Articles

Luke 6:27-38

One of the things that has sustained me through the pandemic is watching vintage sitcoms on television. We are currently revisiting One Foot in the Grave and enjoying the performances of two fine Scots actors – Richard Wilson, who grew up in Greenock, and local lassie Annette Crosbie, born in Gorebridge and educated at Boroughmuir High School in this city. I first saw this in the 1990s and I am now marvelling at the ability of the writer, David Renwick, to capture the irascibility which afflicts ageing men – no mean feat, since he was in his forties when he wrote the scripts. And I have to confess that I sometimes find myself channelling Victor Meldrew, especially when trying to navigate the wheelchair through Roseburn at the moment.

Much of the comedy is rooted in Victor’s lack of self-awareness. His exasperated cry of “I don’t believe it!” is tragi-comic because he is unable to see that his angry, combative approach to life only makes things worse for himself and his long-suffering wife. He certainly isn’t a man who turns the other cheek, and he hasn’t grasped the important truths in today’s Gospel, including:

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

New Testament scholars have spilled a lot of ink discussing what Jesus meant when he said:

^“If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.”

Some suggest that this is the kind of exaggeration that Rabbis used in those days and that it shouldn’t, therefore, be taken literally. Others have suggested that it was a well-known figure of speech – that verbal insults were often described as “a blow on the cheek”, and that Jesus is counselling people not to respond to an insult with another insult. Luke’s version is somewhat shorter than Matthew’s, and other scholars argue that the key to understanding the saying lies in the extra detail that Matthew gives us:

“If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.”

The majority of people are right-handed. A right-handed person trying to hit another person on the right cheek would have to do it with the back of his or her hand. In the culture in which Jesus lived, a back-handed slap on the cheek was a way of showing that the person being hit was seen as an inferior – a slave, perhaps, or a child or even a woman. To respond by offering the other cheek, the left cheek, is therefore a way of saying “You can hit me again if you want, but I am your equal.”  It’s a response which not only refuses to return evil for evil, but which questions the social order and the assumptions that inform that evil. That was certainly the approach of Martin Luther King and many others whose response to prejudice and discrimination was non-violent direct action.

Today’s Gospel passage is an invitation to break out of the cycle of violence, aggression, judgmentalism and prejudice by not responding to them with more violence, aggression, judgmentalism and prejudice. At its heart are two very demanding teachings: that we are to love our enemies and that we are to be merciful as God is merciful.

Understanding what Jesus meant by “love your enemies” is more difficult because the English language makes the single word “love” carry a number of distinct meanings. The Greek word that Luke uses – agape – does not mean romantic love, or friendship or even liking. We are certainly not capable of liking everyone whom we encounter, and we are not called to do that. What we are called to is to wish for and, in so far as it is possible, to work for the well-being of other people, and to do so without expecting any reward or appreciation in return. To wish for and work for the well-being of someone with whose politics we profoundly disagree involves something much harder than a mere agreement to differ, and it may well involve challenging that person’s attitudes and prejudices, but the challenge has to be constructive. All too easy to look at the behaviour of some of our politicians and then merely to echo Victor Meldrew’s exasperated “I don’t believe it!”.

When Luke reports Jesus as saying:

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

He uses another Greek word – oiktirmones – which is difficult to translate. The oik bit is actually the Greek word for house, so there’s something here about recognising that the person who insults you, the person who irritates you, the person who exploits you is nevertheless a member of the same household, the human household which includes everyone, for we are all made in the image and likeness of God. So being merciful isn’t simply about forgiveness, though that’s important, it's about a gut recognition of our common humanity, a visceral and inclusive compassion, a prodigal generosity.

That might sound like an impossible ask. All too easy to react to this teaching with Victor Meldrew’s catch phrase. That would be to miss the good news – the Gospel – at the heart of this Gospel passage. What Jesus is asking for is, to quote Bishop Tom Wright:

“a lightness of spirit in the face of all the world can throw at you. And at the centre of it is the thing that motivates and gives colour to the whole: you are to be like this because that is what God is like.”

And since that is what God is like, we are called to live out of the understanding that we and everyone else are part of the household of God.

 

St.Luke, this morning gives us an alternative version of the Beatitudes, somewhat different to the familiar phrases we know from Matthew Chapter 5. For a start they are shorter:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

   for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.

