Monthly Archives: February 2025

Times have changed…

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When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle, he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days? But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said…

(Jn 2.13-22)

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures for ever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore…. Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers. 

Peace be on Israel.

(Ps 125, 1,2 4&5)

That was then and this is now… As I become more experienced in reading and thinking about the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as a coherent story, I find myself getting more excited about the many ways in which themes occur and develop across the great narrative. There are many such themes, and any one of them may be studied to great advantage as they enlarge our understanding of God’s purposes and especially of the person and work of Jesus himself.

The temple as a theme originates in Genesis, where Eden itself is established as the place where God meets us, before sin broke that fellowship and God embarked upon the long restoration of relationship. The tent in the wilderness, and the great temple of Solomon in turn symbolise how a holy God may dwell among sinful people, but these are only ever looking ahead to an effective and eternal removal of sin, and restoration of intimacy. In this passage in the gospel, John clearly states that Jesus has come to supersede the role played by the physical temple. After the coming of Messiah, after his sacrificial and atoning death, and his resurrection, there is no longer any need for a physical location of ritual encounter and worship.

Jesus will say as much to the Samaritan woman, and Stephen in his final speech before his martyrdom stirs up the fury of the religious authorities by affirming that God has never been contained by and limited to the human construction of the temple building. It has always been God’s will that his children should live with him in daily and intimate communion, and one day, we will realise that to the full, in the new creation. All the ways that the temple was used – to make God known; to meet with God; to make peace with God; to move people to growing faith in, loving commitment to and service of God – these are found as we come to Jesus himself.

In the old days, songs of ascents (like psalm 125 above) or pilgrimage were sung, as people travelled to festivals in Jerusalem, celebrating the joy and privilege of coming to the temple and remembering what it means to belong to the God whom they met there… These are now our songs as those who belong to God, and who in Jesus find they dwell with the Almighty and are in turn being shaped into his witness to others. We don’t need to make a long or arduous journey, Jesus has travelled all the way from his Father’s side to meet us.. let us then celebrate, remember, and grow ever closer to him.

Almighty God, thank you that in Jesus, we meet you; in Jesus we are made at peace with you; in Jesus you are made known, and by him we are moved to love and hope. Lord God, let me not depart from your presence in Jesus; let me grasp more deeply the reality of forgiveness and freedom which is mine in Him; let me learn from and through Him of you; and let me be moved ever more effectively to witness to you, walk with you, and share all I have in your kingdom-building work. Thank you that in Jesus, all that was signified by the temple of your dwelling among us is more than fulfilled!

*with sincere thanks to Stuart Smith for the sermon on 16th February, 2025, which inspired this piece.

A constant spirit…

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Who would true valour see, let him come hither; one here will constant be, come wind, come weather; there’s no discouragement shall make him once relent his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Whoso beset him round with dismal stories, do but themselves confound; his strength the more is. No lion can him fright, he’ll with a giant fight, but he will have a right to be a pilgrim.

Hobgoblin nor foul fiend can daunt his spirit; he knows he at the end shall life inherit. Then fancies fly away; he’ll fear not what men say; he’ll labour night and day to be a pilgrim.

(J.Bunyan, 1628-88)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

(Eph 6.10-18)

Earlier this week, I was privileged to stand at the graveside of a man who had served his country, his community and his saviour with grace, constancy and love for many, many years. We remembered and gave thanks for his life, and reflected with gladness that now he is in the nearer presence of Jesus, and one day, we shall be with him in the new creation, when there will be no more farewells..

He was a man who could have come straight from Bunyan’s great classic of Christian life, Pilgrim’s Progress, and I would have called him Mr Standfast: a man who, once his loyalty was given, remained constant and unwearying in his duty. Like his loyalty to his country as a soldier, his loyalty to Jesus Christ as Saviour was unswerving, once given. He was blest with the happy temperament which never questions a promise, never considers whether it was really meant. Having committed himself to Jesus, he lived simply and contentedly trusting that Jesus would keep the promises  on which faith depends, and therefore there was nothing more to be anxious about!

We sang Bunyan’s great pilgrim hymn at the little church above the loch in Wester Ross, and I remembered my father who shared that same happy temper of complete assurance, and reliance on Jesus to be faithful. How blest we are when such saints come into our lives, reminding us that childlike simplicity is what we are called to, a foundational trust on which a rich and varied life can be built. Some of us are given rather less comfortable temperaments, and suffer from continual questionings, wrestlings and envy of those more stable characters! But the Lord knows each one, and our strivings, weaknesses and strengths are allotted to us as part of his great plan – he makes no mistakes. 

As a soldier, my old friend would have understood exactly where Paul’s exhortation to the saints at Ephesus was coming from – the need to be prepared, to stand firm in who and what we are, with the armour of God’s gifting and also the supreme confidence which comes from knowing we are under the leadership of a victorious captain. Even those of us who lack such constancy can grow steadier as we let the truth of our salvation shape our thinking – the truth of our security and the triumphant return of the Lord at the right time.

Almighty God, Father of our Saviour and victorious captain, Jesus Christ, we pray today for that constant spirit to be our portion. Let us never doubt your promises, but in childlike faith, live by them without fear. 

Let us live to glorify you; to love our neighbours; to exercise our gifts, resources and opportunities to the full in your service – and to enjoy being your beloved, secure and home-coming children. We are pilgrims on your narrow way, Lord God, guard and guide us safely to your arms and our eternal home. For Jesus’ sake we pray, Amen.

People of the book

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“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

(Jos 1.7-9)

Be good to your servant while I live, that I may obey your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times… Your statues are my delight; they are my counsellors.

(Ps 119.17-20&24)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

(Matt 5.17-18)

“You study the scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very scriptures that testify about me.. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me..”

