Saturday 30 June 2012

Please make contact ...

Dear Readers,

I do these reflections as part of my spiritual disciplines. I know that my contributions to this blog are far from perfect, but I offer them to all, especially those preparing for worship based on the Lectionary readings, as a means to help others find inspiration for their own sermons.

I am a school chaplain at an ancient English Grammar School (founded in 1495) and also have a full teaching timetable where I am a specialist in ethics, teaching through the school and for university entrance (including Oxford and Cambridge).

It would be good to establish some fellowship with those of you who are using this material from time to time, so please make contact through the comments option.

Bless you,

David Owen

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Gospel reading for July 1st


Mark 5.21-end
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ 24So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years.26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’29Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ 31And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ 32He looked all round to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’
35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

When Jesus returned from his time in Gerasa where he had healed the man possessed by demons, there was a large crowd waiting for him. One of these people was a synagogue leader named Jairus. Because so much opposition had arisen from within organised Judaism, it must have required both courage and humility on his part to make the approach.

Jairus had known the joy of having his daughter with him for 12 years. But now she was close to death. He came to Jesus - desperate - because he knew that there was nothing anyone could do to save her. In Jairus therefore, we see a beautiful image of faith and humility. This great spiritual leader and highly respected member of the community kneeled down before Jesus and begged him to come to his home.

Another person who was waiting for Jesus was a woman - we are not given her name. In contrast to the 12 years of joy that prefaced Jairus' encounter with Jesus, this woman had known 12 years of misery - for she had experienced constant menstrual bleeding in this time. This had dire consequences for her. In addition to the physical discomfort, this ailment made her ceremonially unclean. This meant that she became an outcast in society, because according to Levitical law (Leviticus 15:19-22) a woman with her problem was considered ritually unclean. She was therefore denied access to worship or fellowship. In essence this meant that she was denied access to God. She was financially destitute because she had spent everything on doctors, but to no avail. She too, was desperate.

The woman had heard about Jesus and how, when he touched people, or when people touched him, they were healed. She was nevertheless a bit concerned. She was so embarrassed about her ailment that she did not want to go public with it. So, she decided to touch Jesus secretly. She thought that it would be sufficient if she just touched one of the tassels of his robe. The minute she touched the tassel, she was healed and she knew it. She now wanted to slink away secretly. The woman's reasons for not openly coming to Jesus seemed valid. According to the Levitical law, if she touched Jesus, she would also make him ritually unclean. But Jesus forced her to come into the open because he had important lessons to teach both the woman  and the crowd. Wiersbe comments: 

To begin with, this public confession was for her sake. It was an opportunity for her to confess Christ and glorify God. Had she stolen away in the crowd, she would have not met Jesus personally or heard His words of assurance and comfort.[1]

Miller adds:

She seems to have had a rather magical idea that a touch of his garment was all that was needed to restore her to health. And this it did! But Jesus wanted to lead her to a faith which rested on a personal acquaintance and open confession of him. Then she could go with a deeper "peace" than that which mere recovery of health could bring.[2]

It is amazing how many people receive great blessing from God. Some receive miraculous healings like this woman, but they never really accept Jesus personally and therefore never receive his gift of enduring faith. Like the people in the parable of the sower, who are like the seed that falls on rocky ground, when the going gets tough - they give up. All of us have received great blessing from God. If we look at what we have, we see that we are blessed with far more than we really need. But so many of us are willing to throw in the towel when things get hard?

Jesus wanted the woman to be able to stand firm no matter what happened to her in the future. Jesus therefore insisted that she have a personal encounter with him and so receive a deep and significant faith.

The crowd also needed to learn a lesson. Wiersbe continues:

You can be part of the crowd and never get any blessing from being near Jesus! It is one thing to "press Him" and another thing to "touch Him" by faith.[3]

How many of us crowd around Jesus as we gather Sunday after Sunday to worship, but never really take the step forward in humility and faith. How many of us see wonderful things happening to others and resign ourselves that it will never happen to us, simply because we do not reach out, by faith, and touch our Lord? Faith only comes when one has a personal encounter with Jesus by faith. And faith grows when it is tested.

Jairus knew that Jesus could save his child. He had faith. But his faith was tested. While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, a messenger came from Jairus' home with the news that his daughter had died. Jesus overheard and spoke words of comfort to him. We read in verse 36:

When Jesus heard this, he told Jairus, "Don't worry! Have faith, and your daughter will get well."

