'Jesus Baptism' - transcript of sermon 14th January 2025

 

Luke 15-17 & 21-22

 

I don’t know if you are aware but apparently God is called James, and he is living with Anne in South Manchester and works as a landscape gardener.

This, from a programme on Radio Four in the Illuminated series broadcast recently. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00219dj?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

This reminded me of an Assembly at my Church of England Senior School back in 1964/65. Our RE teacher, Mrs Hopkinson asked what our reaction might be if a man was to stand up in Tommy Field Market and declare that he was God incarnate. 

Perhaps the reason I remember it was because I assumed laughter would be the right response, not that I found it funny, but I laughed anyway – and was the only one who reacted in anyway.

Lancashire in the 20^th or the 21^st century is very different from 1^st Palestine where Messiahs popped up regularly. And very often disappeared just as quickly, some with the followers brutally put down by the occupying Roman forces.  

And therein lay something of the problem.

In reading prophecy about the Messiah, the main thought was that such a figure would establish the Israelite Kingdom and dispatch the Roman’s back to their own country. Then there would be peace and prosperity, perhaps even ushering in the Age to Come.

And out of the Judean wilderness come John. And we are told what John was wearing not because the Gospel writers were fashion critiques. But because John’s garb was that of a prophet, and not just any prophet but aligned with Elijah who, according to tradition was to be the harbinger of the Messiah’s arrival.  

2 Kings 1.8

They replied, “He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

The baptism of Jesus is to be found in all four Gospels, and it would be a fascinating exercise to find all the link to the Old Testament. Virtually every word and line have a reference and a link back into what we know as the Old Testament.

We haven’t got the time to take that journey this morning.

But one thought I do want to present this morning. This idea comes from a study I was listening to on a podcast recently and I thought it was very illuminating.

Let me see if I can put it in short order.

Recall King Charles 111 coronation. Several of the rituals at the coronation derive from the coronation of Israelite Kings.

Take Solomon, the son of David, anointed king during David's lifetime to secure the succession. In 1 Kings 1:39, it is described, "Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, 'Long live King Solomon!'" Solomon's coronation was marked by public acclamation and the support of key figures like Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest.

The coronation ceremonies in the Bible often involved anointing with oil, a practice that symbolized the Holy Spirit's empowerment and God's blessing upon the king. The use of oil, as seen in the anointing of Saul, David, and Solomon, was a tangible sign of consecration and divine selection. The presence of prophets and priests during these ceremonies underscored the theocratic nature of Israel's monarchy, where the king was seen as God's representative on earth.

Note, prophet, priest, anointing, acclamation.

In the New Testament, the concept of coronation takes on a messianic dimension with the recognition of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings.

What do we note in Jesus’ baptism.

We see a prophet, John the Baptist, from a line of priest, his father, Zechariah was a priest. We see the ‘anointing’ of the Holy Spirit alighting in the form of a dove.

(The dove is rich in allusion to the creation story where the ‘Spirit of God’ hovered over the waters of chaos like a mother bird over her brood, and we have the dove that brings back signs of new life to Noah.)

There is the acclamation from heaven, ‘this is my Son in whom I am well pleased.

Psalm 2.6-7

“I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.”

 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
    today I have become your father.

And interestingly, John is the last and the greatest of the prophets.

Jesus confirmed that John was a prophet. And not just any prophet, but the greatest of them all. He said: “What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:9-11).

Immediately after John’s ministry, Jesus appeared. This meant that Old Testament prophecy had ended. The shadows passed. The sun had come. John was the last prophet.

Therefore, if John is the last prophet then there are no more prophets to anoint any further Kings – Jesus comes as King, is anointed, Christ, Christus, the ‘anointed one.’

Finaly, the ultimate coronation of Christ is depicted in the heavenly vision of Revelation, where He is portrayed as the Lamb who is worthy to receive power and glory. Revelation 19:16 declares, "On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." This eschatological coronation signifies the fulfilment of God's redemptive plan and the establishment of Christ's eternal reign.

At the end of Matthews Gospel, Jesus gives what has become to be known as the Great Commission…

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Note...

1)   “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

King Jesus reigns supreme no matter how much earthly rulers strut and stride and seek to rule.

