MustardSeed Talks 2018

Growing up has never been easy. Every culture develops its own forms of ritual and celebration to test and form the character of its young people making the transition to adulthood. In Jesus’ day, the Bar Mitzvah (lit. Son of the Law) marked the Jewish boy’s transition to full participation in the life of the synagogue. This was not so much an arrival point as it was a launching pad. It was permission to enter the wrestling over the meaning of the scriptures call to the people. How do you view your own progress in ‘growing up’?

Sacrifice can cut in more than one direction. It can mean the taking of another’s life that serves as an offering designed to preserve one’s own life. Alternatively, it can mean the willing giving of one’s own life in order to bring life to others. Jesus, by his life, death and resurrection, renders the first way exposed for what it is. The arbitrary murder of an innocent in the vain attempt to outsource blame. Jesus also reveals the second way - the life-giving way - as the way of eternal life.

Malachi prophesied at a time when things were tough in Israel and the people expressed a longing for God to arrive in the form of his anointed one. Malachi assures the people that God would be coming and soon. In fact, Malachi is at pains to tell the people they are not really ready for God’s arrival. They like the idea, but the reality would be different from what they were hoping. Rather than it being a walk in the garden, God’s arrival would be more like a refiners fire! The people would undergo a process in which they would be purified and made fit-for-purpose. How does Jesus fulfil this word?!

There are many prophecies in the scriptures. There is quite a range of styles from a bit vague all the way through to quit specific - and everything in between. Prophetic language can come across as somewhat poetic. It seems to leave open a scope of possible meanings to the interpreter. Perhaps we do not listen carefully enough? Perhaps we come to these words with predefined limitations regarding what we will allow them to mean? As we listen afresh to this brief section of Jeremiah (33:14-16), let’s lean in and consider what (in all eternity) Jeremiah might have had in his heart... and what it might mean for us today.

When the writer to the Hebrews uses terms like ‘Holy Place’ and ’sprinkled’, he is drawing on the rich tradition of the temple priesthood as it functioned in Israel for many generations. The tradition is being drawn on, but also modified. Formerly, there was a physical location known as the Holy Place. Now, the writer means something akin, yet different. The people were formerly literally sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice. Now, the writer is referring to a similar cleansing dynamic, yet it is not an identical experience. Jesus’ way builds on what was patterned for, and familiar to, the Jews. But Jesus’ way is a new and living way!

The writer to the Hebrews wants to make clear that the way Jesus has engaged the sacrificial system, the system that had always managed the community’s sin, was such that he changed things forever. Rather than offering the blood of an animal, Jesus allows himself to become the blood sacrifice of the people. But this materially challenges the whole system. Jesus’ blamelessness was such, that there was no justifiable reason that could be upheld for his lynching. The fact that he was killed served to show up the motives of those who perpetrated this cruel and violent crime. Yet in doing so, Jesus also offers an entirely alternate way of dealing with sin. Rather than blaming (and killing) others, take responsibility and repent. Rather than obey the instinct for self-interest… follow the one who gives himself.

Many people have heard of the ‘Golden Rule’. The idea that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Ideas like this are found in a number of different religious traditions expressed in slightly different ways. In Mark’s account, Jesus prefaces his version of the Golden Rule with the greatest of all commandments - to love God with everything you’ve got! It is no mistake that these two ideas are conjoined in this way by Jesus. Neither is it an accident that love for God precedes love for one’s neighbours. In Luke’s account, this interaction is followed by Jesus telling the story of the Good Samaritan... which tells us something of how challenging this business of love really is.

Anyone who lives beyond their adolescence becomes increasingly aware of the reality that life’s circumstances can be fickle. One minute all can be well. The next, the bottom can be falling out! The story of Job recounts such a scenario. It includes a series of conversations between Job and his ‘friends’ - who seek to console Job by trying to persuade him to take personal responsibility for the calamity that has befallen him (some friends right?!). Job, for his part, exhibits remarkable resistance to his friends’ persuasion. Even as the friends claim to speak for God, Job cries out to God to vindicate him. What are we to make of this tussle that is more familiar than we might first realise.

