Andy Graham

I was asked yesterday if it might be possible to do some kind of Bible Study on the website, similar to the kind of thing I would normally put in the Isla Link, So for as long as this lockdown period lasts I will do this on a Wednesday, the day on which I would normally be having a Bible Study, and will start by looking at selected portions of Luke’s Gospel.

Background Information On Luke:

Luke was a Gentile, probably of Greek origin, and is believed to have been a doctor. He spent a lot of time in the company of the Apostle Paul and witnessed his revolutionary change of attitude after his Damascus conversion. So when Luke wrote his Gospel he was careful to show that from the very beginning God planned that His message should be for all kinds and classes of people. So, Luke paints a portrait of Jesus as One whose love reaches out to every single member of the human race.

In Luke’s Gospel the coming and mission of Jesus is written in a very narrative form, with great effort being put into showing the ministry of Jesus as being part of the continuing redemptive plan of God for everyone. He seeks to challenge his audience to discern the purpose of God such that they may embrace this and order their own lives around it.

Luke’s Gospel is often described as being the Pastoral Gospel and from the outset, where Luke shares with us his understanding of Jesus Ministry, we see why it is thought of in this way.

Read Luke 4:14-21

For Luke, it seems, these verses encapsulate what Jesus’ Ministry is all about.

But just who are ‘the poor’ that we hear of in these verses?

1. Those who were living in poverty and deprivation at that time.
2. Those who were excluded from the norm of society: Gentiles: anyone who was not a Jew Samaritans: descendants of Jews who had intermarried. Tax-collectors: often regarded as real no-hopers. Women: definitely thought of as second-class citizens Outcasts: people like lepers and others banished from the community. ‘Sinners’: anyone who didn’t live according to the Law of Moses.
3. In what ways might we be considered poor?

Who are ‘the prisoners’ that we are told will be freed?

1. Not political or criminal prisoners held by the Romans.
2. Prisoners of their own sinfulness – Prisoners of Satan.
3. What ‘prisons’ might we need to be set free from today?

Who are ‘the blind’ that will have their sight restored?

1. Yes, those who were physically blind.
2. But what about those who were spiritually blind – and what does this mean for us today?

And what is the ‘release’ that we are told of?

1. Release entails forgiveness, literally, ‘release from sins’
2. Release also involves nullifying the binding power of Satan.
3. What does this teach us about our forgiveness of others?

Read Luke 4:22-30

After reading in the Synagogue Jesus initially seems to have been well received, but then things suddenly change – why is this?

1. Jesus implied that those listening were as unbelieving as those in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the days of Elijah and Elisha, a time of great wickedness in the land.
2. He also suggests that God sometimes chooses to reach Gentiles rather than Jews.
3. How well received are we when we share the Gospel message and how can God use us?

In short, Luke aims to present Jesus as our Saviour, the Saviour of all the world. But as we seek to share this message with others, how well is it received today and how often is it misunderstood?

Lord we thank You for the message of Luke and pray that we might learn to share this Good News with all people in the way that Luke would have us do and in the way that Jesus Himself would have us do. All this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

‘…everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms…’ (Luke 24:344)

As we go about our daily lives there are so many things that we perhaps take for granted because they are part and parcel of our lives, yet if we just stop and pause for a moment and reflect on these, we not only realise just how wonderful they are but also how little our understanding of them actually is. Over these last few weeks, for example, so many of us will have been keeping in touch with loved ones via the many social media options we now have – and I’m sure like me you will have found this so uplifting and rewarding. Experts will tell us that it is all down to satellite communications and the technology that comes with it, but do we ever consider what this actually entails? How is it possible for us to virtually sit in the homes of our loved ones at the other end of the country, perhaps even at the other end of the world, and see and talk to them as if we were sitting next to them? Ultimately of course it doesn’t matter how much we understand the science or technology behind it, as long as we can connect with our loved ones – that’s what matters most to us.

Over the years we have heard the Easter story so many times and we know it so well. But perhaps there is a real danger here that because we do know it so well, it no longer affects us in the same way and no longer has the same impact in our lives as it should.  Part of that may be because, like so much of the technology and communications that we use today, no matter how much we might want to, we will never be able to fully understand the Resurrection fully – how or why God would raise Jesus to new life for us.

