John 1:10-18 (NRSV)

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) ¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. 

Some thoughts from Professor Tom Wright to begin with ...

Jesus is identical with the Word who was there from the very beginning of everything – through whom all things were made – the one who contained and contains life and light. But when God sent the Word into the world, specifically to Israel, the chosen people did not recognise him. This is the central problem that seems to dominate the whole story: Jesus comes to God’s people, and God’s people do what the rest of the world do – they prefer darkness to light. This is the reason why we all need grace.

Wright suggests (and I agree) that what makes this passage really exciting is that it addresses us as well because in verse 12 we read: “¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God ...”This means that anyone – in history, now and in the future – all are invited to become children of God, born into a new family which Jesus began and which has, since then, spread throughout the world.

All human life is special in God’s sight, but something can happen in this life that adds to its dignity and worth, when we become part of God’s special family. Wright continues: “.... this great drama is a play in search of actors, and there are parts for everyone, you and me included.”

Even today, as we journey through our lives, we can see that they are part of God’s play, revealing truth and beauty to the world.

Barclay makes the point that, for the author of this Gospel, it was important that John the Baptist does not occupy an exaggerated position in our thoughts and so quotes the Baptist in verse 15 as saying: “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” The Baptist was older than Jesus but this is not what he is saying; he is speaking in the light of eternity and so identifies Jesus as God – the one who existed before the universe came into existence and ‘... beside whom any human figure has no standing at all.’

Verse 16a begins with an interesting phrase: “From his fullness ...” This implies that the sum total of all that is God, is Jesus. Paul uses the same word in Colossians when he says that the fullness of God dwelt in Christ. He is implying that the totality of God’s wisdom, power and love is in Jesus, the Christ. Barclay writes:

A person can go to Jesus with any need and find that need supplied. A person can go to Jesus with any ideal and find that ideal realised. In Jesus, a person in love with beauty will find the supreme beauty. In Jesus, the person to whom life is the search for knowledge will find the supreme revelation ...

From Jesus we have also received grace upon grace (verse 16b). In Christ we find one wonder leading to another. Sometimes as we travel a very lovely road we are overtaken by one beautiful sight being followed closely by countless others; at every view we think nothing could be lovelier, only to find there is always more. When a person begins a study of some great subject, they never get to the end of it. Always there are fresh expressions of beauty waiting for them. Barclay continues: “It is so with Christ. The more we know of him, the more wonderful he becomes. The longer we live with him, the more loveliness we discover. ...”

There is another dimension: the grace of God is never static, but always dynamic. Barclay explains: “One need invades life and one grace comes with it. That need passes and another need assaults us and with it another grace comes.”

We are taken to greater experiences of grace as our relationship with Christ grows and develops and we receive grace to meet every challenge ... “¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

For the 1st after Christmas ... Scroll down one for Christmas Day

Luke 2.41-end (NRSV)

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. ⁴²And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. ⁴³When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. ⁴⁴Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’⁴⁹He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ ⁵⁰But they did not understand what he said to them. ⁵¹Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour. 

Today's lesson reveals a vitally important truth about Jesus Christ. In fact this passage records the first spoken words of Jesus, our Lord. They are significant because, as Leon Morris puts it:

The first recorded words of the Messiah are ... a recognition of His unique relationship to God ...

In this passage we learn how the boy Jesus came to understand who he really was - the Son of God the Father and that he shared a relationship with God the Father that was unique. In verse 41 we read that every year, the parents of Jesus went to the Temple for the Passover festival. Jewish Law decreed that all males were required to attend the Temple three times each year viz. at the festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. (Exodus 23:14-17; Deut. 16:16.) Women were not required by the Law to attend but some did. It appears as though Mary was accustomed to accompany Joseph in all his religious duties.

Attendance at the Temple was difficult for the many Jewish men who were scattered all over the Roman world and beyond - but many made the effort. The crowds in Jerusalem during the Passover were therefore tremendous. It is believed that there were often over 100 000 visitors crowded into Jerusalem which only normally had about 50 000 inhabitants.

