Most of us are familiar with the "Parable of the Prodigal Son". It is often used as a basis for sharing the good news that God loves us and welcomes home the returning prodigal. This interpretation is only partly correct. This parable is one of three that Jesus tells in answer to the criticism levelled at Jesus by some of his contemporaries, namely “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Lk 15:2). Each of these parables has a common theme of celebration.
We live in an age when we are able to watch disasters around the world as they unfold. We can be appalled at the pain they cause and may pray to God to relieve the suffering of those involved. Yet we are timid to ask what part God may play in this process. The people of Jesus' day were less hesitant than us. They knew that God was big enough to protect his own name. Disasters were often seen as part of God's punishment.
Submitted by Max Scott on 26 February 2010 - 10:01am
Most of us would be reluctant to recommend ourselves as an example for others to follow. The Apostle Paul shows no such hesitation. "Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us," he writes to the Christians in Philippi (Philippians 3:17). We need to examine the source of our reluctance. It may be our natural humility. Yeah right! Is it not more likely to be that we regard our behaviour as not meeting the standards required of one who is to set an example? And if not, why not?
Submitted by Max Scott on 19 February 2010 - 9:06am
The Book of Common Prayer (the original prayer book) contains a series of prayers which has the following request: "From fornication, and all other deadly sin; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil, Good Lord, deliver us." The world, the flesh and the devil is a neat summary of the sources of temptation. The world tempts us with its way of doing things, the flesh tempts us to indulge it, and the devil seeks to stop us doing what God really requires.
Submitted by Max Scott on 12 February 2010 - 10:09am
The Transfiguration of Jesus is a revelation of the majestic glory that Jesus, the Son, shares with the Father. It is also a watershed in his earthly ministry. Up till then, the ministry of Jesus has been characterised by signs of God's Kingdom, but now he sets his face towards Jerusalem, the place of his death and subsequent resurrection. His glory will be seen in his death for the world. Luke records this as the topic of discussion between Jesus, Moses and Elijah. As R. E. Nixon writes in The New Bible Dictionary, "The transfiguration is ...
Submitted by Max Scott on 29 January 2010 - 10:08am
When did you last speak, or hear someone speaking, on God's behalf? Perhaps you can recall a time when you believed that God had given you some words to share with an individual or with a group of people. Maybe a sermon had a life changing effect on your life. We might see these as rather infrequent occasions. However, every Sunday a variety of people speak to us on God's behalf. These are those who read the Scriptures out loud for us to "hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church." The importance of this ministry is underrated.
Submitted by Max Scott on 22 January 2010 - 10:33am
How important for you is reading the Bible? Many people have a regular time for prayer - possibly early morning or late in the evening. Sometimes, often with the use of Bible Reading Notes, we read through a small portion of the Bible. But how satisfied are we with this? I think most of us skip quickly through the passage, thinking that we already know it; or if we don't know it, then it can't be that important. However, if we are to get value (ie be fed) from what we are doing, we need to slow down. The best way to slow down is to read the Bible aloud.
Submitted by Max Scott on 17 December 2009 - 11:17am
Faith is our response to God's grace. It means accepting and relying on what God has done for us. It means that we recognise our limitations; and faith calls us to respond beyond these limitations. When we travel by plane, we may not understand how a plane can fly, we may not be able to control a plane ourselves; but we have faith in the plane's pilot and crew. In the birth of Jesus, the Word became flesh. How this could happen may be beyond our comprehension. That it did happen is affirmed by the evidence of Scripture. To limit ourselves only to what we can understand would make living in our modern technological world impossible. In this world we have to live by faith, but above all, we are to live by faith in God.
Submitted by Max Scott on 10 December 2009 - 3:00pm
Christmas is to be a time of joy. The message of the angels-"to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord"-is to be greeted with great joy by everyone. The long awaited Messiah was now here. If this message was one to cause joy at that time, what causes us joy this Christmas? Perhaps it is the remembering of God coming as one of us in Jesus. Maybe it is the special services of celebration we attend. It could be the family gathering, or even the break from work. Joy is almost always connected with an event. Joy is also a "fruit of the Spirit". Here joy is not connected with an event but with a person. This "fruit" makes a person a joy to others. This Christmas let us celebrate with joy AND be a joy to be with.
