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⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Matthew 10:40 – 42

This short passage from Matthew’s Gospel comes at the end of what is sometimes referred to as the Missionary Discourse. That is for most of chapter 10 of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus outlines what he expects of his disciples.

Firstly Jesus tells is followers that they are to share the Gospel

⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Jesus then makes it clear to the disciples that they may expect a difficult time on occasion:

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

The disciples are called to behave courageously.

²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

And they can expect a cost to their discipleship

³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

The finally we get to these 3 verses at the end of the Gospel in which Jesus tells the disciples how they should share the presence of Christ.

The disciples are authorised and empowered to be representatives of Jesus on earth. And to give added importance they are reminded that as Jesus is God incarnate then the disciples are representing God.

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

It should be noted that when we talk of disciples here, we are not just thinking of the original followers of Jesus. Matthew is writing his Gospel at least 40 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Possibly even longer.

Most scholars today think that the audience for Matthew’s Gospel would have been Jews who had “converted” to Christianity. And it is fair to say that they could be regarded as an early church. This is an important point to remember because when we come to consider this morning’s passage, it is not being written with just itinerant disciples in mind i.e. disciples who are travelling around preaching the Gospel. Matthew is writing to Christians who are gathered together but who still need to be reminded of the need to be disciples.

These are the “little children” Matthew quotes Jesus as speaking about. Little children is the term Matthew uses to refer to “ordinary” Christians.

So “little children” what is this passage saying to us to day?

Well to me it seems that this passage is clearly talking about the need for hospitality and the need to welcome in people as part of discipleship.

But why? Why do we need to welcome people as part of discipleship? Is it just so when I have to send in figures to the Methodist Church every October the numbers have gone up? Or is it merely to survive as an institution? Or to ensure we have enough finance? The answer is no to all three of those.

Robert Schnase in an excellent book called “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations”[1] makes the point that fundamentally the church – the Body of Christ – exists to draw people to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. And part of God’s plan for that to happen is for people to live in community with others. On one level such a community is a congregation and a congregation, an individual church, Schnase says, should be a school of love, a place where we are formed by God’s spirit and where we learn to give and receive love from friends, neighbours and strangers.

Robert Schnase says that such behaviour, showing such love, can be termed “Radical hospitality”.

I need to explain the phrase a bit a more. When we hear the word “hospitality” we can tend to think of offering people food or perhaps some where to stay. Certainly years ago when preachers and ministers would perhaps come from a way away then an offer of “hospitality” meant the spare bedroom at a steward’s house and Sunday lunch!

But hospitality is more than that. For it seems to me that greatest contribution any of us can make to the Body of Christ is inviting someone else to be part of the place where we find love or helping a newcomer feel so genuinely welcome that he or she receives what we have received.

So what is “radical hospitality”? Radical can mean “arising from the source” and in the context of hospitality it means practices that are rooted in Jesus who is the source of everything we do in his name. And these practises should radiate out into the lives of others. Radical also means “drastically different from ordinary practice, outside the normal.”

And Robert Schnase says churches that are characterised by Radical Hospitality are not just friendly and courteous, passively receiving visitors warmly. Instead they exhibit restlessness because they realise that so many people do not have a relationship with Jesus and are in desperate need of the love he brings.

We who are already part of the Body of Christ can forget what church offers to those in need. Love and fulfilment. And most importantly a place where we can encounter God’s love.

People need to know that God loves them. People need to know that their life is of supreme importance to God and that he values them all. People need to find peace in their lives. People need to know how to offer and accept forgiveness. And if a congregation is operating as God wants then it will be a school of love practising radical hospitality to all.

David Wiggs in his book “Who needs a welcome?” related this story.

I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70’s with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him. He was well respected, honest, a man of good character. He acted much like a Christian would act, but he never came to church or professed Christ. After I got to know him well and we had talked about a wide range of subjects I asked him if he had ever been to a church service.