After Peter’s bold declaration in Mark 8, Jesus begins to drill down into the pivotal nature of his teaching and his life. As we progress through Mark 9, Jesus takes advantage of some uninterrupted time to attempt to clarify for his disciples just what his Messiahship is really all about. But his disciples still don’t get it! Jesus is too far outside their expectations. Instead, the disciples get busy jostling for positions of power in Jesus’ new administration. You can almost hear the exasperation from Jesus as he directs his disciples’ attention to a child and indicates care for the little ones is where it is at! We have the benefit of knowing where this story goes. The confusion of the disciples points to just how radically ‘other’ is the nature of what passes for virtue in Jesus’ way of life.

When James (in his letter) addresses the human tendency toward favouritism, he is acknowledging that we almost cannot help but notice some people more than others. It is interesting to consider what it is that draws us to the particular people we tend to notice. James wants to say it is not our place to make judgements regarding the worthiness of this person or that person for special attention. To do so, is to put ourselves in the seat of the judge… and that is NOT our seat! We are to be people of lived mercy. As those who have received mercy, we are also to offer it to others. Not simply in empty words. But in active and practical care for one another.

The words in James’ letter can come across as fairly harsh and directive in nature. The letter has been said to not display an over abundance of grace. The overall thrust of what James is saying wants to challenge the notion that we can believe in something without it having any tangible impact on the way we live our life. James want us to realise that faith has impact in the real world (not only in your heart and thoughts - but also in your decisions and actions). James reminds us that receiving God’s love is not simply about soaking up that love. It is also experience the more fully in practical sharing of that love.

Jesus as the bread from heaven offers a different kind of nourishment to us. Jesus is not like the previous manna that came from heaven. That nourishment lasted only a day or so. Jesus’ nourishment is eternal. But how do we ingest this nourishment? (how does one consume a metaphor?!) In addition to the elements we use to celebrate Holy Communion, how do we eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood? What are the ways the Holy Spirit uses to transform us to be more like Christ? We live in a consumer culture. We are accustomed to purchasing and using things for our own ends. When we consume (and ingest) Christ, our ends are subverted… our hearts and desires are transformed. Our transformation to be more like Christ becomes the ends. Everything we consume changes us. Are you sure you want to be more like Christ?

Few things in ancient Israel or current day Australia could evoke a similar level of repulsion as the thought of cannibalism. The practice is outlawed today in our culture, just as it was in ancient Israel. This begs the question, why would Jesus use an idea that seems so much like cannibalism to express something about his person… his identity? Jesus wanted to make it clear that he was not simply like every other preacher/teacher that has arisen in the history of Israel. He was not simply one of the prophets. There is something entirely unique about who he is and how we are to relate to him. The use of this idea means his audience (then and now) are not able to simply smile and nod and comment politely. Jesus requires a more definitive response.

Every person has probably done something that, given the opportunity, they would do differently. But taking action, that lays the cost of the consequences on someone else, is the more disastrous when done by a person who carries considerable responsibility. The subsequent cover up can be more problematic than the original misdemeanour. The more a person does to cover their actions, the more committed they become to their deceit. The episode we are considering this morning is disturbing because it reports on one of Israel’s favourite sons. The account pulls no punches as it describes the tumbling series of wrongs deliberately (ultimately in a calculated way) committed by King David. Yet, David was said to be a man after God’s own heart (see 1 Kings 11:4)?!

The notion of Jews and Gentiles standing together as one people might seem less of an impossible dream for us these days. In the time when Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesian church, the idea of Gentiles and Jews identifying as one with each other was pretty much unthinkable. Paul indicates it is not whether we happen to be one of these or one of those that is important anymore. The critical thing is that Christ came, lived, died and rose again. It is our belief in this central reality that forms the basis of any true desire to follow Christ. It is Christ who shows us the shape and nature of eternal life - He is the corner stone out from which everything else is built. We are the ones being built (together with others who follow Christ), into a new creation… a new way of being together that is not based on enmity, but is built on grace, love and forgiveness.

