Sunday 19 November 2023 – The Parable of the Talents

Readings: 1 Thess. 5: 1-11; Matthew 25:14-30.

Introduction

These parables of the Kingdom of God (or in Matthew “Kingdom of Heaven”) are really fascinating.

• There’s the wedding banquet for the King’s son where invited people won’t come – (Matt 22 – where the servants are sent out to get a kind of rent a crowd from all over the place – remember it? It ends with one man being told off and thrown out for not having the appropriate wedding clothes).
• And then another wedding banquet where half the bridesmaids don’t have oil for their lamps) and they’re waiting for the bridegroom to come…
• And then there’s today’s parable involving a master and servants again, the so-called parable of the talents – where again people are given responsibilities and held to account.

What do all three of these stories have in common?

Three things:

1. Resources – for banquets, week-long wedding celebrations, or investments aka “talents”.
2. Accountability – there’s always some kind of audit – someone with status or authority comes back after some delay and people have to do what they’re supposed to do with those resources.
3. A time frame of some sort – a delay or a deadline – but no actual certainty about the day or hour.

In the middle of all of this are these verses in Matthew 24 we haven’t looked at this time:

Mat 24:42  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 

Mat 24:44  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 

Mat 24:50  The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 

ARE WE READY FOR THE END?

The whole section in Matthew’s gospel from the time of Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem and through this teaching period is placed in a framework of the end coming – signs of the times – no one knowing the day or the hour – and are you ready? It’s that “coming ready or not” kids used when they used to play hide and seek.

SO WHAT IS A TALENT?

You’ve probably realised by now that the word “talent” as we use it is a bit different from the bible talents here.  It’s basically a sack of metal – gold, silver or copper back then – weighing about 30 kgs.

Most commonly it was silver, although some translations now use the term “bag of gold” to distinguish these talents from our abilities to sing and dance or do something entertaining at a talent show – or on a bigger stage like “Britain’s Got Talent” where the golden buzzer is the big ticket to future success on the stage.

SOME PARABLES TEACH US MORE THAN ONE THING.

So, what do we take home today from this parable?

1. THE PARABLE TEACHES US THAT GOD GIVES US GIFTS TO BE USED.

God gives us gifts to be used.

Let’s look at these servants.

The first two do the same thing and say the same thing. They’ve doubled their master’s money 5 bags of silver becomes 10, and 2 bags of silver becomes 4. They are commended and invited to share in their master’s blessings.

The third servant is different though.

He’s got issues – with master and how he sees him – and with the risks involved. He is fearful of what might happen (like many of our phobias – we get paralyzed and freeze). He seems relieved to give the master his bag of silver back. The third servant is a reminder of what not to be – fearful and mistrusting.

The parable is a reminder to use our gifts and not bury them in a hole. It’s a bit like putting your light under a bushel rather than on a lamp stand. Using our gifts It’s a valid teaching, but I don’t think that’s the main point.

2. THE PARABLE TEACHES US ABOUT HOW TO LIVE FULL LIVES  USING GOD’S PROVISION.

It’s not really about investments and profit. It’s about using the gifts, living energetically, taking risks, in Kingdom matters. It’s more than not being afraid. It involves high risk things.

This whole section of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew is about what he expected his followers to do after he left. About their courage and faithfulness to him as the King. And it wasn’t going to be easy.

The greatest risk of all today turns out to be not risking anything at all. Playing it safe. Living too cautiously and prudently like servant number 3.

Take giving for example. We probably don’t give too much when we are afraid of running out. God calls us to surrender every part of our lives boldly. As was once said, we need a conversion of the heart, the mind, and the wallet. (Luther)

We’ve been talking about this for a long time.

• Loving God with all your heart.  With reckless abandon. Breaking open our jars of beauty and value, pouring out our best for Jesus.
• Loving neighbours as recklessly and passionately as we love ourselves.
• Loving strangers and opening our hearts and homes  to them so that they won’t be strangers anymore.
• Extending our table in our community as we open our lives and our place here to others.
• Seek first the kingdom of God – and all the things you need will be added unto you – says Jesus. (Matthew 6:33)

3. THE PARABLE TEACHES US GENEROSITY AS GOD GENEROUSLY BLESSES US.

The parable of the talents is a crazy story. A talent was a weight of 30 kg of metal, usually silver. One talent was equal to roughly 6000 days’ wages at the time, worth at least 20 years’ worth of pay. It’s a lot!

This is not about human ability, (those talent shows!). It’s not just about who is gifted and who isn’t.  Yes, in verse 15 it does say that he gave them talents of gold each “according to his ability.”

