Luke 2.22-40 (NRSV)

Jesus Is Presented in the Temple

22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), ²⁴and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
²⁹ ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
   according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹   which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles
   and for glory to your people Israel.’

33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, ³⁷then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Return to Nazareth

39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

These verses deal with the time when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord. Mary was also required by the Law of Moses to go through a purification rite as all women after childbirth, were considered ritually unclean. While at the Temple, they met an old man called Simeon, who had some interesting things to say about their child Jesus.

Verse 21 tells us of how Jesus was circumcised. Every Jewish boy was required by the Law of Moses, to be circumcised eight days after his birth. This ceremony was considered so important that it was even permissible to perform this rite on the Sabbath, if that turned out to be the eighth day. We read in Galatians 4:4:

... when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law so he could set us free from the law, and we could become God's children.

Notice secondly, verses 22-24 tell also of the obedience of Mary and Joseph. In obedience to Exodus 13:2, they were publicly acknowledging that their first-born son was sacred to God. By doing this Jews remembered back to the time when all first born males were spared when the angel of death passed over Egypt before the Exodus. The Law laid down that parents needed to give their child to God by presenting him at the Temple, and buy him back from the priests for the sum of five sheckles - about 70p. The blood of earthly lambs ensured the salvation of the first-born males in Egypt; the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, can save all those who come to him. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 5:7:

... Our Passover lamb is Christ, who has already been sacrificed.

Peter also writes in 1 Peter 1:19:

You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb.

Mary had to go through a cleansing ritual. When a woman had given birth, if it was a boy she was considered ritually unclean for forty days, if a girl, for eighty days. She could go about her household and do her daily work but she was not allowed to enter the Temple or share in any religious ceremony. At the end of this period of waiting, the mother was required to sacrifice a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a sin offering.

Because this was expensive Leviticus 12:8 records that if one was unable to afford the lamb, the mother was permitted to bring a second pigeon in its place. The offering of two pigeons was called 'The offering of the poor'. Mary could only afford the offering of the poor. This reminds us of the fact that Jesus was brought up in a very ordinary home, where there were no luxuries and where every cent had to be spent wisely. Jesus was a member of a family that knew all about the difficulties of making a living and the insecurities of life on this earth.

In verses 25-35 tell of the encounter of Mary and Joseph with Simeon. We are only told that the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen Christ, the Lord. When Mary and Joseph entered the Temple, the Spirit told Simeon that the time was now. This meeting between Simeon and Jesus is loaded with significance. Remember Simeon's first words: ‘Lord, I am your servant, and now I can die in peace ...’

Because Simeon met with Christ he no longer had any fear of death. He knew that God would send the world a saviour and when that saviour came, even though he came in the form of a baby boy of poor people - Simeon believed and so could die in peace.

The gospel of Jesus Christ brings true wisdom and understanding. Jesus can equip all people everywhere to understand the meaning of life. The reason why the world is in such a mess is because it has rejected Christ and his Word.

From verse 34, Simeon prophesied about the work and fate of our Lord. He stated that many in Israel would fall as a result of Jesus. Many Israelites as well as gentiles refused and even today continue to refuse to accept Christ. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 1:23:

... we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross [so that people might be saved]. Most Jews have problems with this, and most gentiles think it is foolish.

Jesus never forces people to fall. People fall when they stubbornly and deliberately choose to refuse Christ's offer of grace. Still today Simeon's prophecy is being fulfilled. But more importantly, Jesus enables many to stand. They have been filled with his Spirit and know fullness of life on this earth and like Simeon also have no fear of death. Jesus lifts many people out of their old lives and gives them the gift of a new life where sin no longer dominates and where Christ fills our lives with dignity and wholeness.

The light of Christ causes people to face the truth about themselves. Therefore, Jesus acts as a warning sign to people. But many people do not like what they see, so rather than face reality, they reject him.

In verse 36, we meet Anna. Nowhere else in the Scriptures do we encounter her. The details about who she was are not important. Anna provides us with a beautifully human example of a Godly person. All Christians are required to imitate Christ and Anna, like John the Baptist and Simeon and others, provides us with a testimony of how ordinary everyday people can draw close to God.

