St Matthew 25: 1 – 13

‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”  Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.”  But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.”  And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.  Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.”  But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”  Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Reflection

The bridesmaids were divided into two equally-sized groups: Team Wise and Team Foolish.  Team Wise probably had some members who had been Guides in their youth and knew all about the importance of being prepared. Instinctively, they would have taken everything that could possibly be needed for a mission like this, particularly oil for the lamps.  Team Foolish were not prepared and had failed to remember even basic things.  I have much sympathy for them as someone who frequently fails to remember things that are needed for a trip or activity. We might scoff at the stupidity of forgetting the fuel for the lamps but how many of us have gone somewhere, pulled out our mobile phone and discovered that it has run out of charge?  Unlike the equality given to the two groups by Jesus, I suspect that more of us are in Team Foolish than Team Wise. It’s not that we set out to be unprepared, it may be that we’re under time pressures, too busy, tired or even overcome with excitement and get distracted and forget. Things get in the way; “being prepared” takes skill and practice However, too much focussing on preparing can mean that the real task never gets done.

Jesus concludes his parable by referring to the uncertain timing of his second coming.  In the parable, he is encouraging alertness and vigilance as much as excessive preparation. The bridegroom is Jesus and the wedding feast represents the kingdom to which admission will be denied to those who are not ready. We each have our part to play in the preparation for the kingdom. We have to be alert both spiritually and physically to whatever Jesus wants us to do for him. We have to be diligent in our discipleship. We are the hands of Jesus on earth, the labourers in the fields; taking on whatever tasks have been set aside for us by him: prayerfully discerned and timely in execution.

Prayer

Loving God,
help us to be ever ready, fully charged, 
and prepared for whatever you want us to do.
Help us to recognise you in the world 
and see the people that you want us to help 
and situations where you want us to serve you.
Help us to work diligently, 
to do our bit in building your kingdom here on earth.
Amen

St Matthew 24: 45 – 51

‘Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time?  Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.  Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.  But if that wicked slave says to himself, “My master is delayed”, and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Reflection

“I’m tired of all these young interviewees telling me they want a job with responsibility.  They don’t.  Responsibility is power with accountability, and they only want the power.”  That’s what a sceptical (or cynical) colleague from the HR department once told me.  How well do you use power, especially when the one who gives it to you is not around to hold you to account?  A householder appoints one of his slaves as steward over the household.  This even includes being responsible for food distribution, which gives him godlike power over the others, able to give or withhold from them their “daily bread.”

In Jesus’s cartoon like parable a wicked steward misuses his master’s power to beat up others, then indulge himself in drinking bouts, presumably financed with his master’s money.  He has power, but the moment of accountability is coming.  The householder returns and metes out severe punishment, though the fact that in this story someone can be both cut into pieces, and at the same time sent to be with the hypocrites,  should caution us against reading it in too literal a fashion.

Yet the question remains: in the light of this parable, how will we use the power that God grants us?  Jesus suggests that it’s not enough for us just to sit quietly whilst we await the arrival of the perfect day.  Here and now, today, we’re expected to act, and to do so responsibly.  We’re to treat the rest of the household well, not just indulge ourselves.  And remember, around here, God’s whole household includes not only the other people, but also the other creatures, and the fabric of the earth itself as well.

So, please act responsibly, and do so today.

Prayer

Generous God,
thank you for the responsibility you have granted me 
in how I can relate to others, whoever or whatever they might be.
May I always act justly and kindly.
May you ever find me at work for you.
Amen.

St Matthew 24: 36 – 44

‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,  and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.  Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Reflection

When I was younger, this reading troubled me in its seeming unfairness. In particular verses 40 and 41.

Two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left behind. Two women will be grinding at the hand-mill; one is taken and one is left behind. 

How could two people be working so closely together yet one would be taken and the other saved? And why?

Over the years witnessing how floods, wild fires and earthquakes damage all in their wake indiscriminately, I have come to understand that such dramatic events are no selector of victims. Regardless of what is happening in the world at the time, natural disasters take away the best of people. We can be forgiven for thinking these natural disasters predict the end of times, a time when ‘the Son of Man will come again’. However, we live in a time of ‘not yet’ for no one knows except God himself when that time will be. In the meantime, we are called to live our lives in readiness.