But it didn’t stop the 2-talent man from getting on with things. He didn’t say – it’s not fair you’ve got 5 talents – or to the 1-talent man – why have you only got one?

I think it’s about the Father’s generosity to give us the things and resources we need to establish his Kingdom. We should get involved in his purpose with passion. After all, he gives out the resources in the parable and then leaves them to get on with his work. He takes the risk too.

And the parable also asks us questions about what we devote our lives to. What we hang our hearts and hopes on. Are we really seeking first the Kingdom of God?

4. THE PARABLE (LIKE THE OTHERS IN THIS PART OF MATTHEW) TEACHES US ALERTNESS.

The phrase “long time” here, and in the case of the delayed bridegroom and the master of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18, doesn’t allow us be complacent. Jesus’ parousia (his second coming) is always soon and yet not immediate, just as Jesus taught that the kingdom was “at hand” or “near”, or “within us” (if we read Luke 17).  It’s still nearer than we think or imagine, and within us, and yet we pray for its daily coming and future full manifestation in the Lord’s prayer.

• It’s one thing being ready for Christmas.
• It’s another thing having a Kingdom focus every moment and every day we are alive – being alert to signs of the Kingdom, and how God wants us to pray and pay it into reality in peoples’ lives. And built into this is our focus verse from 1 Peter: Our Mission: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have.”  (1 Peter 3:15). (They will ask this when they see the kingdom life in us. In our second reading today in 1 Thess 5:8 Paul talks encourages his readers to stay sober and alert, and to take faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet).

Isn’t it the will of God in heaven that people on earth live with that kind of Kingdom flourishing? Experiencing God’s amazing grace and generosity through us. We should take risks using God’s gifts and resources (the 30kg bags of silver or gold and all the other gifts we receive) as He leads us.

If this is about the Kingdom, then the treasure or gold we begin with is

• the gift of knowing Jesus the King and
• sharing the good news of the Kingdom of God which came in Jesus and his ministry, comes through us, and will come completely.

And we are always expected to be faithful.  

If we are alert then we will be ready to respond faithfully with the gifts and treasure we to share. You may remember Psalm 19 speaking about God’s laws, precepts, commands, his word basically: Psa 19:10  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; Included in our bags of gold are these treasures:  the good news of the kingdom, the hope that we can offer, and the teachings of Jesus the King.

We always quote James who says we should hear the word and then put it into practice. Being a faithful servant and witness means being totally immersed in God’s word, his truth, his kingdom, his good news, his abundant life we have to share.  

We’re unlikely to  ever hear “well done good and occasionally reliable servant”. As you have probably heard me say before- you wouldn’t call your fridge faithful if it only worked on selected days of the week. Or your car. 😊

Here’s the challenge – that we faithfully consider what risks we could take as God’s servants in our corner of the vineyard. And be encouraged. God is at work– in all we do, in and through our leadership, and every member of His body, every one of us who has an open ear to heaven and an open heart too. 

Amen.

Sunday message 7 July 2019 – Good Good Father

Readings: Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 6:5-15

SERMON

Do you remember a time when you didn’t believe?

• You may not have a been an outright atheist – denying the possibility of God existing.
• You may have been an agnostic – just didn’t know or think that you could know if there is a God.
• Perhaps you had no idea because no one told you. You hadn’t heard.

How then did you come to believe?

Or are you still on the bottom left of the Engel scale:

Not everyone travels along a straight line in these journeys.

Here’s a version that’s more interesting, It shows misconceptions people have, and their criticisms which are often a way of avoiding truth:

 

It sounds more complicated than I thought, you may say.

I suppose many of us have taken it all for granted. We just believe. But are we growing in faith?  Or frozen – stuck in a rut somewhere along the line – marking time. As someone once said the difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.

John Wimber had a more interesting version which helps us think about our own growth on the journey:

 

So where would you start if you were explaining faith to people?

I’d probably start with this bible passage:

Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

For many of us growing up in churches with creeds, we would recite the creed as a declaration about what we believe ABOUT God.

So – the Apostles creed is a good example. It’s printed in your newsletter this week with bible references like the Nicene Creed you’ve had for a couple of weeks. Apparently, some of you were disappointed that Mike didn’t test you on it last week.

The creeds were a way of guarding the truth – when people made Jesus to be less than he was or is. The Nicene Creed as an example says things about Jesus that we wouldn’t have thought about unless someone had made up a really wacky or wrong theory – so bits had to be added to correct or clarify.

The Apostles creed starts at a good place for those exploring God.

• I believe in God the Father – is a great place to start.
• For me none of this is possible without Jesus.
• Jesus – a human being – the son of God – shows us what his father is like.

