Crowded Week

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Although Jesus was in the last week of His earthly life before His crucifixion it didn’t stop Him interacting with people. The chief priests, teachers of the law and elders were still attacking Him verbally. ‘By what authority are You doing these things?’ they asked. As so often Jesus answered their question with a question of His own. ‘John’s baptism, was it from heaven or of human origin?’ Jesus knew there was no safe answer to His question. If they said ‘from heaven’ they would be forced to believe in Him. If they replied ‘from earth’ they would incur the wrath of the crowds,. Once again Jesus had the upper hand.

The Sadducees who didn’t believe in resurrection posed the question of a seven times widowed woman. ‘At the resurrection whose wife will she be?’ ‘God is not the God of the dead but of the living.’ Again His accusers had no answer.

A teacher of the law asked what is the greatest commandment?’ Jesus pointed to the one that the teacher and us fail to obey. ‘Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.’ That causes us all to soul-search.

Easter Week

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The gospel of Mark gives us a detailed account of much that happened during this week. The disciples were on a ‘high’, while Jesus meanwhile was setting His face steadfastly. In spite of His imminent death Jesus still found time to teach His disciples. He tells of the vineyard owner whose tenants beat and killed his servants. They finally killed the owner’s son. This was a direct reference to His own death.

During those last few days He meet up with scorners and sceptics, followers and worshippers. He knew He had limited time and Mark recounts it all so well for us. We feel as if we are walking this last week with Him.

Palm Sunday

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The disciples would have felt excitement as the crowds tore down palm branches to wave triumphantly when Jesus rode through the streets on a donkey. At last their Master was getting the recognition He deserved. But what did they know?

As Jesus rode along He knew only too well that in a couple of days time the crowds would turn against Him. He knew that in less than a week He would be crucified. And only Jesus fully understood what that meant. He would be carrying the weight of the sin of the whole world. He would be heard to utter the words, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

When we want to know the future we should thank God that our eyes are veiled. All our futures hold good and bed things. The joys of today should not be clouded by the troubles of tomorrow. As Matthew 6:34 tells us, ‘Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.’

Everlasting, Isaiah 55

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I just wanted to share these words with you. Verse 6 -‘Seek the Lord while He may be found.’ Will He disappear if I don’t keep praying to Him.?’Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,’ we are told. Verse 8 ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts.’ Quite true, I have a brilliant thought one day and the next day I realise it is rubbish, my God is a God of constant and true thought.

Verse 11 ‘My word goes out from my mouth and it will not return to me empty.’ Maybe the times I am able to share the love of God have not been wasted and some will bear fruit even if I don’t know about it. The next verses give a lot of comfort and sound joyful. It would be lovely to go out with joy and be led forth in peace. Our war-torn world needs the peace which can only come from God.

I can imagine the mountains and hills bursting into song and mankind following on. In the high winds the trees are clapping their hands and the thorn bushes and briers disappearing. Plus the most joyful word of all ‘everlasting.’

‘Like’

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When John the Evangelist had his visions on the isle of Patmos, he couldn’t find words to adequate describe what he was seeing. In my translation the word ‘like’ is used six times John knew the sight was so wonderful he could only use comparisons; what he was seeing defied description.

He saw someone ‘like’ the son of man, too terrifying for words. The hair was as white as anything he had ever seen, ‘like’ wool.The eyes were piercing and all-seeing ‘like’ a burning fire. His feet were ‘like’ bronze glowing in a furnace. His voice was monstrous ‘like’ a roaring waterfall. And His face was ‘like’ the brilliance of the shining sun.

No wonder we read that John fell down as if dead. God is still as great and mighty today. We often concentrate on a loving Farther, which He is, but He is also terrible and powerful.

Dreams

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I’m not like the wonderful prophets in the Bible who have meaningful dreams; my dreams are rubbish, but the dream I had last night started me thinking. I had a stiff black cape which when I donned meant I could fly and do all magical things. Then this morning I read Ephesians and realised I don’t need a stiff black cape.

I can buckle the belt of truth round my waist and I will be clothed with the infallible truth of the Bible, while I can be protected by the breastplate of righteousness. Having my feet shod with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, I can also have the shield of faith so I can extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one. Adding the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit I shall be equipped for my Christian adventure.

So stiff black cape, I don’t need you.

Would I have Believed?

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I often wonder what type of person I would have been if I had lived at the time of Jesus. In those days I would probably have obeyed my husband but as i live in this modern age, I’m always a little a wary of new types of worship or ‘forward-thinking’ ideas on religion. I like to wait and see what happens. What would I have thought about this itinerant young preacher named Jesus. Would I have been one of those who was sceptical?

It is easier for us today, we know of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. We know that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, rose again and ascended up to heaven. We have the New Testament which tells us of the adventures of the early church, we have the apostolic letters which help us in our knowledge. But It is only by God’s grace that we do believe.

Zacchaeus

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I’ve found Zacchaeus a most interesting Biblical character. He was obviously a cheat and a fraudster. To be a tax-collector and rich, no way was he honest. Yet his desire to see Jesus was so great that he climbed a nearby tree to do so. Having had time to amass wealth, he would not have been a young man.Then when Jesus ordered him to come and invite Him to tea, Zacchaeus had no problem in obeying Him quickly and ‘gladly.’

After his generous offer, I imagine this tax-collector could have ended up quite poor. Straight away ‘here and no, he gave away half of his possessions and then paid back four-fold to anyone he had cheated.

If I gave away half my possessions my house would be quite empty (and I’ve not even cheated anyone financially!) I wonder what happened to Zacchaeus later on in his life.

Less is More, Slow is Fast

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This is not a popular message in the world these days. More and more action is being poured into less and less time. The Guinness Book of Records is overflowing with, well records, who or what is fastest, highest, largest or most expensive.

For our God less is often more; the tiny flower in the field is worth more that Solomon in all his glory. The demise of a single sparrow is noted by God. The humble servant who achieves little in His name is favoured over world-breaking records. Slow is Fast as Fast misses so much that Slow can appreciate. To be fast can to miss God’s gifts strewn along our way. Slow notices the handicapped and lame. the Fast lumps everyone together.

I’m glad that God makes less, more and slow, fast. That includes me in His spectrum.

All’s Right with the World

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As this phrase had been going through my head I decided to do some research into it. It is a phrase from Robert Browning’s poem which commences with the words ‘The years at the spring and day’s at the morn.’ It seems it was inspired by seeing a young silk-winding girl on her one day off a year. The various people she met were influenced by her attitude to life and often turned away from their evil designs.

I know poetry has to be very succinct but the last two lines have always made me wonder. ‘God’s in His heaven, all’s right with the world.’ Yes, God is in His heaven, but He doesn’t stay there. Plus I don’t think it’s accurate to say ‘all’s right with the world,’ even in 1841, I now think of these words as, God is on earth as well as in heaven, but because of His presence here, He is making a difference to the evils of this world.