Matthew 24.14-30

Matthew 25.14-30 (NRSV)

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” ²¹His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.”²³His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” ²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” ²⁶But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Argyle reminds us that this is an eschatological parable of judgement. Even though the parousia is delayed, it will still come and those who want to share the blessings , must use the time wisely in their service of God: gifts unused are lost, but the reward for service is further service – ‘... the worst punishment for failure is to be deprived for the opportunity to serve ...’

A talent = 6000 denarii (in Luke’s account 19.11-27 each servant is given a mina  == one pound) – the value is not of the greatest importance – rather the sums allotted represent privileges and opportunities for service – ‘... these vary in extent with different individuals by divine ordinance ...’

Matthew explains what it means to be watchful (previous parable) while waiting for the parousia: being awake means being faithful to God’s instructions and acting upon them ‘... with all the energy we can muster ...’ and with all the abilities God has given us – with meaningful deeds of love (as become clear from verse 31 ff).

A wealthy man goes away on business and leaves the remainder of his wealth to his workers – each according to their ability. The wealth is expressed in ‘talents’ which was the largest unit of currency at the time. In NT Greek ‘talent’ only referred to money, in modern times it now refers to ‘gifts’ largely as a result of this parable because of the phrase ‘... according to his ability.’

‘After a long time ...’ (Verse 19) is of significance because of the delay of the parousia, the master does return and demands a reckoning – which is a reference to the final judgement. The first two servants are praised for both their industry and courage in doubling their amounts of money – and for their faithfulness – a vital component because faithfulness in small things means that one can be trusted with larger things – larger responsibilities – and intimate friendship with the master. The fact that both servants receive the same reward shows how it is not one’s accomplishments that matter, but rather one’s faithfulness.

The last servant is condemned because of his inactivity. His defence lacks pure logic putting forward that it was because of the demanding nature of the master that he did nothing. Out of fear of failure; he did nothing.

In the parable, the observation of the lazy servant, that the master can be harsh, is not contradicted. As Meier explains, ‘... the stringency of judgement replaces the imminence of judgement as the main motive in Mt’s moral exhortation.’ One can be unfaithful to these stringent demands by either doing evil things (24.49) or by lack of foresight (25.3) or by sheer inactivity – as is the case here. The lazy servant lost all that he had! This has everything to do with God’s free gift and our human response. A disciple who gives of himself to the gift that God has given him will receive greater grace still; the one who does nothing will lose it.

Meier’s explanation continues ...

The spiritual life is like the physical limbs and intellectual talents – exercise brings greater strength; neglect brings atrophy. The atrophied disciple is the useless Christian and God will punish them in the same way has he punishes those who are dissolute and thoughtless. Meier comments: ‘... For the supposed Christian, laziness comes at a high price ...’

Matthew 25.1-13 (NRSV)

Matthew 25.1-13 (NRSV)

 

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

 

¹‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” ⁷Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” ⁹But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” ¹⁰And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” ¹²But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” ¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

 

 

This is the Gospel reading for the third Sunday before Advent, and begins one of the central themes – eschatology – the last days, including Christ’s return in judgement. As always, the depth and beauty of the parable is to be found in its rich symbolism: the figure of the bridegroom being Jesus himself and the expectation that he would return and when this happens, it will be unexpected and emphasises the need for readiness.

 

It is interesting to note how the wise bridesmaids could not help the foolish ones, for if they did, everything would fall down. De Dietrich suggests that ‘... in the hour of judgement each one can respond only for themselves ...’ The oil symbolises faithfulness (and loyalty) as well as perseverance. To be wise is to put one’s faith in God, the ‘fool’ is the one who does not – or who lives as though they do not believe. Paul writing to the Ephesians in 5.14-16 explains: ‘¹⁴for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ ¹⁵ Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,¹⁶making the most of the time, because the days are evil.’

 

It is only since the Enlightenment that people have associated ‘belief’ with giving intellectual assent to a body of doctrine. When one reads Scripture, this is not what is expected; what it is all about is the way one is faithful in the way in which we live our lives, revealing the truth of the love of God for ourselves and others.

 

Each day, we need to be ready; we need to be prepared, to take every opportunity to show God’s love to others.

 

The division of the bridesmaids into two classes – the one destined for the blessing of the heavenly kingdom and the other for the loss of blessing, matches the divisions found i9n other parables that are peculiar to Matthew. This sort of division also seems to have been present in the teaching of John the Baptist e.g. the wheat and the chaff. This is typical of ancient hyperbole where – in order to make a point known – it is exaggerated.