However, yet again we do not really need to understand, all we need to do is to believe the words of Scripture and accept this in faith. Accept that such was and is the love of God for us that He would choose to sacrifice His Son and raise Him to new life that we might be reconciled to Him once and for all – for now and all eternity, fulfilling the promise He makes to us throughout Scripture. And having accepted this mystery of our faith allow it to embrace and take hold of us, that by the Holy Spirit this new life we have in Christ might flourish and abound, and through our words and actions, become a witness for all to see.

The Risen Lord is alive and in our midst. He wants to come into our lives now, to reach out and touch us as He did with those disciples back then. We don’t need to understand this – we only need to believe!

Lord, we give You thanks for the life we now have in Your Son. Help us to believe in our hearts and souls that You are always with us, directing our lives, that we might share this blessing as we reach out to others in Your name.. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen

‘Then their eyes were opened and they recognised Him…’ (Luke 24:31)

One of the things that we seemed to be blessed with here in this part of the country is the number of beautiful sunrises and sunsets that we see on a regular basis. It’s a sight that I never get fed up with seeing and have taken many photographs of these over the past few years. The other day I caught the last half hour of the film Local Hero and I switched it on at the part where the man was in the phone box making a call to his boss in America, trying to describe the sight of the Northern Lights to him and as he was doing so the only thought I had was that no-one could ever adequately describe such a vision – it is something you have to see with your own eyes to fully appreciate it. Although, sometimes even when we do see things with our own eyes still we don’t fully appreciate them for what they are.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of the Resurrection suddenly found themselves joined by a stranger on their journey. It was of course Jesus, but we are told that initially they were kept from recognising him. But what was it that stopped them from recognising Jesus, after all they knew who Jesus was? Over the years many have come up with different answers to that question. Fear and confusion over what had happened over the last couple of days invariably come to the top of any such answers. But I wonder where faith comes in to all of this.

How often in our journey through life has our Lord come to us – but we have failed to recognise Him. We too could maybe come up with various answers as to why we didn’t recognise His presence. Too busy or too fearful because of whatever is going on in our life at that time might again be answers that we might offer. But how much of it is down to a question of faith. We don’t recognise our Lord’s presence we don’t believe enough that He might be there – for whatever reason.

Through the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Day, God has said that He will always be with us. No matter where we are or what we are doing, whenever we call on the Lord, by His Spirit He will be there with us. But it’s not just in times of such need that the Lord will be with us. Every day of our lives He will be by our side, an ever present presence in our lives. All we need to do is open ‘our eyes of faith’ and believe.

Lord, we give You thanks for all Your goodness to us and for the many ways in which You come to us every day. Forgive us for not always recognising You and help us, we pray, in the busyness of our lives, to open our eyes and our hearts to Your presence, that in all we say and do we might witness to the glory of Your name. Amen.

‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains that and nothing more…’ (Mark 15:46)

Bible Reflection : John 20:1-18

In John’s account of the Resurrection story we have this wonderful image of Mary Magadalene, distraught at the thought that Jesus body had been taken, suddenly turning round and almost bumping into Jesus himself. But not realising who he is she mistakenly believes that he is a gardener. We then have this almost surreal conversation between the two as Mary pleads to be told where Jesus body is. Until Jesus simply says her name in that special way that close friends do, ‘Mary’, and she replies with all the love and devotion that you might expect ‘Rabboni’. What a wonderful encounter that must have been for Mary. But I wonder when we read this account in John’s Gospel what our first thoughts are in respect of Mary thinking that Jesus is a gardener.

Over the years I have spoken to many people who would freely admit that whilst they enjoy the sharing in Christian fellowship of others when they come to Church, the place and time that they really felt closest to God was when they were on their own in the garden. At this time of course with all the restrictions that are in place, when we find ourselves unable to go anywhere, many of us might be spending even more time in our gardens and maybe while we are there we might find ourselves drawing close to God in new ways, reflecting on His love and acknowledging how much we need Him in our lives.

There is no doubt that for many there is just something about being in the garden where they encounter God in a special way in their lives. Yet perhaps that isn’t all that unusual for it is in our gardens that we find our own small snapshot of the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. Even if we are not keen gardeners, we surely cannot help but marvel at the vibrant explosion of life that comes into our gardens, especially so at this time of year. And it is here that we begin to come to the heart of it all.

