by Maria Rudolph
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Read James 3:1–12
I grew up in Germany, with today being St Nicholas Day. Now, it is my children’s turn to clean their shoes on the eve of 6 December and place them neatly outside their bedroom door. When they awake, they will find small goodies in their shoes - lollies, nuts and gifts. St Nicholas Day is a joyful event of giving and receiving.
Nicholas was the 4th-century bishop of Myra, located in modern-day Türkiye (Turkey). The stories surrounding his generous giving and godly conduct have somehow taken on a life of their own and curiously culminated in the modern-day creation of Santa Claus. While this is a far cry from the original person of Bishop Nicholas, it serves as yet another reminder of God, the giver of all things. St Nicholas is credited with this quote - ‘The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.’
How blessed we are with godly quotes from him and many other faithful Christians throughout the ages. How blessed we are with Scripture verses full of wisdom said and recorded by the people of old. Yet an observation and warning from St James in his epistle is true for all of them and us - ‘Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be’ (James 3:10). Even well-quoted people do not always use their tongues appropriately.
We already focus on giving gifts and sharing kind actions during this Advent season. But let us also focus on our tongues. Martin Luther instructs us in his Small Catechism on the eighth commandment:
Do not give false testimony. What does this mean? We should honour and love God and so we should not tell lies about other people, give their secrets away, talk about them behind their back, or damage their reputation in any way. Instead, we should speak up for them, say only good things about them, and explain their actions in the kindest way.
It takes effort to use our tongues appropriately, but with a focus on the giver of every good and perfect gift, we are on the right track. Let us all challenge ourselves to take note of our tongue and pray daily that we may use it solely for blessing.
Holy Spirit, living water, we need your help and guidance. We do not want to be a spring from which fresh and saltwater flow simultaneously. But we trip up and fail. Fill us with your living water so our cup overflows into our lives and the people around us from the spring of life inside us. Store the fruit of your Spirit in our hearts abundantly, so our mouth speaks of what our hearts are full of. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
Love without pretence
by Tim Castle-Schmidt
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With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet (Acts 5:2).
Read Acts 5:1–11
This is one of those readings that can make the room go quiet. Ananias and Sapphira sell property, give some of the money and keep some back. The problem is not that they kept some money. Peter is clear: it was theirs to use. The problem is the lie. They wanted the reputation of radical generosity without the truth of an undivided heart.
It is tempting to keep this story at a safe distance. ‘Well, I would never do that.’ But false righteousness is sneaky. We can perform holiness. We can curate generosity. We can want people to think we are more prayerful, more sacrificial, more loving or more impressive than we really are. We can even use good works to hide from God.
Acts 5 tells us that God takes the truth seriously because he takes his church seriously. Love cannot grow well in the dark. Community cannot thrive on religious pretending. The Holy Spirit forms a people who can tell the truth: about our sin, our fear, our mixed motives and our need for mercy.
The good news is that Christ does not justify our false self; he kills it and raises us new. We do not need to fake righteousness, because Jesus gives us his. We do not need to exaggerate our love, because he has loved us truthfully and completely. That kind of grace is both frightening and freeing. It exposes us, yes, but only to heal us.
Vindicated by Christ, God’s people are freed and formed to love. Freed from performance, freed from image management and freed to be honest before God and one another. And in that honest place, the Spirit starts forming something beautiful: truthful generosity, humble repentance and love without theatre.
Holy Spirit, bring us into the truth. Strip away our pretending, forgive us in Christ and grow in us honest generosity and humble love. Amen.
By his own admission, Tim Castle-Schmidt is a broken man. Broken in body, mind and spirit, he says he is learning that God is at work in and through human brokenness. He says that while God has not ‘fixed’ him, God continues to work through his brokenness to connect with the world. Tim is the pastor of Nunawading–Waverley Lutheran Church in Melbourne. After spending many years as a teacher in Lutheran schools, he finally listened to God’s call to the pastoral ministry. Tim is passionate about social justice and engaging the church with contemporary society. Tim shares his life with Fiona, Miranda, and a Jack Russell called Otto.
