Muck

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I’m drawn once again to the parable of the Prodigal Son. After a particularly useful study with friends on the story I’m struck by the terrible state of this errant man. He had been forced to take on a job of feeding pigs in a foreign country. The dreadful thing it was ‘pigs’. Any other animal would have been acceptable Pig were considered as unclean animals to the Jews.

When he decided to return home he would have been unshaven, straggly-haired and unclean. When one is starving there is no thought or provision for cleanliness. Having travelled across the desert for maybe a couple of days he would also have been dirt-stained and sweaty. This was the body that the father embraced. Muck from the son was transferred onto the father.

As the message of the story is that God represents the father and we sin-filled people are the son, it indicates that all our filth and dirt is transferred to God as He embraces us. We ate clean at a tremendous cost.

On our Knees

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Volunteering on the hospital chaplaincy table is not always a serious affair. On the table is my tin of sweets, which attracted a little six year old girl walking by with her mother. Because children are too small to be able to see the sweets when the tin is on the table, I lifted it down to her level. For some reason she decided to kneel while making her choice (never a quick procedure!) I therefore had to sit on the floor of the atrium while this was happening. I’m not sure what the moral is here, but if a photo was taken of the scene it could bear the title ‘Chaplaincy volunteer on her knees,’or ‘Sitting down on the job!.’

Sweet chosen, I then had to get up, not an elegant movement!

A Prayer and a Hug

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While serving on the hospital chaplaincy welcome table I sometimes wonder if I’m’ much help for the Kingdom. Then this week I met a young lady whose sister had been taken seriously ill. She was devastated and what she wanted was a prayer and a hug.

I believe everyone has a God-shaped hole in their heart. When the ‘chips are down’ even if they’re unbelievers they are drawn to God and prayer. They don’t know how to say a prayer and feel it has more power if someone says it for them.

When there is a national tragedy it is acceptable and welcome for a minister to say a prayer. People who never darken the doors of a church will yearn for God too be contacted. on their behalf.

Two Brothers

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In the best of families siblings don’t always get along together. Jesus told a story of two brothers like that. The brother who had been left to run the farm on a restricted budget had a point. With the younger swanning off, taking his part of the inheritance with him, the farm would have been in a straightened position. Added to this his father was not an active member of the team as he spent all his time looking for the return of his younger son.

But God’s kingdom is an up-side-down one. It is the younger son who is eventually restored to favour, while his brother sulked about the whole situation. We can’t judge any of the characters in this story. Where would we have been in the whole situation? When we realise that Jesus is likening the younger son to our sinful selves, other son to the stiff-necked Pharasees and the father to God, it puts a different slant on the tale. As my friend says, ‘This is one of the big parables.’

Double Vision

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I was having trouble with my eyesight. I was seeing double and with the printed word one line was jumping about the other. In a worried frame of mind I went to the optician. After my eyes had been thoroughly tested it was found that there was nothing wrong with them, the problem was with my glasses which had become slightly bent, the two lens were out of sync.Once they were adjusted I had no trouble in seeing clearly.

Do we look at the word in a crooked way? Do we try to have one eye on the world and the other on God? Is our outlook towards the needy and helpless and God’s concern for them or do we concentrate only on ourselves? May we have clear vision looking only to God.

Light in Darkness

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As we read in Genesis God came to be light to the world. When sin entered the world, darkness came. This darkness persisted unto Jesus came. Jesus was the light of the world. Because we are His followers, we can shine forth this light.

It is not darkness that is evil, but it is frightening because in it we can’t see our way ahead. Christmas tells us that Jesus can dwell in the places of darkness to make it light. God is there, everywhere to make the dark places light.

The season of Advent is the time to look forward to the coming of our Saviour; it is a time of hope. We know that God will shine in the difficult places in our lives.

Equal in the sight of God.

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My young nephew had built a tower of Lego blocks. He’d chosen all green bricks to build his model. Then I noticed that one block at the bottom on the far side was a completely different shade of green. I was going to point this out to him, then wondered if it really mattered. The odd block was doing the job it was supposed to do, to complete the tower and be a support for the other pieces. Colour didn’t matter.

What about God and us? We are not all the same, we’re old, young, clever or not, talented in sports or more of a studious type. God never classes us as different. We are all equally loved by Him.

The Temptations of Jesus

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An eminent Christian once said, ‘When the devil comes knocking on my door, Jesus answers it and says, ‘ He used to live here but I live here now.’ I pray that is what happens when the devil comes knocking on the door of my heart.

It is of comfort to me that Jesus was tempted as the same way as I am Because he was one hundred per cent human, as well as one hundred per cent divine, He had the capacity to sin. When Jesus was tempted it wasn’t the three temptations which are recorded, but tempting for forty solid days.

The devil’s question was ‘If you are the Son of God.’ The devil would have seen the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan so there could have been no doubt that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. The devil would have seen the dove descending and the words ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Because Jesus didn’t succumb to the temptations, we can live for ever with Him.

More Homeless

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As I spied another homeless man, I noticed that a woman passed him by and then said too me as she also passed me ‘He’s not genuine, you know.’ I was so shocked and saddened, I would rather give to a fraud than pass by on the other side and miss those who are genuine. Surely no-one would choose to sit on the cold pavement, wearing flimsy clothing and receiving so few coins that they couldn’t get a hostel for the night.

As I spoke to him, he looked lost and uncaring. ‘Where did you sleep last night?’ ‘On the streets.’ Have you approached the council for somewhere to live.’ Just a shrug. ‘There is a church down the road which gives free meals each evening.’ Another shrug.

This man had reached the stage of no hope. He’d given up trying. The coins I gave wouldn’t help him if he didn’t try to find shelter. I really feared he would just become another statistic.

Homeless

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As I walked through my city yesterday I was saddened to see four homeless men sitting hunched up on the pavements with little protection from the elements. This was two more than the last time I was there. One of them had shelter above him but he was in the windiest place there was on a day which was frighteningly windy. As I bent to speak to him I realized that I was towering over him, a position which would make him feel even more inferior. Something else to strip away his dignity.

When I handed him a drink and some food he muttered something which made me think he wasn’t English, but probably a refugee. I was able to point out a nearby church which handed out free evening meals, but I doubt that he could understand me. Refugees and the homeless are not part of God’s plan.