‘Blessed are you who weep now,

   for you will laugh.

22 ‘Blessed are you when people hate you,

and when they exclude you, revile you,

and defame you on account of the Son of Man.”                                    

                                                                 Luke 6:20a-22

and although they cover the same sentiments; and they are followed by warnings to those who are complacent or arrogant:

“²⁴ But woe to you who are rich,

   for you have received your consolation.

²⁵ ‘Woe to you who are full now,

   for you will be hungry.

‘Woe to you who are laughing now,

   for you will mourn and weep.

26 ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you,

for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”

Luke’s record is more pithy and it certainly doesn’t pull any punches. Luke shows Jesus clearly siding with the poor and outcasts of society and having no truck with those who have life all too easy and care not for their neighbours.

Jesus is telling his followers that if they trust in God then God will not forget them and will help them in their time of need. In doing so Jesus echoes Jeremiah’s words and both are echoed by St.Paul. What we have to learn how to do is to trust in God, through thick and thin and to give thanks to God in both times of plenty and famine.

Jesus warns those who are well off not to forget to thank God and to give him praise for the good things they have - for when the going is good we can all too often forget to be thankful for blessings received. We can end up thinking that good things are our right and it can makes us deaf and blind to the needs of others. We must always be on our guard not to take God for granted or to ignore our brothers and sisters.

In warning those for whom things go well Jesus is reminding them of the duty to care  they have for those who are wanting. In doing so he is encouraging them to help the less fortunate, thus relieving need and saving the ‘rich’ from themselves. If the rich help the poor both are saved from the pitfalls in which they can find themselves. The poor are helped to better things and the rich reminded that everything comes from God and can be taken away if gratitude is forgotten.

Trust and gratitude would seem to be the watchwords of today’s readings. ‘Gratitude’ from all of God’s people for the things we receive in times of plenty and the times of need. Simply saying; ‘thank-you’ to God for everything at all times.

And, ‘Trust’ is a call to have faith in God that he will encourage others to help you when you are desperate by reminding them of their blessings and that they must share them. For in sharing we all receive more from God and there is always more than enough to go round. Remember the old saying that the more you give the more you get back. How true, it often is.

Blessed are those who help others and blessed are those who say; ‘Thank you’.

 

Fishing and landing a catch is no picnic. By fishing I don’t mean the gentle sport of angling I mean fishing deep at sea by trawler men.

“Because Polperro is a tidal port, the fishing boats can only leave or enter the harbour when the tide is halfway above the high water level, a period of six hours in every 12. At low water, the boats are grounded in the harbour and are equipped with 'legs' to support them. Mooring buoys in the outer harbour enable boats to leave and return at low tide however.

Four factors determine when the fishing boats put to sea:

1. Weather. The boats will usually put to sea every day unless a gale (or worse) is forecast. If they are caught out at sea in rough weather, they may decide to make for an all-weather port such as Fowey.

2. Tide. There is a six hour period (three hours either side of high tide) when boats can leave or enter the harbour.

3. Daylight. As a rule, the catch is reduced at night so fishing is usually carried on in daylight.

4. Fishing ground. Where the boats fish is usually decided by word of mouth and past experience. Most fishermen keep notes of past fishing trips which they use as a guide.

Before putting to sea, therefore, they must calculate how long it will take them to reach their fishing ground then allow for the tides and available daylight. In good weather, they will tend to keep fishing as long as possible, the trawlers often spending as much as 100 hours a week at sea in the summer. Bad weather in the winter months will often prevent the boats going to sea for as long as a week or two or even longer. Overall, most fishermen spend at least two thirds of their days at sea.”

Deep sea fishing is hard graft, scary at times, dangerous even perilous but it can bring rewards. A good catch of fish can bring in a good price at market, although every penny made is well earned. Deep sea fishermen deserve our respect, for they are ordinary people who daily leave the security of home and the land for the insecurities of the sea; braving and battling all sorts of weather and conditions. Fishing is tough but it is a challenge these men rise to almost daily.

Fishing for men or people, as the modern translations have it, is not easy either. To be brutally honest it too is hard graft and rarely as rewarding as hauling in a great net of fish. Yet fishing, for people, is something that all of us here, are called to do. We are called to do so because our faith demands that we do so and our Lord, Jesus Christ expects us to do so too.