2)   Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, 

We are called to witness by word and action to everyone, everywhere, all the time.

3)   baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

We are to invite people to become the New Covenant People of God through the waters of baptism, following our Lord’s example, and signifying their being buried with Christ and rising to new life in Him.

4)  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

And the people of God said, Amen and Amen.

King Jesus is waiting so that together you can walk through this world bringing hope, light, life and healing.  

https://youtu.be/_CSzEviUc_o?si=Vb1yNWB5Cuezv6iP

 

 

 

 

 

'We justs sits and looks at each other' Weekly Reflection 12th January 2025

Would you volunteer for solitary confinement?  Very few people would and those that do find themselves in solitary confinement speak of how difficult it is and that it can have a detrimental effect on metal health. And yet solitude and silence are part of what it means to follow Jesus, albiet something we engage with voluntarily!  

At St Oswald’s we have been engaging with a course ‘Practicing the Way.’   Not so much a course as an encouragement to live differently with the underlying phrase, ‘to follow Jesus, to become like Jesus and do the things that Jesus did.’ 

https://www.practicingtheway.org/

Today I read a weekly reflection from Rural Ministries and from their CEO Simon Mattholie and he was speaking the same language, referencing the same material and books.

https://www.ruralministries.org.uk/post/be-still?mc_cid=0d8f0352d1&mc_eid=475fbb1f5f

As part of the Practising the Way Course our Connect Group that meets in our home are taking a deeper dive into one of the practises, Solitude.

The real challenge for me was the suggested practise which involved laying everything to one side, no phone or books or any ‘outside’ distraction.  I am not unfamiliar with going on a ‘Retreat’ or having a ‘Quiet Day’ but have always taken a book to read or something to do, paint or something like that. This practise suggests absolutely nothing, just you, your thoughts coming before God. This was very much the practise of the Desert Fathers and Mothers who withdrew to the deserts of Egypt away from the hustle and bustle of life in the towns and villages dotted along the bank of the river Nile during the 3^rd Century.  Their reflections and writings still offer much wisdom we can draw on.

More importantly we see that ‘… Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.’ Luke 5.16.

Put simply, if Jesus had the need to withdraw, can we expect to live a fruitful life as an apprentice of Jesus without following this practise.

However, that does not mean we should take ourselves off and away from everything. If we look at Jesus’ life we see a pattern of engagement and withdraw, engagement and withdraw.

 For us in the 21^st century we have the increased pressure of our smart phones and social media and with an anxiety over FOMO – fear of missing out. You will have noticed many people walking around or even sitting together in a restaurant or with their children and they are not engaged with what’s around them but tied to the screen.  Often when I have been out running I have nearly ran into somebody because they were not aware of things happening around them, especially dog walkers with the awful extendable leads creating the perfect trip hazard!

This has also presented a challenge to me. Because as I am running or cycling I will almost always have something playing, usually a podcast, most often with some Christian or Biblical teaching.  What I am now trying to foster is having listened to one podcast to leave space and not have any more ‘input.’  The deeper challenge however is that the ‘practise of solitude and silence’ invites us to sit still, no movement, no input from external sources, quieten and still everything including our minds that have a habit of jumping around.  There are ‘techniques’ that can help with this, and one of them is to repeat a simple phrase, or a prayer like the Jesus Prayer. An ancient practise of repeating this prayer and regulating the breath - “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

The Practise of Solitude and Silence from ‘Practising the Way’ has a suggestion that before we reach for our smart phone in the morning that we intentionally spend at least two minutes catching our breath and focussing on God without any external stimulation or input.  Two minutes is the start, by doing what we are able and how we are able and allow the practise to develop so that we can drop into this place of silence and solitude regularly and for longer periods.   As Jesus’ apprentices we learn from him how we can develop the practise of simply sitting in companionable silence before God, loving and knowing we are loved.  After all, we are human beings, not human doings!

Be still and know that I am God

Be still and know 

Be still

Be

https://youtu.be/zBngAHsAMIY?si=dTn1k0BJKC1uu_r9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Lost and Found' - weekly reflection 5th January 2025

Currently Emmerdale has a story line of a troubled teenage girl who has left home. Her disappearance went undetected for several hours because her dad thought she was asleep. She had arrived home in a drunken state and her dad assumed the reason she hadn’t got up was that she was sleeping off the effects.