You see it in human families – the kids are described as “the spitting image of the dad”. Strange language English – noone can agree what “spitting” means here.

Hebrews 1:3 says something similar:

Heb 1:3  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being

My view is that if people are atheists or agnostics – or just haven’t heard about God – start with Jesus. Remember what we talked about recently when we looked at the Trinity – and how we relate to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. John 14:8-9 reminds us;

Joh 14:8  Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Joh 14:9  Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

So Jesus – if he is the exact representation of his being – more literally the exact imprint of his being or substance (the word you get in the Nicene Creed – being of ‘one substance” with the Father) – it’s the picture of a mould and what it produces – or a die and a coin. Or a stamp and what it prints.

That’s word representation or imprint is the word “character” which was an instrument used for engraving or carving.

That’s why character development is often painful.

If Jesus reveals a facsimile – an exact copy of God – it makes sense that he talks about God like he does.

He emphasizes God as Father – the prayer he teaches begins with OUR FATHER because he models the relationship and reveals God as Father.

SOME KEY POINTS

1. Father involves family and children

Jesus is the only begotten son – and always was.

We are adopted in term of status

We are born again in terms of our new identity and life.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— (Ephesians 1:4-5)

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13)

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

My favourite and probably the most important passage on this is from Romans 8:

Rom 8:15  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Rom 8:16  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

ABBA – is not just a blonde Swedish pop band singing “Waterloo”.

It’s the key term for the Father.

It’s intimate and special – deeper than daddy.

2. Father means relationship and trust for provision

There’s always this discussion about the long journey from the mind to the heart. We can believe in theory that God is Father – but how do we relate to fatherhood? Many people struggle because of human experiences of absent or failed Fathers.

We should not impose human view of fatherhood on God. Paul reverses this in Ephesians:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. (Ephesians 3:14-15)

Why do people struggle so much these days with fatherhood?

With the idea. You mention God as Father and someone immediately will remind you that for some people it’s too painful – because their human fathers were a failure. A right flop.

In my conversations with men as a prison chaplain – its most unusual to hear someone talk about a dad that got it right. The men in their lives vary from violent to absent.

So when you tell them to trust God as Father – well that’s not so easy.

I’m planning a service there on Thursday – and I want to talk about this theme – God the Father. I’m looking forward to their response.

MY STORY

My dad died when I was 12. I’ve sometimes wondered about what that really did to me. I’ve probably told you before – but never mind. My cousin and I had a conversation that week when walking down the road – he asked me: “Your dad is dead. What are you going to do now?” My reply: “God will have to be my father”.

It helped that I’d seen the movie “The student prince” where the bereaved prince at his father’s coffin sings (with Mario Lanza’s amazing voice dubbed over) “I’ll walk with God, from this day on – his helping hand I’ll lead upon…’

SO WHAT WAS HE LIKE THEN? You could ask me about my human Father and I could tell you something of what I remembered.

But what about the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – Our Father – what’s he life?

  Here are some great attributes of this Father:

• God gives good gifts to the children in the family.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:17-18)

The most obvious lesson from Jesus is the one about human Fathers giving their children unhelpful things to eat. It’s found in Luke 11 after Luke’s record of the Lord’s Prayer:

Here it is:

Luk 11:9  “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Luk 11:10  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luk 11:11  “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Luk 11:12  Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? Luk 11:13  If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Or in Matthew’s record:

Mat 7:7  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Mat 7:8  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Mat 7:9  “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Mat 7:10  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? Mat 7:11  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

There’s a shift that has to happen here – that long distance from the head to the heart again.

• It’s one thing to believe in theory in God as Father.
• It’s another thing to trust him – especially if you had an absent or unhelpful human father.

Father means provider. A good, good Father -is the title of Chris Tomlin’s song. We’ve not succeeded in singing it right – but here are the words:

I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think you’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you’re pleased
And that I’m never alone

You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
‘Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word

You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

Oh, it’s love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
Into love, love, love

You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father

It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father

You are perfect in all of your ways
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
You are perfect in all of your ways
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

WHEN ITS TOO HARD

There’s a deep struggle for many – when life doesn’t work out the way they wanted or hoped – through disappointments, sickness, grief – they really struggle to accept hat He is perfect in all of his ways.

It’s the journey from the head to the heart that gets us.

• The one whose father has failed – will find it hard to trust another person like a step father.
• The one whose father was absent – will still have a vacuum – but if they would just let God the Father fill that void.
• The one whose Father was harsh – won’t believe in a Good Good Father.
• And you can’t persuade them.
• What they need is to discover that reality and power.