After seven years of marriage Anna had lost her husband. Today her plight might not seem too serious but in these times it was considered a great shame. We read in Isaiah 54:4 that widowhood was considered by some, a curse. While the Scriptures condemned the poor treatment of widows, the norm of ancient society was generally one where widows were condemned to a life of loneliness and poverty. Only a few were fortunate enough to re-marry as society considered widows as inferior to virgins or unmarried women.

Anna had spent the remainder of her life after the death of her husband, alone. By the time we meet her in Luke's gospel, she was about 84 years old. We have no precise details about Anna's predicament, but we can safely deduce that she had known sorrow. It is however; also equally obvious that she had never grown bitter.

All of us have known sorrow. Sorrow can do one of two things: it can make us embittered, hard, resentful and rebellious against God; or it can make us kind, softer and more sympathetic and loving towards others. It can make shipwreck of our faith or it can make our faith stronger. Anna, despite what she had to go through in her life, obviously had a wonderful life, a whole life, a fulfilling life.

One of the reasons why Anna did far more than just cope with her circumstances was that she had her priorities right. She knew that she could not cope with life alone. She knew, as we all know today, that if she was to survive - more than that, still enjoy life and get the most out of life - she would have to stop relying on her own strength and become totally dependent upon God. And so she set about relying on God. We read how in verse 37:

She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day.

Firstly, Anna was regular in worship. Luke records that she was to be found in the temple both night and day. In our times this would mean that Anna would have attended all the services in the church.

Nobody should come to church out of a sense of duty. We should all come to church because we know that we want to be here. While we can meet with God at any time and in any place - God meets with his people in a special way when they come together as his family to worship him. Christians therefore come to church because they want to and because they need to. God has promised that when his people gather together to worship Him he will bless them. We read in Psalm 84:4-5:

How happy are those who live in your temple, always singing praises to you. How happy are those whose strength comes from you, who are eager to make the pilgrimage to Mount Zion.

When people are in trouble, they find comfort in coming to the house of God. We read of the example of king Hezekiah when he heard that they were about to be attacked by the Assyrians in Isaiah 37:1:

As soon as King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes in grief, put on sackcloth, and went to the Temple of the Lord.

Coming to Church is also a place where people receive instruction from the Word of God. The focus of Christian worship is the Word of God - where we learn about who we are, who God is and how we ought to live. We are reminded of this in the prophecy of Micah 4:2 where the people said:

Let us go up the hill of the Lord, to the Temple of Israel's God. For he will teach us what he wants us to do; we will walk in the paths he has chosen.

William Barclay states:

We rob ourselves of a priceless treasure when we neglect to be one with his worshipping people.

Anna was able to cope and experience a full life because she was regular at worship with the people of God. Here she received comfort and instruction from the Lord and met with Him in a deep and significant way.

Notice also that she is described as one who prayed. Public worship is fantastic and an integral part of the Christians life and well being, but nothing can replace a regular private prayer life. Some people think that if they come to church regularly, that is enough. It is not. We cannot draw close to God, we cannot discover his will for our lives, we cannot know his peace in all circumstances, unless we regularly spend time with him in prayer. The years had left Anna without bitterness. Anna obviously led a full and contented life because day by day she kept in contact with God. Coming to God daily gave her strength to take each day as it comes.

Prayers are absolutely crucial for all Christian people. No person can ever hope to discover meaning in their life, no person can discover direction in their lives, no person can ever know true peace - that peace of God which passes all understanding (Philippians 4.7) - unless we spend time speaking and listening to God. There needs to be a time in every person's day when they are absolutely and completely alone, away from all others, when they can be quiet and commune with God. Remember that well known teaching of our Lord on prayer as recorded in Matthew 6:6:

... When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.