Morris suggests that this verse could be translated 'make and act of faith' or 'put your trust in Me'. Jesus meant that he should never give up, but keep believing.[4]

The scene when they arrived at Jairus' home must have been depressing. One can assume that the professional mourners would have arrived, and the friends and neighbours would also have gathered around. Jesus stilled the people and said, "The child is not dead. She is just asleep."  They laughed at him, because they knew that the child was dead.

Jesus emptied the house of all save a chosen few. He took the girl by the hand and said, "Child, get up!"[5] Mark records Jesus as using the Aramaic words: "Talitha cumi! Little girl, arise!" These are the words her mother would have used each morning to waken her daughter.[6] The tenderness of this moment cannot be captured using words. 'She came back to life and got right up'.[7]

The incident ends with Jesus exhorting the parents not to spread the news of what had happened. Jesus did not want to attract a large following of curious onlookers who were only seeking to get what they wanted out of him. This is why he taught in parables - so that only those who were really committed would follow him.

And so, the lesson on faith that began with the parable of the sower is now complete with the practical demonstrations of the storm, the healings and finally the raising of Jairus' daughter to life. The secret behind a full and wonderful life is to have faith in Jesus Christ. Unless our faith grows to maturity even the small traumas that come our way will often get us down. We all need to pray - "Lord, make our faith stronger!”

There are many painful things that can happen to us, because we live in an imperfect world where the majority of people choose to reject Christ and His law of love. Satan is also active. The result - suffering is a fact of life. Without faith, we will become easily discouraged. The only thing that can lift us up and give us hope is an abiding sense of Christ's love, His wisdom and His care for us. So, when the tests come and with God's help our faith endures, we feel lifted up and encouraged. As Ryle comments:

Faith can sit still and wait for better times. Faith can see light even in the darkest hour, and a needs-be for the heaviest trial. Faith ... can sing songs in the night in any condition.[8]

The prophet Isaiah writes:

You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you. Trust in the Lord for ever; and he will always protect you.[9]

Have we all received the free gift of faith offered by Christ to all - or are we just members of the crowd? We have all heard the message. Are the seeds of faith falling on the road, on rocky ground or amongst thorn bushes? Let us rather be those who are like the good ground, who hear God's word and are willing to obey it and so see our faith grow, flourish and mature - especially when it is tested - so that we might be mature and complete never lacking anything.[10]


[1] Wiersbe, p. 95.
[2] Miller, p. 93.
[3] Wiersbe, p. 95.
[4]  Morris, p. 161.
[5] Verses 54-55, CEV - part paraphrase.
[6] See Morris, p. 162 and Wiersbe, p. 97.
[7] Verses 54-55, CEV - part paraphrase.
[8] Ryle, p. 287.
[9] Isaiah 26:3-4, TEV.
[10] James 1:1-4.

Monday 18 June 2012

The birth of John the Baptist - Sunday 24th June


The birth of John the Baptist
and
Zechariah's prophecy.
Luke 1:57‑80.

The son of Zechariah and Elizabeth was born. What a time of rejoicing this must have been for them. In Jewish culture – as I believe it should be in every culture – children were seen as a gift from God. Passages like Psalm 127:3‑5:

Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Jewish people had such a high view of children and life that they would never have considered for a minute, aborting their children or abandoning them or mistreating them – as was often the case with their pagan neighbours.

When Elizabeth named their son John, the people around them were amazed. These neighbours hastened to remind them that they are departing from what is traditionally acceptable and that none of their relatives was called by that name. When Elizabeth refused to tow the line, they appealed to Zechariah by making signs. They seem to have assumed that because Zechariah could not speak – he could not hear as well. But, writing on a writing tablet – which we can assume must have been close at hand over the previous nine months – Zechariah confirmed his wife's choice. As soon as this is confirmed, John begins to speak again. The people left and the story spread throughout the region. McBride writes:

So, the story of these marvellous events is spread around the hill country, and those who hear the story cherish it and ask themselves about the future role of this child.

Luke then repeats the hymn Zechariah sang giving us four beautiful pictures of what the coming of Jesus Christ to earth really means.