Hope is an essential ingredient for a fulfilling life. Hope calls us on to better things in such a way as to enable us to be fully present in our current circumstances. Hope means there is always something more to look forward to. Hope subverts regret - in that it does not allow our past actions to have the final word. Hope is part of our lived expression of faith in a God who is good and who offers us a life that is good. Hope (along with faith and charity) is considered to be a heavenly grace. May we always be people of hope.

Churches (and other groups) sometimes feel the need to speak about unity when they are facing the threat of factional elements. Yet true unity is not about the avoidance of factions. It is about the way we regard and prefer one another. Unity does not put a limit on diversity. It is a commitment to one another and to the common good that has space for each person to offer their unique contribution in the most helpful manner. Most of all, it is the lived commitment to follow Jesus, who never failed to act in love for others.

Sometimes a thing that appears quite insignificant can give rise to history shaping consequences. If you do not know how to value the death and resurrection of Jesus, it might appear as a quizzical fascination of history. Something modern minds would readily dismiss as mythical nonsense, but for the fact that the modern mind has largely been shaped by that very story! It is difficult for us, who have lived only after the advent of Jesus the Nazarene, to fully appreciate how much the world we take for granted has been formed as a direct consequence of this quirky gospel folk tale. But if you could interview people who lived only before it, the difference would tell you everything. All parts of the known world find refuge in the branches of this kingdom transformation!

The apostle Paul speaks of the law functioning like a tutor for the people, teaching people about the ways of God in preparation for the fulness of the revelation that was to come in Christ (Gal 3:24). When Jesus enters the narrative, he appears to play a tad ‘fast and loose’ with the law. His stated purpose is to fulfil the law. But this appears to mean something other than simply obeying the law. How are we to make sense of this? What is our relationship to the laws presented in scripture? Are we to simply obey or is there something more for us to do?

Almost 2 months since the fateful morning Jesus was crucified, a small group of disciples is hiding. They are keeping out of sight of the authorities - who they felt sure would be after them - just as the authorities had crucified their leader. Nothing could have prepared them for what was to happen next. You can’t make this stuff up… it just doesn’t make enough sense. The sound of wind. Flames of fire. Strange languages. Of course those nearby assumed large amounts of alcohol must be involved. But what if it was something quite different… utterly different?! Something that was about to turn the whole world upside down?!

As followers of Christ living in the wake of two millennia of Christian influence in our culture, it can be difficult to appreciate the radical nature of the shift in understanding of God that Jesus brought about. Jesus exposed the secret hidden in the archaic sacrificial mechanism... victims of sacrifice are not guilty as charged and they do not deserve to die for the people. If you feel as though you have always known that, consider the ways you prefer to blame others rather than take responsibility for things. This is the same sacrificial impulse! It is in us all, and Jesus calls us to move beyond it. Instead, Jesus represents the loving, gracious, forgiving heart of God. There is still a sense of judgement. But it is not exclusion by God. With Jesus there is only the inherent judgement on those who miss out because they decide for themselves not to follow in the life he offers.

The idea that keeping Jesus’ commandments equals abiding in his love is not immediately straightforward to us. Keeping commandments sounds like obedience. That sounds more like earning favour than being loved. Earning favour is a familiar motif for many of us in various aspects of our lives… and it is not the same as love! But Jesus is not saying that he will love us IF we keep his commandments. He is saying that if we want an experience of his love, the best way to experience that love is in keeping his commandments. That is to say, his commandments are good for us. They are what someone who loves us would want for us. The lived experience of being loved looks just like keeping his commandments. Sometimes we consider the idea of commandments as oppressive or limiting or burdensome. Jesus wants us to know they are the expression of his love for us. Can you trust that is so?