Many people feel that they cannot pray because they do not know what to say. But the words one uses are not really that important. The beauty of the words used and perfectness of the grammar has nothing to do with the effectiveness of our prayers. I am often flattered when people come to me and compliment me for what they think was a 'beautiful' prayer that I might have said as part of worship. But the prayers of all Christians are as beautiful and can be as effective if one gives ourselves over to the Lord and if we open ourselves to the leading of his Spirit. Praying is easy. All we need to do is go to a quiet place, relax and open ourselves to God, give him our thoughts and allow him to inspire us. Remember those wonderful words in Romans 8:26-27:

In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is there to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. All our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people.

When we are able to spend time being quiet, allowing God to organise our thoughts, when we spend time meditating or listening to God, then we will be blessed in ways that we cannot imagine, we will come to know God more intimately than we have ever dreamed possible and we will be enabled to start experiencing what it means to have meaning, purpose and direction in our lives. We will also be enabled to accept who we are and who we will be as God transforms us and renews us. We will experience life in all its fullness. (John 10.10).

The depth of spiritual experience that we see in the lives of people like Anna is available for all people. You do not need to be an academic or a well read person to be able to experience God in the same way as the great heroes of the faith. Mary was a simple, poor young lass - yet she was close to God; Joseph was a carpenter - yet he was close to God. David was a shepherd - yet he was close to God. Peter was a fisherman - yet he drew close to God. Anna, despite the cruel blow she experienced early in her life, did not let what had happened wreck the rest of her life. All too often people whose lives are a mess, have excellent reasons for the problems in their lives. So many alcoholics can look back into something that happened in their childhood that they believe has caused them to be in the state they are in; child abusers, criminals and others can do the same. The world is in fact made up of people who are past masters, experts in making excuses for their failures. While our past might enable us to better understand ourselves, we need not be enslaved to it and its consequences. Anna was not. She was freed from the trauma of her past and lived a full and glorious life filled with joy and hope. Paul was also a man who had every excuse to be a grovelling wreck. He had been an accessory to murder, he had persecuted the people of Christ - he was guilty. Paul knew that he was forgiven and so could be freed from his past and its consequences. He writes in Philippians 3:12b: ‘... I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead.’

What is ahead for all Christians is a closer and more intimate walk with God. What lies ahead is a more glorious life, getting better all the time because we are becoming more and more like Jesus. While our bodies might be getting older and weaker, our spirits and souls can be continually renewed, more refined and made more beautiful. Be regular at worship, be regular at the sacraments, be regular in prayer and the other spiritual disciplines and you will be renewed, draw closer to God and experience the joy and wonder of life in Christ.

Matthew 4:12-23 (NRSV)

Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 
¹⁵ ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
   on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 
¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness
   have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
   light has dawned.’ 
¹⁷From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 

Jesus Ministers to Crowds of People

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

My text this morning is written in Matthew 4:17:

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

It is significant that Jesus moved to Capernaum, in Galilee. John Meier comments that in this passage “A minor point of geography becomes a major theological statement.”  This was of significance because it was a wonderfully fertile area and so densely populated and cosmopolitan. Because of this, it was probably one of the places that would be most open to new ideas – as Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian suggests. In addition, they were surrounded by Phoenicians, Syrians and Samaritans which meant that they were also in touch with non-Jewish ideas. All the great roads of the world passed through Galilee. Jesus was taking up the banner dropped by John the Baptist when John was arrested. The Jews might have been scandalised that an important rabbi would forsake Jerusalem and move to Capernaum in Galilee which was infamous for its lax observance of the Jewish Law. Many would have seen it (as Meier suggests) as ‘... lowly, oppressed, religiously darkened ... It is precisely to Jews living in this spiritual shadow-land, an earthly Sheol ...’ But into the darkness, as Matthew explains, Jesus brought a great light.

The specific location that Jesus moved to also fulfils ancient Messianic prophecy – one of the central aims of Matthew in writing his Gospel – to prove to his Jewish audience – that Jesus was the long awaited and promised Messiah. Barclay writes:

“It was Matthew’s habit to find in the Old Testament something which he could use as a prophecy about every event in Jesus’ life. This one is written in Isaiah 9:1-2.”