It is only in Luke’s account that we get the story of Jesus in the Temple as a twelve-year-old boy. Well, actually that should be ‘young man’ because although the idea of a ‘bar mitsvah’ is modern and happens when a boy is thirteen, some scholars argue that something similar did happen, albeit without a special ceremony, at the time of Jesus.

This is an extract from one article.

Yeshua grows up and the next we hear of Him is at age twelve. In modern times a “Bar Mitzvah” is celebrated when a young Jewish man becomes age thirteen. Bar Mitzvah means “son of the Commandment”. It is a time where a young child becomes a man. And as a man he is expected to now follow the Torah to its fullest. By time many Jewish boys have memorized the Torah – the first five books of the Bible. Really! Maybe in the time of Yeshua, this age was twelve, no one knows for sure. What we do know is His family takes Him to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pesach (Passover).

The story goes like this, “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned the Boy Yeshua lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it.” Luke 2:43. Yes, it was required to go to the Temple for the Feast of Pesach, again His parents are following Torah. But, what is so interesting about this account is that Yeshua is twelve years old. The time when He would be formally recognized as a “man”.

(c) Nancy Kujawa All Rights Reserved.

https://www.jesus-was-a-rabbi.com/p/jesus-had-bar-mitzvah.html

There is a lot more fascinating detail in this story, and if you are familiar with Scripture you will recall the importance of ‘twelve’ and you will remember the story of the young girl of twelve and the woman with the issues of blood who had suffered for twelve years. (Luke chapter 8)

Tom Wright in his ‘Everyone’ commentary points out the parallel with the story of the couple of the road to Emmaus. (Luke tells his Gospel often with a focus on travelling, on a journey) The story of Jesus being ‘lost’ by Mary and Joseph begins a story that concludes with the story of the couple on the road to Emmaus when a stranger comes alongside them and joins in with the conversation. This couple believe they have ‘lost’ Jesus. (A technical detail makes the link clearer. In the Temple when approached by Mary and Jospeh, Jesus receives a slight rebuke from Mary. Jesus’ responds, ‘it was necessary that that I should be about my father’s work.’ In response to the Emmaus couple Jesus responds, ‘it was necessary that all these things should take place.’ 'It was necessary' is the same word in Greek used in both cases.)   

On reading the story of Jesus in the Temple you may have pondered how this could happen. Jesus was ‘lost’ to his parents for three days.  (Note that, three days!)

The reason is given in the story. Mary, Joseph and Jesus would have journeyed to Jerusalem with a large company of family and friends. It would be very natural to assume that Jesus was somewhere in that company. But then, they begin to get concerned and make the return trip. Going back to the Temple they find Jesus.

As we journey in the company of others throughout 2025 we might become ‘casual’ about Jesus’ presence. Like the parents of the teenager in Emmerdale, and like Mary and Joseph, we assume that Jesus is with us. And in one sense we know that he is always with us. (With over 100 verses in the Scripture making this declaration)   

However, in the busyness of life we can easily ‘loose sight of Jesus.’ Mary and Joseph had to begin to see their son in a new light, strange and puzzling as it may have been, there are always new things to learn.  The couple on the road to Emmaus had to turn and give Jesus their full attention and for them it was in the blessing and the breaking of the bread that they recognized Jesus.

Consider what steps you might put in place so that you do not lose sight of Jesus. That you simply assume he is with you. Or, perhaps that you think, well it’s okay because he is somewhere in the company of faithful.

Be honest, you may be hiding from Jesus behind a shield of others and their faith and knowledge of Jesus, living off a vicarious faith. Yes, we are called into community, but we are also called to have a personal relationship with Jesus. To know and acknowledge his presence with us 24/7, even when we might prefer not to have him around!

 (With thanks to Rev Margaret Simmons and her sermon on the 31st December 2024  at St Oswald's, Rugby that gave the inspiration for this reflection)

 

 

 

 

'Counting Heads' - Reflection Sunday 29th December 2024

Counting Heads

‘In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.’

Words that I am pretty certain you will have heard over the last week, maybe even more than once!