That’s why Paul prays as he does in Ephesians 1 which Carol read for us:

Eph 1:15  For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, Eph 1:16  I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Eph 1:17  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

 THE WAY FORWARD

• Do you want that?
• To know him better?
• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the fullness of who the glorious father really is to you.
• Ask the Father to reveal himself to you.

If that song “Good Good father” doesn’t work for you, try an older one. In the early hours of Saturday morning I had these words running through my head:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Ask God to be your best thought by day or by night. Waking or sleeping.

Ask God the Father o be your wisdom – your true word (bring knowledge of the truth) – your great Father- as you become certain that you are his true son – his child.

Is God your treasure? The hymn goes on:

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Amen.

Sunday sermon 17 March – poured out at his feet

Reading: John 12:1-8

Joh 12:1  Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

Joh 12:2  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

Joh 12:3  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Joh 12:4  But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,

Joh 12:5  “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”

Joh 12:6  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Joh 12:7  “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

Joh 12:8  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Message

We are moving rapidly towards Easter.

Jesus is with his closest friends, at a special dinner given in his honour.

In this private place Mary performs and intimate and moving act – pouring this costly perfume on Jesus’ feet, and wiping them with her hair.

I’ve only had my feet washed once by a fellow Christian. It was here in Browns Bay actually, and it was very moving. This act of sacrifice is more intense than foot washing.

This act of sacrifice gives us an insight into the real commitment of discipleship – the commitment of sacrificial service and love for Jesus, manifested in generous and risky giving. It’s an act of following Jesus and surrendering to Jesus.

One writer has suggested this: In this context Mary and the nard perfume become the father in the parable of the prodigal — extravagant love incarnated.

This is merely the extravagant love of the Father in last week’s prodigal son parable – manifest in extravagant love of a follower for Jesus.This act goes way beyond the washing of feet.

It reminds me of the hymn so well loved:

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

The verse which goes like this:

Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

– is sometimes left out so not as to embarrass people. The truth is the writer of the hymn (Frances Havergal) used to meditate on it each Advent (the season when she wrote it) and came under the conviction of giving her jewellery and treasures to the Church Missionary Society of the day. (The same society that supported Samuel Marsden who brought the gospel to New Zealand on Christmas day 1815).

The hymn ends with

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

The value of the gift poured on a rabbi’s feet – is staggering. A year’s wages. The Judas-reaction is quite predicable and we see this kind of reaction sometimes in churches which decide to become gloriously generous in giving money away. People want to see where the money goes! To control their gift – forgetting that when you give a gift it is no longer yours!

Remember that Judas was the treasurer. Of course when you read Mark and Matthew’s account of this it was not just Judas who struggled with the extent of the gift’s value.

MARY’S  MOTIVATION?

1. Perhaps gratitude to the Lord Jesus for raising her brother Lazarus.

At the time her sister Martha was quite grumpy wasn’t she? Remember her saying:

John 11:21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

They go on to talk about the resurrection – a wonderful passage where Martha professes her belief in the resurrection.

Of Mary we read:

John 11:32 –When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

She also was at his feet that time when Martha played the irritated sister. We read:

Luke 10:39  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  And in the next verse we read: But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 

Mary was in the right place. I think all this is about being a disciple of Jesus. Sitting at his feet, having faith in Him, and worshiping him. Her life was poured out at his feet – and so too this sacrificial intimate gift of worship. We forget that the word “worship” in the New Testament means to bow down and kiss the feet of another.

If you want to follow the church’s motto or mission statement here in Browns Bay, which is – building loving communities that help people find and follow Jesus – we too  have to sit at Jesus’ feet, listen to him, and get intimate. Wherever you are and wherever you worship, this is the key for you too!

Yes gratitude for the resurrection of Lazarus is a possibility – but it was also about her devotion and love for her Lord. And there’s more:

2. Lavish generosity is part of this story.

I think Jesus is not just speaking to Judas here. He’s speaking to us too.

Listen to verse 7 again: Joh 12:7  “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.”

This is not the anointing on the head of a king – rather the anointing for burial. Something beautiful that preempts a more beautiful and yet grotesque sacrifice for us.

How can I make this real today?

Something like this – flowers at a funeral are one thing. But sacrificial love for a person while they are alive – that’s something else altogether.

Verse 7 is challenging. If it was intended for the day of his burial – why then was it poured out on this day?

Perhaps it was a powerful sign – in addition to lavish love and generosity – the cost of discipleship in giving up everything for Jesus – a sign of his impending death. The process had begun. In fact, it began the moment he preached in the synagogue on the day they tried to throw him over a cliff. And – as we heard on Tuesday – when we talked about the day when he healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda – his enemies were always going to be after him. Death was always lurking.

