Weekly Bible Notes  Ordinary 19

Year C, Colour = Green

Introduction

It has been said that when people stop believing in God, then they will believe anything. Without doubt there are many people around who turn to very inadequate sources of help when seeking guidance for their lives. Horoscopes, people who pretend to communicate with dead relatives, there are many people out there who will take advantage of people who have lost or who have never known faith in God.

The Christian faith provides us with a way of living which makes sense of our world and our lives. It is simple enough to be taught to children and yet profound enough to challenge the most intelligent minds.

Opening Verse of Scripture

Collect Prayer for the Day —Before we read we pray

God of the nations, to whose table all are invited and in whose kingdom no one is a stranger: hear the cries of the hungry and mercifully extend to all the peoples on earth the joy of your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenLiving God, you have placed in the hearts of your children a longing for your word and a hunger for your truth. Grant that, believing in the One whom you have sent, we may know him to be the true bread of heaven, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
 

First Bible Reading Genesis 15:1-6

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. " But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD  what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD , and he credited it to him as righteousness
(Reader: This is the word of the Lord—All: Thanks be to God)
 

Second Reading  Hebrews 11:1-3. 8-16

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he[ considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Reader: This is the word of the Lord - All: Thanks be to God)
 

Gospel Reading   Luke 12:32-40

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
(Reader: This is the word of the Lord - All: Thanks be to God)

Post Communion Prayer

We praise and thank you, O Christ, for this sacred feast: for here we receive you, here the memory of your passion is renewed, here our minds are filled with grace, and here a pledge of future glory is given, when we shall feast at that table where you reign with all your saints for ever. Amen.

Commentary

Jesus’ words to His followers must be understood in terms of the culture in which they lived, where wealth and happy circumstances were considered to be signs of God’s favour. Remember how Job’s “friends” began to speculate how his misfortunes must have been a punishment for some fault against God. Jesus is turning the theological thinking of the age on its head. He is promising those who follow Him that though they have poverty in this life they will receive treasure in the next. The Lord’s words remind me of a staff team briefing in a company or a business. He varies the tone from the touchingly affectionate ”little flock” to the frankly bracing “You must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” You can almost hear the warning “and don’t expect any concessions!” If this team is going to function well, then they will have to be prepared to shed the things that might hold them back. Jesus warns at other times that possessions can bar the way to salvation. Jesus enjoyed the hospitality of comfortably off friends with nice homes, like Martha, so he can’t have turned his back on the wealthy. But he recognises that the pursuit of prosperity could easily distract from more important spiritual matters. The passage from Luke picks up and expands on the theme of last week’s readings (summed up by Sam as “you can’t take it with you”!) This week develops the argument: we are told that we are to shed not only wealth but other distractions which might stop us answering the Lord’s call. The interesting metaphor of the servants waiting around to serve at table is helpful, because it reminds us that we are merely preparing ourselves for Heaven, or the coming of the Kingdom. Imagine going into a restaurant and finding the staff pottering around in their pyjamas! You would want to find them clean, smart and ready for work. So, Jesus implies, He wants to find us, spiritually clean and totally focussed on love for Him and ready to work for the Kingdom. This life is a mere preparation for the reality we can’t yet see.  Joan Crossley
 

Meditation

Conflict is a fact of life, and conflict is also an inevitable part of the lives of Christians. We might wish it were not so. We might even pretend that it is not so, that we are always all sweetness and light. But God is not fooled and Jesus was continually warning against hypocrisy. On a larger scale, conflict is inevitable in large institutions such as the Methodist and Anglican churches. There are going to be matters of doctrine on which we cannot agree, details of worship that don’t suit everyone, issues of church policy which cause problems. Both the Methodist and Anglican denominations have had their fair share of hot potatoes to handle over the years. I don’t believe that disagreement is wrong, and that we should attempt to gloss over our differences, even if points of contention are not “good PR”. It is how we deal with difference that demonstrates our commitment to the spirit of the Gospel. Jesus was always warning against legalism and point scoring and directed his followers towards love and forgiveness.
Conflict can be creative. Dispute can persuade people to grow and to move forward. It is how the argument is won which is of the greatest long-term significance. If cruel and reckless language or underhand tactics are used then it means that the greater war, against evil, is lost. On a large scale and a small one, we must guard against winning a battle and losing the real war.  Joan Crossley
 

Hymns

1. God is here! 653

2. Father I place into your hands 133 (M.P)

3. Ye servants of the Lord 248

4. Blessed Assurance 668

5. I cannot tell why he, whom angels worship 238
   
    

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

"Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian.

If it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die."