(And despite the popular image Mary is most unlikely to have ridden on a donkey, but possibly a donkey cart, maybe one made by Joseph!)

Much scholarly debate still surrounds this ‘orderly’ account found in Luke’s Gospel.

For some, who say there is no evidence of such a census, then question the veracity of the birth narratives with some going further to denounce the whole Jesus story as myth.

I will let you explore that for yourself as I want to reflect on the idea of a census, and its importance in the Scriptural narrative.  

Taking a census is an interesting thread throughout the Old Testament. At times it appears to be in response to a command from God, but at other times, especially later, it represents a darker motive and brings retribution.

In addition to the two military censuses in Numbers, a special numbering of the Levites was also performed. Rather than carry out military duties, these men were priests who served in the tabernacle. In Numbers 3:15 they were instructed to list every male who was 1 month old or older. The tally came to 22,000. In Numbers 4:46–48 Moses and Aaron listed all of the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle and transporting it, with the number counted being 8,580.

Near the end of his reign, King David commissioned his military leaders to conduct a census of the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba. David's commander, Joab, was reluctant to fulfil the king's command knowing the census violated God's command. This is recorded in 2 Samuel 24:1-2.

While it's not explicit in Scripture, David's motivation for the census seemed to be rooted in pride and self-reliance. Although David eventually repented of his sin, God insisted on a punishment, letting David chose between seven years of famine, three months of fleeing from enemies, or three days of severe plague. David chose the plague, in which 70,000 men died. (For more on this check out this podcast from The Bible Project - The Mountain E6: David, the Failed Intercessor on Mount Zion)

There are echoes here of Gideon’s army being reduced in size so that he couldn’t boast in his strength. (See Judges 7 for the key part of this story)

We are about to step into a new year, 2025. It is a good time to take stock.  However, as we move on into the year, we do well to heed these words of Scripture from Zechariah 4.6, ‘Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.’

And may Psalm 115.1 be our watchword in everything we do in 2025, everything!

‘Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness.’

2025

                                                      

 Let us follow Jesus into 2025 who asks us, will you come and follow me?

                                  https://youtu.be/eAYM8pWCwWk?si=TqUuC1UzIL5prj9o

'All Dressed Up for Christmass.' Transcript of sermon Midmight Communion 2024

 

Midnight Communion 2024

Matthew 1: 18-25

Doesn’t it strike you as rather odd that here we are, in Church at 11.45?

Isn’t it very peculiar that we seek to keep the place clean and yet at this time of year, here and in many of our homes we set up a tree like this one. And then, for good measure, add all sorts of lights and baubles on it. If you think about it, it is absurd. A house plant or a vase of flowers, yes, but a whole tree!

Now I know the story of its Germanic pagan origins, and Luther adding the lights, and Queen Charlotte, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria popularising the tradition, but it still strikes me as a rather odd thing to do.

And then having been rightly warning our children about stranger danger we are okay with a man in a red suit and a big beard coming into our homes because he leaves presents. 

And I am treading carefully here because we have yet another story of a well-meaning vicar who has burst the Santa Clause bubble for a class of school children this year.

This rather odd but much-loved character derives from St Nicholas Bishop of Myra, in the 4^th century and who remains a bit of mystery.  St Nicholas, in Dutch, Santa Claus, morphed into this fat jolly fellow and then becomes donned in red in Coca-Cola’s ad campaign.

And all of this, all of this is centred around a baby born in some obscure Roman province over two millennia ago. Although sometimes it is hard to see the connection.

And consider that for a moment – over two thousand years.

Think about all that has happened in that time. All the developments, for good and ill. All the wars and torment. All the rampaging diseases. All the love and cruelty. So much, so much, so very much.

And this baby is heralded as The Prince of Peace, yet that peace still appears to be as allusive as ever.

Maybe, just maybe, it is because as the carol ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ declares we have failed to heed and fully engage with the message that this baby brought to us when he became grown to man.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
Oh, hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.

And then we have the Nativity Set and all the wonderful school productions when putting on a dressing gown and a tea towel on your head is absolutely fine.

For this we must thank St Francis of Assisi who was the first to set up a live nativity in the town of Greccio, Italy in 1223.

