Tag: Matthew

Trinity 17: Same Mind



Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32
Trinity 17
27/9/26

Saying one thing and doing another is quite a part of the human condition. As a teenager I remember that one of the biggest insults you could hurl was to call someone ‘two-faced’. Sometimes we do it because we do not have the courage to do the right thing or face up to someone. Lying seems to be the easy way out.

Jesus parable of the father and two sons places us in another vineyard. Matthew records a string of agricultural parables to highlight what the kingdom of God will be like. The sons of the vineyard owner present an interesting case. These boys would have known how much work was involved and what was being asked of them. They knew what they were in for.

When asked, the older son says no and then goes. The younger son says yes and then does not go. It is obvious that the older son does the right thing. The younger son has let his father and brother down. I assume some of the parents and employers here this morning can relate to this. We have all likely been both brothers at some point in life.

There is temptation to blame this on our human condition; our personalities, just how we are. I was made this way and cannot be changed. Not true. There is a solution that Paul offers in his letter to the Philippians: let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

If we are doing one thing and saying another it is often coming from the mind; coming from the creature that you and I think we are. If we recognize we have a problem we can blame it on our temperament, personality, life experience, fears, anxieties. This does not excuse us as we are not operating with the same mind of Christ.

What is it to have the same mind? According to Paul, the same mind means learning to have love, do nothing from conceit, be humble, to count others better than ourselves, to look to the interests of others rather than our own. This also means we have to come under the authority of Jesus.

I have been amazed this week at what has been going on in Paris. Pope Leo is making the first papal visit in 18 years. If you have seen any press coverage, the streets have been lined with millions of people. Priests also line the streets to take confessions. Pope Leo is a man who says what he means and means what he says. This makes him rare among world and religious leaders at this time. He takes his authority seriously and knows where it comes from.

I read in my old study bible that when a voice of authority speaks, one of three things happens: 1) Because of inattention you fail to hear and heed the leader’s words; (2) because of irritation you refuse to obey; or (3) because of conviction you respond obediently and do what is asked. Which response or responses can you relate to?

If we choose the path of obedience, then our actions must match our words. If we are to have any credibility as people, as Christians, it is not enough to talk the talk, we must walk the walk. As Christians, we need to do what is asked of us, we are not under our own authority. Many may come to church on Sunday and spend an hour under the authority of God and as soon as they reach the door, it is going back to being in control again.

How can we address this?

We can ask ourselves what would Jesus do? How would God respond? Doing this takes us out of ourselves and shifts the focus. This is an act of love. It takes practice, cultivation of being in the presence of God. This is not an intellectual exercise but of deep prayer. We need to be aware of the presence of God and this will transform our thinking.

Yes, it is hugely challenging to have such a high standard set before us, the character of Jesus himself. We do well to approach that task with fear and trembling. But the good news is that help is at hand: for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure (v.13).

Trinity 15: Forgive us our trespasses…

13/9/26
Trinity 15

Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-end

I trust that this won’t be the first or last sermon you hear preached on forgiveness. I also hope that I have something new to offer as it is a tough and emotive subject for many people. We all have stories to share about times when we have needed to forgive another person or be forgiven for something we have done. I would also venture a guess that we have stories that we don’t share about times and situations of forgiveness and forgiveness.

It seems that it is the untold stories that often go unresolved. These stories often come out around the deathbed and by then it is often too late to do anything about it.

There are always the smaller, everyday forgiveness that need to be offered. The bad drivers, the unkind remark, the thoughtless comment, the missed birthday, or forgotten detail. We need to keep our accounts short as my mother would say.

As a starting point, forgiveness is an act of the will. It acknowledges that something negative, awful, traumatic and damaging happened and that it will not rule our lives. Forgiveness takes the power out of the event. It does not accept what happened as acceptable or permissible. It is important to hear that.

Forgiveness also does not mean that we must continue a relationship with the person/people who caused the event. We do not have to trust them again. Consequences follow all actions and this extends to the ending of relationships. This also goes both ways; if we are the one in the wrong, the one who seeks forgiveness, we should not necessarily expect that relationship to continue.

We have to ask for forgiveness if/when we have wronged someone else. We also have to extend forgiveness to those who need it from us. This can be a slow process! We may have to remind ourselves over and over again.

I have been talking about forgiveness to or from other people. There is also the forgiveness that we need from God. Many people believe that to forgive someone else there must be repentance first. In order for us to receive God’s forgiveness we need to repent first. Repent has a richer meaning in the original Greek; it is an internal reorientation, turning around thoughts and attitudes with an active change in behaviour.

