Occurring
for 1 hour
In this morning´s gospel Jesus has some very harsh things to say about divorce. He had very high standards. But he was not putting together a code of ethics or a pattern of behaviour. He was simply painting a picture, a picture of what the Kingdom of God was like - not how you get in, but what it was like. And in that picture, the stakes are very high.
But we know the realities of the lives we lead, we know there are other considerations and feelings to be borne in mind, we know we all fail to live up to that brilliant picture - in fact the greatest saints of all have always been those most aware of their failure.
And Christ knew that too! It was afterall from him that we have that lovely saying, “let he that is without sin cast the first stone”. Clearly that is none of us.
Human beings are neither good nor bad: they're both. We both genuinely aspire to that which is good and are at the same time genuinely entranced by that which is bad. Soviet Dissident, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who spent so many years in prison in Siberia, said, 'The line between good and evil does not run between nations or between individuals, but through every human heart'.
And that is what we see when Jesus meets people, how he understands their frailty, and responds with words of gentleness, warmth and humanity - to extend the arms of the Kingdom to each human being, that the Kingdom may grow and become a place of home for all humanity.
And our response to that warmth, despite all that goes wrong, has to be our own expression and sincere seeking to live out our very best of lives.
But we know the realities of the lives we lead, we know there are other considerations and feelings to be borne in mind, we know we all fail to live up to that brilliant picture - in fact the greatest saints of all have always been those most aware of their failure.
And Christ knew that too! It was afterall from him that we have that lovely saying, “let he that is without sin cast the first stone”. Clearly that is none of us.
Human beings are neither good nor bad: they're both. We both genuinely aspire to that which is good and are at the same time genuinely entranced by that which is bad. Soviet Dissident, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who spent so many years in prison in Siberia, said, 'The line between good and evil does not run between nations or between individuals, but through every human heart'.
And that is what we see when Jesus meets people, how he understands their frailty, and responds with words of gentleness, warmth and humanity - to extend the arms of the Kingdom to each human being, that the Kingdom may grow and become a place of home for all humanity.
And our response to that warmth, despite all that goes wrong, has to be our own expression and sincere seeking to live out our very best of lives.
6th October, Morning Service for nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
6 Oct 2024, 11:30 a.m. for 1 hour
6th October, Morning Service for nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
6 Oct 2024, 11:30 a.m. for 1 hour