I think we all know that the nativity scene such as this owes more to Francis’ creative imagination and later embellishments than to the birth narratives in Scripture.

Now you may be wondering where I am going with all these ponderings and questioning and puzzling.

Well, I hope to get us to think about these things and puzzle over them and ask questions and, hopefully with a smile, note the apparent absurdity of some of our Christmass traditions.

And then I like to invite you on a journey.

Out and beyond December 25^th.

And our first stop will be the 26^th December.

For the day commonly known as Boxing Day is actually St Stephen’s Day. Yes, as in the one about good king Wenceslas who looked out on the Feast of Stephen.

Stephen is what is known as the proto martyr. That is, he was the first person to die rather than deny the life and teaching of Jesus. Yes, the same one that’s lying in a manager, born of Mary.

And it didn’t stop there, nor has it.

Therefore, I invite you beyond the 25^th December and even beyond Stephen’s martyrdom.

I invite you onto a journey as we, as a Christian Faith Community, turn our steps from crib to cross, from birth to death.

‘And a sword will pierce your own soul’, Mary was told when she presented the infant Jesus in the temple.

And yet the story doesn’t end there.  It doesn’t even end at Easter or at the Ascension.

The story continues and you and I are invited to step into the story and become part of this great narrative. To sing this great Song of Salvation. A song that continues to unfold with myriad voices joining in the songs of the angel and the archangels and the whole company of heaven and all of God’s people across the world.

However, there are two refrains which you can sing…

O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Or we could sing, 

O come let us ignore him, O come let us ignore him, O come let us ignore him, Christ the Lord!

On that, let me close off with some words from the Letter to the Hebrews chapter 2 as written in The Message version.

It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him.  All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

Ignore Christ the Lord or invite Him into your life – it’s your choice.

However, because of that first Christmass you can start over and begin a new day....

https://youtu.be/LhDpp4iz2dQ?si=Ul5JzgnEU_0pAt-P

'Christmass through the ages.' Reflection 22nd December 2024

 Jane and I recently visited Charlecote House, Packwood House and Badesley Clinton. Each house was dressed for Christmass, Charlecote was Tudor, Badesley Clinton was Victorian and Packwood House was the 1920's.

It was fascinating to reflect on the changes and the ‘mood’ of the time. For the Tudors it was very much a religious festival with an emphasis on feasting and celebration.  The Victorian’s brought many of the Christmass traditions we know today with a greater focus on the family. It was a picture of the Royal Family around a Christmass tree that boosted that idea.  The perfect family, the perfect food, making for the perfect celebration. Gift giving increased and Christmass cards and crackers also became a common feature.  All this very much influenced by Charles Dicken’s and ‘The Christmass Carol.’  In the 1920’s it was all glitz and glam as war time austerity gave way to a boom period and a lot of the ‘stuffy old ways’ were cast off. 

I wonder what might be said of our time?

Certainly, the Christian emphasis has declined.  I remember going to a Christmass Service in HMP Stafford. They were always splendid occasions, and such was their popularity they had to run two Services.  One time there was a sketch where a newspaper reporter was dispatched because there was news of a special baby that was going to be born. Enter, Mary and Joseph, yes, both male prisoners!  Then as the photographer lined them up he said, “no something is missing. We need a bit more atmosphere.” Some animals were brought in, again men dressed up.  And it continued as the photographer brought on more and more people and more and props and things, presents, Christmass tree.  As all this was happening, Mary, Joseph and the baby were being obscured and couldn’t been seen anymore. At this the photographer said, “right, now that’s the perfect Christmass picture.” 

It was a very powerful message and sadly one that holds true as the focus on the birth of the Christ child shifts more towards the gift giving and the ‘illusion’ of what makes for the perfect Christmass.  

Gordon Bailey put it well in a simple line…

Christmas/sacred or Christ/massacred – it depends on where you draw the line!

That is the reason you will notice I always spell Christmass with two ss at the end. (I have taught my spell checker to accept this.) Remembering that the name ‘mass’ comes from the Latin word missa. In Latin the Mass ended with Ite missa est which translated into English means “Go, it is sent,” the “it” being the Church. The Mass gets its name from the liturgical dismissal at its conclusion.