Chosen, loved, sent
by Tim Castle-Schmidt
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You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last (John 15:16a).
Read John 15:9–17
Jesus does not begin with, ‘Try harder to love me.’ He begins with, ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.’ That is the order of Christian life. Before there is command, there is gift. Before there is fruit, there is vine. Before we love, we are loved.
That makes all the difference. Jesus does command us to love one another. He is not vague about it. But his command comes wrapped in friendship: ‘I no longer call you servants … Instead, I have called you friends.’ We are not hired hands nervously waiting for the boss’ approval. We are friends of Christ because Christ has chosen us, drawn us close and shared the Father’s heart with us.
And what does his love look like? ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ Jesus is already pointing us to the cross. He does not simply define love. He becomes love in action. He gives himself for people who are slow, proud, fearful, confused and sinful. People like us.
So when Jesus says, ‘Remain in my love’, he is not saying, ‘Stay worthy.’ He is saying, ‘Stay where I have put you. Live from my love. Abide in the mercy that has already claimed you.’ Christian love grows as we keep returning to the place where Christ first meets us: his word, his promises, his forgiveness, his table, his body given and blood shed for us.
Vindicated by Christ, God’s people are freed and formed to love. You are not loved because you are fruitful. You bear fruit because you are loved. Relax into that today. Christ has chosen you, called you friend and sent you to love with the love you have already received.
Jesus, keep us resting in your love. Make your joy complete in us, and send us to love others with the love we have received from you. Amen.
By his own admission, Tim Castle-Schmidt is a broken man. Broken in body, mind and spirit, he says he is learning that God is at work in and through human brokenness. He says that while God has not ‘fixed’ him, God continues to work through his brokenness to connect with the world. Tim is the pastor of Nunawading–Waverley Lutheran Church in Melbourne. After spending many years as a teacher in Lutheran schools, he finally listened to God’s call to the pastoral ministry. Tim is passionate about social justice and engaging the church with contemporary society. Tim shares his life with Fiona, Miranda, and a Jack Russell called Otto.
When love starts with Jesus
by Tim Castle-Schmidt
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37,39b).
Read Matthew 22:34–46
The Pharisees come to Jesus with what they think is a clever test: ‘Which commandment matters most?’ Jesus does not dodge the question. He answers simply: ‘Love God with everything, and love your neighbour as yourself.’ There it is. The whole law, condensed into love.
And if we are honest, that answer should stop us in our tracks. Love God with all your heart? All your soul? All your mind? Love the person next door, the difficult family member, the annoying committee member, the stranger, the enemy, as yourself? That is not a gentle religious suggestion. That is God’s law, and it is far deeper than good manners or being basically nice.
But Jesus does not leave us staring at our failure. Jesus turns the conversation to the Messiah: David’s son, yet David’s Lord. The one who commands love is also the one who fulfils it. Jesus loves the Father perfectly. Jesus loves his neighbours perfectly. Jesus loves sinners all the way to the cross.
That is the good news tucked inside this sharp little exchange. We are not vindicated by our track record of love. We are vindicated by Christ. Because we no longer need to scramble to prove ourselves, we are set free to begin loving properly. Not to earn God’s smile, but because in Jesus we already have it.
Vindicated by Christ, God’s people are freed and formed to love. So today, take the command of love seriously, but receive Christ even more seriously. He is not only your teacher. He is your Lord, your righteousness and your life. From him, love begins again.
Lord Jesus, thank you for fulfilling love for us. Free us from proving ourselves, and teach us to love God and our neighbour from the life you give. Amen.
By his own admission, Tim Castle-Schmidt is a broken man. Broken in body, mind and spirit, he says he is learning that God is at work in and through human brokenness. He says that while God has not ‘fixed’ him, God continues to work through his brokenness to connect with the world. Tim is the pastor of Nunawading–Waverley Lutheran Church in Melbourne. After spending many years as a teacher in Lutheran schools, he finally listened to God’s call to the pastoral ministry. Tim is passionate about social justice and engaging the church with contemporary society. Tim shares his life with Fiona, Miranda, and a Jack Russell called Otto.