by Sal Huckel
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Read Matthew 3:1–12
Today’s passage invites us to the banks of the Jordan, where John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry. His humble lifestyle and calls to repentance were already bringing the people to respond to their sins and be baptised by John in the river. Not surprisingly, also came the conflict with the Pharisees and Sadducees.
John’s reprimand and call to repentance is stark. We might feel that it was well deserved. After all, we do know much about the Pharisees and the Sadducees and their apparent hypocrisy. Paul himself was a Pharisee. While the Pharisees and Sadducees had doctrinal disagreements, they were united in their efforts against Jesus. Here, John’s warning is for them all.
What can we learn here today? We can study the baptism John was bringing, how Jesus’ baptism is the one we need and the meaning it has for us now to be baptised into Jesus’ baptism. We can also ponder what it means to ‘produce fruit in keeping with repentance’. How does that look? What do we need to repent of? We sometimes hear that Jesus simplified the Ten Commandments and that we don’t need to worry about all of those anymore; we are not ‘under the law’. However, Jesus said he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17).
Unless we understand God’s law, we cannot properly repent. We may feel the law is less prescriptive and onerous ‘since Jesus’, but if we begin to unpack the Ten Commandments and look at Martin Luther’s explanations – the Small Catechism is very helpful on this – we will see that they go further than we might expect. It’s a misleading idea that ‘Jesus replaced them’. Helpfully, rather like the ways in which it is best to teach children, Luther offers positive instruction to further expand on the negatives.
Start today with commandment number one: ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ We don’t have to look very far to see the things that compete for our attention, love and trust. How can you fear, love and trust God above all things today? To produce fruit in keeping with repentance, we need to follow through with this.
Father God, help me to more fully understand the law written in our hearts (Romans 2:15) and produce fruit in keeping with repentance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel, and they live in Victoria with their six children, enjoying their ministry with Moorabbin–Dandenong Lutheran Church. Their two eldest children are excited to study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels during term time in Sydney. Theology, music, philosophy, literature and history are passions the family shares and explores together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.
A new creation
by Stuart Gray
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‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so will your name and descendants endure’ (Isaiah 66:22).
Read Isaiah 66:18b–22
These are the last verses, bar two, in the final chapter of Isaiah, a book full of prophetic visions. A major theme of Isaiah is God’s judgement of external evil and inward corruption. Isaiah 66:18 refers to this judgement, ‘For I know their works and their thoughts …’, but it quickly moves to a time of gathering and restoration, ‘And I … am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory’.
God is not just gathering the people of Israel, but ‘all nations and languages’. This indicates God’s plan to offer salvation to all people, not just Israel. He says that after the judgement, some survivors will be sent to the four corners of the world, to people who ‘have not heard of my fame or seen my glory’, to proclaim his glory.
This would have been difficult for the people in Isaiah’s time to grasp. Priests came from Aaron’s line, and Levites came from the tribe of Levi, yet the prophecy says people from all nations will serve in these roles. The idea of the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) foreshadowed here is another example of the incredible interconnectedness between the Old and New Testaments.
And these nations, who have been the enemies of Israel, oppressors and idol worshippers, will now worship God and participate in a grand pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Then God declares, ‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me, so will your name and descendants endure’ (verse 22).
Isaiah 65:17–25 describes the new heavens and new earth with wonderful imagery of life, fulfilment, harmony and peace. There will be a transformation: ‘The former things [the fallen world] will not be remembered nor will they come to mind’ (Isaiah 65:17).
The new heavens and the new earth will be sustained by God, as will his people. There will be renewal under God’s reign, and his people will have everlasting life.
What a wonderful and joyous prospect.
Heavenly Father, your glory and majesty are hard for us to comprehend, as is your promise of new heavens and a new earth that will be sustained by you. Help us to keep this vision in our hearts as we face the highs and lows of our daily lives, so we always have hope for the future. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Stuart lives with his wife Pamela Dalgliesh in Mansfield, in the beautiful High Country of Victoria. In between helping to maintain a large garden and domestic orchard with 80 fruit trees, Stuart is a volunteer mentor for learner drivers, a Red Cross patient transport driver and is involved in a very active Mansfield Anglican church community. Stuart loves travelling, being outdoors and maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle.
A feisty faith
by Stuart Gray
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Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment (Matthew 15:28).