We are all called to repent – I do it every week from the front. I give you space and time (probably not enough) for reflection and maybe the internal changes required of true repentance.

However, we cannot make another person repent of their wrongdoings any more than they can make us. The only way we are convicted is by the Holy Spirit moving us, calling us to repent. We are still called to forgive even when the other party does not show any signs. They might not care or be aware. Worse, they might know and still not care.

Secondly, what will extending forgiveness to another look like for us? What will change? What will life be like? This is what Peter wants clarified in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus has taught the disciples about forgiveness when he taught them how to pray. Matthew 6: forgive us our trespasses and we forgive others…

Peter wants to know how this works out practically; what is the limit? The Jewish rabbis were teaching that forgiving someone three times for the same sin was good enough. Peter thinks that by offering seven he is doing better. Seven being the number of fulfillment or perfection.

Jesus’ reply is much greater. He tells Peter and us that there is no limit to forgiveness. It is something that we are always going to have to do. As long as human beings exist together in community, in families, in friendship, in the workplace forgiveness is a cornerstone to good relationships.

The parable of the master and his servants underlines what Jesus had just said about unrestricted, unlimited forgiveness.

The first servant who sees the king has massive debt, billions of pounds in today’s money and completely beyond what he could ever pay back. The master could have ordered the man, his family and possessions to be sold to pay it off even though it would not ever cover it. The man falls on his face and begs for mercy.

The master is moved with compassion so decides to forgive him the debt. The only other times compassion is used in Matthew is in relation to Jesus. This king showed the compassion of Jesus.

Unfortunately for the newly forgiven servant the story doesn’t end here! He forgets what he has been released from as he encounters his fellow slave who owes him much less. About 600,000 times less!

The fellow servant pleads in exactly the same way that the servant had pleaded with the master but for a much smaller debt. The response was entirely different; physical violence and a lot of shouting. This gets back to the master who reverses his decision and the first servant is thrown into prison. He will be there forever.

That is what withholding mercy and forgiveness does – it locks us up in a prison of our own making.

Paul is teaching the new church in Rome to accept one another and avoid passing on judgment over non-essential, disputable matters like diets and holy days. I asked the Wednesday Study Group if they had any harmless preferences or habits they secretly wished everyone else would adopt. Things like how to load a dishwasher, or hang laundry or driving habits. We had a great discussion with a range of answers.

The new church in Rome was a mix of people; slaves and free, Jewish converts and Gentiles with no background. Some of the Jewish people were holding on to their kosher rules and sacred days; while the Gentiles had no need for either.

Some people need stricter personal rules to follow God, other people understand their freedom in Christ. Either way God has accepted them both. We are to honour God and give thanks.

Paul reminds them that they will all stand before God in judgment to give an account of themselves, not of other people. We have no right to judge or despise others.

Jesus parable ends with prison, hell with no way out as the debt will never be repaid. We can never repay the debt of the cross and because of this we need to forgive other people. Not easy, it takes time and needs to be repeated as there is no limit. Measured against the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we can and must.

We reflect God’s forgiveness of our sins and shortcomings when we forgive other people. Think about this when we pray the Lord’s Prayer shortly. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. True disciples of Jesus are to act from mercy, forgiveness and love; in the same way God has acted towards them.

We will be treated as we treat others. This is why we have to love our neighbours, forgive our neighbours as ourselves. I need God’s forgiveness – a lot. Jesus has all the love, grace and mercy we will ever need. We can use His when we do not have enough of our own. Forgiveness comes at a high price; ultimately a price paid for by Jesus.

Trinity 12: Remember Who I Am


Trinity 12
23/8/26

Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20

Growing up, I would say that I was a pretty good kid: a reasonable student, polite, well-behaved and mannered, didn’t get into much trouble, etc. This carried on largely into my teenage years with the odd scrape, of course. I grew up in a small town, so it did not take long to explore the local nightlife. Once curfew times had been negotiated and I got ready to go out, my Dad would inevitably say ‘Susan, remember who you are.’

Man! Sometimes it really bothered me! Especially if I had not fully disclosed where I was going or what I would be doing that evening. This was my Dad’s way of telling me to behave, to remember how I had been raised and what was acceptable behaviour. There were times when that sentence would pass through my mind; and I believe steered my behaviour. As I grew up and matured, I have come to realise that ‘remembering who I am’ is a very valuable thing to know.