In its origins, this prophecy would have spoken of the potential delivery of the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel from their Assyrian oppressors. But now, Matthew applies it to Jesus. In its origins – it had a message for its original hearers / readers; but now we see it as having reached its fulfilment in the coming of the Messiah? Often, when we deal with prophecies they have an original context as well as a fuller meaning, this is why all of Scripture remains vital for our spiritual nurture.

In verse 17, we are given a brief summary of the content of Jesus’ message: ‘... Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ The AV and the original RSV use the word preach instead of proclaim. Barclay explains that to ‘preach’ has been devalued, connected in today’s world with boredom or telling someone off. In its origins it referred to the message of a herald coming from a king. But preaching is important; both the task of the preacher and that of the listener, because it is the chief way whereby God has chosen for people to enter into a dynamic and living relationship with him. J C Ryle writes: “There is no office so honourable as that of the preacher; there is no work so important to the souls of people ...” both for the ‘conversion and edification’ of souls. J C Ryle continues: “The brightest days of the Church have been those when preaching has been honoured; the darkest days of the Church have been when it has been lightly esteemed ...”

Wow! It is a huge responsibility and the greatest of all honours, and it makes me realise, first and foremost, how unworthy I am. But it remains vital. St Paul puts it this way in Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.”

Jesus gives (what in my mind) is a very positive message – repent – change, because something special is happening and you need to be ready. Repent today also has negative connotations and this robs many of the most wonderful blessing; things can be different, things can be better, change is possible, drastic change, dynamic change; things do not have to be as they are. Repentance takes us from what is – to what can be.

I have a preoccupation at the moment with ideas of beauty. A few years ago we went to see the Russian State Ballet of Siberia perform The Nutcracker. I have always been wary of the ballet, having been put off in my youth. I did not want to pass my prejudices on to my son, Gareth, so decided to take him to see this accessible ballet. He is pretty neutral about it – as is my wife, Trish – but I was enthralled and loved every minute because it was so beautiful.

Philosophers suggest that the role of beauty is to give us a glimpse into the ideal; the realm of God. Modern art has focused differently, showing reality and emphasising the worst parts of it (in some cases) seeing the idea of the beautiful as unrealistic and unimportant. Plato thought differently; he saw beauty as opening the way to the world of God, a world that invites us to enter. Plato suggests that in this life we aspire but cannot get there, but beauty gives us a glimpse into the eternal. The scholars of the enlightenment suggested that beauty enables us to save ourselves from meaningless routines by raising us to a higher level. Secular philosophy suggests that all beauty can do is give us a glimpse of the realm of God.

I experience more than this when I hear a good sermon and when I am present at the Eucharist – indeed even more so – because for Christians the realm of God can be more than a mere aspiration and a future hope; it can be a present reality because Jesus gives us the key and invites us to enter: the key is repentance. Scruton suggests that we should not separate beauty from faith saying: “They are two doors that open into a single space and in that space we find our home.” And repentance begins the journey, because repentance places us on the path of transformation. J C Ryle writes:

True repentance in no light matter; it is a thorough change of heart about sin, a change showing itself in Godly sorrow for sin – in heart-felt confession of sin – in a complete breaking off of sinful habits, and an abiding hatred of all sin.

The Greek word is metanoia and refers to a complete change of thinking; it implies stopping, and turning in a completely different direction, the direction to the place of beauty and wholeness, the presence of God where we find our true home.

Jesus chose ordinary men to be his disciples. This is a wonderful source of encouragement; God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things! There is possibly some significance also in the fact that Jesus chose fishermen, and Barclay suggests the following:

Fishermen must have patience because they need to be willing to wait for the fish to take the bait. When we are called to be fishers of men we need also to have patience. Barclay adds: “It is but rarely that we will see quick results. We must learn to wait.”