Practicing the values Jesus taught us: loving and caring for our neighbours near and far; rising above the indifference and selfishness of the society we live in; working for peace and justice across the world, however remote a possibility that might seem. We try to live each day committing ourselves to working for a world of which we dream in the knowledge that we will be ready when the time comes. It would be a lot easier to prepare if we knew when and where that would happen…but we don’t. So we must live in hope that, on the day when the Son of Man arrives, we are ready and waiting to participate in whatever happens next.  

Prayer

Lord, we see for ourselves 
how natural disasters take away, indiscriminately, 
people we consider to be working for your kingdom.
We know we cannot predict the time we will be taken, 
but, we pray that you will help us prepare ourselves in the right way.
Teach us to be compassionate seekers of peace and justice; 
ignoring the snares and temptations of our modern society.
May we be ready when you come again. Amen    

 
Today’s service is led by The Revd Lisa Moore Wilson
 

Welcome and Introduction  
 
Hello, and a warm welcome to you wherever you are listening to this service.  We come before God in prayer with our call to worship, let’s pray.
 
Call to Worship
 
O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Amen
 
Hymn       All My Hope on God is Founded
Joachim Neander (1650-1680) paraphrased Robert Bridges (1844-1930)
Public Domain sung by Gareth Moore at the Isle of Man Methodist Church and used with his kind permission.
 
 

All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew.
Me through change 
and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown, he alone
calls my heart to be his own.
 
2 Human pride and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil we fashion,
tower and temple, fall to dust.
But God’s power, hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.
 
3 God’s great goodness 
aye endureth,
deep his wisdom passing thought;
splendour, light, and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of nought.
Evermore from his store
new-born worlds rise and adore.
 
4 Daily doth the almighty giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.

The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
and he is mine for ever.
 
2 Where streams of living water flow
with gentle care he leads me,
and where the verdant pastures grow
with heavenly food He feeds me.
3 Perverse and foolish I have strayed,
but yet in love he sought me,
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home rejoicing brought me
 
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
with you, dear Lord, beside me;
your rod and staff my comfort still,
your Cross before to guide me.

5 You spread a table in my sight;
Your saving grace bestowing;
and O joy and true delight
from your pure chalice flowing!
 
6 And so through all the length of days
thy goodness fails me never:
good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within your house for ever.

Sermon
 
In the sermon below I have linked the passages below along the themes of understanding others and building our relationship with God based on honesty and vulnerability. However you could take one or more of the ideas mentioned and build on those for your sermon:
 
The theme of today’s readings is centred around our expectations of others – particularly our expectations of God and God’s expectations of us. 
 
As they journey through the wilderness, the Israelites become increasingly disillusioned as in their perception, that longed for freedom turns out to be just as hard as their lives in captivity. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to judge, travelling through desert terrain year after year can not have been easy.  And after all ,they have obeyed God, journeying in stages according to his instructions, they are doing the right thing so why is it all going wrong?
 
Moses, as God’s mouthpiece and the instigator of this journey bears the brunt of their anger. Moses goes to God and honestly lays out his situation and despair and is guided to find water for the people. 
 
It points to getting the measure of each other, the people of God and God of the people. A dictionary definition of this is “To form an opinion about somebody’s character or abilities, especially so that you know how to deal with them.”
 
It sets the scene that to deal with people, God is going to have to give them a lot of support but he will accept them just as they are. The people are going to have to learn to trust and accept God even if they find it difficult to understand why things are as they are.
 
As we then take a journey through scripture we see these themes being repeated. People just still not quite fully grasping the nature of God and God trying to work through ordinary people and situations to try to reach them. Of course ultimately, God sends his Son amongst the people to try to hammer the message home.
 
Our New Testament story is one very familiar to us. It’s been taught in many ways often to the detriment of the woman who tradition names as Photina. We’ll give her this name as we talk about her today hopefully with less judgement.
 
Because despite finding herself in an awkward situation, alone with a man of another faith, she doesn’t seem to be ashamed or shy away from Jesus, she is quite prepared to ask him why he is speaking to her and how he’s going to draw water with no vessel to draw it with. 
 
