Lectionary for Sunday 26
Christ emptied himself, and became obedient to the point of death –even the death of a cross.Philippians 2:8
Collect. O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reading. Philippians 2:1-13. The translation of the bible being used titles this passage as “Imitating Christ’s Humility”. This may be read as if this “Imitating” is something that we do, but as we read the passage we note the words “in Christ”. This is a reminder that being in Christ is a dynamic and a corporate description. Being in Christ is being gathered into his being and purpose. It not just a title nor is it simply something to which we give intellectual assent; rather it is something that Jesus himself does and we understand and accept. Therefore we are in Christ by God’s power and command. From the moment we are in Christ we become a unity, joined together in the being of Christ as the body of Christ. This unity gives us encouragement as we are supported by one another. We are given consolation through love to know that we never face any of life’s events alone. Furthermore we have an abiding fellowship with the Holy Spirit which gives us wisdom and insight, but also gives us an excitement to share this Good News which we now posses. It is this corporate unity that is established by which should always be in our heart and mind for then self interest is not erased but is held alongside the needs and interest of those who are also in Christ. Jesus gave himself up in obedience to God and for our sakes and we live by recognising that sacrifice. One day every knee will bow before the sovereignty of Jesus for their will be no alternative; Jesus will be “Lord of all”. (Romans 10:12) What a privilege is ours that we are free to worship Him now for in Christ we are able to already recognise that this is indeed who he is.
Paul finds it a great joy to experience a church in such harmonious fellowship and what a joy it is to us when we too find such a godly fellowship. Yet there is also a word of caution for Paul also reminds us that we are to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling”. We should not be surprised by this statement for the bible uses salvation in several tenses; we will be saved, we are saved, we have been saved, we press on to salvation as the ultimate accomplishment of gift from God. (Philippians 3:14)
Just as Jesus was obedient to God and so accomplished God’s will, so we to are to be obedient to Jesus in all things. Yes, Jesus is Lord of all, and yes Jesus has won our salvation, so now we live in obedience to him and in true fellowship with all believers.
Prayer. Holy Lord, we thank you that you continue your saving work in us; that we may not only share in your glory but also honour you in every way. Grant that every day we may faithfully live as your children, loving you and loving each other as we live together in the harmony and peace that Jesus Christ has won for us. By the inspiration of your Holy Spirit may we live each day of our lives in true obedience to you. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Reading. Matthew 21:23-32. This passage finds Jesus in Jerusalem and it is here that he most often experienced disputes with the religious leaders and teachers of the law. These were officially authorised to be in charge of the temple but Jesus was not formally trained and therefore not a part of their group, which is why the question of authority arose. The bible often reports that Jesus spoke with authority. This does not simply mean that he spoke loudly or clearly, though he probably did both: Rather it means that when he spoke things happened, things came to pass and also people’s hearts received the truth and faith in God was stirred. All of these attributes would have caused some envy and resentment for those who had formal authority with huge earthly power but little godly power. In response to their question, Jesus does not avoid the answer but rather by referring to John the Baptist is reminding them of their unwillingness to accept the teaching of John. Their private discussion shows that John was readily accepted by the people as a true prophet but they were not willing to accept that John had any authority they recognised. They choose not to give Jesus an answer and that is when Jesus links his own authority to that of John’s; (an authority that comes from God!)
This passage currently raises the question of authority. Today we live in a world where many question the authority of Jesus. Many in our society scoff at Christianity and even at Jesus Christ himself. We should not be surprised or shocked by this for those kinds of attitudes form part of the bible’s teaching about suffering. Just as Jesus Christ and his teaching were rejected so we can expect to be rejected by those who do not believe. However our passage at least in part suggests that the acceptance of the authority of Jesus is an act of the will. The religious leaders chose not to accept the authority of Jesus for to do so would have meant they would have to give up their positions of power and privilege. Our position is in many ways very similar for if we accept the authority of Jesus then we also accept that there are many actions and attitudes that we need to avoid. Someone once said, “If Jesus is not Lord of all then he is not Lord at all!”. That is true in the personal life of a Christian and also true in the life of the church. To will to make Jesus our Lord takes not only faith but also the price of obedience!
Prayer. Holy Lord, we acknowledge you to be Lord of all. By your grace our sins are forgiven and we are set free. Only by your sacrifice can this take place and so we give you heartfelt thanks. We thank you that by your grace, enemies are turned to friends, and friends become dearer and more precious than ever before. Strengthen the bonds between us that our network of love and care would be a true reflection of your care and love of us. Let the presence of your Holy Spirit guide and direct our worship and fellowship when we join together to sing, pray and praise your name. May all we do lift high the name of Jesus. Amen.
Collect. God of superabundant mercy, you offer forgiveness to each and all; the poor and needy gladly receive your grace. May we be counted among them, never despising your mercy, nor those who find it; for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Exodus 17:1-7 The Old Testament reading for this week. This is a devotion prepared for a meeting which is really a sermon out line.
Some years ago in an auto biography of a prominent politician I remember a comment he made, ”our media no longer report the news they attempt to make the news”. There was an example of this just a few weeks ago, Sydney had a run of days either on or just over 30 deg. If all you did was listen to reports in the media you would have thought that nothing less than Armageddon was about to take place. Yes it was hot, and unseasonable but was it the end of the world, absolutely not. Had it happened before, yes. However the concern about the heat is in general of serious concern, Any Australian who has ever travelled beyond the city limits knows that to travel without water is foolhardy so we can have some sympathy with the Israelites in the wilderness.
Now all that is just a cheeky way of beginning to think about Exodus 17! Three or four points!
1.When things go wrong or we are in a tight corner it’s easier to blame someone than to think things through as we find a way forward. They blamed Moses but really they were blaming God for after all God is the one who can call the shots and so can make a real difference, i.e get me out of this pickle I am in.
2. The situation was then addressed to God. “What am I to do” So often the last place we turn to when we have concerns is to God. We explore every avenue before we turn to our God.
3The solution here did not seem to make sense but it worked. God was able to deliver. How often does an answer to a situation come from an unexpected quarter? Water does not come from rock, but it did. So the story is a miracle about God’s merciful provision.
4. But the key to all the above comes in the last sentence of the reading and faces us with the real question in real time. Massah and Meribah, “Is the Lord among us or not” In every situation this is the critical question we must face. In the end it is how we answer that question that determines how we respond to each and every event in life for it reveals just what it is that we believe. The answer we give can be quite telling.
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