In the Gospel reading this morning we are asked to consider who Jesus is. This is a pivotal moment in Peter’s life and in the lives of the disciples.
Why is Jesus asking this question?

Over the last few weeks in the lectionary we have been talking about weeds, wheat, pearls, treasures, mustard seeds, bread and fish. These are all stories about Jesus taking very little of something and making it very, very big. The miracles displayed in these stories show us God’s power displayed through Jesus in the provision and generosity given to those who choose to follow. These stories are pointing to the person of Jesus and who he is.

One of the recurring themes throughout these readings is Jesus having to continually prove himself to the disciples and the crowds. They are still doubting as they do not yet understand who He is and what he came to do in the building of the kingdom of God.

Up to this point Jesus has been seeking to prove his claim of messiahship through words and deeds. Now it is time to see if the lesson has been learned. Jesus starts with a ‘public opinion’ survey: ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ It seems like a bit of a random question. Might have seemed that way to the disciples. No doubt that Jesus already knew the answers but wanted to hear it from them.

Jesus is given a variety of public opinion answers and this opinion is divided. Some say he is John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
These answers are interesting; people did not think of Jesus, meek and mild; not the cosy friend of little children. He is categorised as one of the wild prophets of the Old Testament. One who stood up spoke the word of God fearlessly and against the rulers of the day.

Then Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter: “Who do you say I am?” Suddenly there is no public opinion to hide behind. They must make an intelligent, personal choice based on the witnessed miracles and heard messages.

Take a moment now and consider that question for yourself. Jesus is asking you ‘Who do you say I am?’ This is an answer with not only eternal consequences but with consequences for the everyday trials and triumphs of walking around on this planet.

Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’. An answer which gets him some serious praise and blessing. The importance of Peter’s answer is that he acknowledged that Jesus was not just God’s mouthpiece against injustice and corruption, but that Jesus was God’s Messiah, God’s king.
Who is Jesus to you? A good moral teacher? Jesus meek and mild, the baby in the manger that seems to stay there? Jesus on the cross who doesn’t seem to get down. Jesus the Prince of Peace, wonderful counsellor, Mighty Saviour, Name Above all Names.

Jesus had a word for Peter after his announcement. Peter was to become the foundation, the rock for the new church. There are echoes of the Old Testament when God gave Abram the name Abraham which indicated he would be the father of many nations. Now Jesus gives Simon the new name Peter, the Rock.
Peter went on to do just that. This was not without trials and tribulation for Peter. We remember his denial of Jesus before the crucifixion and the guilt and shame that brought. Peter was also restored by Jesus on the beach.
This is really helpful for as and when we forget who Jesus is. We, like Peter, can be restored to the body of Christ. We need to take ourselves to Jesus, ask for forgiveness and start again.

It is through God’s grace that we have been restored and redeemed and it is also through grace that we have been given the gifts of God. In the Romans reading we are reminded that we are one body with many members and being members of one another. We have been given gifts: ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading and compassion. This list is by no means exhaustive and there are many, many more gifts of the Spirit.

As I look around church this morning I am astonished by the diversity of gifts and talents across the parishes. I am so grateful for the generous sharing of these gifts. These are the gifts that we need, our families, friends and the wider world need us to use. The body of Christ is desperately needed. This is why we need to know who Jesus is: we are part of his body. Therefore best to know something of the person in whom we dwell and dwells in us. By knowing who Jesus is we can have a clearer picture of who we are. We can remember who we are and who we were made to be when we know who Jesus is. The beloved children of God.

Trinity 10: Wind & Waves

St Nicholas – 9:30 P&P
Emmanuel – 11:00 Matins
9/8/26

Romans 10: 5-15
Matthew 14:22-33

We are certainly getting a lot of mileage out of Romans & Matthew this summer. The parables of the weeds, wheat, pearls, treasures, mustard seeds, bread and fish are about Jesus taking very little of something and making it very, very big. They play with our imaginations and basic human needs. The real miracle of these stories show us God’s power displayed through Jesus in the provision to those who follow after him.

Jesus was having to continually prove himself to both the disciples and the crowds who have been following. They are still doubting and not getting who Jesus really is. This theme carries on in the Gospel reading today as Jesus is not recognised by those who are closest to him.

At the start of this morning’s Gospel, Jesus has sent the disciples across the lake in a boat and dismissed the now stuffed crowd to home. At last Jesus gets to be alone with God. Remember this is what he was trying to do just before the crowd found him.