He hesitated. Then with a twisted grimace told me of an experience he had as a boy. He was raised in a large family. His parents survived the depression but they struggled to provide food and clothing for the family. When he was around ten years old a friend invited him to go to church with his family.

He went – the Sunday School class was great. The songs were fun to sing and the stories, oh the great Bible stories, were exciting to hear. He had never heard anyone read from the Bible before. As class ended the teacher pulled him aside and said, “Son, please don’t come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God’s house.”

He looked down at his old hand me down clothes that were certainly worn and tattered. He thought about that for a moment and said softly, “No ma’am I won’t ever.” Then he looked at me and said, “And you know what… I never did.” It was clear that he was done with that conversation.

David Wiggs goes on, I am sure that the Sunday School teacher meant well and in fact was representing the feeling of the majority of the folks in that church. But what if, what if she had put her arms around the dirty little boy in the ragged clothes and said, “Son, I am thrilled that you came this morning and I hope you will come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus because he loves you so much.” Moreover what if she would have talked with her pastor or her friends in the church and mobilized a full blown outreach effort to help this family make ends meet.

What if that church would have thought, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Or whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple will receive a great reward” (v. 40 & 42)

David Wiggs’ story ended like this:

I saw that man in the church house for the first time on Wednesday and I cried as I looked at the immaculately dressed old gentleman lying there in his casket. He was looking his best. But all I could think of were those words of an impressionable little ten-year-old boy echoing in my mind, “No ma’am I won’t ever.”

We may shudder when we hear that story. And we all like to think that we wouldn’t do something like that. We wouldn’t exclude someone. We wouldn’t send someone away from church. But it happens. And sometimes in subtle ways.

Very often church members care for each other so much, and their lives are so entwined with one another; that it can be difficult if not impossible for newcomers to break in. This very closeness that in many ways is the strength of a church can also be its biggest weakness. And those already inside and linked don’t realise what they are doing.

Practising radical hospitality means that we need to be aware of this. And means that we must be prepared to work towards helping others receive what Jesus Christ brings to each one of us already.

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Hospitality is more than politeness to visitors and a warm welcome at the door – though it is those things as well. Radical hospitality is the practice of sharing Christ’s love with all we encounter and our opening up of our church community to receive others.

---

[1] Schnase R. Five practices of fruitful congregations Abingdon Press Nashville 2007

Charity begins at home – but it doesn’t have to stay here!

The Defence Secretary Liam Fox recently wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to scrap the Conservative manifesto commitment, and the coalition agreement, to set in law a promise to spend 0.7% of the UK’s gross national product on overseas aid. It was ironic that Dr Fox’s comments came during Christian Aid week.

Apparently by 2013 (when the 0.7% aid budget would come into place) 0.7% of Gross National Product would equate to £11.4 billion pounds. Last year the British tax payer gave £7.5 billion worth of overseas aid.

Dr Fox clearly feels that the money should be spent in the UK. After all £11.4 billion would pay for about 25% of the new Trident nuclear deterrent.

Jesus was once asked by a lawyer what he had to do to inherit eternal life. When questioned by Jesus the lawyer said that Jewish law stated “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”

The lawyer then asked Jesus who he should regard as his neighbour. Under Jewish law “neighbours” were other Jews. However, Jesus went on to tell the lawyer the Parable of the Good Samaritan in which a sworn enemy of Jews – the Samaritan – was shown as caring for a Jewish victim of assault.

Jesus’ teaching shows that we are to think of all people as our neighbours no matter where they live. We are to have a wider perspective. To be concerned with all people everywhere.

We’re facing some tough economic times and savings need to be made. But I feel that it is important that we, as one of the richest countries in the world, show an example and provide aid to those many countries that are in need.

The prayer I’m about to use comes from this year’s Christian Aid worship pack.

God, who is more than we can ever imagine,

give us a bigger picture of the world;

give us a broader view of justice;

give us dreams of love

that are not defined by boundaries of geography or race or religion,

or by the limitations of worldly structures and systems.