We must not be derailed by the last sentence about the poor. The focus is on the moment on this day – between Mary and Jesus.  Jesus us saying – never mind what could be done with the money Judas (and Robin, Ian, Janet, Susan and George – whoever we are here today).

Listen again to Jesus’ words:  John 12:8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

It simply means that there will be plenty of opportunities to help the poor in the future for his disciples. And they did exactly that in the early church – they sold assets to make sure that no one went without in the community. They fasted on certain days so they could make sure others did not go hungry. And we need to do this today as well.

“Leave her alone,” is the word we need to hear. This is a worship moment.

Christians – take heed here. If people worship with the hands in the air or flat on their faces – if they generously give to Jesus and do radical things – stay out of it. It’s a holy moment and has nothing to do with you. Our responsibility is to sort ourselves out before God.

This woman – Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus – was ministering to Jesus in an intimate way – a profound way – and we can learn from this.

He has not finished with us yet. For some we have not even begun. We started last week as prodigals standing before the Lord admitting we were lost and now found.

Let’s take many more steps closer in our intimate worship of Jesus the resurrected Lord and Christ.

What would you do? What could you give?

He’s not finished with us – in worship and radical devotion, in extravagant generosity, in sacrificial service, in compassion for the poor, in love for Jesus and one another!

Amen.

Ash Wednesday – a step ahead of the pack (service on Tuesday 12 February @10.00am)

Readings:  Matthew 6:1-6;  16-21

The beginning of Lent – is often seen as gloomy time of repentance. The focus on human sin and frailty. Traditional Ash Wednesday liturgies focus on the brevity of life and remind worshipers that they came from dust and will soon enough return back to the earth, dust once more. The Pastor applies ashes in the shape of the cross on the forehead of each person and speaks theses words, “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

I’m not sure that we need that reminder – most of us are quite familiar with our frailty and have experienced death in our family and friends circle. (I saw a sign in shop yesterday reminds us – Don’t take life too seriously – nobody gets out of here alive!)

The Gospel reading for tomorrow reminds us of some important things in our Christian disciplines however. There is a focus on the positive.

Mat 6:1  “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Mat 6:2  “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

Mat 6:3  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

Mat 6:4  so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mat 6:5  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

Mat 6:6  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mat 6:16  “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

Mat 6:17  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

Mat 6:18  so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mat 6:19  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

Mat 6:20  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Note the assumptions – when you give (v2), when you pray (v5) and when you fast (v17). These are a normal expectation for Christians and an ordinary part of the Christian life.

The text is set out as a serious of contrasts – not dos and don’ts, but don’ts and dos. In fact there is a lovely poetic rhythm to the whole passage.

If we have anything to repent of it’s the fact that we are not good at these things – not all of them at any rate. Giving, praying and fasting.

Our hearts are trapped in other worries. They consume our energy and time.

So after this reminder of the routine spiritual disciplines and how we should do them mainly in the secret place before God, Jesus gets to the heart of things – literally.

He talks about treasure. The things we cherish and value – which are vulnerable to moths, rust and theft. Either way they perish or land up in someone else’s house – only to perish there. They can only go to the op shop a couple of times really.

Investing time in giving, praying and fasting, is investing in heaven – in God’s economy. And he ends with this: Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In one of the hymns we will sing today there is the line – take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I behold. The writer of the hymn revisited that verse prayerfully and gave all her jewelry (except for one brooch) to the Church Mission Society of the day. She knew about treasures in heaven.

So where will your heart be over these next 46 days until Easter? (The 40 days excludes the 6 resurrection day Sundays which are not fast days historically).

I’m not even sure that we have to give up things. I think that misses the point as our whole life is meant to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12).

Maybe we can engage life more worshipfully – be more thankful – invest in some things that need attention – like appreciating the beauty around us, being thankful for the good people do even if we get irritated by their bad points. So we can give up grumbling, but not just for 40 days!

Maybe we should die to self more and take more risks – caring for those who are not easy to care for – reconnecting with people we have neglected (pick up the phone) – stopping to notice the good things that we take for granted. Praying more – criticising less. So we can give up criticising – but not just for 40 days!

Make your own list of 40 things – and you may find it’s not all dust and ashes. It’s a remarkable world – and it didn’t happen by chance. The people in your life are not an accident or there by chance either. God has put them there to teach you things! 

There are too many wonderful things to celebrate – we should be much nicer to be with most of the time – with a revived attitude of gratitude.

Treasure the things that are treasure.

Make it a great 40 days – and it won’t matter that you and I will be dust one day. There is too much to be thankful for now and too much to look forward to when we die. Easter has settled that!

Amen.