Sayings

The phrase “Millstone around your neck” in today’s context often refers to something holding us back. Where as, in the way that Jesus uses the phrase there is a more sinister application. The whole context of this idiom is found in Matthew 18:6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Jesus is clear; there is no ambiguity in his words.  Jesus is concise; as he does not feel the need to further explain his thinking – it ought to be obvious.  If we cannot and do not and will not defend and protect those who are the most vulnerable, what are we worth?

There is a popular quotation “A civilisation is measured by how it treats its weakest members” or “The greatness of a nation can be judged by how it treats its weakest member” is often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. However, Gandhi never said or wrote those words. Yet there is a related quote where Gandhi is speaking about cruelty to animals: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.”

So often, the so called strong members of society count the vulnerable as collateral damage in their wish to preserve their self imposed elitism. If people want to be disciples of Jesus, they should not despise those who appear weak and insignificant. Indeed, they should take severe action against themselves to remove from their lives anything that might cause them to follow their own desires instead of submitting to Jesus. 

As Christians, we should be mindful of how our actions impact others, especially those who are in the household of God. It is our responsibility to be a positive influence in their lives, helping them to grow spiritually and avoid anything that could cause them to sin.

Risen Christ,

As you journeyed with the two who travelled the Emmaus Road

travel with us on our journey of faith.

In our encounters on the way

give us compassion to listen to the other’s story,

patience to explain what may seem obvious to ourselves,

and courage to make ourselves vulnerable,

so that others may encounter you through us

and we may rediscover you through them.

Amen.

Sayings

"The blind leading the blind" is an idiom and a metaphor in the form of a parallel phrase; it is used to describe a situation where a person ignorant of a given subject is getting advice and help from another person who is just as ignorant of the subject. It is thought that the phrase  can be traced back to a Sanskrit text, which were written around 800 - “ Abiding in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, fools go aimlessly hither and thither, like blind led by the blind.”

In the New Testament, Jesus uses the phrase again in warning about false teachers, “Forget them. They are blind men leading blind men. When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch.”Matthew 15:14

There are a number of ways that we can interpret blindness in this metaphor.  The word in the greek, translated as blind, can refer to a physical or mental blindness. Such mental blindness is found in the 16th century phrase, with its roots even traced to the 14ht century’s Wycliffe Bible, the first translated into English; where in  Matthew 13:13, we read: “for thei seynge seen not, and thei herynge heren not”. Such an intentional myopathy, when truth is in plain sight, is what Jesus is referring too.

A man was driving through a mining region one Sunday when he noticed a large number of mules in an open field. When he inquired about this unusual sight, he was told that the work animals had been brought up from the dark passages below to preserve their eyesight. Unless they were regularly exposed to the sunlight, they would eventually go blind. The Christian needs similar experiences to keep him from losing his spiritual vision. The Lord’s Day has been given to aid him in keeping his eyes focused clearly on the TRUE LIGHT!

In 1 John 1:7 we find a remedy to such spirit blindness that avoids leading another astray.  “If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.” (The Message)

Lord, You call us to be

your light

in the darkness,

your voice

in the wilderness,

your hope

for the hopeless.

You give us

strength

in our weakness,

peace

and gentleness,

words

and boldness,

to proclaim

more of you

and of us, less. Amen

Sayings

Isn’t it interesting how biblical concepts can be taken out of context and whilst used within every day conversations miss the point. Take the phrase “Fall by the wayside.” According to the dictionary this saying infers “If someone falls by the wayside, they fail to finish an activity, and if something falls by the wayside, people stop doing it, making it, or using it.”

The actual context is found in the parable of the sower where Jesus says, “ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.” Matthew 13:4

In Palestine the fields were in long narrow strips; and the ground between the strips was always a right of way. It was used as a common path; and therefore it was beaten as hard as a pavement by the feet of countless passers-by. That is what Jesus means by the wayside. If seed fell there, and some was bound to fall there in whatever way it was sown, there was no more chance of its penetrating into the earth than if it had fallen on the road.

One way of considering the implications of this parable to ask “What is the rocky ground in me? In what areas of my life does God's word have no chance? What are the thorns that choke the faith and hope in me? Do I nurture the faith of others? Am I a watering can for them, or a scorching sun? Where have I seen good soil, and plentiful harvest, in my life or in others around me?