That may sound or feel rather dogmatic and pious - but it is what I believe we are called to do. We Christians are not called to experience our faith on our own. We are called by Christ to share our experiences of him and his Gospel message of love, with EVERYBODY around us. The great commission at the end of Matthew s Gospel account charges us to do this:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”                                                                                     Matthew 28:19

Christ expects us to respond and act upon this command to mission and evangelism.

But how can I do this?

This is a question I often ask myself and ask of God when I pray. More often than not the answer is how can you not do this. You may ask yourselves the same question. Obviously, there is no easy answer but I think St.Paul gives us a clue today when he says:

“For I am the least of the apostles & by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain.”

Despite originally wanting to stop the spread of Christianity and to debase the Christian message Paul became one of its greatest ambassadors. His conversion changed his perceptions of Christ and the Gospel and he took to heart the idea that he had to share what he had discovered. He did not at first know how or why, he just got on with it and did it as the man he was. He realised that Christ had chosen him for the skills he had not realised he possessed. Christ continues to do the same with us today.

We are what we are. I am what I am - Flawed, imperfect and human. But, as a human being we are all blessed with God's grace. A grace that has lavished upon us; gifts, talents and skills to use and share in the spread of the Christian message.

When I was first asked to train as a mission 21 facilitator in 1996, I refused. Saying to my then bishop in Glasgow and Galloway that I didn’t think mission was my thing and that I certainly did not have the skills, talents and inclination to proclaim the Gospel from street corners. He told me that I did have them and that I was going to the training event. As an act of canonical obedience to my bishop I agreed and the training event became one of the most significant experiences of my life.

My eyes were opened, as was my heart and mind to the exploration of how to share my faith and beliefs with others, by basically being me. It still scares me every day but it also drives me and encourages me in ALL I do. What I learned most importantly was that Christ had called me as I was or as I am. Yes, bits of me have changed and I have acquired new skills but basically I am the same me, as I was then. The same person muddling through life; mucking it up, like others but fired by a desire to tell others how wonderful it is to begin to know or believe that one is loved, loved as one is. Loved by God, loved by Christ and blessed by the Holy Spirit beyond measure and beyond human imagination.

‘I am what I am’ and despite all that God still loves me! Pretty amazing - what ? This is what we are called to share with others, this is the bait or the net with which we are called to fish - just ourselves, as we are. It is our imperfections that can help us the most in this fishing because if we allow others to see them, they might believe that they with their imperfections have a place in God s Kingdom and Christ s church too.

This is how we are to engage in mission, how we are to reach out to others -  by simply being who we are; and having the courage to tell others that despite it all God loves us and loves them too, even if they are as yet unaware that he does so. By proclaiming who we are we can lead others into the faith. By proclaiming how we are loved we can give hope to others and in all of this we do it fuelled by Christ s love and the example he set us.

Never be afraid of who you are. For you as you are is exactly the person Christ loves beyond measure and exactly the right person with the right skills to bring others to him to be loved unconditionally too.

I am what I am and what I am is no mistake. You are what you are and that is no mistake either.

The Presentation Luke 2:22-40

The turn of the Millennium now seems a long time ago. For me, one of the highlights was an exhibition at the National Gallery in London. It was put together by Neil MacGregor and its title was Seeing Salvation. In the introduction to the book that he wrote to accompany a television series about the exhibition, Neil MacGregor quoted words from today’s Gospel:

“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”

He went on:

“With these words this book begins and ends. They were spoken by the old priest Simeon as he took the infant Jesus in his arms and saw in him the Saviour. In this child, Christians believe, the boundaries of the human and divine were permanently redrawn for us all.”

The book closes with a meditation on Rembrandt’s Nunc Dimittis, which can be found in the National Museum in Stockholm. It is a work of his later years. The picture is tightly-cropped. We see only Simeon, the Christ child whom he holds in his arms and, over Simeon’s left shoulder, the face of Anna, looming out of a dark background. The old man’s eyes appear, at first glance, to be closed, and it is only when one looks again that one sees that his hands are coming together in a gesture of prayer, and that his eyes are directed downwards towards the child in his arms who is the Son of God. The expression on his face is rapt. His mouth is slightly open, and his whole countenance is filled with a quiet wonder and worship.

