s not looking for the full blessing that the Messiah bestows on the Jews – but she believes that there is enough blessing to go round, and maybe even just a little might come her way – and that little will be enough to save her daughter. 

Sure enough, this is the case. Jesus is so impressed, perhaps so moved by this women’s pleas, that he grants her request and her daughter is healed. 

Does the trip outside Jewish territories change Jesus’ thinking? It is entirely possible. Certainly we see the dawning of the next phase of his ministry – a ministry to save the whole world from their sin, not just the Jewish people. 

Maybe encountering people who are different to us is important for all of us. Maybe it helps us to better understand the world, and our place in it. Maybe it helps us to see people different to us not merely as “those others,” but people who are fundamentally the same as we are. 

I think particularly of those migrants who are desperate to cross the English Channel to build new lives in England. By making the crossing, they are risking their lives – and many have died in their attempts to find safety. What must be driving them from their homes that makes the Channel crossing seem like a risk worth taking? How do we view these people? Are they “other,” outsiders who do not deserve the lives that we lead? Or are they not so different to us really? How would we act if we were in their shoes?

The Gospel message is for all people – people like us, and people who, at first glance, are not quite like us. We have a duty, a mission, to reach out to all people, and to share Jesus’ love and message of new life with everyone. 

Perhaps we should get out of our comfort zone and strive to meet more people who we think are different to us? Maybe our view of ourselves and the world might change – possibly for the better!

[1] Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, [2] “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 

[3] Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? [4] For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ [5] But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ [6] they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. [7] You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 

[8] “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 

[9] They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”

Matthew 15:1-9

I was lucky enough to spend a couple of years as a small boy at a Prep School in the middle of the Surrey countryside. I have many memories of the place. Most of them are incredibly happy memories. On reflection, many are also a little odd! I remember learning Ancient Greek at the age of eight. I remember studying the path of maggots through a dead rabbit we found on the playing field. I remember learning how to round up cattle and sheep. And I remember learning how to service a vintage tractor. Some of the things I learnt have come in useful, others not so much! One of the things we did before every meal definitely served a purpose; we had a hand inspection to ensure that our hands had been thoroughly scrubbed clean before we were allowed into the Dining Room. The headteachers clearly knew that small boys’ hands were often rather grubby, and perhaps should be cleaned before eating!

At the beginning of Matthew 15, Matthew recounts how some Pharisees and teachers of the law ask Jesus why his disciples didn’t wash their hands before they eat. This was “the tradition of the elders,” and they are clearly affronted by Jesus tolerating his disciples failure to wash their hands. Jesus responds by asking why they fail to keep the commandment to honour their mothers and fathers by claiming that the money they would have used to support their parents is devoted to God. 

Jesus then says: 

“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘These people honour me with their lips,

But their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain;

Their teachings are merely human rules.’”

Jesus is clear that the Pharisees’ worship is false. They say all the right things, but actually, in their hearts they do not know God. Consequently the worship that falls from their lips is worthless. The rules that they teach do not come from God but are invented by humans. 

The rule to wash hands before eating falls into this category – a rule devised by Jewish teachers, and of no consequence in a person’s relationship with God. God is not concerned about whether or not someone washes their hands before eating. This rule has become one of the yokes that the Pharisees sought to hang round the necks of Jews, a burden that Jews were expected to bear, but of no eternal significance.

The question for us today, then, is to assess how similar we are to the Pharisees. 

Do we honour God with our lips by going through all the motions – going to Church, serving on Church teams, going to Home Group etc? Meanwhile, are our hearts on earthly things – gaining promotions, getting a better car, even just the day to day burdens of ensuring we and our children are in the right place, at the right time?

Or are our hearts focused on serving God – committed to studying his word, building our prayer lives, sharing his Gospel, being compassionate to all whom we encounter?

Are we focused on the rules of Church life whilst not truly worshipping God?

Or is our worship heartfelt and genuine, the driving force of our lives, the sustenance that carries us through our days?

[6] On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much [7] that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. [8] Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” [9] The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted [10] and had John beheaded in the prison. [11] His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. [12] John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Matthew 14:6-12

Have you ever felt drawn into an action that you know you shouldn’t take as a result of peer pressure? I think I’ve reached the age where this is less of an issue for me than it used to be! I do remember, though, finding myself confronting situations like this when I was younger – particularly when I was at university. Often these incidents involved drink; I felt myself led into drinking perhaps more than I should have done to conform to the expectations of the crowd that I was with. I remember feeling that it was wrong at the time, and then that feeling of guilt afterwards, and anger at myself for having done something that I shouldn’t have done.

