Week beginning Monday 16th February 2009

Matthew 25
Jesus is talking about God’s Kingdom and the experience of what it is like and what it will be like. God’s kingdom is like a code word for the reality that is and will be. It is the message of Jesus and the truth of how life can be. It is a way that Jesus has inaugurated and has invited all people into. There is definition to this way and it is able to be discerned, identified and distinguished from ways that are not of God’s Kingdom. Matthew 25 speaks about some of these defining experiences…
Particularly these are (i) Being Ready (ii) Being Diligent & (iii) Being Indiscriminantly Generous
The first story that Jesus tells is of 10 young women waiting for a wedding feast – five who were ready and five who were not. The emphasis of this story is readiness. We have seen all too graphocally the consequences of not being ready in our countries recent fires and floods. Although no amount of readiness could have prevented this – more readiness might have saved more lives. God’s kingdom is not just pie on the sky but is practical and life giving. Being Ready is a better way to live.
Being Diligent…with what we have is a blessing. To not use the gifts we have been given is to be selfish and fearful. Living this way is not good for ourselves or others.
Being indiscriminately generous…with our time, our resources, and our relationships will serve people. In this third story (the Judgement story of the sheep and the goats) Jesus particularly focuses on those who are the least and the lost and the last. “whenever the least of these is served…you serve me”, Jesus said. The judgement spoken of is not just about the ‘one day’ but about teh every day. We live in judgement any day that we are not participating in God’s Kingdom. Any day we are not ready, not being diligent, not being generous is a day without truth and life…these are not good days.
But Kingdom days are good days…days of being ready, days of being diligent…days off generousity…these are good days! [Prayer - LORD help me to be ready, to be diligent, to be generous...not that I would have a good day alone but that the day would be good for others. AMEN]

Week beginning Monday 2nd February 2009

Matthew 21 & 22

Jesus enters Jerusalem – Here Jesus engages front on his enemies and critics with determination. Through the confrontation with religious and political leaders the stark contrast of Jesus’ message is shown against the hypocracy and confusion of these others. Jesus marks himself and the Kingdom of God as at the same time uncompromising as well as invitational. Jesus is clear…there are always choices on how people can respond to him and his message and how people can respond to God’s ways.

Towards the end of chapter 22 Jesus places at the centre of his mission the two great commandments – Love God and Love People. Here, not only is Jesus redefining the religion of the people of God but he is also laying out the basis of his life. One which we are invited to follow. Jesus had his heart and his head fully committed to this cause – to Love God and to Love People – and nothing was disuading him or confusing him. To follow Jesus is to do likewise, that is, the heart amd head work to not be disuaded or confused. This takes discipline, learning, openness, trust in God and resilience. All of which needs time given to knowing Jesus – not just knowing about Jesus but knowing Jesus in relationship. [Prayer - Jesus you pressed on to where God was leading you, help me do likewise by your Spirit's enabling. Amen]