Verse 68 tells how Jesus sets people free. The verse reads:

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.

The word to redeem means to set free by paying a price. It was often used when referring to the releasing of a prisoner or the liberating of a slave. Sin and death are what enslave people more than anything else. Jesus came to redeem people from sin – its power on earth in a person's life – and it eventual consequence – death and eternal separation from God.. No human being is ever able to redeem themselves – only Jesus can set anyone free because only Jesus could pay the price necessary for our redemption. Paul explains in Ephesians 1:7:

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ...

Peter adds in 1 Peter 1:18‑21:

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.

Jesus brings salvation. Verses 69–75 explain:

He has raised up a mighty saviour for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant,  the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,  to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

The salvation that the Messiah will bring is referred to here as deliverance, then as mercy and then in terms of covenant – especially the covenant between God and Abraham. God will never go back on what he has sworn – the covenant promised to Abraham will be fulfilled.. All this happens so, as verse 74 puts it, God's people may serve him without fear and be filled rather with holiness – they will belong to God – and righteousness – they will live as God's people should. God is merciful. He is able and willing to forgive all sins and even mistakes. He delivers people from the consequences of sin and its power over them now. All people can – if they wish – live as God's people should because in the power of the Holy Spirit we can be enabled to become the people God wants us to be. When a person accepts Jesus as saviour, Wiersbe writes:

... you are delivered from Satan's power, moved into God's kingdom, redeemed and forgiven.

Paul explains in Colossians 1:12‑14:

... giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We are set free – not to do as we please – because this would lead to our being enslaved once more, but to do God's will – because when we do this, we experience real freedom. Jesus cancels our spiritual debt. All people are in debt before God because we are all guilty of breaking God's law and failed to live up to his standards. At the same time we are spiritually bankrupt and therefore unable to pay our debt.

Listen to verses 76–77 again:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.

John would announce the good news that Jesus was coming to pay the debt for us. John explained in John 1:29:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ..."
Morris writes:

He would be the forerunner to the Messiah. Specifically he would tell people about the coming of salvation in the forgiveness of their sins. John could not save men. No man could. But he would call men to repentance and tell them about one who could.

Jesus was also to introduce the dawning of a new day. The people were sitting in darkness and death and distress. When Jesus came into their lives he brought with him light, life and peace – a new day because of the love and mercy of God. The verses 78–79  read:

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Our salvation comes through the tender mercy of God. God loves us. God loves you. This is why he sent his only son Jesus to set people free, to save them from their sin, its consequences and its power in their lives. Jesus gives us the victory, he cancels our debt and ushers us into a new day.

The focus of Elizabeth and Zechariah was correct. They never let the joy of their gift deflect their attention away from the true focus – Jesus, the Messiah, the saviour of the world. They raised their son, John to have the same focus. This passage ends with the words:

The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

John could have enjoyed a comfortable life of a priest, but rather lived in the wilderness, strictly disciplined, waiting for the day when his work was to begin. He knew freedom, he knew joy, he knew direction in his life. He found this in the hardship of the desert. Too often today we are told that real living comes through easy living. This is not always true. Many prophets and other great people of God knew joy through discipline and hardship. By trying to make life easy is not always the kindest and most loving thing to do. When you are in God's will, even the difficult times are filled with meaning and purpose and even joy.

Where is our focus? – on the things of the world, our children, our job, our possessions. Whenever we loose our focus on Jesus we will loose our joy and peace and purpose. Jesus as set you free, cancelled your debt, given your life meaning, given you dignity and worth. Can anything be more important than that?



Friday 15 June 2012

Epistle for Sunday



2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (NRSV)

6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. 12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;* even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,* we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!





Choice and responsibility seem to be central to the Epistle this week.

Greeks and Romans believed in a crude dualism where the body was of no importance, in fact it was a hindrance because it entombed the soul. They did what they liked because they believed that the body was a thing to be despised. They were ashamed to have bodies and as Seneca wrote, it was a detestable habitation in which ‘… dwells the free soul …’

Christains see things very differently. In our Epistle today, Paul saw the body as a temporary dwelling place – a tent – where we sojourn until the day comes when it is transformed into a spiritual body which is the real abode for our souls. But Paul does not despise the body; it must be treated with great awe and respect, because what we do with it will one day be judged. The body is important because, the new body we are given will be that which enables us to continue to serve God in the heavenly places after death. As Barclay explains: “[Paul] saw eternity not as a release into permanent inaction, but as the entry into a body in which service would be complete.”

