Month: May 2013

Through the Bible in a Year – May 13

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 4-5; Mark 16; Psalm 18:31-50

Three things to say about the Resurrection in Mark’s gospel

Firstly – its not the ending we want – the church has tried over and again to write a ‘better’ ending. We’re not meant to add to the words of the book.

Secondly – it is clear why. Imagine arguing your case with non-believers, and saying – ‘you are pinning your argument on an empty tomb and some terrified women?’ Like our burning desire to abandon the Cross , to fail to see there the Son of God, to turn it into a neat doctrine or an example (except of course we never do use it truly as an example) – see yesterday’s post – so also we can’t bear the starkness of mark’s account. We demand more, we think we need more, more than a crucified God, more than an empty tomb. ‘They fled from the tomb . . .’ Mark tells us – how strange that we have turned Easter into a festival of joy, when the true apprehension of the Resurrection brings terror.  Perhaps we have domesticated it . . . Perhaps therefore it has lost its power amongst us?

Thirdly – the hope is in the words of the angels. You cannot see, Trust – believe – go to Galilee – you will see him there. And yes there is hope for us all ‘tell his disciples . . . and Peter’ – Yes even Peter is invited to faith. To step into the darkness of this death and resurrection account and therein to find the hand of God [Isaiah 50:10].

Through the Bible in a Year – May 12

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 2-3; Mark 15; Psalm 18:1-30

Following on from yesterday’s comment, we may not therefore abandon the people of God, for a world which behaves better – for the whole world is complicit in the death of Christ. He comes not to save his own, but for the Salvation of the World, thus the World, in the person of Pilate is also involved. All of humanity.

What kind of faith can say with the centurion ‘Truly this man was God’s Son’ To see here in this naked, utterly broken, tortured, dead Jew, the Son of God

Of course we are trained in thinking that somehow Who Jesus is is utterly veiled and hid from our sight at this point. Because it is by the gift of faith that we say the Crucified One is God’s Son, suggests to us that this is hidden . . . and of course it is in a sense – for we are blind. We would rather with many many heretics in the church suggest that the eye of faith sees beyond the mangled flesh of Jesus of Nazareth, to see ‘a deeper truth’, thus revealing our own blindness.

No, the Centurion sees clearly – ‘This is your God’ – the one in whose image we are made.

We flee from this so far and so fast – we sing and speak of Christ glorified and triumphant as if this is not seen clearly at the Cross. As John’s gospel reminds us – Here Is Christ in His Splendour and Glory.

The Cross is not to be reduced to a doctrine of Salvation, or ‘a sign of the love of God’.

No in this dead Jew, nailed to rough timbers of a first century gallows, we see God – Clearly.

It might be well worth asking, how do our churches bear witness to this, for unless we get this, then the Kingdom of God is a closed book to us.

Through the BIble in a Year – May 11

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 1; Mark 14:32-72; Psalm 17

I wonder how we manage to read the Bible at all, if that is we are paying any attention.

Many it seems read it as it were failing to see what is going on. To put not too fine a point on it, if the people of God Understood, if the Saw the Kingdom of God, then there would be no scriptures. For almost the entirety of the Scriptural account, in the Old Testament is that of the rebellion of God’s people . . . and this continues into the new – we would have none of Paul’s letters if the early church Realised the hope to which it had been called.

And it is the people of God who accuse, abandon and crucify Christ.

How readily we line up with Peter, to deny that this is the case

how frequently we are undone

how infrequently do we notice

At least Peter saw what he had done

Through the Bible in a Year – May 10

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

Rut 3-4; Mark 14:1-31; Psalm 15-16

We hear the end of the story of Ruth – ‘So Boaz took Ruth and she became hs wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive’

The text gives us no out – the LORD – the God of Israel, made her conceive. It is yet another reminder of God working his promises out through the gift of a child. Sarah, Ruth, Hannah, ‘the virgin (LXX) shall conceive . . .’.

Meanwhile the work of Israel’s true king hastens on. Finally Jesus and the disciples are free of the press of the crowds. The narrative is terse – it is in haste. God’s Salvation is pressing in

Through the Bible in a Year – May 9

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

Ruth 1-2; Mark 13; Psalm 13-14

Today we begin the beautiful story of Ruth. Its roots are lost in the mists of time, but it would seem reasonable to presume that it is written with the story of David in view. This beautiful tale is the preface to the tale of the one whose story dominates the Old Testament in so many ways, the story of the one whose life will lead to a hope realised in Christ, The Messiah.

It is a wonderful multi layered tale which speaks across the purity narrative of much of the Old Testament, the narrative which Jesus so clearly undoes in dining with those whom the ‘pure’ will not associate.

Because we are so taken in with this powerful love story, we miss the sub-text. Deep in the Old Testament is laid a subversive tale. David’s line includes a Moabitess. The one who comes ‘to the lost sheep of Israel’ is reminded of his roots – even the dogs get to eat the crumbs . . .