It was of course in the Garden of Eden that humanity first entered into the story of creation, so again it is perhaps, only natural that we should be able to find such a peace and such a closeness to our maker in these kind of surroundings. And in some strange way it is perhaps rather fitting that Mary Magdalene should think of Jesus as a gardener on that Resurrection morning and that the surrounding scene should in some way resemble a garden at all.

As Jesus rose from the tomb on that Easter morning we saw the dawn of a new order of creation for all of humanity. Not the old Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve walking in the presence of God before they were tempted and tricked into sin by the serpent. But a new garden created and cultivated by Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who also faced temptation but who did not succumb, thus defeating sin and death once and for all. With the Resurrection of Jesus, what God had done on this glorious Easter Morning, was to effectively start afresh – creation was beginning all over again in His Son. And that’s why the story of the resurrection is such a powerful force in our world today…

There is nothing within our existence as human beings that is not affected or impacted upon by the Resurrection of Christ.  Everything within our whole way of life is brought within the sphere of this new creation we are offered in Christ. Through Him we catch a glimpse of the final creation of the new heaven and earth, where once again we shall live in the presence of the living God. In the meantime, because of the Resurrection we know for certain that the Lord is with us now and always will be. It’s a message of hope that we all so badly need to hear and know today and it is through the Risen Christ that this hope becomes a reality. The Lord is Risen, He is Risen indeed. Amen and thanks be to God.

Living God, our Lord and King, we bless You and we praise You. For the Resurrection of the springtime, for the everlasting hopes that rise within our human hearts and for the Gospel of Resurrection which has brought life and immortality to light. Because of this joyful Easter time our Gospel is a Gospel of hope and we pray that this message will bring hope to those who need it most today. The lonely, sick and bereaved, especially those known to us in our own communities, indeed all those who are suffering in some way, in particular at this time all who have been affected in some way by this coronavirus, especially those who have lost loved ones to it. Be with them now we pray, as only You can.

Eternal and everlasting God, reveal your presence to each and every one of us here today. Send forth into all our hearts the Spirit of the Risen Christ, that with all your saints in heaven and on here on earth, we may serve You in the power and joy of the Resurrection and so glorify you forever more. And all this we ask in the name of the Risen Christ. Amen.

Easter Sunday Evening – National Call To Prayer

On this Easter Sunday evening the leaders of all Churches have come together to call us to prayer at 7.00pm this evening. Underneath is a prayer by the leaders of all churches that could be used to begin this time of prayer. The full statement can be found on the Church of Scotland website where it also lists all those leaders whom signed that statement.

A prayer for Easter Sunday

Lord, it feels as if we’ve been walking in the Good Friday shadow of the cross;

feeling disorientated, concerned and filled with heartache;

praying for healing for those poorly,
whether government leader or more personally known;
and comfort for those bereaved;

expressing thanks for the selfless dedication of NHS staff,
those delivering social care,
and everyone ensuring that essential services and supplies are maintained,
in company with those who volunteer.

Lord, as we journey on,
help us now to embrace the dawning Easter joy of the cross;

encountering,

like the first disciples,
the transforming wonder of Christ’s resurrection;

accepting,

like the first disciples,
that it may take time to comprehend the reality of Easter;

reflecting new life through words and deeds.
Hear us, and journey with us,
in the name of the risen Christ.
Amen.

‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains that and nothing more…’ (Mark 15:46)

Bible Reflection : Mark 15:42-47

For about three years Jesus disciples had followed Him throughout the land. They had listened to Him on many occasions preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God – that the Kingdom of God was now among them. They had seen evidence of this in the miracles that Jesus had performed – healing the sick, feeding the multitudes and even raising the dead. Throughout all this, although it’s fair to say that they perhaps never fully understood all that was happening, they nevertheless played their part in Jesus mission, promising to stand with Him at all times, still perhaps expecting Him to lead them, and indeed all of Israel, to a new age of liberty and peace.

But they have now just witnessed His crucifixion and according to Mark the only ones who remain are Mary the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and some other women who followed Jesus – and Joseph of Arimathea. In his actions Joseph not only risks being cast out by His fellow Pharisees but by taking the body of Jesus as he does, according to the Torah, he is contaminating himself and effectively eliminating himself from the rituals of the Sabbath. Yet still he is prepared to do this, such was his own belief in Jesus.