I’m beginning to think Jesus quite liked a bit of feistiness, a bit of spirit – excuse the pun! Think of the other women who met with him; the Syro-Phoenician woman was certainly capable of standing up for herself and her family when Jesus made disparaging remarks, the woman accused of adultery and the woman who touched the hem of his cloak also showed great courage and all of them and I hope, us too, learn from their encounters. Like them Photina, appears to be a woman who is open to learning and to taking on a new challenge.
 
Commentaries can suggest Photina was at the well at midday because she had been shunned by society for having had five husbands and was even now in an ‘irregular’ relationship. Of course, we’re not told anything about the circumstances which led to this – perhaps that’s something to consider another time! But whatever the circumstances, she finds herself at the well and this is no ordinary well, this is Jacob’s well. Wells are places where people meet and talk – Jacob met Rachel at a well and Moses met his wife Zipporah at a well. As Sarah Moore pointed out in her sermon on this passage the setting of this story underlines for us that this is a formation of a new relationship, not a marriage in this case, but a woman coming into a relationship with Jesus, the Messiah. 
 
Drawing water was an everyday activity so we see that Jesus comes alongside people, simply as they go about their lives. As he begins to explain to the woman about the living water, she begins to understand that her expectations of who God is are going to have to change. In the Exodus passage, the appearance of physical water marks a need for people to change and trust God. In this story – it’s the spiritual water that marks the transformation of this woman’s thinking.
 
Jesus tells her God is spirit not some far away being. The question of where God should be worshipped was one that divided the Jews and the Samaritans. On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the Jews and on Mount Gerizim for the Samaritans.  Jesus is making a more radical claim still, that God is not distant but actually standing right in front of this woman and that God is Spirit. Given these events take place before the coming of the Holy Spirit, these must have been astonishing claims. 
 
It carried deep significance for John’s readers, early Christians who were being driven out of the synagogues. And John was writing after the destruction of the temple, reassuring them that the days of temple worship were over and God was indeed among them. 
 
Just as Photina was having to change her expectations about who and where God was so were the early Christians. God had not changed but how they saw God would need to.
 
So there are a lot of characteristics of what makes good reciprocal relationships in both of our stories – there is acceptance and honesty and vulnerability.
 
Moses is honest with God about the situation he finds himself in when leading the people in the desert, Photina is honest about her living circumstances. It makes her vulnerable, but Jesus also makes himself vulnerable in asking a stranger for help. Jesus accepts her and she accepts him. Both Moses and Photina are blessed by their relationship with God and both go on to play their part in the harvest that Jesus outlines. 
 
“But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.” Jesus has sowed the seeds and Photina it seems continues to work of the harvest.
 
Cast your mind back to a time when you first fell in love with someone or when you made friends with someone that you just clicked with. Somehow we become more energised and we often want to tell people about our new friendship and what it’s done for us.
 
It seems this is exactly what Plotina does. Despite being a woman from a people despised by Jewish society she becomes an evangelist. Once again, we see God working through the most unexpected people. She returns home to tell people about this man who despite her status treated her with respect and made her realise that life perhaps held different possibilities, he certainly made enough of an impression that she wanted to speak to others.  Tradition has it Photina went onto to spread the gospel and actually became a martyr.
 
At the moment it feels like we are living in an uncertain world, ruled by fear and filled with binary opinions with people quickly falling in and out of favour. Perhaps some of the incidents in these readings remind you of these things?
 
And perhaps we can learn from the people in these stories. We can remember that God calls ordinary and unexpected people to help and that everyone is valued.
 
In the week ahead, you may like to think about your own expectations of God?
 
Where do you sense God’s presence, do you blame God or turn to God when things don’t go to plan? Are you always honest with God? Are you prepared to be surprised? Are you prepared to be changed?  Are you prepared to engage with people who aren’t like you? Water changes things simply by being itself. Are you prepared to let yourself be that living, flowing water to change things for God? Amen
 
Hymn       I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say
Horatius Bonar (1808-1889) Public Domain sung by the Sunday 7pm Choir at St Francis De Sales Catholic Church, Ontario, Canada and used with their kind permission.
 

I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘Come unto me and rest;
lay down, thou weary one, lay down
thy head upon my breast.’
I came to Jesus as I was,
weary and worn and sad,
I found in him 
a resting-place,
and he has made me glad.
 