Enlarge our imaginations and inspire our courage this Christian Aid Week

And all weeks, to put ourselves in that bigger picture.

Keep us struggling,

keep us faithful,

keep us strong,

so that we never give up on the promise of your kingdom,

where the world is transformed,

and all can enjoy life in all its fullness.

In Jesus name we ask it. Amen.

Dead reckoning

It is often said isn’t it that one of the last great taboos in our society, one of the things people don’t like to talk about it death. And if truth be told all of us I suppose at one time or another don’t like to face up to the fact, and it is a fact, that one day we will die. We’re so wary of the “D” word that we have a multitude of expressions we use instead of saying someone died

“Passed on” is quite genteel. And of course if you wish to be literary there is always a bit of Shakespeare “Shuffled off this mortal coil”. But there are things like “Popped his clogs” “Pushing up the daisies” “Snuffed it”. All phrases that we all use from time to time rather than saying someone has died.

Strangely enough, in John 11, Jesus also uses a euphemism for death at one point. In John 11:11 Jesus says to the disciples:

"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep," he said. "But I am going to Bethany to wake him up."

Though the disciples think that Jesus means Lazarus is ill. I suppose we’d say in some kind of coma, for they say to Jesus:

¹² His disciples replied, "Lord, if he's sleeping, he will get better."

But

¹³ Jesus had been speaking about the death of Lazarus. But his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead”.

There is so much to say about this passage of scripture, but I want to focus on a few verses. The conversation between Jesus and Martha. Verses 21 – 27:

For these verses set out the Christian theology, the Christian belief about death and resurrection.

So let’s unpack these verses for a moment:

²¹ "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died.²² But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask for."

²³ Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Jesus’ reply to Martha “Your brother will rise again” gives no hint about what is about to happen. It is open ended. And as such it can be taken as a general affirmation of the resurrection of the dead at some time in the future. And Martha seems to accept this for she says:

"I know he will rise again. This will happen when people are raised from the dead on the last day."

Amongst some Jews, those who followed the Pharisees, there was a general belief in the resurrection of the dead. A belief that could be traced back to Daniel 12:2

² "Huge numbers of people who lie dead in their graves will wake up. Some will rise up to life that will never end. Others will rise up to shame that will never end.

Though Jews who followed the Sadducees did not have this belief.

But clearly for Martha this was part of her belief. That one day Lazarus would rise from the dead. And by the time John was writing his Gospel, this was also Christian belief.

However, what Jesus says adds another dimension to what Martha believed and what the Pharisees believed. Jesus was not just talking about resurrection he was talking about life as well:

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Given 2,000 years of Christian teaching it is perhaps hard for us to accept how radical this statement was. Although there was a belief in resurrection as I’ve said, the Jewish teachings didn’t seem to explain any further what this might mean. But what Jesus now says to Martha brings a whole new dimension:

I am the resurrection and I am the life

Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. Meaning the effect of believing in Jesus has on the believers’ death;

²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die Meaning the effect of believing has on the believers’ life.

For Jesus to be the resurrection means that physical death has no power over believers. Their future is determined by their faith in Jesus not by their death .

For Jesus to be the life means that the believer’s present is also determined by Jesus’ power for life, which is experienced as his gift of eternal life.

That’s some big stuff to comprehend. Let me say it again:

For Jesus to be the resurrection means that physical death has no power over believers. Their future is determined by their faith in Jesus not by their death.

For Jesus to be the life means that the believer’s present is also determined by Jesus’ power for life, which is experienced as his gift of eternal life.

It’s the classic case of Christians living in the here and now but also looking forward to a time to come.

And therefore as believers we should not be fearful of death. For if we believe we will live even if we die.

But you know that. Preachers have been saying something similar from this pulpit for the past 50 years. Preachers have been saying this for hundreds of years. This is good news. It’s more than that it is great news! And yet this fear of death remains.