Fishermen must have perseverance. They have to learn never to be discouraged, and always be willing to try over and over again. Especially those of us who are school chaplains, we need to persevere, sometimes in the midst of difficulties and opposition. Both of us are in the lovely position of having Headmasters who are fully supportive and with the gift of encouragement. (This is not always been my experience; and I am deeply grateful for the support I have at the moment.)

Fishermen must have courage. Their boats were small and the sea is large. Especially in the time of our Lord, fishermen often needed to be willing to risk their lives in order to gain their catch. Preachers and teachers must we willing to realise that telling the truth is not always going to be the popular thing to do. “The man who tells the truth, more often than not, takes his reputation and his life into his hands.”

Fishermen have an eye for the right moment. The good fisherman knows when to go fishing. There are times when there is simply no point. I can remember how Gareth and I spent hours fishing for trout when we have subsequently learnt that catching anything was impossible. There is also a skill in knowing where and when to cast. This remains true for preachers and teachers as well. Barclay writes: “There are times when men will welcome the truth, and then times when they will resent the truth. There are times when the truth will move them, and times when the truth will harden them in their opposition to the truth. The wise preacher and teacher knows that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent.”

Fishermen need to fit the bait to the fish. Not all fish go for the same bait. St Paul said that he would become all things to all people if by doing so he could save some. The wise preacher and teacher know that the same approach will not work with everyone. This also means that he needs to know his own limitations and where his talents lie.

From that time Jesus began to preach ... and his message echoed that of John’s ... but takes it on to fulfilment. It includes the imperative “Repent” – get ready.

Jesus needs disciples; those who will be obedient when called. Meier continues: ‘... the creative word of God simply meets them in their everyday world, lays hold of them, and changes their lives forever.” We can experience it now when we use the key and open the door, weekly at worship and daily in our reading and prayers, and especially when we come together for word and sacrament. Jesus put it this way:

‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

A reflection on the Epistle for Sunday

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (NRSV)

 

Salutation

¹Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

² To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord^* and ours:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

⁴ I give thanks to my^* God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— ⁶just as the testimony of^* Christ has been strengthened among you— ⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

In the first ten verses of the passage, the name of Jesus is mentioned ten times. This was going to be a difficult letter for Paul to write because the situation in Corinth was difficult and when dealing with problems like this, it is good to remember that we ought not to try to do this in our own strength, but always to look to Christ for our guidance and direction. Barclay writes: “... to this difficult situation he took Jesus Christ, and it was in the light of the Cross of Christ and the love of Christ that he sought to deal with it ...”

In this introduction Paul introduces his reader to two things: Firstly, it tells us something about the Church – it should be the church of God – and in this case not the church of Corinth! Whatever denomination we might come from and cherish being part of, we must always remember that we are all part of the same family of God. When we think of it in this way we are sure to discover all the things that unite us rather than those things that divide us.

Verses 4 ff refers to the experience of the Corinthians, of Jesus and His grace: they were enriched in all areas including speech and knowledge of every kind. This was my experience. As you recall when we were at school, I was but of minor intellect, but when I found faith, my mind was set free and I have had the privilege to study at two universities and completing three degrees. I know that many of my teachers would be astounded!

 

There is another dimension. No one can ever argue a person into Christianity; all we can say is “Try it and see!” When people do, they find that its claims are all true.

 

One of the most special parts of this experience is the receipt of gifts that we are given, wonderful gifts that are free and undeserved. I have already referred to my gift, that of learning and teaching, which is all of grace. All our special gifts are from God. This is in fact true of all people, but too many do not acknowledge this. The world would be such a different place if it were so. Barclay writes: “If we fully realised that, it would bring new atmosphere and character into life.”

 

Such skills as we possess are not our own achievement – they are all gifts from God and therefore are held in trust – they are not to be used as we want to use them, but as God wants to use them – not for our own personal profit or prestige – but for the glory of God and for the good of humanity. If only all realised this, would the world not be a far better place, with less poverty and suffering, and much more beauty and joy?