Through the Bible in a Year – May 8

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

Jdg 20-21; Mark 12; Psalm 11-12

Using the Bible is always a bad idea. It is not a tool to be put to use. We perceive this most clearly in the way so many of us ‘use scripture’ to strengthen our position (something which is always Against the Other), and perhaps fewer texts have been so abused as Mark 12:17.

It is the foundation of two kingdom theology, a theology the early Christians died in their thousands in contradiction of – a theology which now underpins so much of what we call our security. As we have read through Mark we cannot fail to see that our Only security is in this disturbing One.

What is more it is a text which comes out of an attempt to entrap Jesus, the one who says ‘no-one can serve two masters’.

Jesus, note has no money – like so many of those who follow him faithfully as missionaries, he is reliant on the hospitality of the world to find a bed, a home. ‘Bring me a denarius’.

Then comes the point, one which relates directly to the two masters saying – ‘Whose ikon (image) is this? Whose title?” And they answered him, The emperor’s.. “Then give it to him, for the coin belongs to him”

My translation unhelpfully has “whose head is this?” – masking the challenge of the encounter – whose Image does it bear??? Which then says, everything that bears the Emperor’s image belongs to the Emperor – or, that which is stamped with an image belongs to the one who bears that image. [Rev 13.17]

Trying to understand Jesus’ teaching about money without this text in our minds will always fail. As will any who try to live in two kingdoms

It strikes me that the easy aquiescence of almost all Christians to two kingdom theology is at the root of much of the malaise of the church in these days. A kingdom for now, and a heavenly one for when we die. But Jesus’ bids us come and die. This is the meaning of our baptism – ‘do you not know you were included in his death?’. We are citizens of An Other, the one whose image has marked us from the beginning of time

To whom do we belong?

Through the Bible in a Year – May 7

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

Jdg 18-19; Mark 11; Psalm 10

Every day we dare to pray – most especially we dare to pray The Prayer.

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone; so that your father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses”

Of course we hedge this round – we add in parentheses ‘forgive my repentant brother or sister’ – an addition Jesus does not make anywhere. We seek to decide whom can be forgiven – but in praying The Prayer, we relinquish that ‘right’. We have not yet come to know the good news – to know God.

We dare to pray ‘forgive us our trespasses, in the way we forgive others’ – we dare to say to God, allow the measure of our mercy towards others, to be the measure of your mercy towards us.

In truth we can only begin to pray this when we have discovered that to pray ‘Our father’ is not a vain hope, but an outrageous truth. When we begin to discern that it is his life in us that is the ground of our being – the ground of all hope.

Through the BIble in a year – May 6

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

Jdg 15-17; Mark 10: 32-52; Psalm 9

So finally Samson comes to a violent end. Having like Israel been seduced and lost his power, the restoration of his power leads not only to the destruction of Israel’s enemies, but to his own destruction as well. There is no real hope in this narrative

Turning to the gospel – again there is little relief. Mark keeps returning to the same themes. Jesus over and over again undoing the attempts of the disciples to write the story they want for themselves for it is found to be utterly wanting. They are blind – they do not get it. Unlike the man who cannot see – who cries out the only cry that should ever come from our lips – have mercy on us. How much of our fine church programmes cries out to Him – ‘we need your mercy!’? How much says ‘we’re doing pretty well on our own, thank you’

Through the Bible in a year – May 5

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

Jdg 13-14; Mark 10:1-31; Psalm 8

We get the leaders we deserve. At the end of the day those who lead are those who fit best our own inner desires for power. Thus the story yesterday. Our concepts of leadership need revision in the light of the Kingdom of God. When did any nation last vote for a leader like Jesus?

This is writ large in the book of Judges and comes to a peak in the narrative of Samson. Wild rebellious Israel is finally given the leader they crave, one who mirrors their untrainable mature. Much as we stand in awe of Samon’s feats – he is a wild man – out of control. Just like Israel.

Again Jesus confronts us – and starkly. After once more putting a small child at the centre of the picture – in the next moment one who embodies all the values we worship – the self made individual – the sort of person we’d want to lead our company, or our nation, or indeed our church steps into the foreground. Wanting, like the man who sought to justify himself, to check out that he was on the right path. Jesus falls in with his demand. ‘Yes, on your own terms you’re following the right path – but why ask me? If you were already sure of yourself?’ The man is undone. He has everything. But he does not have the one thing necessary. His Life is full of himself and his acheievements – but he has not the true wealth, only that which will decay. He now has to choose which path to follow, except he has already determined his path.

There is a sense of predestination in this story. It is far far far harder to follow Christ, having for so many years invested ourselves in the things of the world. When we are told we can have both, we are sold a lie . . . at least that is what the Scriptures tell us . . .