Only two parts of the picture have anything approaching a finished quality – the prayerful face of Simeon and the right hand, chest and face of the infant Jesus. It is as though the baby is the only fully realised reality, a source of light in the picture, a reality that is perceived by the old man and a light that is reflected in his countenance.

Neil MacGregor writes of Rembrandt’s Simeon:

“…although he appears to be blind, he sees the essential. He intuits divinity and he knows all will now be well….“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”

Seeing Salvation is not always, perhaps not often, easy. It ought to be easier for us than for Simeon and Anna. They waited in expectant hope, trusting God’s purposes but ignorant of how those purposes would ripen. We believe and know that God has intervened decisively in history in Jesus Christ, that the boundaries between the human and the divine have been redrawn. We view that intervention in and through Resurrection light. Yet we still find it difficult, especially when life confronts us with painful realities.

Today’s Gospel speaks to us of that spirituality that enables us to see Salvation with the clarity, the certainty and the joy of Simeon and Anna. How balanced Luke’s narrative is. The two people who are able to see salvation are a man and a woman, One of them, Simeon, is in the Temple that day because he has been guided there by the Holy Spirit. The other, Anna, is a person whom, we are told, never left the Temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. It is almost as though Luke is telling us that what we would call two very different kinds of churchmanship, the one charismatic, Spirit-led, inspirational, the other disciplined, regular, almost monastic, both confer the gift of recognition, the ability to see salvation. But they have two important things in common. Firstly, both are devout. Secondly, it is in the Temple that they have the encounter in which they see salvation. That ability to see is something that we can cultivate, both in the private prayer which creates the space in which the Holy Spirit can speak to us and in the joyous discipline of public, corporate worship which builds us up in faith and love.

To return to Rembrandt’s painting:

The baby is the only fully realised reality, a reality that is perceived by the old man and reflected in his countenance. Candlemas – the Feast of the Presentation – offers us the opportunity to reflect on the coming of Christ into the world, the coming of the light that the darkness has not overcome. It is also a reminder that our calling is to reflect that light on a world sorely in need of illumination. As we turn away from Christmas and move towards Lent and Easter, we will be exploring what that means.

 

Extracts from the joint worship

and a reflection by the Rev'd Russell Duncan

Brothers and sisters, we are united today with fellow believers throughout the world as we gather to pray for the visible unity of the Church. This morning our prayer inspiration comes from the churches in the Middle East – that part of the Body of Christ geographically linked to the story of the coming of the Magi. The Magi reveal to us a unity of nations as desired by God. They travel from far-off countries and from different cultures, driven by the same hunger to see and know the new born king. This leads them to gather in the little house in Bethlehem for the simple act of giving homage and offering gifts. In our own multi-cultural society we can see some expressions of that rich variety. At this time of year, some of us may feel we have moved on in our worship from the crib and the story of the coming of the Magi from the East. Yet Christmas-tide does not end until the 2nd February with the celebration of Candlemas (Jesus’ presentation in the temple). Our sisters and brothers in the Middle East invite us to focus on the story of the Magi anew. Uniting with them and journeying again with the Magi, may our time together allow us to come face-to-face with our God in Christ. May our worship bring a sense of joy and wonder

and allow us to respond as we go on further in our own journey of faith. Let us come into God’s presence in solidarity with all who are sick, suffering, marginalized, displaced and oppressed, knowing that our darkness can be dispelled by God’s light. As we pray today for the unity of the Church, may we all journey together to meet Jesus the Saviour, the light of the world.

Glory be to you Father Almighty, for you have revealed yourself

through your creation and invite all people to gather in your

presence. We have seen the star of Jesus in our lives and have

come to worship him just as the Magi did. We offer him ourselves

today and we ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit among us.

Unite us as we come to worship the king, all glorious above. Amen.

 

Gospel Reading Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2, verses 1 and 2

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”

The Magi saw the star and were so moved by its appearing that they left everything and crossed the world to follow it, to find the child to whom the star pointed.

Glory be to you Father Almighty, for you have revealed yourself through your creation and invited all people to gather in your presence. We have seen the star of Jesus in our lives and have come to worship him just as the Magi did. We offer him ourselves today and we ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit among us.

