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.
Isn’t that a bit harsh, Jesus?
by Steve Liersch
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‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:59b,60).
Read Luke 9:57–62
Jesus was on a mission to preach in Jerusalem with urgency and determination. He wasn’t going to let that focus be taken away.
You can often tell when someone is on a mission. You get that sense of urgency that gives the vibe, ‘Don’t bother me now cos you won’t get much out of me.’ Even others chime in with remarks like, ‘Can’t you see she’s busy?’, as though they can sense there’s no point in interrupting someone’s train of thought or their single focus to get something done.
As Jesus was on his mission to Jerusalem to preach, he was very blunt with the three people in our text. Two said they would follow him wherever he went but didn’t; the other one Jesus called into service. Did they just get Jesus on a bad day for him to be so blunt? That poor guy who said he needed some extra time to make sure he could bury his father. The issue here is not that he couldn’t do that, but that he most likely didn’t even know when his father would die, and so his hesitation to follow and serve Jesus was at his discretion.
Jesus has no time for his approach to following him. Jesus wanted his followers to share his same sense of urgency. And there’s the clue to this conversation about following Jesus. His blunt response cut through the excuses, and it was necessary.
What are you waiting for to happen in your life before you respond to the urgency of serving our Lord and Saviour? For most of us, there is never the perfect time to drop everything and serve our Lord. All God wants are willing hands and feet, generous hearts that care and a reprioritising of time. Once he has that in a person, the Holy Spirit will work with them more easily.
Think of a time when you have dropped everything to serve your Lord. What did it cost? And what was the outcome?
Empowering God, forgive my hesitation in serving you at times. Place your heart in my heart so that I become a willing servant in your kingdom as you equip me by your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Pastor Steve continues to enjoy his ministry in the beautiful southern coastal suburbs of Perth. Having announced his retirement date for May 2027, he will always be passionate about serving God, though it may look different in retirement.
Surmising Peter’s backstory
by Steve Liersch
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‘But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people’ (Luke 5:5b,10b).
Read Luke 5:1–11
There’s a lot written about the disciple Peter in the gospels. At the end of Luke’s previous chapter, in verses 38 and 39, we read that Peter has a sick mother-in-law whom Jesus heals so she can do the culturally right thing and ‘wait on them’. Today’s reading highlights Peter’s life as a fisherman, mending his nets while Jesus teaches the people who were crowding around him on the shore.
After Jesus finished speaking, he tells Peter to put out the nets for a catch of fish. After doing this, the catch is enormous, to the point that his boat is full. After calling his fishing partners, James and John, to help and seeing their boat fill up as well, Peter responded, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ (verse 8).
The closer Peter gets to Jesus, the more he sees that he is a powerful person in whose company he feels unworthy to be. But Jesus wants to be there by choice, showing Peter firsthand that despite what he thinks of himself, Peter has been chosen to be used by God for his kingdom’s work.
At this point, I have mused a few times over the years about Peter’s backstory. Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law (big tick here), showing Peter that his wife and extended family will be cared for when he is away with the Lord. Then there’s the large catch of fish to show that when Jesus and his fishing disciples are away, their livelihood of fish and food is also no problem for Jesus to take care of.
Reflect on what God has provided for you and your family at times when you were busy doing his work. Thank him for those ‘backstory’ blessings that gave you peace of mind.
Great Provider God, thank you for the many hidden blessings you provide even without my asking. May you continue to give me and all your servants ‘our daily bread’ so that we may serve you with peace of mind. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Pastor Steve continues to enjoy his ministry in the beautiful southern coastal suburbs of Perth. Having announced his retirement date for May 2027, he will always be passionate about serving God, though it may look different in retirement.
Seventy-five and still going strong
by Steve Liersch
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So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran (Genesis 12:4).
Read Genesis 12:1–9
Faithfulness to God can be a strange thing. To be a long-term Christian can seem a bit daunting: all those years ahead, wondering what God has in store for your life here on earth before we get to heaven.
Just imagine what you will be doing 25 years from now. If you’re young, you might be in the prime of your life as a working person with a career. If you’re in your mid-age years, chances are that in 25 years you’ll be retired or about to be. And if you’re retired now, there’s a fair chance you have downsized your home and even found the place where you’ll see out your days.
Spare a thought for Abraham. God credited his faith to him as righteousness. At 75, the Lord told him to get up and go, taking his wife Sarah and nephew Lot, along with their possessions, from the land where they were living. God promised to lead him to a new land, make his descendants into a great nation, and bless his name.
God protected Abraham and Sarah and, in their old age, blessed them with a son, Isaac. Abraham was 100 then.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, allowing us to look back and see how God has woven together the tapestry of events in our lives. It’s a wonderful thing when God makes his promise to us, especially in the waters of baptism, assuring us that we are his children and that he will care for us. He says, ‘I will be your God, and you will be my child. Let’s journey through life together.’ We don’t know what’s in store, but as we journey, God is faithful. Upon reflection, we see his hand at work.
Reflect on some major events in your life in which God has been evident in what unfolded.
Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for watching over me throughout my life. Give me the eyes to see your hand at work and a heart to trust your promises that you will never leave or forsake me, because you want only what’s best for your children. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Pastor Steve continues to enjoy his ministry in the beautiful southern coastal suburbs of Perth. Having announced his retirement date for May 2027, he will always be passionate about serving God, though it may look different in retirement.