Have you ever thought that each time we pray, the seed of God’s word and love are scattered. Each time we speak the kind word, do a kind deed, care for others in any way, the seed is bearing fruit. Our heart is the soil. Like a varied garden, the heart is many-sided. Our hurts, bitterness, sins weaken and destroy good soil. God is the one who purifies the heart so that the word of God takes effect.

Jesus knew that there would be many threats to his word, many situations in which it would not be fruitful. With him, may we pay attention to where there is life and growth.

Divine Sower, 

open our eyes and ears 

to the presence of Your Holy Spirit.

May the seeds of Your Word 

scattered among us this day

fall on fertile soil.

May they take root 

in our hearts and lives,

and produce an abundant harvest

of good words and deeds.

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ,

our teacher and our Lord.

Amen.

Sayings

A house divided against itself cannot stand

This seems an apt saying within this election year whether it is the House of Commons or then US House Representatives. I understand that there are at least 64 countries facing parliamentary elections this year. 

This saying comes again from the words of Jesus who when confronted by the divisive questions of pharisees who were trying to trick him read, “But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Matthew 12:25

There is a suggest story that being much concerned about the rise of denominations in the church, John Wesley tells of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he asked, “Are there any Presbyterians here?” “Yes,”, came the answer. Then he asked, “Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?” The answer was Yes! each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of Heaven. There he asked the same question and the answer was No! “No?” To this Wesley asked, “Who then is inside?” The answer came back, “There are only Christians here.” 

The fact is that there can not only be division with in the church but within each christian. In many ways Jesus can bring division among people - those with him and against him. He can bring division also inside each of us. Prayer is a time to sift with him the different desires and actions of our lives. In prayer we need to ask the grace to 'know him more, love him more and serve him more faithfully in our lives’.

Dear Lord, we pray that you protect us from the schemes that would divide. Help us to discern when division is trying to deceive us and lead us astray. We know that divisive agendas are at work so we pray that you strengthen us in our faith and help us to stand firm against divisive forces. May we always seek your guidance and protection, and may your kingdom reign in our hearts and in the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Sayings

“A wolf in sheep's clothing” is an idiom from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount as narrated in the Gospel of Matthew. It warns against individuals who play a duplicitous role. The gospel regards such individuals (particularly false teachers) as dangerous. Wolves by nature are predators. Their goal is to devour whatever they can, whether it’s pigs in straw houses…or little girls in red clothing.

If the wolf is at your door, then you know it’s bad news. No one is going to see a snarling wolf and think “Oh, what a cute little puppy…I think I’ll play with him.”

A Zimbabwean pastor has reportedly convinced his congregants his holy pens can make students pass their exams - and the more you pay for one, the better grades you'll get.

Prophet Sham Hungwe of House of Grace International Church in Harare is selling the pens, which cost from £1 up to £20.

According to a new report, the prophet told his congregation those sitting exams only needed faith and one of the special pens to pass. “They are anointed and I declare passes when your children sit for exams. They are said to work for anyone who is sitting for any test," he said.

According to the report, one parishioner testified: "My son is not very bright and I think this will help him. With the knowledge he has acquired and this pen from the man of God, I think it is going to work."

On reading this one is tempted to think can anyone be so gullible to believe this. But hear-in lies the problem the one offering this prophetic pen did under the guise of his role as a pastor. In the acts of the Apostles we read of Simon the Sorcerer, who on seeing the gift of the Holy Spirit at work in the followers of Jesus wanted to buy this power to use for his own ends.  

People tend to judge the character and worth of others by looking at outward appearances. If a person is tall, good-looking, well-built, and tastefully dressed, then she or he possesses physical qualities that humans generally admire and respect. Often these are the physical qualities we seek in a leader. But God has the unique ability to see inside a person. God knows our true character because he “looks at the heart.”

Perhaps one of the most need gifts of the spirit for a Christian in today's world is that of discernment, the discerning presence of God within us. Anthony de Mello a Jesuit says"To the preacher who kept saying, 'We must put God in our lives,' the Master said, 'God is already there. Our business is to recognise this.'"

O Lord, I do not know what to ask You. You alone know my real needs, and You love me more than I even know how to love. Enable me to discern my true needs which are hidden from me. I ask for neither cross nor consolation; I wait in patience for You. Amen 

Sayings

Straight and Narrow. What image does this phrase bring to your mind. For me there are two images from my teenage years. As a Boy Scout there were a number of occasions were I found my self hiking on Dartmoor area of the Burrator Reservoir when mist would descend and finding one's way proved to be difficult. In that area there were two straight and narrow paths that could be followed, Drakes Mead and the disused moorland railway track.  