You will have seen in the Adver or on the TV news the pictures taken outside the night club in Old Town from which Sian O’Callaghan was taken. And the hundreds of bunches of flowers laid in her memory. You may have seen the hundreds of Chinese lanterns set off in her memory on the Polo Ground. These are really touching gestures of sympathy and support for Sian’s family by the people of Swindon.

But I wonder whether they are saying something else? I wonder whether these are symptomatic of a world that is afraid of death? A world that has not heard Jesus’ words to Martha and to us:

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die.

Of course it’s not just to do with Sian. We now see it all the time. The “shrines” that get set up at the side of the road where someone has been killed. I know of at least four around Swindon. The graves that now seem to have candles and toys and windmills as well as flowers left on them.

You may think I am being heartless. That’s not my intention. And I accept that for those close to someone they want to place flowers at the scene of a fatal accident as part of their grieving. I don’t think it is something I’d do, but I can sort of understand why that may be helpful. But now it seems to me so many people in our society have to do this as well. Why? Why?

On the one hand perhaps because they have not heard what Jesus tells us

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die. John 11:25 - 26

But also perhaps because even if they have heard those words – and if anyone has ever attended a Christian funeral they will have heard those words – even if they have heard those words, the stumbling block is one word. Believe. Believe.

Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die.

Belief is their big challenge. It is too much to believe that their loved one has eternal life through belief in Jesus. And so they try to hold on to their loved ones through these shrines.

Please don’t get me wrong. I think it is very considerate that people wish to pay their respects. But I do feel the “Diana effect” says a lot more about people trying to cope with their feelings about death than anything else.

Of course death is a big challenge for all of us. And even if we believe w still grieve for a loved one. Just as Martha did. Even though she believed in Jesus and believed in resurrection of the dead, she still grieved for her brother. But belief in Jesus and his promise can help us cope with death I feel than if we have no belief.

I was talking to someone last week who is a member of another church. I’ll call her Sally. And Sally was sharing some conversations she had had with friends and work colleagues who are not believers but are clearly searching. Sally said how one conversation had been prompted by a death of a work colleague. Other colleagues were very upset and couldn’t come to terms with someone (of a similar age) dying and they’d all asked Sally how she coped. And she said that it was down to her belief in Jesus.

But Sally then said to me something I think very true. “I believe in Jesus and I believe in eternal life just has he has promised. And that makes all the difference in this life. And do you know what David? If when I die it has been for nothing, there is nothing more, it will have made a difference in this life.”

I thought that was incredibly honest and incredibly true. For none of us KNOW if there is life after death. We hope it and believe it.

Life is a lot like living in a maze. We continue to take wrong turns which lead nowhere and often retrace our steps until we can find our way. It can be very frustrating. Sometimes we never do find our way out. Those are the times we are stuck and feel like a prisoner with no escape.

Jesus wants to help set us free. I believe that no matter how difficult the maze you live in may seem, there is always a way out. Not even death can stand in the way of your life’s journey.

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25 - 26

Mmm what to spend my penny on?

As has been widely reported, George Osborne in his beneficence chose to reduce duty on petrol by 1p per litre from 6pm on 23rd March. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/23/budget-fill-up-petrol-tanks

Thanks George, that saves me 50p every time I fill up. "Every little helps" as Tesco say in their advertisements. But talking of supermarkets George can I tell you something strange? On Monday evening at 10.30pm I drove past Asda Walmart in north Swindon and petrol was 129.9p per litre. On Tuesday morning, it was now 130.9 per litre. No doubt it is back to 129.9p per litre this morning. So where's my saving gone George?

I get the impression maths isn't your strong point George, but let me help you out here. If a bag of sweets costs 10p and the shopkeeper decides to put the price up overnight unexpectly by 1p (or at least after being given a nudge by the sweet manufacturer) how much will the sweets cost? That's right 11p. But if my kind Uncle George realises that the those right wingers at The Beano are breathing down his so decides to give me an extra 1p pocket money. And then the kindly shop keeper decides to put prices back to 10p. So that's nice.