Enable this church to do your will
Make it vulnerable that it may speak with calm humility;
Make it outward looking that it may care deeply
Make it a community of peacemakers and bridge builders
In the midst of turbulence let the church make space
for the hearing of your still small voice. (Delia Shephard)

Eternal God, in Christ you make yourself our guest. Amid all our cares and concerns make us attentive to your voice and alert to your presence, that we may prize your word above all else; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, you are the light of the minds that know you, the life of the souls that love you, and the strength of the wills that serve you; help us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. —Augustine of Hippo (354-430)


 

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Additional Resources

 

 

Opening Verse of Scripture 2 Corinthians Chapter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Collect Prayer for the Day-Before we read we pray

Almighty God, who sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your Church: open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Bible Reading, Chapter 1:1,10-20

1:1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

10. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! "The multitude of your sacrifices-- what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (This is the word of the Lord - Thanks be to God)

Second Bible Reading, Luke Chapter 12:32-40

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (This is the word of the Lord—Thanks be to God)

Post Communion Prayer

Holy Father, who gathered us here around the table of your Son to share this meal with the whole household of God: in that new world where you reveal the fullness of your peace, gather people of every race and language to share in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary

Many of you are familiar with the childhood prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep, it is a shortened version of an Old English prayer, which goes like this:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, bless the bed that I lie on.
Before I lay me down to sleep, I give my soul to Christ to keep.
Four corners to my bed, four angels there aspread,
two to foot, and two to head, and two to carry me when I'm dead.
I go by sea, I go by land, the Lord made me by his right hand.
If any danger comes to me, Sweet Jesus Christ, deliver me.
He's the branch, and I'm the flower, pray God send me a happy hour.
And if I die before I wake, I pray that Christ my soul will take.


The prayer has an important refrain, that Christ is the keeper, the caretaker of our soul. And, when we slip into the unconsciousness of the night I suppose, on a daily bases, we are never nearer death. It was out of this fear of sleep that this prayer was written. At night, when we are vulnerable, we want someone watching over us. So, we prepare ourselves with a prayer: If I should die before I wake. Our text this morning asks us to be prepared, to be dressed ready for service. We are to keep our lamps burning for we do not know when our Lord returns.

The parable presents in a persuasive form the paradoxical fact that one who "regards wealth as a means of acquiring perfect happiness in this life . . . becomes what he loves; if he loves what perishes, he too shall perish." Expressed with consummate simplicity, the tremendous one-liner: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also " (Luke 12:34), focuses upon the significance of one's basic stance toward possessions. It is a salient feature of Jesus' teaching that the heart's disposition cannot be centered on earthly possessions. The heart must be centered on God, in whom alone > power and security rest.

Dependence on the goodness of God would prevent one from a false dependence on material, created goods. Possessions in themselves are neither inherently good or bad; however it is the choices that one makes concerning them that determines their significance. Charles Royden

Meditation

Charity gives itself rich; covetousness hoards itself poor. German Proverb

Prayer

Wonderful are you, God of creation, without whom nothing draws breath.
Wonderful are you, Christ Jesus, without whom our world stays in the dark.
Wonderful are you, Spirit-Friend, without whom our worship remains formal.
We trust you, we love you, we yearn for more of you;
we praise you for your holiness, beauty and inexhaustible love. Amen!


Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Forgive us for the narrowness of vision which sees only the clouds and misses the rainbow. Women of Guatemala, 1993

May the presence of Christ be seen in his people - bringing peace to the confused and friendship to the lonely. May his love give us courage to be his presence in the world. Rev Ian White, Chair of the Channel Islands District

Loving God, breath into our hearts and minds at this time your loving and guiding word. Inspire us by your Spirit, that we may hear, and later do, what you would have us hear and do. Lift us up by your still small voice within and grant us the blessing we need and we seek. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen Richard Baxter, 1615-91

One God, awesome in creative energy and power, all embracing in love and grace; you have expressed yourself in Jesus Christ, revealing what is the length and breadth, the height and depth of your divine compassion and care for all creation. Help us, through being open to your Spirit's energising power, to respond with thankfulness: to go about our daily lives as though they were an expression and offering of our thankfulness; and so enable us to reveal that same love and grace, compassion and care to all with whom we share our hours and our days. Rev Ward Jones, Chair of the Bristol District

Hymns (Mission Praise)

1. Angel voices ever singing 34,2 (i). Jesus, Jesus Jesus, your love 370,(ii) Beauty for brokenness 806 -on notices,3. Lord thy word abideth 446 , 4. Lord for the years 428, 5. O happy day 499

 

 

 

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