On this occasion Mary and Joseph took their first-born son Jesus, with them. Jewish boys, at the age of thirteen, became a 'son of the law' or a full member of the synagogue. At this time, he would assume all the responsibilities implied in his circumcision. This is not dissimilar to the modern practice of confirmation, when the child assumes all the responsibilities implied in their baptism. Custom suggested that parents should take their children to the Temple a year or two before their thirteenth birthday so they might begin to understand the significance of what was going to happen when they became full members.

Jesus was obviously fascinated by the whole experience and could not get enough from all the learned people who were giving him instruction. Probably lost in the wonder of learning, Jesus was left behind when his parents began the journey home.

This incident has nothing to do with a child's disobedience nor a parent's neglect. Women often started out on the return journey much earlier than the men, because they travelled more slowly. The women would usually meet up with the men for the first time only that evening. Joseph probably thought Jesus was with Mary and Mary thought that he was with Joseph or both could have thought that he was with family or friends. Immediately they discovered that he was not with them, they returned to Jerusalem. Verses 46-47 explain:

On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.

During the Passover season it was the custom for the Sanhedrin to meet in public in the Temple court to discuss - in the presence of all who would listen - religious and theological questions. There would have been no problem in an unknown boy attaching himself to the group. Jesus was 'listening to them and asking questions'. This is a typically Jewish phrase describing a student learning from his teachers. The Jewish educational system encouraged discussion between teachers and pupils therefore giving pupils the opportunity to both ask and answer questions. This is what Jesus was doing. Jesus was thirsty for knowledge. There would have been few good teachers in Nazareth, and Jesus was making most of his opportunity to learn while in the city. The people were 'amazed at his intelligent answers'.

When Joseph and Mary found him they were amazed. They had not expected to find what they saw. They had been anxious and worried that something dreadful might have happened to their son. For many of us, it is only natural that Mary should gently rebuke her son to show him that they had been worried about him. The meaning of this whole incident lies in Jesus' response to his mother's reprimand. We read of the incident in verses 48-50:

His mother said, "Son, why have you done this to us" Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you!" Jesus answered, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he meant.

Mary and Joseph had experienced amazingly significant and direct revelations from God which had been confirmed by many people. The angel Gabriel had revealed to Mary that she would bear the Messiah; the Holy Spirit had come upon her and she had become pregnant; Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist had confirmed this truth to her. Joseph had been informed by an angel of what was happening. The shepherds and the wise men had brought further confirmation. When they presented Jesus in the Temple there had been the witness of Simeon and Anna. And yet verse 50 explains that 'they did not understand'. One would think that it would be obvious that when Jesus came of age and responsibility, God the Father would do something special. Mary had said "Your father and I have been very worried ...", Jesus replied "Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's house." Notice how gently but firmly Jesus takes the name father from Joseph and gives it to God. Jesus had discovered his unique relationship with God the Father and the necessity for him to be in his Father's house. Barclay writes:

At some time Jesus must have discovered his own unique relationship to God. He cannot have known it when he was a child in the manger and a baby at his mother's breast ... As the years went on he must have had thoughts; and then at this first Passover, with manhood dawning, there came in a sudden blaze of realization, the consciousness that he was in a unique sense the Son of God.

Jesus realised that he shared a relationship with God, shared by no other. But mark the result of this realisation. It did not make him look down on his humble parents - the gentle Mary and the hard-working and simple Joseph. In verse 51 we read:

Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed them ...

Barclay comments:

The fact that he was God's son made him the perfect son of his human parents.

Joseph and Mary did not fully understand - they learnt what Jesus' Messiahship meant bit by bit. Remember after the Shepherds had been Mary wasn't sure of what they had meant. Luke writes:

... Mary kept on thinking about all this and wandering what it meant.

When Simeon had prophesied Luke records:

Jesus' parents were surprised at what Simeon had said.

This is easy to understand. They knew that their child Jesus was somebody very special, but they did not know what all the ramifications were. Even though they did not fully understand, they remained faithful and obedient, knowing that when the time was right, they would understand.

Notice how they did things together. The Law only required men to do certain things - but Mary and Joseph did things together. They knew that God had given people certain things to do for their own good and so they obediently did all the things God ordained for them to do.

God has given us these ordinances, because as our creator, He knows that we will benefit from them. We too should take every opportunity to draw closer to our Lord. Mary and Joseph did not understand everything at once - nor do most of us. In time they were to understand everything - and so shall we. Rather than put stumbling blocks in each other's way, Mary and Joseph supported each other. How many parents pull against each other, rather than support each other. How many couples communicate with each other and work together in everything especially in bringing up their children. How many families worship together. Let us learn from the beautifully human example of Mary and Joseph.

And while doing things together and using every avenue to draw close to God, we should also continually expect a deeper and deeper understanding of God's will for us and our families. Verse 51 continues:

... His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened.

Mary had a complicated issue to face. As Mother of the Messiah, she had a son, and yet, she did not because he did not belong to her but to all people. This Mary could not understand. But while Mary did not have knowledge, she certainly had wisdom - she 'treasured all these things in her heart' and waited for fullness of understanding.

There are many things that we do not understand. But if we persevere, keep on thinking about things, and are faithful in worship, prayer and the spiritual disciplines - we will be enabled to understand.

A reflection for Christmas Day

John 1.1-14

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Brother,

John begins his Gospel in a completely different way to any of the other Evangelists. It would appear that he was encouraged to write this toward the end of his life and he did so in order to meet the needs of Greek intellectuals who wanted to know more. As we already know, he also wanted to challenge the heresy of Gnosticism that prevailed in this community, and which appealed to intellectuals who wanted to have worked things out. The bottom line is that God cannot be worked out – and so he begins with the mystery of the incarnation. Barclay begins by suggesting that John had three things to say about Jesus – the Word.

Firstly, the word was already there at the beginning of things: Before creation – when there was nothing other than God – Jesus (the Word) was there and the point that John is making is that God is like Jesus. Before Jesus came to earth, people had to try to figure out what God is like, and this explains the strange conceptions we often come across in the Old Testament. As Barclay explains: “It was only when Jesus came that [people] saw fully and completely what God has always been like … [John} is telling us that God was and is and ever shall be like Jesus; but men could never know and realise that until Jesus came.”

Secondly, John explains that Jesus – the Word – was with God. This means that Jesus is so intimate with God that God has no secrets from him. This adds to the earlier point because this makes clear the idea that Jesus is the one person who can reveal what God is really like and also know God’s feelings towards us.

Thirdly, John makes the point most strongly by claiming that the Word WAS God. Barclay suggests that this does not mean that the Word was identical with God, rather that (as Barlcay writes) ‘… Jesus was so perfectly the same as God in mind, in heart, in being that in him we perfectly see what God is like.’

A mystery …

In this lovely passage, we are introduced to the two great themes on John’s Gospel: life and light. The Gospel begins and ends with life; at the beginning Jesus is life and at the very end we are told that the whole purpose of the Gospel is so that we may believe and have life in his name (John 20:31). Life is always on our Lord’s lips; and his regret when people reject him is because they reject life as well (5:40) and he claimed that he came to earth with this purpose, so that we might have life and that in all its fullness. Barclay continues with the following observations:

Life is the opposite of death. Those who believe in Jesus, receive the gift of eternal life but also life in the here and now that is full and wonderful, even in the midst of travail and trouble. Jesus is the bringer of life, but the giver of life is God. It is the will of the Father, who sent the Jesus that everyone who sees him and believes on him should have life – eternal life. But what is eternal life? It cannot mean life that lasts forever, because this can be a terrible curse. When I was still in pastoral ministry, I prayed more for people’s lives to end and that their suffering would cease than for people to live. Eternal life is more than duration it must refer to quality as well. Barclay writes: “Eternal life is life which knows something of the serenity and power of the life which knows something of the serenity and power of the life of God himself. When Jesus came offering men eternal life, he was inviting them to enter the very life of God.”

How do we enter this life?

We enter it by believing, being convinced that Jesus really is the Son of God, more than just an ordinary man, for if he is, then there is no need to follow in obedience. Barclay writes:

“We have to look at him, learn about him, study him, think about him until we are driven to the conclusion that this is none other than the Son of God.”

This is more than intellectual assent, it is commitment and action, living a life of discipleship. When we do this we stop existing and start living.

The second major theme is light. Jesus is the light of life and the light of the world; this light can be in people which makes them children of light. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and this is why so many people reject him.

The light of Christ is a revealing light and when people sin, they love darkness rather than light because the light exposes their deeds. As Barclay writes: “It strips away the disguises and the concealments; it shows things in all their nakedness; it shows them in their true character and their true values.” The cynics used to say that people hate the truth, because the truth is like light to sore eyes. Churches are emptying in Europe, because people prefer darkness to light!

We never see ourselves as we truly are until we see ourselves as Jesus sees us.

The prophet Habbakuk adds the idea that God’s eyes are so holy that he cannot even look upon that which is evil. There seems to be a sense that when sin is not dealt with, the divorce from God is great and can even mean that prayers are not even heard; and so those that say that they have prayed – and it did not work – is because they do not come with the attitude of repentance which is the only way.

The light of Christ is also the guiding light: if we do not have this light we walk in darkness and we do not know where we are going, but when we receive this light and believe in this light to follow it we live and travel in the light. Barclay concludes:

“Without Jesus we are like men groping on an unknown road in a black-out. With him the way is clear.”

Let us always take special care to walk in the light …

A third of John’s themes is darkness. For John, darkness is a real as light, but however hard the darkness tries, it cannot extinguish the light. When people sin, they love the darkness and hate the light because the light shows up too many things.

The nights are incredibly dark at the moment. A few years ago, when I got up in the early hours, I noticed a quite bright light shining in the kitchen, so I went through to explore what it was. Trish had forgotten to switch off her iPod and the tiny blue light radiated throughout the kitchen. John makes the point that even the tiniest little flame defeats darkness. In the end, Jesus, the light of the world, will prevail and so he exhorts us to make a choice to choose to live in the light.

There are some places where John’s reference to darkness seems to refer to ignorance. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness.” (John 8.12) Nobody wants to walk in darkness but so often we stumble through life because we are not following the way of the light. One of the greatest problems in the world today is that people have rejected Jesus and so, Europe particularly, is stumbling around, but in its arrogance refuses to accept the light that Jesus offers. We continue to witness the decline in attendance at worship and this is a symptom of the problem. Jesus is the light that shows people clearly the road ahead.

There are also times when John uses the word darkness symbolically. This is particularly true on the morning of the Resurrection when Mary went to the tomb when it was still dark. She thought that Jesus had been eliminated. To John, if Jesus is not present, life is like living in the darkness.

The trouble is that if people are in darkness, they will never understand the light. As Paul explains, the Gospel – for those who do not have the Holy Spirit – is simply foolishness. Barclay writes: “A man cannot understand Christ until he first submits to him.”

It is all by God’s grace – a mystery that I believe, we will never understand. Why is it that God has enabled us to live in the light? I certainly do not deserve to! But we do, and I am grateful and feel privileged to be able to share the way of the light with others.

Blessings to all this Christmas,

David

Luke 1.39-55 (NRSV)

Luke 1.39-55 (NRSV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

Mary’s Song of Praise

⁴⁶ And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷   and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
⁴⁸ for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
   and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy is for those who fear him
   from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm;
   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
   and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,
   and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
   in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
   to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

When Mary was told the wonderful good news that she would be the mother of the son of God she must have been both delighted and frightened at the same time. This is the sort of thing many people experience – excitement over the prospect of something great that is going to happen but also not a little daunted by the prospect at the same time. In times like this it is good to speak to people whom you know will understand. The only person that would have had any understanding of Mary's situation would have been Elizabeth, because the same angel had given her wonderful news. God's provision for his people is always wonderful. He knows us better than we know ourselves and so knows our every need, even down to the smallest detail. God gave Mary the gift of Elizabeth for support, understanding and companionship. So as soon as it was possible, Mary travelled to visit Elizabeth. This is a beautiful passage of Scripture where we are given the chance to bask in people's joy.

Firstly, let us share in Elizabeth's joy – expressed in verses 39–45. When Mary entered her home and greeted her, the Holy Spirit filled her with joy, the baby moved within her and she exclaimed:

 ... "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

Notice the source of Mary's joy – the fact that she believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. Faith is central in the Christian life. It is faith that saves us as Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8‑9:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God ‑‑ not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

As Wiersbe explains:

Because Mary believed the Word of God, she experienced the power of God.

God speaks to us today in many ways, but the most important is through his word, the Scriptures and when we accept what he says to us, our faith grows and we know his power and joy in our lives. Paul explains this is in Romans 10:17:

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

Mary was delighted to hear Elizabeth's greeting. It confirmed everything for her and so she broke out into one of the most beautiful hymns of praise – what we call the Magnificat. In her hymn of praise, Mary uses passages from the Old Testament, especially the Psalms and the Song of Hannah. Some scholars suggest that this is an indication that these were in fact not the words used by Mary and that they are Luke's. Writing about the Magnificat, the Nunc Dimmitis and other canticles McBride explains:

Most scholars would agree that none of the speakers actually composed the canticles ascribed to them. It would appear that Luke has taken old compositions of Hebrew poetry which proclaimed the saving actions of God, and applied their general sentiments to the specific occasion of the speakers in his Gospel.

But it is all too easy to dismiss things because on the surface our ideas seem to make sense. Mary does not quote directly from the Scriptures. The Scriptures seem to have been so much part of her that she applied them to her particular situation. There is therefore a difference in tone. Morris comments:

Hannah's song is a shout of triumph in the face of her enemies, Mary's a humble contemplation of the mercies of God. ... Mary on her four days' journey to Elizabeth brooded over the story of Hannah and then uttered her own inspired song.

This is something that come out very clearly in all our readings of the Scriptures. The people that God used were people who knew his Word intimately, so intimately that it became almost part of them. There are many examples, not least being the Revelation of John which is almost a perpetual reference to the Old Testament, but one seldom finds a direct quotation – the Scriptures were part of John's experience. They were able to recognise the Word of God because it was part of their experience. Our faith too will grow, we will also be able to hear the voice of God more if we like Mary and others, make the Scriptures an integral part of our daily experience. When God's Word enters our lives we too will know the same joy. Paul explains in Colossians 3:16‑17:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 Wiersbe adds:

Mary hid God's Word in her heart and turned it into a song.

I am sure that many of you can also bear witness to the times when passages of Scripture have come to your mind at various times in your lives too.

Mary had a great deal to praise God for – and in her song she articulates many of these things. We share then also in Mary's joy.

Mary rejoiced because God had saved her. Mary was an ordinary sinner like any of us and so she needed also to trust God as her saviour. God had now also blessed her with the privilege of being the earthly Mother of the saviour of the world. God also chooses us for important roles to play in his plan of salvation. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 1:26‑28 where he writes:

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are ...

Even though Mary had very little evidence to go on – at least according to the standards of the time – she believed that God had done great things for her. Wiersbe comments:

Because she believed God and yielded to His will, He performed a miracle in her life and used her to bring the saviour into the world.

From thankfulness for what God has done for her, Mary then turns to contemplation on the greatness of God Himself. She concentrates on three important characteristics – Gods power, his holiness and His mercy. She realises that she is insignificant, a very ordinary young woman, but that does not matter because God is at work in and through her and He can do anything. She rejoiced in his holiness because God is worthy of worship apart from the wonderful things he has done and is doing simply because of who He is. And He is merciful so even weak and insignificant sinners have a chance – God can do great things through all who are willing to surrender their lives to him.

Verses 50–53 tell how God has blessed many other people as well – in every generation – and in a sense speaks of how he blesses people today. Mary speaks specifically about three groups whom God particularly cares for – the helpless, the humble and the hungry. Mary saw the Messiah as one who would turn things upside down – the weak would overthrow the mighty and powerful, the humble scattering the proud, insignificant people being exalted, the hungry filled and the rich becoming poor.

The passage ends with Mary reminding us that she could have all this confidence because she knew that God always kept his promises. Verses 54‑56 read:

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Mary knew her Scriptures and as a result her faith was strengthened. She knew that God had made promises to Abraham and they had been fulfilled and that he had made many other promises and they had all been fulfilled. If we too spend more time with our Scriptures we will also learn more about God and his promises for us and all those who remain faithful to him. J C Ryle comments:

Promises are, in fact, the manna that we should daily drink, as we travel through the wilderness of this world. ... We walk by faith, and this faith leans on promises. ... We shall find one day, like the Virgin Mary, that God keeps His word, and that what he has spoken, so He will in due time perform.

We can know God's joy in our lives when we spend time with Him in His word. When God's word becomes more and more part of our experience, we will hear more from him, our faith will grow, we will know more peace in our lives and we will begin to know life and that in all abundance.

Luke 3.7-18 (NRSV)

Luke 3.7-18 (NRSV)

⁷ John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ ¹¹In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ ¹²Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ ¹³He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ ¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ ¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 

Many Jews believed that because they were Jews and obedient to the Jewish laws and customs - they were saved - because they believed that they were God's chosen people. In the second part of verse 8 John warns:

Don't start saying that you belong to Abraham's family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. (CEV)

True religion is not inherited. Because our parents were Christians and because we were baptised does not mean that we are Christians. Going to church and doing all the right things does not make a person a Christian. What makes a person a Christian is a personal relationship with God and we enter this relationship through turning back to God and being forgiven of our sins. Forgiveness is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ for it is only through Jesus, who was punished in our place that any person can be forgiven. In Acts 4:12 we read:

Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.

True religion is a religion that has the marks of turning away from sin, turning to God and living in a vital personal relationship with Jesus through faith in him. If this has happened it will be evident in the way people live. John explains in verse 9:

An axe is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (CEV)

It is always possible to see from people's lives whether or not they have repented and accepted Christ into their lives by faith. Just as a person can tell the type of tree by the fruit - so can one tell a Christian by the lives they live. James explained this in chapter 2 of his letter. He writes:

My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that faith really save you? (James 2:14) ... Faith that does not lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead. (James 2:17) ... Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead! (James 2:26) (CEV)

In verse 10 therefore, the people asked John what they should do. In verses 11 to 14, John gives them some practical advice and revealed that the change of heart was not necessarily some dramatic act, far removed from our everyday existence. He stressed that it should be evident in the tasks of our ordinary everyday lives. (Miller, Laymans, p. 44).

In verse 11 he tells the people that those who have extra clothing and food are to share with those who have none. Tax collectors were not necessarily to leave their jobs, but do them with absolute fairness and honesty. Soldiers were to serve faithfully, content with their pay and not exploit others because of the power they had over them. We learn therefore that it is a person's duty to serve God where God has placed them. John believed that nowhere can a person better serve God than in their day's work. (Barclay, Daily Study, p. 34)

John taught with authority and it was obvious that he was a God ordained prophet. People were attracted to his message because they knew that he was telling the truth. Verse 15 records their response. Everyone became excited and wondered, "Could John be the Messiah?"

John hastens to tell them that he is not the Messiah and gives two important reasons. Firstly, he points out that he is nothing like the Messiah. Verse 16 explains:

... someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals. ... (CEV)

In sheer power, Jesus was mightier than John. In addition, John claims that he was not even worthy to untie the Messiah's sandals. We know that this task was usually reserved for the lowliest people of society. In this way therefore John makes it clear that the Messiah is far greater than he. Secondly, he points out that his baptism is with water and the baptism of the Messiah is with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The baptism of the Messiah is therefore more than just a cleansing ritual, it is also like fire which purifies precious metals. The Holy Spirit transforms people and deals decisively with the sin in their lives. In addition, the Holy Spirit empowers and strengthens people to fulfill what they are called to do. Miller explains:

Water cleanses the outside alone. Fire penetrates to the deepest recesses and purifies the inner life. (Miller, Laymans, p. 45)

Verse 17 is John's warning. The Messiah also comes as a judge. Those who refuse to obey and turn to God and allow themselves to be used by God will be discarded like the useless outer husks of grain because they are worthless. On the other hand, those who turn to God, believe and accept the Messiah - Jesus Christ - into their lives by faith, have great worth because they begin a new and productive life working for God's glory on earth. (Miller, Laymans, p. 45). In verse 18 Luke records how in this and 'in many different ways John preached the good news to the people'.

John told the truth and invariably, when one tells the truth somebody is going to rebel against what they hear. He rebuked Herod for his sin and told him to repent. Herod refused and had John imprisoned and finally killed.

Have we all turned back to God? Or are we only going through the motions. Are our lives worthless husks that will be destroyed by the fire of judgement or will they be purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit? (Barclay, Daily Study, p. 34)

Reflections from Father Delp (SJ) Priest & Martyr

Brother David

As promised, here is the second of Father Delp's reflections at Advent just weeks before he was hanged by the Nazi's. He writes...


Footsteps of the herald angel 
Advent, even when things are going wrong, is a period from which a message can be drawn. May the time never come when men forget about the good tidings and promises, when, so immured within the four walls of their prison that their very eyes are dimmed, they see nothing but grey days through barred windows placed too high to see out of. 

May the time never come when mankind no longer hears the soft footsteps of the herald angel, or his cheering words that penetrate the soul. Should such a time come all will be lost. Then indeed we shall be living in bankruptcy and hope will die in our hearts.

For the first thing man must do if he wants to raise himself out of this sterile life is to open his heart to the golden seed which God's angels are waiting to sow in it. 

And one other thing; he must himself throughout these grey days go forth as a bringer of good tidings. There is so much despair that cries out for comfort; there is so much faint courage that needs to be reinforced; there is so much perplexity that yearns for reasons and meanings. 

God's messengers, who have themselves reaped the fruits of divine seeds sown even in the darkest hours, know how to wait for the fullness of harvest. Patience and faith are needed, not because we believe in the earth, or in our stars, or our temperament or our good disposition, but because we have received the message of God's herald angel and have our selves encountered him.

The Second Sunday in Advent

Advent 2 Philippians 1:3-11

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸ God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

 

Brother David

In the New Testament reading for Sunday St Paul writes from prison. In my reading I have recently been deeply moved by the prison meditations of Father Alfred Delp (SJ) Priest & Martyr.

Father Delp  was sentenced to death for high treason because of his repudiation of Nazism and his hopes of building a new Germany on Christian principles. On February 2, 1945, he died by hanging at the Plotzensee prison in Berlin. 

Here is the first of two readings this week from his meditations

The herald angel
Never have I entered on Advent so vitally and intensely alert as I am now. When I pace my cell, up and down, three paces one way and three the other, my hands manacled, an unknown fate in front of me, then the tidings of our Lord's coming to redeem the world and deliver it have a different and much more vivid meaning. 

And my mind keeps going back to the angel someone gave me as a present during Advent two or three years ago. It bore the inscription: "Be of good cheer. The Lord is near." A bomb destroyed it. The same bomb killed the donor and I often have the feeling that he is rendering me some heavenly aid.

It would be impossible to endure the horror of these times - like the horror of life itself, could we only see it clearly enough - if there were not this other knowledge which constantly buoys us up and gives us strength: the knowledge of the promises that have been given and fulfilled. And the awareness of the angels of good tidings, uttering their blessed messages in the midst of all this trouble and sowing seed of blessing where it will sprout in the middle of the night. 

Then angels of Advent are not the bright jubilant beings who trumpet the tidings of fulfilment to a waiting world. Quiet and unseen they enter our shabby rooms and our hearts as they did of old. In the silence of the night they pose God's questions and proclaim the wonders of him with whom all things are possible.