 

The bride (who is nowhere mentioned in the parable) waits for the coming of her bridegroom from her own home. The bridesmaids are her friends. Their job is to meet the bridegroom when he comes with his friends who will all then go to the bridegroom’s house where the wedding feast will take place. We have already discovered that the image of the bride represents the Church, but Argyle here suggests that it is the ten women who represent the Church as a mixed community containing both the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

All the women have lamps; and all the lamps have oil; but the wise ones also have extra oil. Argyle suggests that the moral of this parable is the need to persevere in the faith and if we do this; we too will have reserves of spiritual resources.

 

The groom is delayed ... is this Matthew’s way of suggesting that the parousia of Christ is also delayed ... possibly ... but like the wise; we must always be ready.

 

The prudent – a lovely word meaning practical wisdom – one of Aristotle’s hinge or cardinal virtues – have no oil to spare and so the unwise miss out on all the joy of the celebration.

 

This event was not untypical in any Palestinian village at the time of Jesus. Weddings were great occasions; the whole village turned out to accompany the couple to their new home and the travelled by the longest possible route so that the couple could receive the best wishes from as many people as possible. Even the Pharisees declared that it was permissible to cease studying the Law in order to share in the celebration of a wedding feast.

 

Couples did not go away for a honeymoon; they stayed at home and for a week they kept open house. They were treated like royalty and for many it was the happiest week of their lives. To the special festivities of the week only the special friends and relations were admitted – so the foolish bridesmaids missed out on a great deal.

 

Like so many of the parables of Jesus, there is an immediate and local meaning as well as a wider and universal meaning.

 

Barclay points out that parables often have more than one meaning. In this case there is an immediate meaning that was directed at Jesus’ original audience. Many Jews saw themselves as being God’s chosen people. Their entire history ought to have been, therefore, a preparation for the coming of the Messiah and so when the Son of God came, they should have been the first to recognise him. Instead, they were quite unprepared and so, like the foolish bridesmaids, they were shut out of the celebrations and all the joy that they could have experienced.

 

But there is another level as well, that of universal warnings. Barclay explains:

 

1. There are some things that cannot be left for the last minute: There are some obvious examples: a student cannot enter an exam not having properly prepared for it. It is too late for a person to acquire a skill or to have character when they confront a situation that demands it. This of course begs the question: Are we ready to meet God? We know that God is full of love and grace and so few will not be blessed; but imagine the embarrassment when people realise so clearly that they do not deserve what they are given. Those who have striven to be faithful will be relieved; those who have  done little, if anything will probably be ashamed.
2. There are certain things that cannot be borrowed: The foolish virgins found it impossible to borrow oil. People cannot borrow a relationship with God, this must be possessed. A person cannot borrow character, they need to have acquired it.

 

Barclay concludes with telling words: “There is no knell so laden with the tears of regret as the sound of the words too late!”

 

Thank God that he grabbed both of us by the scruff of the neck when we were still young. Those that believe the opposite – that they want to live their lives first, because they think that being a disciple of Jesus will spoil their fun – make a huge mistake. They might find that they have left it too late, or they will be highly disappointed because they have missed out on so much for so long. Jesus came so that we might have life; and that in all its fullness.

 

 

 

1 Thessalonians 2.9-13 (NRSV)

1 Thessalonians 2.9-13 (NRSV)

⁹ You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you believers. ¹¹As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, ¹²urging and encouraging you and pleading that you should lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.¹³ We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.

Most religious experiences often takes place in the ordinary and is in fact when we are involved in living ethical lives; what Paul is writing to the Thessalonians as lives that are pure, upright and blameless in conduct. Even the great mystics through the ages have downplayed the ‘special’ experiences that have been privileged to have, suggesting that the only experience that matters is that which makes one love one’s neighbour better. This is what the religious life is all about – lives that are worthy of God (verse 12).

But the difference between the lives we have been called to live and those who are committed to ethical living in a secular way is that our lives are inspired by the Word of God – as expressed and demonstrated in the life of Jesus of Nazareth in history – who is the living Word. More than this, we do not live in this way because we have to – in order to earn God’s favour or to achieve some or other end or consequence. We live this way because we are inspired by love – we live ethically because we want to live this way as a loving child would want to please a loving parent – never out of fear.

And what is more, it is the Word that is at work in our lives (verse 13 b) enabling and equipping and making possible that which we desire, but cannot achieve in our own strength.

And so we do this in the midst of our daily toil, working night and day so as to be a burden to no one. That lovely hymn of George Herbert springs to mind:

Teach me my God and king, in all things Thee to see; and what I do in everything, to do it as for Thee. ...  A servant with this clause, makes drudgery divine, who sweeps a room as for Thy laws, makes that and the action fine ...