Yet maybe the real significance of this passage is the way in which it ends – rather abruptly. Jesus body is laid in the tomb, the entrance of the tomb is sealed by a large stone and the women were watching, noting where the body had been laid – no doubt in preparation for what they knew even now that they would be doing after the Sabbath. But then the narrative stops in Mark. No mention of the guards watching over the tomb, no mention of the authorities who had Jesus crucified, no mention of the disciples, no mention of anything at all of the events between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

For those who had followed Jesus those past few years that Sabbath must have seemed somewhat dark, empty and perhaps even forgettable. Their Lord had been crucified and their world had fallen apart – they surely must have been distressed and desolate and felt so alone. It would have been a day of confusion and emptiness and I sometimes wonder if we have similar feelings about this Saturday, sandwiched as it is between two very important days, Good Friday and Easter Sunday; that this day is an empty day without any real meaning.

Yet this day has to be experienced and lived through – it is part of that journey from the cross to the tomb and ultimately to the glorious Resurrection that awaits. Easter Day cannot be rushed and the shock and horror of Good Friday cannot be quickly turned into joy. We must wait patiently and faithfully for the Lord, assured that He will come to us in His Risen presence.

And so it is with any day where we feel confusion reigns and where suddenly that day feels dark and empty and we feel so alone. We have to hold on to our faith and wait patiently for the Lord, assured that we are never alone and that through the Holy Spirit the Risen Christ will come to us, walk with us and uphold us – that is what the message of Easter is all about.

Eternal and everlasting God as the body of Your one and only dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this Holy day, may we wait patiently with Him for the coming of the third day when we might rise with Him to new life, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen

‘…the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed…’ (Isaiah 53:5)

Bible Reflection : John 19

As Holy Week draws to a close we suddenly find ourselves at the foot of a cross, one of the most horrific and brutal symbols of death, and there we see our Lord. As was the case back then with all His disciples and all who followed Him from afar, still we find ourselves asking the question, how could this happen? How could Jesus find Himself on a cross on Golgotha, crucified between two criminals? We struggle to make sense of this and like many down through the ages still perhaps question what any of this has to do with God. Yet even a quick look through Scriptures will give us the answer and reveal to us that it is at that point, when Jesus looks most deserted and defeated on the cross that God’s promise of love and hope resonates most clearly.

On Good Friday we often tend to focus on the cross and the suffering and sheer pain our Lord endured – and it is right that we do remember the sacrifice He made for us. Yet we also need to look beyond the cross. Even in those moments of agonising pain Jesus was able to look and to see His Mother and the beloved disciple, John, and seek to take care of both their needs. Even now with the life ebbing out of Him still Jesus was looking to care for others, as He did throughout His ministry with the likes of the woman at the well, the Centurion’s servant, Zacchaeus, the rich young man, the woman accused of adultery and many others. Jesus looked on them with love and compassion caring for their needs, and although John doesn’t record it in his account, even at the end Jesus would show this same love and compassion and seek the Father’s forgiveness for those who put Him on the cross – and indeed for us all.

Good Friday was a day when something terrible happened. The Son of God, an innocent man, was executed in the most horrific and barbaric way. So why then call a day such as this ‘Good’? Again, we need to look beyond the horrors of the cross, for only then can we see that in the midst of this most horrific scene something truly wonderful was beginning to take place here.

Because Jesus was denied and condemned, through Him we are now able to take our place in God’s Kingdom without fear of condemnation. Because His body was beaten and broken we have been healed in the way that Isaiah spoke of and are now able to be at one with God. And because Jesus was killed but rose to new life, we too can have life eternal in His presence. It is from Jesus pain, suffering and anguish that we are able to find our peace with God and be reconciled with Him once again.

Without Good Friday there would be no glorious Resurrection on Easter Morning. Without the Resurrection there would be no rising to new life. Without this new life we would forever be apart from our Father in Heaven, devoid of all hope. Our journey to eternal life with our Lord began on Good Friday through the sacrifice of Jesus – and that is why we can dare to call it ‘Good’

Loving God, You loved the world so much that you sent Your one and only Son, not to condemn this world, but that through Him it might be saved, and we who are quicker to judge than to bless fall silent at the extravagance of Your Grace. On this Good Friday, Lord, even as we are unable to gather in Your name as we normally would, we pray for the church of Jesus Christ here on earth. We pray that even now it may blossom and grow as we remember the Easter message this weekend. Keep alive in us the assurance of hope and peace that this day brings, that as your church here on earth we may proclaim the message of Easter each and every day of our lives. And all this we ask in Jesus name.  Amen.

‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand’ (John 13:7)

Bible Reflection : John 13:1-17

Jesus knows that events are reaching a crisis, He knows that in only a matter of hours He will be living out the full extent of God’s love. But He knows also that the fear of sheer humanity will make it hard for His disciples to stay with Him and to come to terms with what it all means. So He washes his disciples feet. He lays down His outer clothing and takes up a towel, just as He will soon lay down His life and take it up again from the grave. The disciples turn to see what is going on and we can maybe imagine the conversation suddenly coming to an end. They hear the water being poured out and they see Jesus looking down at their feet, then up to each bewildered and confused face.

As always it seems, it is Peter who breaks the silence in his own inevitable way, spluttering out his rhetorical question, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet…’ Peter doesn’t understand – although it’s probably fair to say, none of them understand but only Peter has the courage to speak out. But I wonder, how might we have reacted if we had been there – how might we react today if someone came to wash our feet in this way. Yet the foot washing is a sign of the great love Jesus has for them and in a sense a prelude to the great commandment he would give them, ‘…love one another as I have loved you; by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another…’

In washing His disciples feet in this way during this meal, Jesus wasn’t only sharing of His love with His disciples, He was sharing Himself and giving of Himself in a way that they simply couldn’t understand. Later He would reveal this love for them, and indeed for us all, in an even greater way by giving Himself over to those who would crucify Him – and today we are called to follow His example.

As His disciples we are called to follow our Lord’s example of sharing and self-giving in the lives that we lead. We are called to show our love, care and compassion for all, to put the needs of others before our own needs, even if that means making sacrifices along the way. Jesus gave of Himself completely for us throughout His ministry, even to death on a cross. So surely then we can give something of our time, our energy, our resources and our very selves for others. Indeed that is what our Lord calls on us to do, ‘I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you…’(John 13:15)

All of this of course happened at that final meal Jesus had with His disciples before being handed over to the authorities who would ultimately have Him crucified. Normally we would be gathered together around the Lord’s Table to share in this Holy meal and to remember the sacrifice our Lord made for us. However, because of current restrictions we are unable to do so and I for one find myself struggling with this, not being able to gather as one in His name to share in this fellowship as we are used to.

Yet, whilst we may not be able to come together physically, we can still be together in Spirit and in that same Spirit we can be at one with our Lord, gathered around His table with all who profess His name. So let’s just come together in this way and as we gather in His name, just pause for a moment and listen – listen to the love echoed in His voice as He says to us, ‘This is my body which is broken for you, do this in remembrance of me…’ and allow that love to embrace you and hold you now, and each and every day.

Loving God, we thank you for Your grace and mercy and for all Your goodness to us. As we remember His sacrifice and seek to follow the example our Lord, may the ways in which we respond, the ways in which we seek to serve and the ways in which we behave at all times point to Jesus. We remember the sacrifice He made for us and we give thanks for the life we now have because of that. Help us now, we pray, to live those lives as He would have us, loving one another as He loves us. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

‘Why are you bothering this woman, she has done a beautiful thing…’ (Matt. 26:10)

Bible Reflection : Matthew 26:6-13

Our reading today focuses on a meal at the home of a certain man known as Simon the Leper. However, what’s interesting when we look at it in more detail, is that it would appear that the woman who came to anoint Jesus was not actually an invited guest at the meal. It’s almost as if she just came in off the street. That might seem strange to us today but back then the houses of those who were wealthy and well-to-do were often built round an open courtyard in which you might find a garden or a fountain. In warmer weather the meals could quite easily have been eaten in these courtyards making it a very public occasion. And often if there was a famous or distinguished teacher as the guest of honour at these meals, locals would come and gather around the courtyard to hear the ‘after dinner’ talk, so to speak, eager not to miss out on any words of wisdom that the teacher might wish to impart. So the chances are that it was at such a meal that Jesus found himself as the guest of honour that day. And it was into that courtyard that the woman came with her perfume.