I am sure we have experienced those times when besieged by requests and demands threaten to overwhelm us and we just want some time to be alone. To rest, to think, to make a plan or just get away from the situation for a while.

The story of Susanna Wesley (the mother of Methodist founders Charles & John Wesley) who had 19 children is inspirational. When Susanna needed to pray or have some ‘quiet’ she would simply sit down and pull her apron up over her head. This physical signal was her prayer tent. The children knew this meant that she was with God and must not be disturbed.

Jesus also had great need to be with God; his friend and cousin John the Baptist had been beheaded. He intended to go away; but his compassion overruled and he spent the day preaching and feeding the hungry crowd physically and spiritually.

The disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee which is really a giant lake in Israel; it is beautiful. I visited 11 years ago (those are my feet above) and was a bit disappointed that I could not walk on it! That afternoon was very calm and peaceful but in a few minutes the wind came up and it was very rough and choppy. This is known to happen with great speed. This is what appears to have happened to the disciples that night.

At this point in the story the disciples are well across the lake, far from land and a strong wind is blowing. We should keep in mind that at least 4 of the disciples (James, John, Peter & Andrew) were Galilean fishermen. This was their lake, they had all spent many a night on the water. These seasoned fishermen are struggling with the wind and the waves. We are not sure how long they were on the water for; probably most of the night.

Many of us here know what it is to struggle – we have had our share! But what is it to struggle when we are in our comfort zones? Struggle in something that we know. Those men knew the boat, the water and the weather. It can somehow feel almost worse, more disempowering to struggle in something that we know about. If we struggle in a new situation it could be expected if the learning curve is steep.

It is entirely possible that Jesus was watching the disciples in the boat from where he was praying. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills like a bowl. If Jesus was up the mountain, he could have seen them. Did the disciples contemplate that Jesus is out there, having some quiet time and maybe ignoring them or worse watching them. Maybe some of us have had that experience, we are in a struggle with everyone watching but no one helping.

Jesus then approaches the boat, doing what no human person could do, walking on the water. So the reaction of ‘it’s a ghost’ is a reasonable one. Jesus’ reply of ‘take courage’ probably would have annoyed me.

The first one to speak to Jesus is Peter. Always Peter. ‘Lord, if it is you…tell me to come to you on the water.’ Peter is not sure if it is or not. But when the reply comes Peter gets out of the boat and walks on the water. How amazing!
He did not immediately start to sink so he went some way. He got close enough for Jesus to grab hold of him when he began to sink.

Many people tend to focus on Peter’s lack of faith. Almost there but not quite; Poor Peter, another failure, didn’t go all the way. Peter did what the other 11 did not; Peter got out of the boat. That took courage and the amazing experience of walking on water.

Peter’s issue was that his attention moved from Jesus to the storm. The commentary I researched stated that ‘Matthew says, he saw the wind, which means, of course, that Peter saw the effects of the wind; he perceived the wind; with the movements of the waves and the boat, the spray and the feel of the wind, there was no doubt that it was boisterous.

As Peter perceived all this, it came home to him that to be on the water in a storm like the one he was experiencing and to be outside the boat was to be in a position of some danger. The result was that Peter became afraid (panicked) and the onset of fear was accompanied by the beginning of sinking.’

Peter then cries out for help and Jesus immediately reaches out his hand and catches him. Once Jesus and Peter were in the boat the wind calmed down. Maybe Peter thought he was alone in that storm. He took his eyes off Jesus, maybe forgot how close he was, the disciples in the boat had stayed where they were.

How easy it is to think that we are all alone in those stormy moments. No one will understand what we are going through, no one can – or worse – wants to help us. It’s all over!

Jesus knew exactly where on the lake that boat was. What a relief that God knows exactly where we are at. I have taken huge comfort in this assurance in the last couple of weeks. We cannot escape his reach either. We may have to wait but he will come to us.

The wind stopped when Jesus got into the boat. This should remind us that we need to make room in the boat for him. That might mean finding some time alone to pray. It might mean moving things around, chucking some things overboard (physically or metaphorically). We might even have to get out of the boat; especially if it is a little too comfortable. Our security is not in the boat – it is in Jesus.