But we do not yearn for this life to come; our faith is not about ‘pie in the sky when we die!’ In this life we are in good heart because we possess the Holy Spirit which is the first instalment of the life to come (see 1:22). So, we already enjoy a first taste of the life to come, as part of our present experience.

We are citizens of two worlds. This does not mean that we despise this one, but rather – as Barclay contends – we find it ‘… clad with a sheen of glory which is the reflection of the greater glory to come …’

Here Paul explains that while we are on the road to glory we are ALSO on the road to judgement where we will await the verdict of God. I am not convinced that this will be the severe judgement of a cruel judge. I think it will be more a time when we suffer loss because of the ways in which we have fallen short.

I have had the privilege of haring Professor Keith Ward (Emeritus Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University) speak on this important subject of judgement. Even those of us who are universalists in our thinking, so do not thinking that all will enter the presence of Christ in an unqualified way. Justice demands that those who do evil, and especially those that take delight in evil, are held responsible for the suffering their bring to others. What Ward stresses is the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord – not even death (Romans 8.28). So even after death, when judgement is faced, there will still be a chance for repentance and forgiveness. But if one has dedicated one’s life to pride, greed and hatred, then they might find it extremely difficult repent, even when confronted with irrefutable evidence of the truth of God and his love – what John Hick referred to as eschatological verification. Ward puts it this way: “God will not destroy lives before everything has been done to save them.” There is a sense that the life that has been dedicated to hardening its heart against the ways of beauty, truth and love might find themselves so conditioned that pride no longer allows them to admit that they have been wrong.

Those of us who have opened ourselves to the ways of God find that we face judgement now and it causes us to repent in sorrow for our shortcomings and inspires us to do what we can to make amends.

It is therefore interesting and important to unpack the notion of judgement. It does not refer to  ‘the terror’ of Christ, but rather awe and reverence, an idea of cleansing fear. The Old Testament certainly alludes to this:

Job 28:28 refers to ‘… the fear of the Lord that is wisdom …’

Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10 – ‘… The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge …’

Proverbs 16:6 – ‘… By the fear of the Lord, a man avoids evil …’

This does not refer to a fear of a dog that waits to be whipped, but rather ‘… that which keeps even a thoughtless man from desecrating a holy place …’ It is a fear that keeps one from doing something that will break the heart of someone that they love. The Psalmist peaks of ‘… the fear of the Lord is pure (clean) …’ This is a healthy ‘fear’ that is part of our lives and which is necessary to live the lives we ought.

Verse 13 is interesting: “13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.”

Paul’s only motive is to serve God and help the Corinthians. But, like Jesus, people thought too was crazy. But, in this way, he does not really care what others think, because – deep down – people admire this sort of craziness! Barclay writes:

“If a man follows out the Christian way of generosity, forgiveness and utter loyalty, there will always be worldly-wise people who will bluntly call him crazy.”

Christians are ‘in’ Christ and as a result, the old self has died in Christ’s death and has arisen anew in his Resurrection and becomes new, as if freshly created by God. This is evident because the Christian has a new set of standards – and these seem crazy in the eyes of the world!

I am also reminded of the American President, James A Garfield, who before rising to this high office, had been a College President. He was approached by a wealthy parent asking if there was not a way to shorten his son’s education in exchange for a generous donation. Garfield replied: “Of course there is a way; it all depends on what you want your boy to do. When God wants to grow an oak tree, he takes a hundred years, when he wants to make a pumpkin, it only takes two months!”

When we are in Christ, God makes us into a new creation, everything old has passed away, everything has become new – but this takes time. It is like the Romans 5:1 ‘… having being justified by faith …’ (NASB) – the genitive absolute – present / continuous – it has happened, but it also continues to happen. As Wesley also explained – Christian perfection is not a linear process alone – it is also something that can be experienced here and now as part of the process.