As we pray today for the unity of the Church, may we and our communities also be lights that guide others to Jesus the Saviour.

“Unite us as we come from every corner of our community to worship you, our heavenly king. Amen.”

Matthew 2, verses 3 to 6:

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

The seekers have come so far guided by the splendour of the universe. But to find their final destination, they need the help of others and the guidance and insight of the Scriptures. They discover that God’s word “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. [Psalm 119:105]

“Lord, we thank you
For those who have helped us on our journey that led to you.

Lord, we worship you
For lighting our path through chaos and doubt by your Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 2, verses 7 and 8:

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

On our journey, at times we have to encounter people who do not have good intentions. The Magi were asked to meet with Herod in the secretive corridors of power. Herod wants only to protect his own interests and ultimately to destroy whatever he sees as threatening them. We too have to contend with voices and messages that pretend to respect the good, but end up being destructive.

“Lord, we have damaged our common home through endless consuming.
Like Herod, we seek to protect our palaces
rather than sharing the riches of human dignity. Light our way
as together we seek the path to a better future for

Matthew 2: verses 9 to 10

When the wise men had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

God our heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the gift of joy in our own lives and in the lives of all who know and love you. We pray that as we journey towards the goal of Christian unity, our lives together may give a luminous and joyful witness that leads others to know Christ.

We praise God, united in joy.

Matthew 2, verses 11 and 12

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

They enter the little house and see face to face the one their hearts were seeking. They worship and, opening their treasures, offer their gifts. Having encountered the Saviour, the Magi return to their countries by a different way. Similarly, may the communion we share in our prayer together inspire us to return to our lives, our churches and our world by new ways, changed by meeting the Lord.

Reflection

Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews? For we have observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage (Matthew 2:2)

One of my favourite actors, Martin Clunes, who plays the rather grumpy doctor

in the TV series “Doc Martin” has a new series entitled “Islands of the Pacific”.

Some of you may have seen it this week. He embarks on an epic ocean wide

adventure in search of the real Pacific. At one point, he goes

sailing with a young but experienced fisherman who tells him that he

follows the stars in order to navigate around the numerous, scattered islands.

Unlike many of us, he doesn’t have or use google maps on his mobile phone.   

Matthew’s gospel introduces us to “wise men” who travelled from the East following a star.  However, in the Bible there weren’t three, and they weren’t kings. Matthew doesn’t give us a number. Legend subsequently deduced that there were three because they gave three presents – the famous gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Only later were they called Kings. The reason they are referred to as magi is because the word used is taken from Old Persian, and is the job title of the astrologers of the Persian royal court.

One of the early depictions in Christian art is a mosaic in the Basilica of St Apollinaris in Ravenna, Italy which was decorated in the second half of the sixth century.  Already the magi are three. In order to show them as wise men from the East the Byzantine artists who made the mosaic based their figures on the most exotic Easterners they knew.

Matthew wants to demonstrate that the birth of Jesus fulfils Scripture while  Isaiah the Prophet, predicted the birth of the Messiah who would be witnessed by the people of all the nations of the world, who would come to pay tribute.

Scripture tell us nothing about the personal details of the wise men, although their gifts are well known.  However familiar their journey  is to us it does seem strange that they left everything to follow a star. We are not told how long their journey took;  how they felt about going out into the unknown or why they felt compelled to make this particular  journey.

In his book “An Advent Book of Days” Bishop Gregory Cameron comments that “When the medieval Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral was opened in 1864, the remains of three men were found – one old, one middle aged and one a youth. We may be allowed to be sceptical as to whether these might actually be the relics of the magi who visited Jesus, but it does reflect another ancient tradition in the Church – that the three Kings each reflected an “age of man”; youth, maturity and old age”.

In this season of Epiphany and in this week of Christian Unity which unites us  visibly together, may we like the wise men -  who rejoiced at seeing the holy child -  continue to follow that same star. May we allow the Light of World to shine in our hearts and minds whether at present it is shining bright, flickering on the horizon or appearing to have disappeared altogether.

O God who by the guidance of a star,

Revealed your only-begotten Son to the nations;

Grant that we, who know you now by faith,

May at the last be led to see your glory face to face

Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord.