Mothering Sunday Exodus 2:1-10 Luke 2:33-35Today, Summer time has begun. The clocks went forward one hour during the night and although we can see the reason for it, mostly, I presume, it does take a little while for our body clocks to adjust. For me, I am always glad to get back this one hour when we go back to Winter time! Going forward and back, then, may be a way of looking at today’s readings from Exodus and Luke. Exodus 2 gives us the account of baby Moses and how he was rescued in a nutshell. Moses is born and adopted, in short. But there is an interesting part in between, when his mother hides him in a papyrus basket, plastered with bitumen and pitch, so it doesn’t sink. And his sister keeping watch from a distance. What follows when Pharaoh’s daughter finds him, is not without irony. Moses’ sister is smart and suggests a nurse for him. And so, Moses’ own mother ends up being paid to nurse her son for Pharaoh’s daughter! God truly did take care of them and not only provided for those who honoured him, but did so in a remarkable way. Moses, as we know, played a very important part in the Exodus, the time when the people of Israel were set free from slavery in Egypt and were led into the Promised Land.Moving fast forward, in Luke’s Gospel, we find a prophecy about Jesus, spoken to his mother Mary when she and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the Temple according to the Law. This prophecy is only short, but it is important, especially to Mary at the time, but it also has a special meaning for us.Two mothers, then, we find in the readings for today, although we could say that there was a third: the adoptive mother of Moses, Pharaoh’s daughter. And there is a theme that applies to both passages. At the time of Moses, Pharaoh – king of Egypt – had immense power. He was both the supreme political and religious leader, often seen as a divine intermediary between the gods and the people, with absolute control over the land in terms of resources and the military. In Jesus’ day, the then-known world was under Roman rule, with the Emperor holding absolute power and called a ‘divine’. It is against this background that God moved, and how did he do it? By engaging mothers; another irony, I think, considering the position of women in society in those days. The theme, then, is that the Kingdom of God is confronting the kingdoms of the world. Many worldly kingdoms have come and gone, but God’s Kingdom remains for ever. That is what Jesus came to bring, hence the prophecy of one of the people, Simeon, who were in the Temple when Mary and Joseph came with baby Jesus, to offer the prescribed sacrifice. Simeon said, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ Simeon recognised Jesus as the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Saviour who had been promised. Both he and the prophetess Anna, who was there too, spoke about Jesus as the one who would bring redemption to the people. His journey would be one of suffering, involving a very painful death, but one that would ultimately lead to glory and our salvation.Going back and forward in the story of God with his people, then, we have Moses and Jesus, both babies at the time, helpless and in the care of their mothers. As an aside, I am thinking of Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father, who played a crucial part in his life too. But on Mothering Sunday we are thinking of the mothers who played their part in caring for their sons, honouring God’s will and plan. We want to recognise their loving care, their work, their anxiety even, as they step out in faith to do what is right for their child. And in doing so, we are reminded of our own mothers – those who are still alive and those we have lost – they did not always get it right; they were fallible, human, just like us. But where we have received love, we want to give back love, and treasure good memories that sustain us. Thinking back to them, and to the mothers of Jesus and Moses, we are encouraged to move forward, and embrace the goodness of God, who is our Father and our Mother (Julian of Norwich) and who loves us to the end. Amen.
Third Sunday of Lent Isaiah 55:1-9 Luke 13:1-9Pontius Pilate was not a nice man. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote about him and his deeds of violence, crushing people often willy-nilly, it seems, and upsetting their religious beliefs. Mockery and violence together, made for a toxic time. You may wonder why he is even mentioned in our statements of belief, like the Nicene Creed. Is it not too much honour for such a man, who even, in the end, played a part in Jesus’ crucifixion? We find him here, in Luke’s Gospel passage for today, when Jesus is told of the Galilean pilgrims whose blood Pilate had mingled with the sacrifices in the Temple. Jesus, though, as he listens, he also asks a question, which is an important one even for us today. He says, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.’ In other words: don’t think that your religious observance or your nationalistic rebellion against Rome will save you – only repentance and following God’s direction will lead to peace, a peace for the soul. Jesus continues with a reference to an accident when eighteen were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them. ‘Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?’ he asks. ‘No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’The account in Luke chapter 13 goes on with Jesus telling a parable about a fig tree in a vineyard. That was quite common; fig trees are good for growing grapes. In this story with a hidden meaning, Jesus talks about a man – the owner of the vineyard – who came looking for figs on the tree and found none. ‘So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” The gardener replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”’ The three years could of course be a reference to the time of Jesus’ ministry, but that is not the only thing that matters in this parable. The owner could be interpreted as God, and the gardener as Jesus. Or perhaps Jesus is the owner and he has been seeking for repentance and a change of behaviour in the people. The result is the same, whichever way you interpret it, though: the owner has the final word, even though the gardener is doing his utmost to get the tree to bear fruit. I’m sure we understand the message, even if we don’t really like it: there is a time set for a final judgement and it matters how we respond, with ‘fruit’ or not. That is where the tension in the story lies. The passage from Isaiah 55 and that is paired with the Gospel for today, has a similar message: ‘Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; … come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.’ Finishing with: ‘Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. … return to the Lord, that he may have mercy … and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ Here are the key words:Come – Listen – See – Seek. For all who come, and all who listen and seek with all their hearts and minds, will see – and the Lord our God will hear and act. With everything that is going on in the world, now as much as in those days, God is still speaking and calling us to hear and see. Speaking metaphorically, the gardener in the vineyard of God’s Kingdom is offering all his care to raise a ‘crop’ of righteousness; of fruit that will last and that will finally give joy and peace to all who hear, and honour God. So let us come, let us seek, let us hear and see, so that we may taste God’s goodness. Amen.
Second Sunday of Lent Luke 13:31-end Philippians 3:17 – 4:1It has been said that nothing in this world is certain, except death and taxes. But just as many seek to find tax loopholes, we are often living in denial of our mortality. The subject of death, to put it mildly, does not really lend itself to a cheerful conversation. St Paul calls it ‘the last enemy’ (1 Corinthians 15:26). But, as he also says in today’s passage from the letter to the Philippians, we are destined for something greater; ‘our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.’ In the Gospel reading from Luke, we find Jesus being visited by some Pharisees, who say to him that he should leave, because Herod wants to kill him. This comes just after Jesus has been teaching about the Kingdom of God with various parables. His reply to the Pharisees – who showed him such concern over his welfare, serious or not – is a denial that Herod’s evil intentions could hinder his ministry. Jesus calls him ‘fox’; an unflattering metaphor. He also uses other words to describe his ministry, with a reference to ‘the third day’ when he finishes his work. Until then, he will continue to cast out demons, heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom of God that is now nearer than ever. The other thing he says, is about Jerusalem; a special word for her, hinting at future developments. In his reply to Herod that is to be delivered for him by the Pharisees (we don’t know if they ever did, and probably not, I should think, but that is not the point) Jesus declares that ‘it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Now why would that be, we may wonder? It is probably bitter irony that leads to his lament that follows. At Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem later, as described in chapter 19, we find Jesus lamenting over her again. Now, in today’s passage, Jesus is already looking ahead to that moment and what comes after. He compares himself to a mother hen that gathers her chicks under her wings. And there are several sides to that image. One is the protective nature of a hen with her brood and that covers them literally in the face of danger. The other is that she will do that even to the point of her own death. It has been recorded that hens have been found dead after a fire but with the chicks alive under the wings that shielded them. It could not be plainer: Jesus is like that, willing to give up himself for those who have gone astray. For that is what Jesus is saying about Jerusalem, a city that is an image for the world that he has come to save. Jerusalem was a focal point for the people of Israel. It had the Temple as a sign of their religion but it was also under Roman occupation and Rome ruled the world. And, in fact, the people, ‘Jerusalem’, had a history of rebellion, of refusing the way of peace. Not uncommon in today’s world either… Their rebellion had meant God’s holy presence left the Temple and the city was left open to attack. This had been the case in Israel’s history before, as we read in the Old Testament. God has desired to rescue them and therefore, Jesus was on his way to be killed, not only for them but for the whole world. In what follows, we shall see that Jerusalem does not accept Jesus as Saviour which is why Jesus laments her and speaks into the future with his words: ‘You will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”’ This, then, is what we shall see: Jesus the Servant King, who was obedient even unto death, so that we might live. As with Jerusalem itself, it is important how we respond. So may we indeed hear and welcome the Saviour. Amen.
First Sunday of Lent Luke 4:1-13 Romans 10:8b-13‘Forty days and forty nights’, it says in the hymn, ‘thou wast fasting in the wild; forty days and forty nights, tempted and yet undefiled.’ On Ash Wednesday, just passed, we entered the season of Lent, with the traditional Bible passages, and the reminder that we are a community of faith only by God’s grace. It was Jesus who paved the way to salvation, who is our salvation, and that we get hold of it by faith. For all of that to happen, Jesus had to walk a specific journey; a journey that took him to some challenging places, including an encounter with Satan! It is interesting to note that Jesus’ time in the desert or wilderness began when he returned from his baptism in the river Jordan. That had been the moment when God’s voice spoke from heaven, declaring, ‘You are my son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ And then Luke 4 begins with: ‘Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.’ Full of the Holy Spirit, and led by the Spirit. How extraordinary! Why would the third member of the Holy Trinity do that? Why would God the Father first affirm Jesus as the Son, only to have the Holy Spirit to lead him to a lonely place, full of temptation? You could also wonder why Jesus fasted. Could he not have had somebody to bring him food? Well, of course, he could have, but he chose not to. It reminds me of Jesus’ own teaching later in what we call the Beatitudes, when he says: ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.’ Not because of the physical hunger that people may feel, but because of the spiritual hunger that all have, for love, peace and righteousness. As usual, Satan can’t see beyond the end of his nose. He interprets everything from his own perspective, which is faulty. And Jesus doesn’t give in to the attempts to push him off track – he successfully thwarts all the arrows that Satan fires at him by resting on God himself and his word in Scripture, and so in the end, Satan leaves him, as it says, ‘until an opportune time’. Have you sometimes wondered why you should read the Bible? Well, here is your answer: so that you grow in knowledge and maturity in your faith. As Paul writes in his letter to the Romans: ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart. That is, the word of faith that we proclaim.’ But how can you have the word near you, if you don’t know it, and how can you know it, if you don’t read it (or hear it read). That is why we have home groups and Bible study groups, and why the Church puts together a Lectionary – a list of Bible readings for each day of the year. This list doesn’t necessarily cover the whole of the Bible front to back – but it covers most of it in the most important accounts of salvation and God’s journey with his people. That journey began a long time even before Jesus appeared on the earth, and was set in motion because of God’s love for the world. Jesus came to perform the work of salvation and as we have just entered the season of Lent, this work is the focus for this time of year as we follow the events that led up to the cross on Good Friday and the resurrection on Easter Day. It is good news! It is a story of hope and love and one that we can call our own, as we ‘journey’ with Jesus. As Paul writes, quoting Scripture: ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame. For, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Jesus was able to face evil and win the victory. Not just for forty days and forty nights, but for ever and for all of us. It was important that he had heard God’s voice speak at his baptism and that the Holy Spirit empowered him. It helped him know who he was and affirmed him in his mission. He could have pulled out, but he didn’t, because of love. For he did it for our sake, on our behalf, so that we may live through faith. Amen.
