See something exciting and it’s worth passing the message on.
That’s exactly what I found myself doing as I was walking home on Friday early in the evening. The sun had not long since gone down, it was a beautifully clear evening sky. And it was so wonderful I simply had to passage the message on. I rang, first Felicity who straightaway rang someone else, then Dave who straightaway passed it on to Lake and had him outside too, then Phil who was going to pass it on to Lynsey and take her mind off other things.
So what was so wonderful?
Maybe you saw it.
It was a young 3 day old moon, a slither of a crescent lying on its back … and causing a high tide that would lead the next morning to a five star bore on the River Severn. What’s more the whole of the rest of the moon was lit up by sunlight reflected from the earth – it’s called earthshine. What made it so special was that as close as could be brighter than any star was Venus, and immediately above Venus, a hundred times fainter, and yet still clearly to be seen in all its red glory, with the naked eye, Mars.
Something special, worth passing on.
You get the feeling that’s what’s happening as Luke gets fully into the swing of telling the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus.
John the Baptist had arrived on the scene with a powerful message that shook the powers that be to the core and ended up in his arrest by Herod Antipas, the Herodian ruler of that region of Galilee. John pulled no punches in pointing the finger at the injustices the Herodian dynasty and of Herod himself. His message was simple – it was nothing less than ‘the Gospel’ ‘Good News’.
The finest summary of it is found in Matthew’s gospel – Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven had come near. Have a whole new way of looking at the world, for the rule of God is breaking in on earth just as it is in heaven.
John imprisoned, the message could not be contained for already John had passed it on.
And the remarkable thing was that Jesus had taken it up. Exactly the same message – it’s Good news he has come to proclaim. That’s nowhere clearer than in matthew’s Gospel who sums up Jesus’ message in exactly the same words.
Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven had come near. Have a whole new way of looking at the world, for the rule of God is breaking in on earth just as it is in heaven.
Sustained by prayer, able only to work in the strength of God’s presence with him, Jesus is driven into the wilderness the place where the message he has is tested to its limits.
He is not going to peddle in instant gratification by turning stones to bread, taking power the world’s way; he is not going to put God to the test – he stands his ground and starts his ministry teaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
Luke gives us the chance to be a fly on the wall of the gathering that happens in Nazareth.
And we catch a glimpse of what this Kingdom’s values are. No wonder the powers that be, the ruling classes of the day took such offence at him
Good news to the poor, period, as someone wrote in the Echo this week
Release to the captivves
Recovery of sight to the blind
The proclamation of the year of the Lord’s favour.
This was wonderful in the ears of the people who were listening – it meant one thing as far as they were concerned. Good news for us. And it would put paid to them – the Gentile power that had taken charge of their land.
This was what they had been waiting for – today the words were fulfilled. Their messianic hopes fulfilled.
But Jesus told two stories – of how Elijah came to the Gentile widow of Zarephath, and Elisha came to the Gentle commander of the Syrian army.
For the good news was not for us over against them. The good news was for all – breaking down the barriers between us and them with it wonderful good news to the Poor.
This was not to be kept to Jesus – Jesus was passing it on for all he was worth.
He calls those first fishermen disciples to pass it on.
Of all the people he chooses next it’s one of the publican – those quizlings who worked for Rome at the expense of the local people and were despised for it, Levi.
There are all sorts of questions – Jesus is challenged on the minutiae of the letter of the Law as you can find it in all its detail in those first five books – those holiness laws especially in Leviticus. What about fasting? And he spoke of new wine in new wine skins.
And then his followers started harvesting grain as they walked through a grain field – horror of horrors breaking all those detailed regulations abouyt the Sabbath – and then Jesus spoke of himself as The Son of Man and claimed to be lord of the Sabbath. Could he over-ride the detail of Leviticus 24:5-9? Then there’s a man with a withered hand – on the Sabbath? Putting people over the detail of the law again?
This came as a shock to many of the most religious: they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
But this was good news to pass on.
And Jesus wanted to pass it on.
And so he came to name 12 whom he named ‘apostles’ – ones sent for that very task – to pass on the good news. This was a key moment for Jesus.
And so what does Jesus do?
He went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.
Pass it on.
The task starts in prayer. How important prayer is in the task we have to share.
And when day came he called his diciples – the many who had begun to learn from him.
And he chose 12 of them and named them apostles.
12? Just as there had been 12 who had given their name to the tribes of Israel perhaps. As if Jesus was calling into being a new kingdom, a new Israel.
And what a mixed bunch they were.
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, [they were the ones who wanted armed rebellion] 16and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
So what is it that this Gospel entails that is so important to pass on?
In 17 – 19 Luke presents us the two sides to the whole story of the life and mission of Jesus.
It involves bringing healing to hurting people.
And it involves a whole new way of thinking of the world, a whole new set of priorities that Jesus maps out in his teaching.
7 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
The wonderful thing is that those 12 apostles, all those disciples around them took the challenge seriously.
They did pass it on.
And on
And on.
And it has been passed on to us.
And essentially, our task is to do exactly this.
To bring healing to people who hurt. Through prayer, and healing does happen. Through practical things we can do to alleviate suffering. It is at the heart of our pastoral care, it is at the heart of what motivates followers of Jesus to be practically involved in helping people in a hurting world.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a clear statement of what that teaching was that Jesus challenged his followers to pass on?
Well that’s exactly what Luke offers us.
Just as we have been a fly on the wall in that synagogue in Nazareth so we can be a fly maybe on one of the stone walls as Jesus has come down from the mountain on to the level place, the plain.
Isn’t it interesting how things work out.
Justin Welby’s tunure as Archbishop of Canterbury is a fasincaing one. He comes from the city, From the world of finance. He was put on a Governmnet committee to recommend changes to the Banking system in the wake of the banking scandals because of his business acumen.
And now he has joined forces in the Bishops letter which has caused such a furore. I do recommend that you read the actual document itself. Don’t just go on the newspaper reports of what they said.
Follow this link to access the letter from the House of Bishiops ...Who is my Neighbour? The letter from the House of Bishops about the 2015 General Election
It’s not party political.
It is, however, unequivocal in setting out the priorities followers of Jesus should seek from those who would form a government in the forthcoming election.
In these words is the measure from Jesus himself of what those values are.
It’s short enough to read at one go … and that’s what I am going to do. No commentary.
Simply the words of Jesus as recorded by Luke – and then judge for yourselves whether what the bishops letter had to say has any value?
It will be interesting to see what our candidates have to say – the hustings meeting is scheduled for 16th April at St Andrew’s.
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 ‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 ‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
27 ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’
39 He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42Or how can you say to your neighbour, “Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
The Two Foundations
46 ‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord”, and do not do what I tell you? 47I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.’
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