What exactly sparked off this show of love and devotion, Matthew doesn’t actually say. But there had obviously been something in what Jesus said or did that sparked off something within her soul. Maybe she had also witnessed the events of the past few days. Maybe she now saw the bitterness and anger in the eyes of those who were conspiring against Jesus, plotting to kill Him at the earliest moment. Perhaps she was even moved by the Spirit, realising that this was her last opportunity to demonstrate her love and devotion to this man who had moved her in such a way. And so she seized that moment…She poured not just a single drop but all of this expensive perfume over the head of Jesus.

In Old Testament times only three kinds of people were anointed. Priests were anointed and we read in Exodus 29, concerning the ordination of Aaron as Priest, ‘You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head, and anoint him…’ Prophets were anointed. Remember 1 Kings 19 Where Elijah was told by God, ‘You shall anoint Elisha…as prophet in your place…’And Kings were anointed. Remember Samuel anointing Saul in chapter 10 of 1 Samuel, ‘Samuel took a vial of oil and pour it on his head..’

So in accepting this anointing from this woman Jesus further stakes His claim as Priest, Prophet and King of the people, although, perhaps not quite in the way that they imagined. Nevertheless Jesus was the Prophet who brought the living Word of God to the people In a way that they had never experienced before. He was the Priest who was the intermediary between the people and God – not through rituals, ceremonies or sacrifice But through Himself, for He was God Incarnate. And He was their King. Not in the image or style of David or Solomon as His Kingdom wasn’t an earthly Kingdom. He claimed men and women to His Kingdom from within their hearts. So even with His enemies breathing down His neck, scrutinizing His every word and action, even amidst the ignorance and misunderstanding of those around Him, Jesus never lost sight of His mission and His destiny. And in many other ways this act of love and devotion by this act of anointing simply reinforces all of that…

However, there is something else we need to focus on here. In this act this woman did the only thing that she felt she could do to express the love and devotion that she had in her heart. Yet in anointing Jesus in this way she gave all that she had to Him as an expression of the love that was in her heart. Such an act of love and devotion is in many ways beyond description and leaves an impression not only on those who witnessed it but on us all. It leaves something that time can never take away and Jesus was quite right when He said that whenever this story was told people would remember this act of love and devotion. But this story also forces us to ask ourselves how we show our love and devotion to our Lord.

As we continue through Holy Week we know that Jesus would make the ultimate sacrifice for us, that He would express the fullness of His love for us on the cross at Calvary. So maybe now is the time for us to reflect on how we express and declare our love for Him. Can we be as expressive in our love, in the way this woman was? Are we willing to make similar sacrifices in the outpouring of our love? What are we willing to give up to come to our Lord? As it was on Palm Sunday, the choice is still ours to make!

Lord, few things in life are seldom what they appear to be and we confess we find that so difficult to deal with. So help us to put our faith and trust in the one thing that is the same today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow – Your love revealed to us in the person of Your Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. And help us as best we can to share that love with others, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing. For we ask it in His name and for His sake…Amen…

‘ The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…’ (Matt 21:42)

Bible Reflection: Read Matthew 21:33-46

In this parable we effectively have the essence of Jesus final days here on earth. Here Jesus lays it all on the line and makes it perfectly clear who He is and why He came. Seldom did Jesus ever make such a direct claim, lay down an unmistakable challenge and issue such a terrible threat. And everyone listening picked up on this, because the overall meaning of this parable was abundantly clear, as were the individual details.

The vineyard was Israel and the owner of the vineyard, God. Those looking after the vineyard were the leaders of the nation, the messengers were the Prophets and the Son, Jesus Himself. As for the threat at the end – Israel’s place of privilege in relationship with God would be taken from them and given to others. If there had even been the slightest possibility of Jesus being able to back track, to make recompense for what he had said and done over the past two days – there was now no chance whatsoever of being able to do that.

For in this passage Jesus quite deliberately sets himself apart from all the others. The days of servant and prophet were now in the past but the day of the Son was now. What else could God do in order to appeal to the people. How much further could He go to invite them back into His fold – and yet we see that even that is not enough. The cross was fast approaching for Jesus. Yet here at the end of this parable we have this expression by Jesus of the confidence of the triumph and vindication to come thereafter, and for this display of confidence, Jesus again turns to the Psalms.

The image of the stone which the builders rejected, but which eventually became the cornerstone, was actually intended to apply to the nation of Israel. As the cornerstone they were the elect, they were the chosen people of God. But here Jesus takes this image and applies it directly to Himself and in so doing he expresses nothing but complete confidence in all that is about to happen.