That’s the situation in which Herod finds himself in today’s reading. He is so entranced by the dancing of his step daughter (who also happens to be his niece, since his wife, Herodias, had been the wife of his brother…!) that he agrees to give her whatever she asks for. I can almost feel his heart dropping as he hears what she asks for – the head of John the Baptist on a platter. He knew that it would be entirely wrong to execute John, but decides that, in order to please both his wife and his stepdaughter/niece he needed to follow through and carry out the action. So it is that John the Baptist, the last of the great Old Testament prophets, the friend and cousin of Jesus, finds himself reaching the end of the road in a horrible and gruesome fashion.

What had John done to displease Herod in the first place? He had told him that it was not lawful for Herod to marry Herodias. Herod had wanted to kill John, “but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.”

Ultimately, then, John was executed because he had stood up for what he believed to be right. He had sought to uphold the Jewish laws (Leviticus 18:16 states, “Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonour your brother.”) and had lost his life as a consequence.

John was not the first to lose his life for holding true to the way of the Lord, and he was by no means the last. Jesus himself, of course, was executed for refusing to stop teaching the Gospel. 

Hopefully few of us will ever face the situation where we face death for holding firm to our beliefs – but it is always worth pondering what we would do in these circumstances. We may well find ourselves confronting other difficult situations, though – losing out on a promotion or even losing a job because of our faith; losing friends because we hold firm to what we believe; even being rejected by our families. Should we find ourselves confronting these scenarios – what we do? Is our faith strong enough to sustain us through difficult times? Can we always confess our faith in Christ rather than disowning him, denying our relationship with him?

As we begin a new week, I hope that your faith will continue to strengthen and develop, and that you will have the courage to hold firm to your beliefs, no matter what the world throws at you. 

I hope the same for me too!

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[41] The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Matthew 13:41-43

As we approach Christmas, it is time in my house for a little sorting. I suspect that, if my children are on Father Christmas’ good list, they might receive some presents – perhaps some new toys and books. Since we have limited space in our house, the time has come, therefore, to sort through all the toys and books that we have already. Some we will keep, and some we will get rid of. This won’t be easy since my son in particular gets quite attached to his things, and there will probably be tears as books and toys that he loves are sent away to charity shops, or, if they’re not good enough to be given away, thrown in the bin.

Today’s passage is part of a longer sequence of Jesus’ teaching which includes the Parable of the Weeds. It is well worth taking the time to read that today if you get a chance. You can find it in Matthew 13:24-40.

The section we’re looking at is Jesus’ explanation of this parable. It makes for challenging reading! It explains that on the day of judgement, the Son of Man (that is, Jesus) will send his angels out to assist with the judgement of all of humanity. Jesus says that the angels “will weed out of [Jesus’] kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” What happens to these people? The angels will “throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This is a pretty horrifying prospect. Let’s break it down a bit.

Firstly, who are the people who will endure this horrible punishment? 

Anyone who causes sin. This category no doubt includes anyone who leads people astray and encourages them to engage in acts which displease and dishonour God. We need to be mindful of these acts. We need to ensure that we do not fall into this category. Is there anything in our behaviour or in our speech that might have a negative impact on the Christian life of another person? Do we do anything, consciously or unconsciously, that adversely affects the faith of another person? It is people such as these who will find themselves thrown into the blazing furnace on the day of judgement.

Another group of people who will endure this horrible punishment are those who do evil. Those who, perhaps led astray by others, perhaps of their own volition, are tempted to engage in acts which displease and dishonour God, whose lives fall short of the standards expected by God. The concerning thing here is that ALL of us act in this way, every day. We ALL fall into this category. We ALL deserve the punishment Jesus outlines here. The good news that, if we repent of our sin and place our trust in Christ, the punishment that should have been ours to endure has already been taken for us – by Jesus on the cross. Since the punishment has been borne, it is more incumbent on us than ever that we strive to live lives that DO please and honour God, out of respect for the one who paid the ultimate price for our sin.

Secondly, what is the punishment meted out to those who cause sin and do evil? It’s pretty bleak!
Jesus says that the angels will throw these people “into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

It’s one thing to be thrown in a blazing furnace but – contrary to what you might expect – this isn’t the end. It’s not a case of being thrown into a fire and that being the final end. Jesus says that once in the furnace there will be weeping – enormous sorrow at having failed to follow Christ – and gnashing of teeth – anger at having chosen to follow a path that diverged from Christ’s expectation. The picture here is of an eternal, never ending punishment.

There is something positive amongst all these rather depressing teaching! 

Jesus concludes by making a statement and giving an appeal.