But the trouble is George the bag of sweets still costs 10p. It hasn't reduced. And whereas in my example 1p in my pocket equates to a 10% increase in my pocket money sadly George 50p for each time I fill up my car doesn't amount to much. In fact given that the price this of petrol this morning is the same as it was on Monday evening it amounts to a big fat zero.

George. 0/10.

Now if you had really wanted to help out many thousands of motorists, including health visitors, district nurses, social workers and yes ministers of religion, you could have changed the 40p per mile tax allowance paid for people who use their private car for work purposes. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351681/Drivers-use-car-work-hit-2-000-bill.html That really would have put petrol in the tank of the UK economy.

Oh and one final thing George. You know you have just raised taxes on the oil industry. I've no problem with that. They can afford to pay. And it would be good to use that money to develop green technology perhaps. But one small flaw in your logic I think. The oil companies will just pass on the tax to the motorists.

It's hard this maths isn't it George? I bet you wished you stayed with your dad working as a painter and decorator now.

Father forgive

Downton Baptist Church is holding a photographic exhibition entitled “THE F WORD: images of forgiveness”

IN Matthew’s Gospel we are told about a time when Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, came to Jesus and asked

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

To understand this, we need to know that Jewish teaching required that one person should forgive another person three times. And no more. Peter clearly wanting to impress Jesus and Peter thought forgiving someone 7 times would be more than enough. But Jesus makes the point that it is important to keep on forgiving. He didn’t literally mean 77 times. He meant we have to keep on forgiving.

That is good sound teaching. And there are people who try to follow it. I remember being greatly moved by the words of forgiveness said by Gordon Wilson following the death of his daughter Marie in an IRA bombing at Enniskillen on Remembrance Sunday in 1987. “I bear no ill will. I bear no grudge” he said.

But for most people the reality, that to forgive something or someone can be hard to do. You may remember a few years back Rev Julie Nicholson, an Anglican vicar resigned from her calling following the murder of her daughter Jenny in the July 7^th tube bombings in London. At the time Rev Nicholson said

"It's very difficult to stand behind an altar and lead people in words of peace and reconciliation and forgiveness when I feel very far from that myself."

Julie Nicholson was being incredibly honest about this. And, for all the talk that she should have set an example, the reality is very different. And I find myself asking, ‘What would I have done?’ As a Christian minister I like to think I’d forgive but deep down I know that I might find it hard to do so.

Why do we need to forgive? On one level my answer to that is we must forgive because Jesus told us to. And he did so to remind his followers that unless we forgive, we will not be forgiven by God. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” as the Lord’s prayer puts it.

But on another level forgiveness is important for our own well being. By forgiving someone or something, we ease some of the hurt we experience.

As Bishop Tom Wright puts it

“Forgiveness is like the air in your lungs. There’s only room to inhale the next lungful when we’ve breathed out the previous one. If you insist on not forgiving, refusing to give someone the kiss of life they so desperately need, you won’t be able to take any more in and will suffocate very quickly.”

Let us pray

"O Lord,
Remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us: Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by You, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness."

Amen

Prayer written by a unknown prisoner in Ravensbruck concentration camp and left by the body of a dead child.

Debt Advice to be cut

At a time of people being worried about their jobs, rising inflation and the possibility of rising interest rates our friends the ConDems rub some salt in the wounds by announcing cuts to debt advisors.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12330429

I don't think they have plans to open debtors prisons and workhouses yet but it's early days.

If you are worried about debt or know someone who is then can I direct you to CAP - Christians Against Poverty. http://www.capuk.org/home/index.php Christians Against Poverty is a national debt counselling charity with a network of 150 centres based in local churches. CAP offers hope and a solution to anyone in debt through its unique, in-depth service.

Users of CAP do not have to be Christians. CAP has avery good reputaation and Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis lists CAP on his web site as an organisation that provides debt help. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/debt-help-plan#help