(Jn 5.39&46)

How do you approach the book we call the bible? It is in two parts, and consists of multiple books of diverse nature, written at least 2000 years ago and much of it longer ago still.. As a follower of Jesus, I look to his opinion, and find that he describes what we call the Old Testament – the law, the prophets and the wisdom books – as all speaking about him! He describes himself as the fulfilment of that great diverse collection of narrative, poetry and vision. He never rejected any of them, rather he says that if we read and treasure those scriptures without finding him, then we are wasting our time! The whole point of that great enterprise, the formation of the Hebrew Scriptures, was to lead people to expect and then to recognise Messiah; to understand and embrace what God was doing. We cannot therefore call ourselves followers of Jesus and reject those very books which He came to fulfil. The carefully crafted biographies of Jesus, and the early church, the pastoral letters, and the great vision of John have all been accepted by God’s people as authenticated scripture – the words of the Father to the body of Christ as the means by which we might know and learn and share the good news.

Our attitude to scripture matters – if we want to really begin to learn from it, then we have to accept that it is unlike our literature; written in ancient languages, birthed out of alien cultures, grounded in basic assumptions which we no longer share, designed to be heard and read aloud in community, delivering its message through narratives and poetry, and revealing in its structures the core belief of the human authors that they were serving the Divine purpose in writing, editing, collecting and arranging the work.

This collection of books is unlike anything else we might encounter in our lives – the God-breathed, human writings which in spite of their age and distance from our cultures, yet speak truth and reveal God’s nature and purpose to us. We, as Christians, treasure the bible because in it we find Jesus, and although we may struggle with some of the methods of revelation, and with some of the messages and narratives which we read, yet we are compelled to keep reading, thinking and learning. This collection of books will go on yielding rich fruit through a lifetime of meditation and study!

Heavenly Father, I thank and praise you for the revelation which is contained in what we call the Bible. I thank you that we can spend our lives reading and learning from it, and never master it – it is a mirror of your infinite beauty and wisdom.

I thank you Father for the skill and wisdom of those who, down the years, have given their talents and time to unpack truth for us, sharing and recording their discoveries so that we might grow in wisdom and confidence in your word.

I thank you Father that in your generosity, you speak to us through the words of scripture whether we have only a few minutes or little understanding; or have spent hours and years learning. Guard us, your church, from the mishandling and dishonouring of your word – let us be humble in our assertions and willing to discover that we may have been wrong!

Let us not worship the words, but the Word revealed; let us respect the words and glorify the One whom they present; let us keep on learning and growing in understanding, not because we thus earn salvation, but because we thus live more faithfully and joyfully with you. For the sake of our Lord Jesus and in his name we pray, Amen.

*the author wishes to acknowledge her debt to the team at the Bible Project for the inspiration of this post..https://bibleproject.com/

How to bridge the gap

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O Thou in whom all my fathers trusted and were not put to confusion, rid my heart now of all vain anxieties and paralysing fears. Give me a cheerful and buoyant spirit, and peace in doing Thy will; for Christ’s sake, Amen

(Jn Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer, OUP 1936)

Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you; take to heart my commands…. Don’t lose your grip on love and loyalty. tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!

(Prov 3.1-7: the Message)

While Jews clamour for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle – and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself – both Jews and Greeks – Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s weakness….. Everything we have – right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start – comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.

(1 Cor 1.22-30: the Message)

In the beginning, when God made humankind, the bible tells us that He was pleased with his handiwork. Adam and Eve were called to be stewards of creation, to act as God’s regents, reigning in their place as his people and exercising a benevolent and fruitful care for all that is made. We were made well, and although we rebelled and have rejected God’s authority over us, that truth remains. Humanity is called to be great, because we are made by a great God who has great purposes for us in His eternal story.

As a saved sinner, one who has accepted Jesus as Lord, I have to remember that I too am made well, made to serve my God and to flourish for Him in this world. While sin remains, and until the new creation is unveiled, I will struggle with my own weakness and the sin of others as these impact our world – but the truth remains, I am made well and in Jesus, I give glory to my maker.

To be wise – as the bible would define it – is to know how to live well in this world, with myself and those around me and ultimately with God. And that wisdom is fully and perfectly expressed in Jesus, who not only points the Way to God, but IS the Way; who not only shares and reveals truth about God, but IS Truth and truly God; who offers us life not by some rules and regulations, but in himself, who IS the Life everlasting, the life which belongs to God’s divine nature. To be wise then, is to have Jesus as Saviour and Lord, reigning in our lives and transforming us day by day into his wise-likeness.

As we accept that calling, to find life in Jesus, receiving him as God’s wisdom for our needs, we are equipped to live well in the world – peacefully, fruitfully, hopefully and attractively – shining the light of Christ for others to see and join us in God’s family. Jesus told his followers that as they held fast to him and practiced his teaching, they would know the truth and be set free from the power of sin to bind, distort, torment, and lay waste all their potential. They would know that great richness of life which comes from being in right relationship to God, with sin forgiven and a Spirit-led hunger to know and please our Maker.

This is where we find the bridge, the path from where we were in our sin, to where God has called and made us to be – fully alive, delighting in him, eager to share his love and to enjoy all his good gifts. This is the kind of life to which I aspire, and so I continue to pray for wisdom to grow in me, continue to strive to learn each day what it means to reject the bonds of sin, fear, and guilt.

Oh Father God, have mercy on your daughter in her awareness of failure, her disappointment with herself, and grief over failing you. Forgive and restore her to joy in salvation, in hope in your transforming power, and confidence in Jesus. Bridge that gap between her understanding of the truth, and her lived experience of it, so that her faith becomes buoyant, and she is set free from fear. In Jesus’ powerful name, Amen.