Who is He?

•March 2, 2012 • 2 Comments

This is perhaps one of the most memorable moments from the Big Brother TV series where Nikki, now famously, exclaimed

Who is she?

Nikki, in her anger and frustration, was not asking for the name of the person, or even wanting a bit of background history – she was questioning the very sense of who the person was.  What right have they got to say the things they’re saying?  What are they about?  Why is she having an effect on my world?

It’s a question the disciples, and others, are regularly caused to ask about Jesus?

A Storm

35That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the east side.” 36So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. 37Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.

38Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”

39Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.

40Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don’t you have any faith?”

41Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Who is this man?  What’s he all about?  Why is he getting under my skin?  What does it all mean?

Anyone who’s ever been caught up in a storm knows how terrifying, and unpleasant it can be.  The disciples are, quite justifiably, scared – and yet where is Jesus – asleep in the back of the boat.  The boat is being tossed about, water is starting to come in – and he, apparently, sleeps on.

Jesus, we’re going to drown – don’t you care?

Who is this man who can apparently sleep through a storm.  Who is this person who claims to be taking them on a new journey, yet doesn’t seem to care if they die along the way?  What is he all about?

But he wakes up and takes control.

He scolded the wind and silenced the sea.

Jesus is in control, when we recognise it , and when we don’t.  He is with us in the storms and in the calm.  But the question remains for those who were part of this adventure:

Who is this?

Who is Jesus?  It’s a question we all need to answer for ourselves.

It’s a wake up call to us (Tom Wright  p 32).  Not just what is Jesus all about – but what is that going to mean for us and our lives?

Where are we with him?  What is he to us?  What are we going to do about it?

In the stillness and reflection of lent, we can take the time to consider these questions.  Without distractions or diversion, without fear – to really take time to consider.

Lord

as I journey with you,

as I learn more of you,

I am forced to consider who you are,

what you are about,

and what that means for me.

This Lent, may I take the time

and space

to consider,

that I may be strengthened

and renewed

by your wake up call

to me.

This year, I am again following the Big Read using Tom Wright’s Lent for Everyone – Mark.  I’ll reflect here – if you’re following it too, or even if you’re not, please share with me.

Posted in Jesus, lent
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How Does Your Garden Grow?

•March 1, 2012 • Leave a Comment

It’s the time of year for planting seeds, or at least beginning to plan it. Various people have been asking what works best. My answer is always, “plant what you fancy trying and see what happens”!  It seems as good a policy as any with seeds.  Only when you plant will you see what responds well with the conditions you’re working with and the time and effort you are able to give.

A Story about a Farmer

1The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught:

3Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn’t very deep. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. 7Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was scattered.

9Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”

We are all very familiar with the parable of the sower. As we read it, we know what it’s going to say – man scatters seed, seed falls in various places, and the crop grows or fails accordingly.  But what I noticed today is that even the soil that fell into good soil and gave a harvest gave varying yields – some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold.

Not all results will be the same, nor should they be expected to be.

The seed growth, like many things in life, is not all about quantity. Quality matters. Who wants a hundred carrots if they are thin and spindly, or have no taste? Better to have thirty that taste really good!

So the first challenge of this passage is to sow, sow, sow – and not be precious about the outcomes – let God do what he is going to do.

But there is another far more personal challenge:

It’s great to get sowing again, it’s a sign that winter is ending, and spring and new life are beginning. For those hearing this story as Jesus spoke it, it was a message that God’s new thing was beginning (Tom Wright p 28). This is the opportunity for a new start – God is bringing freedom.

Yet not all the seed that is being sown is taking. God’s new thing might not happen as they were anticipating. Not everyone was the right kind of soil – or had the right conditions to flourish.

What about us?  God is doing a new thing. His work might not look like we were expecting, but are we going to be part of it?
You can sow all the seeds you like, but without water, light and warmth they will not grow. Are we tending to that in our own lives? Lent gives opportunity to make sure we are.

Thank you Lord

for your word of freedom and new life.

Thank you for the sowing.

This lent

may I spend some time tending to the seeds in my life,

seeds of your word, love and forgiveness,

that they may grow to be strong shoots,

strong in you.

And then may I sow,

and sow freely,

allowing you to do your work

in the lives of others.

This year, I am again following the Big Read using Tom Wright’s Lent for Everyone – Mark.  I’ll reflect here – if you’re following it too, or even if you’re not, please share with me.

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Out of Your Mind

•February 29, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Have you ever told someone something, and their instant reaction is

You’re out of your mind!

You want to do what? Did you really say that? And they want to change your mind – talk some sense into you.

This seems to be the reaction that Jesus gets:

Jesus and the Ruler of Demons

20Jesus went back home, and once again such a large crowd gathered that there was no chance even to eat. 21When Jesus’ family heard what he was doing, they thought he was crazy and went to get him under control.

22Some teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem and said, “This man is under the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons! He is even forcing out demons with the help of Beelzebul.”

23Jesus told the people to gather around him. Then he spoke to them in riddles and said:

How can Satan force himself out? 24A nation whose people fight each other won’t last very long. 25And a family that fights won’t last long either. 26So if Satan fights against himself, that will be the end of him.

27How can anyone break into the house of a strong man and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything.

28I promise you that any of the sinful things you say or do can be forgiven, no matter how terrible those things are. 29But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven. That sin will be held against you forever.

30Jesus said this because the people were saying that he had an evil spirit in him.

He is going about his work, doing the new thing that God wants to do – and he is accused of being crazy, out of his mind, having lost the plot – all by his family!   Their reaction is to want to get him under control.  The “experts” come along and confirm their opinion.  They, wrongly, think he is under the power of demons, and treat him accordingly.  Jesus points out to them how ridiculous that would be, as what he has come to do is free people from what ties them, including demons.  That would be nonsensical if he himself was under the control of those demons.

Satan before the Lord by Corrado Giaquinto

This is perhaps a tricky passage for us to get our heads around, but it illustrates how easily people misunderstand.

Do people who know that you follow God think you are out of your mind?  Do they try to persuade you that it is all rubbish and you are wasting your time?  Do they try to talk sense into you? Do you feel misunderstood?  There has been so much talk recently about Richard Dawkins, and his ongoing claims that religion is a delusion. It is easy to feel bombarded and undermined in our faith.

Jesus shows emphatically that he is not out of his mind – and neither are you if you follow his ways – you are very much in God’s mind.  Jesus was accused of many things throughout his ministry, and we will be too.  But Jesus has come to break the power of evil (Tom Wright p 26), and we are invited to join him.  Jesus won the battle over evil – and we can share in that too.  People may mock and sneer – indeed they probably will.  They may want to talk you out of it, and release you from what has “got into you”.  That will be very hard, very hurtful, very tempting to follow – but we can lean on Jesus, who has won that battle.

Part of Jesus’ temptation battle was with the demons – the powers that threaten to hold and tempt us away, but Jesus shows us the one true way – and we can trust him – whatever others may try to shout at us.

One of the opportunities of Lent, as we take time out to reflect on our journey with Jesus, is to know where we are with him, to reinforce what we believe, and to be clear of the ground we are standing on.  Then that may give us confidence when others try to get us under control.  It may be a struggle, but Jesus knows that torment – and struggles with us.

Tom’s prayer for today (p 26):

Teach us, Lord Jesus,

not to fear the accusations of the enemy,

but to trust in your victory

at all times.

 

This year, I am again following the Big Read using Tom Wright’s Lent for Everyone – Mark.  I’ll reflect here – if you’re following it too, or even if you’re not, please share with me.

Posted in God, Jesus, lent
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