He states, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Those who do chose to follow Jesus, rather than enduring an eternity of flames, will find themselves in God’s eternal kingdom, where they will shine like the sun. They will reflect the goodness of God and there will be no sin to darken their lives and souls. They will mirror God’s goodness – just as was intended when God created humanity. 
We can’t achieve this goodness on our own, however, because no matter how hard we try, we consistently fall short of God’s expectations. This is why we need to listen carefully to the final appeal that Jesus makes in this passage.

What is that final appeal? “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” If we want to find ourselves amongst the shining righteous rather than the burning evil, we must listen to Jesus. Listen to all he teaches. Reflect on his words. Try to live out his teaching in our lives. Strive to emulate him in how we live. And ultimately, recognise him and embrace him as our saviour, whose death and resurrection alone makes it possible for us to cross from the category of those destined to endure the flames of eternity to the kingdom of our father.

The rewards are great, but the punishment harsh!

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[1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. [2] Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.

Matthew 13:1-2

It seems like a long time since I have seen a street performance. That might be because, for obvious reasons, I’ve not been out much in the last couple of years – or perhaps it’s because the street performers themselves have stayed away from busy spaces. I hope that they’re coping with the current global situation – not least because so often they bring enormous joy to public spaces. I do enjoy watching an escapologist teasing the crowds, drawing out his escape from the chains for as long as possible in order to build up an ever larger audience. One of my favourite street entertainers was a perfectly ordinary tuba player performing in Trafalgar Square. Perfectly ordinary apart from the rhythmic jet of flames coming out of the top of his instrument! I wonder if he realised quite how close he came to setting his hat on fire! The largest crowd I’ve seen gathered was for some truly remarkable dancers/acrobats in a square in Seville. They were incredibly talented and great fun to watch.

Today’s verses come right before Jesus teaches the Parable of the Sower. I’m sure you know the story well. Rather than thinking about that story, I thought it might be worth looking at the verses that precede it. Matthew 12 tells us about a very busy day in the life of Jesus. He started the day walking through grain fields, talking to his disciples about the Sabbath and got into an argument with the Pharisees. He then went on to a synagogue where he healed a man with a shrivelled hand, which led to the Pharisees plotting to kill him. He withdrew but was followed by a large crowd, many of whom he healed. Next he healed a demon-possessed man, which led to another row with the Pharisees. Then his mother and brothers tried to talk to him, as we saw in yesterday’s Bible Notes. All in all, quite a busy day!

But it didn’t end there. Matthew starts chapter thirteen of his Gospel by saying “that same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.” I would imagine that by this point in the day he was feeling exhausted, and simply wanted a moment of peace by the lake. 

That may have been what he wanted, but that wasn’t what happened. Instead, huge crowds gathered around him. In order to stop being mobbed, and in order that he could see and be seen, he jumped into a boat and pushed off into the lake. From there he continued teaching the crowd. He was driven by a desire to teach as many people as he could, and to take every opportunity to do so. 

I find it incredible the numbers that Jesus attracted. Everywhere he went, he was followed by huge crowds. It’s hard to think of a modern day comparison. There was just something about this poor carpenter from Nazareth that people found deeply engaging. I’m sure that the miracles, and the hope of miracles, was in no small part responsible. But here in Matthew 13 we have Jesus teaching them in parables from a boat. If it was just about the miracles the crowds would have withdrawn, but no, they continue to follow him, hanging onto his every word, listening intently to all that he had to say. How remarkable it must have been to be in that crowd. How lucky they were to hear Jesus teaching. 

Perhaps we are even luckier! We have four Gospels, all of which set out Jesus’ best teachings so that we can study them at our leisure, ponder them, reflect on them. We have preachers and pastors who we can listen to as they unpack and explain them to us. We have YouTube and podcasts where we can watch and listen to people around the world drawing out the salient points. We have thousands upon thousands of books, thousands upon thousands of websites, exploring Jesus’ teaching and encouraging us to reflect upon his words.

How lucky WE are!

Do we take advantage of this? Do we understand how lucky we are to be able to access Jesus’ teachings so easily – his crowd-drawing, life-changing, heaven-opening words that can transform us, that can transform our world?

Why not commit to studying Jesus’ teaching more in the coming weeks? Why not try to study a little of Jesus’ words each day?

Question for reflection: am I as excited about the teachings of Christ as the crowd that followed him in the Gospels? Why/why not? How can I feel more of that excitement?

Idea for action: why not consider how you can support the Bible Society as they seek “to bring the Bible to life for every man, woman and child.” Find out more at https://www.biblesociety.org.uk.

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