This is then linked to Missio Dei , a Latin Christian theological term that can be translated as the "mission of God", or the "sending of God".

Christ Mass – Christmass sums this up perfectly – Jesus the God sent one.

And I also find people occasionally question why I have spelled Christmass incorrectly, which gives an opportunity to explain. Christmass is God’s Mission in sending the Saviour who comes to bring reconciliation of all things.

However, for that to be realised we must follow the Missio Dei from the Child in the Crib to the Christ on the Cross. The crib and cross are inextricably linked. It may be a tad controversial, but I would argue that ‘baby’ Jesus does not bring peace or even salvation. Baby Jesus could only do what all babies do!  We have to allow him to grow up, watch him do the things he did and heed the words he says and the message he brings.

        Thorns and straw go together....

https://youtu.be/uzNOKLuKjsM?si=fNHsHxAVqAKYHmge

 

'A Life on Show' - Reflection 15th December 2024

 One of the current concerns in the UK at the moment is the increased use of facial recognition cameras. Speaking personally, I am a bit ambivalent and think that if you have nothing to hide, then what’s the issue.  Of course, in places like China or Russia it would be very different. And of course, for those who go into prison regularly photo ID is par for the course.

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent when ‘traditionally’ we think of John the Baptist as we did at St Oswald’s this morning.

John’s mission can be summarised by a simple phrase of, ‘someone who points to Jesus.’

John 1:29

 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Interestingly on the last two Sunday’s I have had someone comment on the way I engage with sung worship and prayers during our Morning Worship. I wasn’t aware of doing anything ‘special’ but obviously I had caught a couple of people’s eyes and brought them encouragement.

Today, as we explored John the Baptist (to be correct that should be John the Baptizer) we considered Luke 3.1-18.  We were invited to notice John’s message, certainly brusque and blunt and yet bearing something important to note.

First there is the call to repent.  Repentance here is something akin to Zacchaeus change of heart. I am also reminded of the Grinch, much beloved by our grandchildren. He had to change and have his heart ‘enlarged.’  Also, Dicken’s ‘Christmass Carol.’ We had a real treat last week when we went to Rugby Theatre to see a brilliant  performance. Then there is an excellent modern rendition of The Christmass Carol with Ross Kemp playing the part of Scrooge as a modern-day money lender in a deprived area of London. Produced in 2000 it is just a tad dated but is still very moving and forms part of our 'annual Christmass watch.' . A key element in this adaptation is that Scrooge after his ‘visits’ think he can make amends by using money.   He must learn to repent, to have a total change of heart and then that is followed by financial recompense.  It is a beautiful and poignant story told in this way.  

Thus, John declares, ‘Bear fruits worthy of repentance.’

That’s the second thing to notice. Our repentance leads to ‘fruitfulness.’  

And John goes on to lay out what that fruitfulness might look like by referencing what many of Israel’s prophets had said in ages past.

There must be a care for the poor and the marginalised.  If we hold onto more than ‘our daily bread’ we might be denying someone else of getting their own daily bread by our greed and fear of scarcity.

And tax collectors, (was one of these Zacchaeus who continued to chew over John’s message?) - well they must stick to the rules and be honest. Practically that might mean a serious reduction in income.

Then the soldiers, ‘what must we do?”  From John’s answer to them we learn we must not abuse our power and authority.

Some might think that pointing people to Jesus means a verbal declaration. And of course, it does mean that, but also so much more. “I can’t hear what you are saying because your actions are getting in the way.”

Everything we do, say or are, every word, every action, if we are seeking to be true apprentices to Jesus, will point to him and not to us. We follow Jesus, to become like Jesus and do the things that Jesus did.

^“He must become greater; I must become less.”  John 3.30

In summary:

a) Repentance

b) Fruitfulness

c) Stick to the rules

d) Do not abuse power and authority

During the upcoming Christmass season we will probably be engaging with a whole raft of people, family, friends and even visitors to some of our activities at Church.

As we reflect on John the Baptist, and heed his message, we could use the above as a sort of check list on how well we are doing in pointing people towards Jesus and away from ourselves. And like our friend Zaccheaus, that all begins with repentance - but by no means ends there!