Read Matthew 15:(10–20) 21–28
The elements of this story are simple. A woman seeks healing for her daughter from ‘The Healer’. However, her encounter with Jesus is quite profound. A Canaanite – historic enemy of Israel – and a woman, possibly without a husband, so an outsider even in her own country.
Yet this woman recognises Jesus as ‘Lord, Son of David’. She pleads for mercy and, much to the disciples’ annoyance, persists.
Jesus’ initial reaction and conversation seem harsh. Firstly, he ignores her, which I’m sure is not a technique recommended by modern counsellors dealing with a distressed person. But the silence demonstrates how persistent the woman is and points to the strength of her faith.
Jesus then emphasises her ‘outsideness’. ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ This does not stop her. She ignores what Jesus has said but takes advantage of the fact that he is talking to her. ‘Lord, help me.’ A simple and humble plea for help.
But Jesus has not finished testing her faith. ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ Imagine the outrage that public statement would cause today! Social media would be white hot.
Again, this does not deter the woman, and her response is amazing. ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ That response would take me a day or two to formulate.
In her response, the woman recognises Jesus’ purpose for the lost people of Israel. She trusts that he has mercy enough for those beyond Israel.
This is a story of powerful spirituality. The woman acknowledges her need, refuses to give up, trusts Jesus’ mercy and approaches him with humility.
Jesus meets us in our individual situations, in the down-and-dirty harshness of life.
I wonder what the disciples learnt from this encounter. The Canaanite woman foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles into God’s kingdom. Yet even after the resurrection, some of the disciples struggled to understand that Jesus died for all people and nations.
Do we persist in prayer like the Canaanite woman?
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the examples of faith you have given us in Scripture. Help us to acknowledge our needs, be humble, trust in your mercy and be persistent in prayer. Thank you for accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross so that all people and nations can have a personal relationship with you. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Stuart lives with his wife Pamela Dalgliesh in Mansfield, in the beautiful High Country of Victoria. In between helping to maintain a large garden and domestic orchard with 80 fruit trees, Stuart is a volunteer mentor for learner drivers, a Red Cross patient transport driver and is involved in a very active Mansfield Anglican church community. Stuart loves travelling, being outdoors and maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle.
Joyful expectation
by Pauline Simonsen
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May God be gracious to us and bless us (Psalm 67:1a).
Read Psalm 67
We have heard and seen this week our God’s salvation for wilful humans, and that God’s heart is grace: undeserved mercy. We’ve seen this repeatedly in the Bible, and we see it in our own lives. Pause for a few moments and think of God’s goodness to you, entirely undeserved. Given to you, simply because the Lord loves you. Maybe name those gifts out loud – such as precious people, a home, daily food, good work – and thank God for them.
Truly, our only prayer as humans can be:
God, continue to be gracious to us! Continue to bless us with your wise provision and help. Continue to look upon us with your love. Continue, God, to be you: rich in mercy, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Then the people of the earth will know who you are, when they see your faithfulness and how you save and care for your people. And they will praise you too! All the people groups of all the nations will see, know and rejoice with us. They will see how our God rules with justice, and causes the earth to flourish for all people. ‘God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will honour him.’
The psalmist’s praise song sounds so positive, but it may seem a forlorn hope to us today, as we look at a world increasingly hostile to the God we know in Jesus. People are more wilful and rebellious against the Lord than ever. How unlikely that they will all recognise and praise the Lord!
But the psalmist’s prayer is right. Like Isaiah (see Isaiah 52:10), the psalmist prophetically prays in faith, declaring that all people of the earth will see the grace and salvation of our God.
And as we say this psalm with him, we speak prophetically into the future, declaring that the Lord Jesus will return to judge with equity and to rule with goodness. Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the praise and glory of God.
Psalm 67 looks back to God’s faithfulness in the past, to his goodness in the present, and to his glory in the future.
Hold fast – God will bless us, and all the earth will praise our Lord!
Remind us, Lord God, when we see only the wickedness of our world, that your grace and salvation never fail! Lift our eyes to the horizon to look with joyful expectation for the coming of our King Jesus, when this psalm will be fulfilled. Amen.
Pauline lives in sight of the ranges in the beautiful Manawatu region of New Zealand with her husband Roger and their two cats. There, she leads Emmaus Bible College and offers spiritual direction and supervision to people from a wide range of backgrounds and denominations.