May we all experience the love and empowering of our Lord as we go about the ordinary things of life.

Paul is trying to encourage his readers, preparing them for the demands that their Christian vocation is going to make of them. He addresses them as brothers (and the NRSV rightly adds ‘sisters’) because in Christ, there is no distinction – all are one in Jesus Christ by faith.

Paul encourages them to remember how, when they were missionaries, they had worked hard so that they would not be any extra burden to anyone else; supporting themselves, in contrast to other roaming philosophers who were always wanting some sort of financial gain.

Just as God’s grace had transformed the lives of Paul and the other preachers, the Thessalonians must also expect their lives to be transformed by the Word of God.

After the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, the Jewish faith became a faith of the Book. When they read scripture, they came to it with a sense of expecting the shekhinah of God to be present with them; touching them and transforming their lives. When they read of Moses receiving the Law at Mt Sinai, they came with the same sense of expectation – as if they too were present on the mountain, wanting God to reveal Himself to them. The first Christians were Jews and they read scripture in the same way, but expecting the Holy Spirit to make Jesus as a living presence among them. They could not wait; the expectation was ever present; and they were blessed.

We need to recapture this sense of expectation – coming with a deep sense of eagerness – with the question: “What has Jesus got to say to me today?”

John Stott suggests that instead of being a burden to the Thessalonians, Paul had been like a father to them, by both his teaching and the example he set for them to follow. While setting children an example to follow, fathers ought also to encourage, comfort and exhort them – urging them to live worthily of God and even insisting on it. There is good purpose and wisdom in this: to live ‘good’ lives is not so much because there will be a reward later; it gives a person a sense of dignity and worth now.

And the good news will always be that we are not left alone to struggle to do this and fail all the time because it is beyond our ability. God’s word can work in us to enable us to live lives worthy of God and it is this way of living that gives us the greatest sense of self-worth, because it is fulfilling the purpose for which we are in the world.

Is what we teach our students and our own children this Word of God? Is our message authenticated by the way it changes lives? Are those in our charge living lives of dignity and worth, because they are living as God intended?

Difficult questions for us to answer, because of the places where we work and the nature of our society today. We also know that being too specific in our message more than often turns people off, rather than encourage them to holy living. Once more, I believe our first and foremost duty is to earn the right to say something specific because the lives we live are like living letters to be read of all (2 Corinthians). It is our conduct that sets the scene – and this is the greatest of all challenges. It is easy to ‘talk the talk’ and too many evangelists fall into this trap thinking that they have  to say something; but the Gospel message only comes with power and people will only be willing to receive it when we ‘walk the talk’ – and this needs all the grace we can get!

Matthew 22.34-end (NRSV)

Matthew 22.34-end (NRSV)

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ ³⁷He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ³⁸This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

The Question about David’s Son

⁴¹ Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ⁴²‘What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ ⁴³He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 
⁴⁴ “The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
   until I put your enemies under your feet’ ”? 
⁴⁵If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ ⁴⁶No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

The following are some thoughts on the Gospel for next week with the aid of Barclay, focusing on verses 34-40 to begin with.

Barclay suggests that in this passage, Jesus lays down the complete definition of religion:

Firstly, religion consists in loving God. Here Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6.5: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might’.  This is part of the Jewish Shema, the basic and essential creed of Judaism. It is with this sentence that each Jewish act of worship begins with, and it is the first text that every Jewish child commits to memory. It means that we are to give God our total commitment to love, a love that dominates our emotions, directs our thoughts and is the dynamic of our actions. As Barclay explains: ‘All religion starts with the love which is total commitment of life to God.’

Secondly, Jesus refers to Leviticus 19.18 which reads: ‘you shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.’ The only way a person can prove that they love God is by loving other people. The order is important: love God first and love others next. The reason for this is that other people only become loveable, when we love God. All people are made in the image of God (Genesis 1.26-27) and it because of this that they are loveable.

To be truly religious is to love God and to love people who are created in God’s image, not with a sentimental caricature of love; but with total commitment which ‘... issues forth in devotion to God and practical service of men.’

I now focus on the second part – verses 41-46:

Jesus asks the Pharisees a question about whose ‘son’ the Messiah is? Their reply is ‘The son of David.’ He challenges them because how can this be is David, in the Psalms, calls the Messiah ‘Lord’? No one could give Jesus a satisfactory answer.

Barclay suggests that this is both one of the most obscure yet also one of the most important of the utterances of Jesus and at first sight, one cannot fully grasp the meaning but, Barclay adds, ‘ ... we see the air of awe and astonishment and mystery which it has about it ...’

Jesus frequently refused to allow his disciples to proclaim him as the Messiah until they understood fully what this meant. Referring to the Messiah as the ‘Son of David’ meant that people saw the Messiah as a great earthly prince, one who would shatter Israel’s enemies and lead the people to conquest of all nations. He was to be a nationalistic, political and military ruler in terms of power and glory. Jesus responds by quoting from Psalm 110.1 which all, at the time, would have seen as being Messianic.

Jesus is here pointing out that it is not enough to think of the Messiah as David’s son because he is David’s Lord. The only true description is that he is the ‘Son of God’. This means that the Messiah is not to be thought of in terms of Davidic conquest; but rather in terms of ‘... divine sacrificial love ...’

It is here that Jesus makes his greatest claim: he had come to demonstrate the love of God, most supremely in the Cross. Barclay suggests that, at the time, few would have understood what Jesus meant but they would have ‘... felt the shiver in the presence of the eternal mystery ...’ and that they might have sensed that they had witnessed the ‘voice of God’ speaking, ‘... and for that moment, in this man Jesus, they glimpsed the very face of God ...’

John P Meier offers the following thoughts on the meaning of Jesus’ question:

Firstly, here Jesus shows the superiority of his teaching and his authority over the Jewish magisterium. They had posed him a number of questions and Jesus was able to provide excellent answers to all of them. Now he asks a question of them, and they are reduced to silence. They claim to be the only authentic interpreters of the Scriptures, especially the Messianic texts, but this is the key Messianic text and they cannot explain it. So, they cannot risk further verbal confrontation in public.

Secondly, throughout Matthew’s Gospel, his Christology has been that Jesus is the Son of David, but he is also more he is the Son of God (2.15) and even God is with us (1.23). This means that Jesus deserves to be called Lord, and this is what his disciples began to do. So Jesus is seen as the Son of God right from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel. Here Matthew is not suggesting that to call Jesus the ‘Son of David’ is wrong; Jesus fulfils this requirement while transcending it.

The problem the Pharisees have is that they are not open top re-thinking their ideas ‘... in the light of the messianic reality standing before them.

I am firmly convinced that the more we get to know, the more we need to be open to more. Our faith is a progressive e faith, the aniconic nature of God continues as the Spirit applies the truth into new generations and contexts. So what if something has never been done before; so what if there have never been women bishops before as an example? We always need to ask the question: ‘What is God saying to the Church now?’ If this were not true, we would still have slavery!

It is all too easy to think that what we read applies to someone else. The more I spend time with the Gospels; the more I realise that the message is for me!

This passage issues a warning to every generation: “Do not be so sure of yourself about the things of God!” You might, you probably will be surprised.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were very sure of themselves; they had studied the Law and they were convinced that they knew what was right; and that was strict observance of the Law. Jesus makes the vital point that all this is meaningless unless you treat other people with dignity and respect – you love your neighbour as you love yourself.

The Church in their certainty has often got things wrong: slavery, the Crusades, ordination of women, human sexuality ... but I would ask us to think of this guideline: “Are we loving our neighbour as we love ourselves?” If I was a woman, how would I like to be treated? If I was a slave, how would I want to be treated? etc. etc.

We are also reminded that we are to love with all our hearts: do we? Or are we so reserved and rational that we no longer have deep, moving emotional experiences? We need to rediscover the joy of the Charismatic renewal of the 1970s. But this needs to be tempered with our minds, that rational part of our makeup that keeps things balanced and in check. And of course with our soul – that which is at the core of our being. In the quiet of beauty and joy the Ground of all Being meets us at the core of what we are.

And in this way we ought to love our neighbours – costly, intimately and with depth.

1 Thessalonians 1.1-10 (NRSV)

 (SERMON FOR SUNDAY)

Salutation

¹Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 

The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example

² We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly ³remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place where your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. ⁹For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

I have used the commentary by William Barclay in preparation for this sermon.

My text is written in 1 Thessalonians 1.2-3:

² We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly ³remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Church in Thessalonica is described as being ‘... in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ ...’ The word translated here as ‘church’ is translated in the New English Bible as ‘congregation’ – ekklesia – which originally meant a properly summoned assembly of the citizens and was not originally used for a religious gathering. But it was used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament – the Septuagint – to denote a gathering of Israel as God’s people and because of this it was adopted by the early Christians as the term they used to describe their gathering together.

Coming together as the people of God is something special. When people are reminded that this is what happens when they come to Church – and when this is their actual experience – you cannot keep them away.