2 I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘Behold, I freely give
the living water; thirsty one,
stoop down and drink and live.’
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, 
my soul revived,
and now I live in him.

3 O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Never let me wander from thee never leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above!
 
Blessing
 
Go knowing you have drunk living water
and go out to pour that living water for those who are still thirsty
in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

St Matthew 24: 9 – 35

‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.

‘So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; someone on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house;  someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat.  Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days!  Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath.  For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.  Then if anyone says to you, “Look! Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!”—do not believe it.  For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  Take note, I have told you beforehand. 

So, if they say to you, “Look! He is in the wilderness”, do not go out. If they say, “Look! He is in the inner rooms”, do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

‘Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and great glory.  And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Reflection

A dark passage indeed, perhaps what started out as a great adventure from paradise went astray. Sometimes, going on a great adventure is something we have to do! Whether one we planned with care, or one into which we are mysteriously drawn by the pull of the Spirit.

My recent pilgrimage to Lindisfarne was such an adventure — a crossing over shifting sands, guided by tide and ancient poles, where sky and earth meet in a wide silence. Each step, taken between land and sea, perhaps a prayer; each breathe, a reminder perhaps, that faith itself is a journey across uncertain ground.

I went expecting peace and history, but returned with a deeper awareness of time, fragility, and the shimmering thread of hope that runs through all creation.

Yet what if this adventure wasn’t part of the plan? What if the world’s noise distracts us, its suffering overwhelms us, and our vision narrows until we can’t see the way through. Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 remind us that the world will shake, the familiar will crumble, and signs of chaos will appear; not the failures of the journey but the reality of it. The desolating sacrilege that creation is enduring; for now.

Pilgrimage, like discipleship, takes us through both beauty and desolation, through sunlight and shadow alike. Yet, after the trepidation, the exploration, the discoveries and lessons, there comes the deep longing to go home. But where is home now? 

Perhaps home has become wherever the promise of Christ’s coming fills the horizon. On Lindisfarne, the rhythm of tide and prayer, wind and silence, whispered that home is found not in the safety of walls, but in the steadfastness of God.

Can we see the tender shoots of the fig tree? The green signs of life returning after the storm are God’s quiet assurances that His word shall not pass away. The adventure of faith never truly ends—it ripens, season after season, toward new fruitfulness in His light.

Prayer

Christ of the tides and the turning seasons,
You call us to journey across shifting sands and uncertain seas.
When the winds rise and our hearts grow weary,
be our stillness, our compass, our home.
Plant within us the tender shoots of faith,
that we may see Your promise in every dawn and every storm.
Keep us watchful for Your coming,
and rooted always in the steadfast love of God.
Amen.

St Matthew 24: 1 – 8

As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’  Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray.  For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places:  all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Reflection

A tutor at college once said that one wonder of Scripture is how, like a communion loaf, it breaks open differently every time. This time this text sparked two images into my brain, the first of which was a dramatic reading from Roots. It had one disciple poking fun at another for remarking at the ‘Large Stones’ on the Temple Mount which was a refreshing and humorous take on the humanity of the disciples. 

The second image flashing into my mind was when I was on a Holy Land pilgrimage, standing there in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem and indeed marvelling at the undeniably large and impressive stones in that place, the nearest one to the site of the former Temple and as in our text, pretty much absolutely destroyed by the Romans, just as Jesus predicted. 

And yet, what remains is still incredibly powerful both physically and theologically. Celtic spirituality talks of ‘thin places’ and that spot, where millennia of prayers have been shared, was palpably ‘thin’ indeed! 

I had assumed that as a non-Jew I would have to observe it from a distance but was informed that if I approached reverentially and wearing a kippah on my head I would be able to do so. 

Being reverential wasn’t a problem as I became totally overawed by the wall and the number of folk simply standing and praying either in gentle chants or in silence. I walked right up to stare at one huge stone with hundreds of hand-written prayers on pieces of paper stuffed into the joins. 

Emotionally overwhelmed I reached out, held that ancient rock and prayed for peace. 

Peace hasn’t yet come and nations still “rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, with famines and earthquakes” but my prayer continues to be prayed both there as I left it, and here, passionately repeated daily.

