Opening sentence. The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it. Psalm 24:1
Collect. Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. May we find peace in your service now, and in the world to come, see you face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Reading. Ephesians 1:3-14. Until the 19th century the authorship of this letter was never questioned but in the last two centuries there has been much debate as to authorship. Today the general consensus is that if not Paul, then a very close associate of his has written this encouraging letter. The other debating point is to whom was the letter intended as the earliest manuscripts do not include the mention of Ephesians in the introductory greeting. The letter was written not only for the church at Ephesus but to encourage all the churches in Paul’s missionary circle. As such Ephesians is a letter of great value to any congregation today. The letter opens by reminding every believer how blessed we are by God the Father through the merits of Jesus Christ. As privileged people we should be continually blessing God for all that he has done on our behalf. Paul’s understanding is that each of us as believers was chosen before the foundation of the world was made. If we choose to ponder that thought for just a moment we begin to see how incredible is God’s love and foresight on our behalf. God provided a pathway through Jesus to be holy and blameless before him. Holy in this sense means that we are set apart for God alone. Furthermore we are set apart as a people of purity fitted for an intimate relationship with Almighty God.
Through Jesus we have become adopted children. Under Roman law an adopted son was equally valued as an inheritor as was a natural born offspring. That is why Paul can write in his letter to the Corinthians that all of God’s promises are “Yes” in Jesus Christ. (2Corinth 1:20). How great are the benefits of God’s blessing through Jesus.
Then in verse 7 Paul reminds us that all our trespasses are forgiven. We need to note the plural as it makes a difference to how we read this promise; God has forgiven our trespasses. From the foundation of the world through Jesus Christ we have been taken from our state of sin, which is due to our carnal nature (our natural nature which was polluted by the fall) and transferred into the kingdom of God with a purity we had not known before. In Christ we are a brand new creation; God has given us the fresh start we needed. (2 Corinth 5:17) However as children of God we do stray away from God and make mistakes. Through God’s graciousness the mistakes we make can be blotted out through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The destiny that God has set for us, to be sharers in the New Creation that God is establishing through Jesus continues to be available. The gift that verifies that promised destiny is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the Spirit who draws us back when we have strayed and it is the Spirit who keeps Jesus at the forefront of our lives as we live out each day. We live out the obedient life of faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that the one needful thing is to be constantly praising God for all that he has done on our behalf through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer. How can we be kept from shouting your praise O Lord our God for you have been so good to us, good beyond our wildest imagining and beyond all our deserving. Help us today to meditate on the great blessings that you have poured out on us. Help us to carry with us those thoughts of you that will set our minds at peace and fill our hearts with joy. May we live in the good of your blessing today and every day. Amen
Lord God, our Saviour and Redeemer, we pray for your church throughout the world, that Christians may respond wholeheartedly to your love by committing themselves to the service of your kingdom, with faith strengthened by a living experience of Christ’s presence. Give to the church the courage and power that is needed to fully and effectively share in the outreach that is Christ’s will for his people. With freedom and courage may we each follow where Christ leads, for the honour of his name. Amen. (Adapted from The Church Missionary Society)
Reading. Mark 6:14-29. Remembering how uplifting and edifying the reading was from Ephesians this section from Mark’s gospel reminds us just how debased human nature can become. The Herod we read of in this portion of scripture is Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great. This ruling family was full of intrigue and distrust. Violence amongst its members was not uncommon. One commentator once made the point that it was safer to be Herod the Greats’ dog than one of Herod’s sons. Herod Antipas was a weak and insecure man. He used his power as a tyrant. He was Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea which meant he ruled an area only a quarter the size of his father’s kingdom.
Herod Antipas was married to Phasa’el, the daughter of the king of Nabataea. However he seduced his brother’s wife Herodias who then divorced and they were subsequently married. To marry his brother’s wife while his brother was still alive was a prohibited relationship and as well as that Herodias was also his niece. This action against the law of God was more than John the Baptist could stand. He regularly denounced this behavior regarding Herodias.
Herod’s guilt meant he could not accept the criticism of John. He was never a popular ruler and John’s preaching could have easily stirred up the people against him. Equally virulent was the hatred Herodias had for John and so John was arrested and imprisoned. The sad recounting of John’s beheading shows how weak Herod was but also how guilt can wreck a person’s life.
For the king’s daughter to dance for his guests was in itself a shameful thing and highly questionable but that only hints at the degradation that Herod was prepared to tolerate.
Mark introduces this remembrance of John’s murder by recalling that Herod had heard of all that Jesus was doing. Origen, one of the early church fathers remarked that John and Jesus bore a close resemblance to each other so it is perhaps not surprising that Herod thought that Jesus was John returned from the dead. The account of John’s death with its destructive and immoral themes stands in stark contrast to the wholesome life and peace that Jesus proclaimed.
Herod Antipas was emperor Tiberius protégé. On his death just a few years later, when Caligula became emperor Antipas was banished into exile and we hear no more of him. Mark’s point could hardly have been clearer, without Jesus failure and obscurity but with Jesus, hope, and peace and eternal joy with God.
Prayer. Lord you called ordinary people to serve you and by your gifts and presence they became effective in your name. Fill those who lead us with the power of your gifts, that they may guide the church along godly paths. By your grace keep us on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ the one true head of the church. Keep us all, sound in faith, holy in life and abounding in your gifts and graces. Grant that we may all be one in love and purpose and work most diligently for your honour and glory. Give us sincere motives as we work for you and may we accomplish what you desire of us. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect. God our refuge and strength, you call us to give ourselves to Christ, whether life is long or brief; ground us in your love and anchor us in your grace, that we may find peace and joy in knowing you; this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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