 

From verse 8 Paul brings things to a head as he speaks of the day of our Lord Jesus Christ – the ultimate end. In the Old Testament, the idea of the day of the Lord keeps recurring: it was the day when the Jews expected God to break into history and when the old world would be wiped out and the new world born. On this day all people would be judged. Now Paul translates this in a new way by referring to the day of our Lord Jesus Christ referring to the day when Jesus will return in all his power and glory – indeed a real day of judgement – but our judgement is not one of fear and punishment but forgiveness, acceptance and love. Barclay concludes:

 

“The person who is in Christ can meet even it unafraid because he will be clothed not in his own merits but in the merits of Christ so that none will be able to impeach him.”

 

This is a wonderful passage that celebrates the grace of God: it is given by God, mediated through Jesus Christ and is experienced ‘in Christ Jesus’ – i.e. in the community – the ekklesia – where people experience the sanctifying power of God in their lives. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us as it refines us and makes us holy. When this happens, we know that Jesus is there with us, because his Spirit is with us. The problem in Corinth was that this was not their experience, as Jerome Murphy O’Conner put it: ‘… they were not remarkable in their love for one another …’ Their commitment to the authentic Christ still left much to be desired. They focused too much on the charismatic gifts (as we discover as we read on) and on the present moment.

 

Is the Spirit of Christ amongst us? Are we been mae holy – are we being sanctified? Are we being enriched in speech and all knowledge? Are we being equipped for all that our Lord is calling us to do? If so, let’s be encouraged, because we are in Christ, who will strengthen us to the end.

 

Amen.

A homily for a Methodist Covenant Service

John 15.1-10 (NRSV)

Jesus the True Vine

15‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. ²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. ⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

In many different places in the Old Testament, Israel is referred to as the vine or the vineyard, especially in the teachings of the prophets – Isaiah 5:1-7, Jeremiah 2:21, Ezekiel 15 and 19, Hosea 10:1, Psalm 80:8 – to cite some of the examples provided by Barclay. The vine had, by the time of Jesus, become the symbol of the nation of Israel: It was an emblem on the coins of the Macabees; one of the glories of the new Temple was the great golden vine upon the front of the Holy Place and many a wealthy person counted it an honour to give gold to mould a new bunch of grapes or even just a grape! By time of Jesus, ‘… the vine was part and parcel of Jewish imagery, the very symbol of Israel.’

When one explores the use of the vine in the imagery of the prophets, Barclay reminds us that it is always used in association with ‘degeneration’: Isaiah makes the point that the vineyard has run wild; Jeremiah complains that the nation has turned into degenerate and has become a wild vine.

Jesus calls himself the ‘… true vine …’ For many of the Jews, this would have been outrageous, a mere man claiming to be God! Barclay paraphrases the message and suggests that it is as if Jesus was saying:

You think that because you belong to the nation of Israel you are a branch of the true vine of God … But the nation has become degenerate and the prophets had tried to point this out. The fact that you are a Jew does not in itself make you into a child of God, the only thing that can save you is to have an intimate relationship with me, for I am the true vine of God and you must be branches joined to me.

Either Jesus was the most arrogant person ever to have lived, or he was who he claimed to be – the Messiah of God - and everything about him points to the latter. Barclay concludes:

“Jesus was laying down that it was not Jewish blood but faith in him was the way to God’s salvation. No external qualification can set a man right with God; only the friendship of Jesus can do that.”

Don’t you love the way the Apostle John explains things. Barclay suggests that the writers of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) were like Rembrandt, giving as true a picture as they could of the life and ministry of Jesus; John is like Picasso, an impressionist, because dealing with all this plunges us into the depths of mystery which cannot be spoken of in any other way other than analogy / metaphor / allegory. Indeed, Jesus often taught in this way, so it is difficult for me to see how anyone can take Scripture literally.

To apply this to our present situation, there is no lasting benefit if we think that everything is fine because we were born into a Christian family, or because we attend a place of worship regularly, or anything – other than our personal relationship with Jesus – as we live in obedience to what he calls us to do.