For the urban dweller, the notion of a good shepherd might easily be a quaint and/or romantic image that engenders a vague sense of comfort. After all, a good shepherd has to be better than a bad one, right?! When Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd, he is not saying simply that he is excellent at his job. He is saying that being a shepherd for him is not merely a job. It is who he is. It is the way he conducts himself toward others because it is the expression of his deepest desires. The measure of Jesus’ care is no less than his willingness to give himself completely for us. The depth of Jesus’ love and commitment is so rare we barely know how to value it. How do we learn to trust a quality of love that we encounter virtually no where else?

What is it that we are making known when we share the gospel? Is it simply a ‘narrative outline’? A story we tell like so many other stories we tell every day? Is it a testimony of our experience? A witness to the impact of living into this gospel story? And what part do our ‘troubles and doubts’ play? Are they to be avoided or explored? The gospel offers a radical alternative to the ways of this world. The way of Jesus challenges the core assumptions and basic direction of life. It offers a new interpretive key… a new way to understand and value everything.

The other apostles walked around Palestine with Jesus before he was crucified. Paul only met Jesus after Jesus was risen. Paul’s first question to Jesus was, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Paul learns about Jesus as the risen Lord, and this shapes the way he learns. 2000 years later, our experience - while not identical to St Paul’s - is closer to Paul’s experience than it is to the experience of the other disciples. We only know Jesus after he is risen. Had Jesus not risen, he would have been forgotten like so many healer/teachers before and after him. You may not be sure what (or how) to believe about the resurrection. Even so, the resurrection already shapes more of what you believe than you realise.

In Sydney, in the 21st century, it is a challenge not to simply read the accounts of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances through a lens of suspended disbelief. We want to believe. But sometimes the evidence to support belief in our day seems very thin on the ground. I am not convinced it was any more straightforward to believe for the first disciples. Even those who had post-resurrection encounters with Jesus could easily have talked themselves out of what they saw. The power of what we will allow to be true presses in on us from all sides all the time. A persuasive remedy for this is to simply go forth and behave as if Jesus’ resurrection is true. Experience a day (and then another and another) with the hope of resurrection in the forefront of your heart and mind. See if it does not change what you will allow yourself to believe.

The time is at hand. Expectations are running high. A critical mass of the population believe Jesus might actually be Messiah. How does Jesus signal the coming of his Messianic reign? He selects a... colt! A mini ride. No shades of triumphalism here. This is a clear message to the people that they should adjust their expectations. This Messiah does not come with dominating power. He comes with the gentle yet unstoppable strength of truth and love. What are you hoping for from Messiah?

The words of Jeremiah’s prophecy in chapter 31:31-34 are truly prescient. When we consider the social, cultural and circumstantial environment that Jeremiah found himself in, what Jeremiah is saying here is extraordinary. These words foreshadow a time when there will be an unprecedented immediacy in the relationship between God and people. There will not be any need for teachers to instruct the people because the instruction will be given by the Spirit to the hearts of the people. How does the Spirit access the heart? Is it by sheer force or power? What does it mean to have God’s law written on one’s heart anyway?!

The notion of being alive and yet dead sounds pretty strange at first. Some might think of the image of the zombie… the undead… alive but not alive. If we think about it for a moment, there are probably plenty of times in our own experience when we can identify closely with the concept of being the living dead. Those times when life has become a meaningless drudgery. When we are neither focused nor confused but just… well… a bit nothing. St Paul refers to being dead in trespasses and sins (missteps and failures). He is expressing the idea that we do not satisfy even our own variable sense of what we should be and do. We live with the never ending burden of dissatisfaction. But then God reaches out to us in Christ. Here is the invitation for everything to change!

Ray offers his gift of thoughtful and well articulated prayer to lead the people at MustardSeed. Let us pray...

It has been said that with age comes wisdom. But the wisdom of age seems to be simply the wisdom of THIS age. What can we know of a wisdom that does more than help us navigate our way through this life? Is there a wisdom that sheds light on that which is truly worthwhile? A wisdom that reveals something worth giving your life to and living your life for? For those interested only in the wisdom of this age, this deeper wisdom is encountered as folly. It doesn’t expedite one’s trajectory up the societal ladder. But for those who have come alive to the deeper story, what the worldly wise disregard as folly can provide access to the richest life possible. From whom do you get your wisdom?

The confrontation between Jesus and Peter in Mark chapter 8 serves to highlight just how far outside established expectations was the nature of Jesus’ way of being Messiah. But Jesus in no way backs off. He makes it even clearer. Jesus’ way challenges our usual way of self-preservation. Saving our own life is not the way of Jesus. Instead (somehow?!), losing our life for Jesus’ sake ends up saving it! In the end it is that clear. Seeing out your days having saved yourself and accumulated all your stuff is meaningless. It is even worse than meaningless when we become aware of how profoundly isolating that approach is. Jesus knows the way to the richest life… an eternal life. Follow him!

Ray's prayer moved a number of people - they asked to hear it again...

When Jesus was sent by the Spirit into the wilderness it was, for him, a time of clarifying who he was and how he would pursue his sense of call in the world. A number of easier options were offered to Jesus by his tempter. Options that appeared to get him where he wanted to go - only with less pain and greater expediency. We are given the same kind of options all the time in life. A little compromise here. A quick short-cut there. Who would even notice?! There is something about that which is true and good that makes it worth pursuing for its own sake. Often times, we do not realise the value of faithfulness until long after it has become a continually chosen habit of behaviour in our life. Jesus knew that everyone follows someone. It may be the devil… or it may be the Lord. Choose wisely!

It is so easy to get caught up with the flow of events and activities that everyone around us is focused on and excited about. All the more so if we are central to their excitement. It is remarkable that Jesus consistently resisted that pull. Very quickly, after healing a few people and exercising authority, Jesus was a man in demand. Crowds followed him. People wanted to be near him. Jesus, for his part, wanted to offer himself in the most effective way possible. So he consistently stepped away from the crowds and the activity. He wanted to follow his father (not the call of the people’s collective desire). This might be the most counter-instinctual move we can make as people. Yet it is critical to our faithfulness.

Even in today’s anti-establishment culture, people warm to authority. Human beings make sense in life by referencing the other people/things we encounter. As a result, we need frames of reference. An authority offers a stable frame of reference. When those around Jesus, heard in his teaching an authority like no other, they were recognizing that the basis of Jesus’ authority was different to how authority usually functions in the world. Jesus was not imposing something from without. He was calling forth something that the very depths of the being of his audience could not deny was true. Not even the most rebellious of spirits could deny it!

Discipleship is a central theme in the gospels. It is an ancient idea that is not well understood these days. We naturally (though not necessarily consciously) look to others as our models for the way to do life. Discipleship is the process whereby we do this in a deliberate and focused manner. Jesus calls us to follow him. Not as an casual observer who shows passing interest like on twitter. But as those who focus on him and his ways so as to internalise Jesus’ values and learn his ways of relating to others.

John the Baptist is a remarkable character in the gospel stories. His purpose is to prepare the way for the Messiah. A Messiah he does not yet know! John calls people back to God in the best way he knows how. At the same time, John has an abiding confidence that there is one coming who will do infinitely more than John himself can do. This prophetic character resists being pigeon-holed by the expectations of those around him. He fearlessly speaks his testimony without knowing where it will lead or what will happen next. John enjoys the freedom born of faithfulness!

It might be, that when you consider the people of God, your first thought is not ‘glorious’. This was certainly the case in Isaiah’s day. Israel was at the end of a long period of struggle and dysfunction. But Isaiah had a capacity to see beyond his day. He knew the reality innate to the true people of God - a people who had internalized the values of God’s way of doing things. These people would show the whole world a life-giving way to be. They would shine and people everywhere will find themselves praising God in gratitude.

Thanks for listening in. We trust you will find our weekly conversations helpful. The back catalogue can be found in a separate podcast simply called MustardSeed Talks. Enjoy!