Trinity 8: Small Things Matter

An acrylic painting on wood illustrating the bible verse in Mark 4 describing the kingdom of God like a mustard seed. Jen Norton

Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-5

When I was first ordained, I served my curacy in a lovely three church united benefice in Slough. You may insert any number of references to Slough – John Betjeman’s poem about the friendly bombs or The Office or the McDonald’s that is apparently sitting on crown land. One of my lines was that I could see Windsor Castle from the end of my road. Having that grand castle so close was a reminder of the rule and reign of Queen Elizabeth. Her kingdom and now Charles’ is visible among us.

If you have been into Windsor, Buckingham or Kensington Palace you can see the opulence, the indulgence of the earthly kingdom. This is equally true if you travel to other countries that still have a monarchy; there are grand palaces all over Europe that attest to this.

How does the luxury, excessiveness of the earthly kingdom reconcile to the kingdom of heaven that is described in terms of mustard seeds, yeast, hidden treasure, pearls and a fishing net? These earthly kingdoms are largely off-limits to us peasants! Sure, we get glimpses of it.

Millions of people watched the Queen’s funeral and then the Coronation of Charles. Maybe some of you have received an invitation to a garden party or received an award presented by a Member of the Royal Family. Most of us have to watch television programs or pay to visit the bits of the palace or castle that they want to show us. But it is not the whole picture.

The kingdom of God on the other hand is available to us all at any time. This kingdom is about small things that suddenly swell to take over the whole world. These small things are both common (seeds, yeast, fish) and incredibly valuable treasure and pearls). The most valuable things that you come across by accident and then cannot seem to live without.

Let’s pick apart these short parables…

The mustard seed and the yeast represent everyday miracles. We all know how they work. Mustard seeds grow in a wide variety of climates; Pakistan, India and Canada are the world’s top producers of mustard seeds. Once the seeds start growing, they need very little care and not much water. And they grow! They spread quickly; not exactly something you would want in a well-tended garden! Mustard seeds have small beginnings but grow into useful shrubs for the birds and connoisseurs of mustard.

Yeast. The bread makers among us know that you only need a little bit of yeast kneaded into bread dough to make it rise. Yeast is an agent of change as it converts fermentable sugar into carbon dioxide and ethanol. Yeast gets passed on from batch to batch in the ‘old’ dough. It is thought that yeast improved the quality of bread in ancient Egypt from the hard flatbreads to lighter and tastier bread. Something like sourdough as we know it.

Mustard seeds start small and grow into large, useful bushes. Small quantities of yeast change the taste of the bread. The kingdom of God starts small and grows, spreading out and changing the taste of the world around it. The lesson is that we should not discount the small things until we know what they are capable of! Most big things come from small beginnings.

The parables of the treasure and the pearl feed into the imagination. I am sure we have all had dreams of winning the lottery or finding treasure; look at programs like Cash in the Attic (a personal favourite) or Antiques Roadshow.

We want to find treasure that is hidden away that will put some cash in our pockets. The treasure dreams of most people are about wealth, striking it rich. However the two people in the parables dream of the beauty of the treasure itself; not what the treasure will bring to them.

Jesus portrays these two people as relishing in the feeling of what it is to know the treasure is theirs. There is no indication that they intend to sell their treasures to get richer. They see the value in what they have. It could be assumed that these people already have wealth as they are able to buy land and fine things. It looks like they gave up their wealth to get the treasure in the field and the pearl. These two parables tell us that the kingdom of God is attractive and valuable; something worth looking for, searching for.

The fishing net, again a common item to those listening to Jesus on the beach, is useful and needed. The kingdom of God is meant to catch people and bring them in. All fish, all people are welcome. However not all fish are good, not all people want to know. A time will come when there will be a separation. Those who do not want to be part of the kingdom will not be. Offers can be rejected and there will be consequences. It is hard to understand this. Jesus asked the disciples if they understood all this. They answered Yes. I bet!

We do not always fully understand the things of God or to know what to ask for, what to search for. Paul, in a slightly convoluted way, writes that we do not know how to pray as we ought to but that the Spirit does. The Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words and tells God what we mean to ask for because sometimes we just do not know what is missing.

Paul suggests that what we are missing is to know that we are loved completely and fully for ever and ever. God has had plans for us from the very beginning. Once we understand how high, deep, wide and indivisibly we are loved – then we can search out the right things, the things of God, the wisdom of God and the kingdom of God.

As we grow in wisdom we can come to know where the kingdom of God can be found – in the small things, the everyday things and equally in the surprises of treasure and pearls. The kingdom of God is everywhere! It is a kingdom that is ruled by love and wisdom and we cannot be separated from it.