In this case we have Jesus employing a metaphor that the people he was speaking to would easily have recognised. Vines were part of their lives. They required a great deal of work and preparation if they were to be fruitful; but if all this was in place, they would provide a rich harvest. The preparation included the soil as well as the plants, and there was no place for hurrying things along; a new plant could not be harvested for at least three years.

Part of this process involved pruning – getting rid of anything that was not going to produce. This was a radical process that resulted in a large amount of dead wood which was useless and could only be burnt on a bonfire – it was not even permissible to be used as wood for any other purpose – and definitely not for use in the Temple.

People can be like this: some are fruit-bearing and others are useless because they are fruitless. Barclay reminds us that there were three groups that Jesus was referring to:

Firstly, he was thinking of some of the Jews of his day. They were indeed branches of God’s vine. But, prophet after prophet had drawn their attention to their fruitlessness, but they had refused to listen in fact they had refused to accept many of them.

Secondly, he was thinking of some Christians, those whose Christianity consists of profession without practice – words without deeds – or as Barclay puts it “… all leaves without fruit …”

Thirdly, he was thinking of Christians who leave the faith (apostates); those who hear the message and accept it but then turn away.

But even the fruitful branches need pruning, which can be painful, but we ought to rejoice, because, if we feel challenged and even guilty and needing something drastic to change in our  lives, this means that we are being made into the people God’s wants us to be, that we are alive to the promptings of the Spirit. This means that we can change, and it will be being united with the love of God that does it – if we allow it to happen.

“Uselessness invites disaster.” God invites us to be useful for him and for each other. But not in the way the world thinks. All that God wants is that we do what we can, in response to what he calls us to do.

I have known of bedridden people who have been useful for their Lord, and one particular person springs to mind. Her name was Cath Asterley who has recently died. She had longed to be with the Lord in glory since I last saw her in 2000 when she was already house bound. But she was fervent in prayer, with a telephone next to her for contact with others. She was such a source of blessing for so many people and was cherished by us all for the way she loved and cared for us.

How do we know if we are abiding in our Lord? We know it is true when we keep his commandments, when we live in love for God and we show this by the way we treat one another with love. This is very practical and is explained in 1 Corinthians 13. It is useful that we are reminded of the standard.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogantor rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.  Love never ends.

Perhaps some of us are in need of some pruning – I know I certainly am – as I so often fall at the first hurdle! Floyd Filson expands on this thought:

The Father intelligently uses discipline to make possible greater fruitfulness for his service. (vs 2): ‘...Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.’ The teaching of Jesus cleansed or pruned the disciples so that they could be steadily fruitful (vs 3): ‘You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.’ By their own will and action he challenged them to abide in him (vs 4). ... If the disciples did what Jesus asked, by steady, grateful faith and by the faithful doing of his will, they would, enjoy a life filled with fruit, spiritual fruit. But the following is the most vital point of all: a fruitful life can only come when one is united with Jesus – if one abides in Jesus – if we remain in the vine.

If one is abiding in Christ in this way, at the core of our prayer will be that we will ask to yield as much spiritual fruit as we can in our obedience and service, to bring honour to our Lord and we will seek to have guidance as to how we can better serve God. This would form the basis of our prayers. If we do this, he will be enabled to abide in Christ when we keep his commandments, and by gratefully staying within the circle of his love for us. As Filson explains:

“It requires the disciples to accept discipline, to dedicate life to the fruitful doing of God’s will, to stay close to Jesus, to keep his words in mind and heart and live by them, to keep his commandments.’

If we do this, we experience a deep sense of joy, because we will know the reality of being in touch with our Lord himself in a mystical union. When we do this we will know deep at the core of our being, the depth of God’s love for us - especially when we take Holy Communion.

But for this to become real, we need to respond. This might mean being willing to have those parts of our lives that are not fruitful dealt with. When we remind ourselves of the fruits of the Spirit, those things that ought to characterise who and what we are, we notice how closely they resemble Paul’s definition of love. Paul explains in Galatians 5: ‘... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.’

At this Covenant service we are challenged to measure our lives by this standard and honestly ask: Are these fruits evident in our lives, or are we in need of pruning?

Amen.