The parable of the Tenants, is perhaps not one that immediately jumps out at us when we think of all the well know parables that there are within all the Gospels, particularly so at this time of the year. However, it is at this very time in the liturgical year when it does become one of the most important. Why? Because in this parable we find Jesus laying down His final challenge to the authorities and to the people and He does so by claiming this special relationship with God. He is the Son of God and as such He claims the right to judge, to condemn and to reject.

In this act Jesus is completely aware that He is taking the path which will lead to the cross. However, never for one moment does He see that cross as the end. He goes to the cross in the certainty that He will ultimately triumph. The cross is only the beginning – beyond there is a glorious new beginning.

A new beginning which He has invited all of us to be part of……All we have to do is to walk with Him!

Gracious God, we know we can never repay the love you have shown us in Your Son, a love that has given us a bright new future with You, a love that you continue to pour upon us day by day through your Holy Spirit. Yet we long to show You our gratitude by loving you in return, by serving you as you desire and by being the sort of people you call us to be…Set us free from our preoccupation with the things of this world, from our obsession with self and from all that blinds us to what really matters. Rather teach us to live according to the values of your kingdom, to the glory and honour of Your name. Amen

‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations…’ (Mark 11:17)

Bible Reflection: Read Mark 11:12-19

It’s not difficult to imagine the commotion that Jesus must have caused in this ‘act of cleansing’. The Temple courtyard would have been packed with pilgrims, buying their sacrificial animals or exchanging their coins to pay the Temple tax, something that actually needed to take place before a sacrifice could be offered. So no doubt there would have been great anger expressed, not only by those whom Jesus drove from the Temple, but also by the Temple authorities, who would ‘lose out’, not just on legitimate revenue, but also on some ill-gotten revenue because of Jesus actions. But what’s really going on here?

All through His Ministry, indeed all through His life, Jesus refused to pander to the whims and wishes of those around Him. He refused to live within the expected norms and standards of that time. He had been sent to fulfil His mission. To proclaim the Gospel message far and wide, to offer redemption and salvation to all, and to reconcile all of us to God, and nothing or no-one was going to stop Him from doing just that. Which is perhaps why we shouldn’t be all that surprised at His actions in the Temple that day.

The Passover was the greatest of all the Jewish feasts and Jews from all over the ancient world would do their utmost to come to Jerusalem for this special festival. And many may have gone to the Temple in the hope that they might just find the Living God that they had heard so much about. However, the Temple was divided into courtyards. There were areas where only the Priests could enter, areas where Jewish males could go, areas where females could go and finally, areas where Gentiles could go. But irrespective of which area you went to it should have been a house of prayer, a sanctuary for anyone seeking peace and tranquillity, sanctuary for anyone seeking the presence of God in their lives. But what did the Gentiles find – a disputing and bargaining mob, haggling and dealing over money and livestock.

The Temple was a House of God, a place where all pilgrims and worshippers could come and find peace and solitude with their Lord – or it should have been. However, with all the cheating and thieving that was going on here that wouldn’t have been possible. In this courtyard, there would have been no way that anyone would be able to find a quiet space for reflective devotion or prayer and that’s why Jesus was so angry. The cheating and thieving by the money-changers and dealers was bad enough, however, of more importance to Jesus was this. By their actions those in the courtyard were preventing others from being able to come to be with God – that was the real reason for Jesus’ anger here.

There is much we can take from this passage, however, perhaps one lesson stands out. As Disciples of Jesus here and now we are called to bring others to God through our Lord – to proclaim His message and demonstrate His love in all we are and do. So there should be nothing in our behaviour – in our words and/or actions that might hinder that. Yet the fact remains that there are none of us perfect and we will make mistakes. That is why we too need to come to the Lord in prayerful devotion and spend time with Him each day, asking for His strength and guidance, asking Him to lead us in the way He would have us go as we walk with Him through this Holy Week. Only then will we be able to offer our whole lives as a witness to our Lord, that through this witness others too may come to know Him for themselves.

Loving Jesus, we want to be true to our own convictions and to stand up for what is right, at all times seeking to proclaim the Gospel message in our words and actions. But often when the pressure is on we buckle under the weight of it. So grant us wisdom we pray and give us the courage we need to hold fast and uphold your name in all we do, living out our faith as best we can, that through our witness others may come to know You too.  And all of this we would ask in Jesus name…Amen