Prayer

Put peace into each other’s hands
and like a treasure hold it,
protect it like a candle flame
with tenderness enfold it.’
(Fred Kaan – 1929-2009)

May we continue to pray fervently, passionately and in hope for the peace that our world, which desperately needs it. Amen

Opening Words for Worship in a Time of War

Dear Friends,

One of our more gifted liturgists, the Revd Phil Nevard, has written these words for the opening responses of worship.  He is happy for them to be freely used wherever it is helpful.
 

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship
 

St Matthew 23: 29 – 36
 
‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, “If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors.  You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?  Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.  Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
 
Reflection
 
I don’t suppose anyone reading this has physically killed a prophet, but are we guilty of “killing” God’s messages by ignoring or rejecting them as too hard, or from fear of not being good enough or not having the right words or skill set ?
 
But what is a prophet ? One dictionary definition is: “someone regarded as being in contact with God, speaking on God’s behalf and serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from God to others”.
 
As we read the Bible, the prophets and their messages are clearly identified. God uses them to communicate warnings, comfort, hope, direction, judgments, or promises. Such messages were not always well received, hence Jesus’ references to prophets being ill-treated or murdered. Prophecies can be hard to hear, deliver and act upon.
 
But what of now? God’s communication with humankind has evolved over time, as has our knowledge and understanding of the world, and we believe that God speaks to each of us personally. And in this sense, are we not all prophets? Each being in relationship with God, and as his disciples, required to respond to his message.
 
But discerning whether the ideas and thoughts we have are messages from God is the crux of it.
 
Such thoughts and ideas may enter our consciousness through the persistent ‘nudge’ or thought that won’t go away, our experiences with social media, AI, TV news, our interactions with other people of any faith or none, embracing nature as God’s creation – a whole variety of ways.
 
But we are warned against false prophets and prophecies, so how do we discern the true messages of God? If the message is from God, be it to us, a group or for the public good, it can be tested against the question -“is it loving?”  Where love is, there is God also.
 
Don’t let us kill the message by inaction. God still provides the courage and resources as he did for the prophets of old.
 
Prayer  
 
Lord, help me to hear the prophetic voices of today
and to recognise your speaking to me.
Give me the wisdom to recognise those messages
which are from you and the courage to act upon them.
Save me from the complacency of thinking
that it is others who should respond.
Make me a willing contributor to your prophetic messages
for your people and the world. Amen

St Matthew 23: 23 – 28
 
‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!
 
‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean.
 
‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.  So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
 
Reflection

“Woe to you elders and ministers, hypocrites!  You make out standing orders to church but ignore the poor sleeping rough next to the building!  You love to quote Micah’s words about justice being like an everlasting stream but invest your money funds in guns, alcohol, and fossil fuels!  Pay attention to justice and only then think about the sincerity of your religious practices!

“Woe to you, readers and listeners, hypocrites!  You value the beauty of holiness, the choicest hymns, the shortest sermons, the most poetic of prayers but squabble amongst yourselves, hate newcomers, and resist the truth!  You look righteous but inside you are full of hypocrisy and resentment!

“Woe to you, committees and councils, hypocrites! You write vision statements and mission plans, but fear change more than you fear injustice! You debate structures, constitutions and ministry models, but leave the wounded waiting while you perfect your paperwork!  You protect buildings and processes, yet hesitate to risk yourselves for the sake of the Gospel! You speak of being a pilgrim people, but cling to comfort, control, and church culture!”

I imagine if a visiting preacher offered such thoughts; they’d not be invited back!  If you heard such a sermon you’d probably think the preacher was being too harsh, unfair, and partial even as some of the points hit home.  

As Christians we’re often tempted to see the Pharisees as the bad guys in the story – and in Matthew’s Gospel we have a document written amidst tensions between Christians and Jews as their paths diverged.  It’s easy to be drawn into those struggles and not see our own weaknesses.  Clearly Jesus critiqued an attention to detail at the expense of more important matters; he critiques a trait often found in religious folk who prefer minutiae about inconsequential matters to the difficult task of changing one’s life and living more authentically.  

Prayer

Help us O God,
to keep your Law of justice, mercy and faith,
that we may leave our hypocrisy behind,
and turn to you anew.
Amen.