Drake's Leat, also known as Plymouth Leat, was a watercourse constructed in the late 16th century to tap the River Meavy on Dartmoor, England, to bring water to Plymouth. The Princetown Railway was a 10¼ mile single track branch railway line that ran from Yelverton on the Plymouth to Tavistock line, to Princetown via four intermediate stations, Dousland, Burrator and Sheepstor Halt,  and King Tor Halt. The line closed in 1956 and today forms part of a popular cycling and walking route.

To the intrepid teenager,  these two straight and narrow ways, once found, enabled the youthful adventurer to find a way home. The parallel to the words of Jesus is plain to see,  “Go in by the narrow gate. For the wide gate has a broad road which leads to disaster and there are many people going that way. The narrow gate and the hard road lead out into life and only a few are finding it.”

Jesus says these phrases at the end of what we know as His ‘Sermon on the Mount.’ It's part of his closing remarks.

The gateway to life is narrow. The word used here in the King James is ‘strait,' which has a different meaning to the word ’straight.'

Straight means ‘not crooked, unbent, upright, honest, honourable in conduct.’

Strait means ‘a difficult and or narrow passageway; a confined area.’

This verse isn’t concerned with our performance of purity and excellence, it’s not talking about our ability to live up to the commandments and live perfectly – otherwise the word ’straight’ would have been used. It has behavioural implications, but its heart is more like what Romans 12:2 talks about: “Do not conform to the ways of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

One of the most challenging things in life is to ‘go against the flow’; reject conformity and consumerism and employ our minds and hearts to seek out for ourselves the mysteries of life and love. In the believer's case, faith. It's much easier to live a drip fed life – follow the crowd, swallow the marketing, believe everything you’re told, never question, never seek, never learn. That's a little extreme, but you get the idea.

What is this path we are to follow? Succinctly, Jesus put is this way,  “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

Father, God, I ask that you help me to always remember that I am just passing through this life. This place is not my home; I am just a traveler. Help me to keep my focus on what is important. And when I am tempted to step off the pathway or when I stumble, remind me that you are there right beside me. Help me to listen to your still, small voice and obediently continue on my journey with you. Thank you, Father.

Sayings

If we say that someone is casting pearls before swine, we mean that they are wasting their time by offering something that is helpful or valuable to someone who does not appreciate or understand it. That person does not value what should be valued.

This phrase is used by Jesus when he says, “‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Jesus appears to be warning his disciples to preach only before receptive audiences. Or is this a warning to the disciples to speak the gospel in a way that matches the context of those who don't share their understanding of the truth. Is it a question of a situation where our words fail to convey what is in our hearts and minds. 

I had a colleague who used to say that communication often stopped at the ears of another.    In other words, it was not our carefully crafted thoughts but the level of understanding of the hearer to receive our message that enabled communication.  Karen Thompson Walker, in The Age of Miracles confessed , “They say that humans can read each other in a hundred subtle ways, in the briefest expressions of a face, but somehow, on that day, I had communicated with amazing efficiency the exact opposite of what I most wanted in the world.” 

Another commentator says that, “Each generation of the Church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought forms of that setting.”

In Acts 17 we find Paul reversing the communication  paradigm by starting with the understanding of his hearers and expressing the gospel truth in their language and context. What a difference context makes. And context makes a huge difference in the way we read and understand scripture in any given situation 

It's like and artist paining a picture. When they start out painting, they need to understand the full context of the scene first, and then, after fully understanding what their looking at, they can then focus on the details of the colours and the shadows and the highlights.

Seeing the big picture will help us understand what we’re looking at, and it will help  us from seeming misinterpreting gospel truth to someone who does not share our common language of faith. No matter how precious our spiritual concepts if they don’t communicate the gospel then  surely they are pearls that have little value in communicating the gospel today.

Lord, I often pray, May the words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. But at times, my words don’t seem to communicate your truth to those around me. I read in the gospels that the common people heard you gladly, and that there is a promise that your peace, which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in union with Christ Jesus. Lord, may I have your Christly mind  as I follow you in sharing the words of eternal life. Amen