God was present in every part of this fellowship, just as the air is in us, and we are in the air, and we cannot live without the air, so the true Church of God is steeped in the presence of God who is also the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot begin to imagine what God is like, but we have a glimpse, because Jesus revealed the true nature of God when he walked this earth before us and as his presence fills us especially when we gather together as his people to worship.

Barclay suggests that in the beginning of this important letter we see Paul at his most winsome – most attractive and appealing. Soon he needs to turn to warning and even rebuke, but it was never his aim to discourage, always to uplift, and so he is careful with his choice of words.

In every person there is something fine and often the best way to get a person to get rid of the lower things is to praise the higher things; as Barclay suggests: ‘... the best way to eradicate faults is to praise virtues so that they will flower all the more, for every person reacts more to encouragement than they do to rebuke.’

From verse 3, Paul explains three ingredients of the Christian life:

Firstly, there is work that is inspired by faith. There is nothing that tells us more about a person than the way they work: some people work hard because they are afraid; others because they want to be recognised and want personal gain; some from a grim sense of duty. But there are those who are inspired by faith – they believe that the task that they have been given, have been given to them by God, so they are working not for others, but for God. Barclay writes: ‘Someone has said that the sign of true consecration is when a person finds glory in drudgery.’

Secondly, there is work that is inspired by love. When a person loves the person they are working for, or because they love what they are doing, they will go to great lengths to see that the work is done well.

I want to pause here, because this is so important. Have you noticed that it is very seldom that Paul ever speaks of our love for God; rather he focuses on God’s spirit who pours divine love into believing hearts – that is hearts filled with the faith that they too have received as a gift from God. Believers, when they gather together as the ekklesia – the Church or Congregation they share this with each other. As they go into their places of work – whatever that may be – in our homes or places of employment we work filled with love; not because we have to, but because love spurs us on.

Thirdly, there is work that is fuelled by hope. A person can endure just about anything so long as they have hope. And being a follower of Jesus is not always an easy thing. As a rule, the world has been and will be generally hostile to the Gospel. Just as Jesus caused offense in his day with his radical way of love, so when Christian live authentically, in radical discipleship, this will often bring hardship and even persecution, because the ways of God are not the ways of the world.

Verse 4 has an interesting phrase ‘... beloved by God ...’ In Jewish tradition, this phrase was only used to describe men who were extremely great, people like Abraham, Moses or Solomon.  Now the greatest privilege is given to God’s people and even in this case to the humblest of the Gentiles. I like the way the NRSV translates this as ‘... brothers and sisters ...’ because we know that this is the truth of the matter and for too long, women were treated – even in the Church – as second class citizens.

We have all received grace and the gift of faith, and even in this receiving, we have been helped by God and all this because we are beloved by God who wants us to live well. He wants our work – whatever we do – to be inspired by faith and love and to be fuelled by hope.

As verse 5 points out, it is useless to have what seems like profound wisdom, it needs to come with power and the evidence that it is from the Holy Spirit – ‘... with full conviction ...’ We know when all this is present when people practice what they preach. It is always most effective to see someone whose life is holy; it is this that attracts people to the message, it is this that makes them want to listen and learn and change. The people at Thessalonica began to imitate Paul and the other leaders just as these leaders had been imitating the example of Jesus. This is what makes the Gospel really effective and even in the midst of persecution people experience joy inspired by the Holy Spirit. In Thessalonica, as a result of the example of holiness set by these people, others were inspired by their example at the time. Even today, as we read these verses, their example rings for us like a trumpet or a roll of thunder.

Barclay comments:

‘There is something tremendous about the sheer defiance of early Christianity. When all prudence and all common-sense would have dictated a way of life that would have escaped notice, and so avoided danger and persecution, the Christian defied their dangers and blazoned forth their faith.’

And in the midst there is a sense of joy. I remember this well, when Christians faced persecution for the Gospel in South Africa. My earliest memory of the Christian faith was in a small Church on the border of a township where people of all races met. This was radical anywhere in the world in 1962; it was radical in Apartheid South Africa. This left an indelible impression on me. In the midst of all the persecution, there was a deep sense of love expressed in joy, something that always made the security police spies feel so uncomfortable that they could not stay. This defiance eventually won the day.

So let us be reminded of the fact that God is present with us as we gather as the ekklesia – not only when we worship together but as we share his love in our homes and our other activities. Let us share the radical love of Christ with others and so fill them with hope and joy as we live like those eagerly waiting for the return of our Lord. Barclay writes: ‘The Christian is called upon to serve the world and wait for glory. The loyal service, the patient waiting, the unconquerable expectation were the necessary preludes to the glory of heaven.’

The Apostle Paul reminds us of our focus in 1 Thessalonians 1.2-3:

² We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly ³remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Amen.