A few thoughts …

Indeed this was Paul’s experience. Love replaced hate; service replaced selfishness, true understanding replaced ignorance. Paul Barnett, the Australian Biblical scholar explains that Paul uses the same creation vocabulary here that is used in Genesis. Before coming to Christ we are in darkness – like the primal darkness – God now speaks the Gospel word, and then there is light – inward light as Paul has explained earlier in 4:6:

“For it is God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ …” (NRSV)

We begin as babes in Christ and need to go through growth toward maturity. Elsewhere Paul also speaks of us as being a building, needing firm foundations first and then further growth. In 1 Corinthians Paul speaks of us as builders, using either precious materials or wood hay and straw – building by the lives we live.

We live in fear of God – not terror – but the fear that keeps one from doing something that will break the heart of someone that they love and in the process we are re-created. Barnett concludes:

“Meanwhile, since sin and its outworking have not yet been abolished, everyone will continue to undergo, in varying degrees difficulty and hardship – including those in whom the new creation has begun.”

But we rejoice because before God our status is that of one in whom the work is completed – because we have been given the status of Christ –even though the work is far from complete as we have the privilege of working out our own salvation as well. This is all a wonderful mystery, great blessing and joy.

Thursday 7 June 2012



2 Corinthians 4.13-5.1 (NRSV)
13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.15Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Living by Faith
16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
5For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.


Brother,
A few thoughts on the Epistle for next Sunday ...

Paul begins this passage with a quotation from Psalm 116.10: ‘I believed, and so I spoke’.  Paul explains that he too has believed and so now he now proclaims the Gospel. For Paul, faith is not merely a subjective experience because it also has an objective content viz. the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that he has the confidence that he too will be raised – at the end of time – to be with Jesus – and implies that this is also true for the Corinthians to whom he now writes.

Everything Paul does is for the sake of his converts to Christ as a result of his ministry and this is beautifully expressed in verse 15.  His purpose is not to increase his own stature, position or station, but so that more people can be blessed by being united with Christ, and know what it means to have life and that in all its fullness. This will result in an increase in thanksgiving as people experience this life of blessing.

Francis Fallon (upon whose work I am indebted for this reflection) points out that the passage from verse 16, ‘... has long been notoriously difficult for interpreters of Paul for a number of factors.

1.      This part seems to digress from the main theme;
2.      There are severe shifts in images – from the inner person to a house and then to clothing to being at home;
3.      There seems to be a conflict between the eschatology expressed here and that which Paul refers to elsewhere in his writings. In 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, Paul seems to await the second coming of Christ, where he seems to think that he will be alive at the time and he looks forward to being transformed into a person who will live for all eternity. Here Paul seems to be thinking of an intermediate state, including those who have died earlier – who are already ‘with the Lord’. Here too Paul seems to adopt the Greek idea of a dualism between body and soul.

As always, William Barclay cuts to the essence and applies Paul’s ideas here to our present Christian experience.

All through our lives, our bodies weaken, but as this happens, for the Christian, our souls ought to be strengthened. Even those sufferings that especially weaken our bodies, ought also to fortify our souls. From a spiritual understanding, age should mean ‘... climbing up a hill that leads to the presence of God.’ Barclay continues: ‘... No man need fear the years, for they bring him nearer, not to death, but to God.’

Paul was convinced that anything that he had to suffer in this life was nothing compared with the wonder of what he would experience in the next. Barclay uses the example of a godly Scotswoman who was, by force of circumstances had to leave her idyllic life in the country and move to live in a city slum. Barclay writes: ‘... She still lived close to God, and one day said: “God will make it up to me, and I will see flowers again.”’ Earth’s sufferings are often forgotten in the glory of heaven.

It is interesting to be reminded that Jesus never spoke of his death without also mentioning his Resurrection. Our eyes must always be fixed on the things of the Spirit and not of this world – on the unseen things of God and not the seen things of this world. Robert Louis Stevenson adds that if we think only of the things that are visible, we are bound to see life in the same way and he quoted a simple byreman whose daily toil was in the muck of the byre. On sympathising with him, the man responded: “He that has something beyond need never weary.” Barclay concludes: ‘To him it will be a day of joy when he is done with this human body.’ It is merely our tent, a temporary dwelling place. One day it will end and then we will ‘... enter the real abode of our souls.’

Late again this week, mainly because I am involved in a project that requires me to do a depth study of Plato and Aristotle. It is amazing how these great classical thinkers would agree with what St Paul is saying in this passage.

Blessings,

David