"Challenging Circumstances" - returning to Mark 9 (verses 14-29)

(1) Introduction

Here we have a case where the disciples came up short. They had been assured by Jesus that they had the capacity to deal with issues such as this (3:15, 6:7), but despite their best efforts the boy remained ‘demon-possessed’, unable to hear or speak.

Now, we are going to face many challenging circumstances in life, often concerning how best to address the issues that face people close to us. They may even come to us for help, expecting that we should actually be able to provide that help. And why not … after all we are Christians, theoretically God is on our side!

The problem often is, despite being Jesus followers, we are not Jesus. This is the situation addressed in our passage from Mark’s Gospel today – the need was there, but Jesus was physically absent from the scene at the time. This is our ongoing dilemma – trying to represent Jesus, without his actual physical presence. How would we go about addressing the needs that confront us given this reality?

(2) Context of Passage

To remind us of the context – Jesus had just been transfigured on the mountain, in front of Peter, James and John; revealing Jesus’ glory and divinity. If the people were now to experience God, then they would have to look to Jesus. All of God’s invitations to humanity … all of God’s efforts to connect with us … would now hinge around our response to Jesus. Coming down from the (spiritual) heights of this mountain, Jesus, Peter, James and John were rejoining the other disciples … to find a crowd around them, and also “scribes” (Jewish religious leaders) arguing with them (v.14).

(3) Understanding the Narrative

When the crowd saw Jesus and were “overcome” and rushed to him, we are probably being led to understand that some of his glorious appearance on the mountain (identifying Jesus as Son of God) remained with him (9:3). Rather than basking in the glory though, Jesus wanted to inquire as to the nature of the debate; and as the “scribes” were involved in argument with his disciples, it was likely to be a matter of some importance to Jesus’ mission. It was the father of the afflicted boy that answered, when the disciples were perhaps a little too nonplussed to do so.

To have been said to have a disabling “spirit” suggested at the time the inhabitation of a demonic (anti-God) presence. Whether this is seen as purely demonic, or whether in a more scientific age we might sense elements of autism and/or epilepsy here, the gravity of the presenting need is the issue. Here was a boy who had been badly afflicted with shocking hardship and misery right back from early in his life. And there was also a father traumatised by the implications of this. [You would surely want to help if at all possible.]

Now this concerned father had brought out his son looking for Jesus, hoping that Jesus would be able to cure him. Obviously, as Jesus was absent, the father approached the known (and currently present) disciples waiting at the bottom of the mountain. These disciples had had some outstanding public success in healing other people in the name of Jesus (6:13), so this was seemingly a sensible thing for the father to do.

Here was a real-life struggle to be addressed in the midst of a crowd comprising of both ardent opponents and potential converts. However, as we read at verse 18, these disciples could not come to the party … they could not rise to the occasion … they just “could not do so”. [And their opponents “the scribes” must then have had a field day in the midst of the crowd, no doubt suggesting that these disciples were misguided fools for following Jesus.]

The question for us to consider is … why the disciples had no effect! And then to consider … what could they have done, or what did these disciples need to learn and understand (for them to have facilitated a better outcome)?

It’s fair to say that Jesus wasn’t very impressed with his disciples here (refer verse 19). As this response by Jesus was very public, you could even say that Jesus was here venting his frustration with a whole society that failed to recognise and appreciate God, particularly his disciples who obviously hadn’t moved very far forward in their own understanding.

Jesus then took charge with immediate impact. Evil was immediately stirred in the presence and light of Jesus, such that the boy convulsed around and foamed at the mouth. The father had come to Jesus in great hope, but was now only able to say, “… if you are able to help” (v.22)!

“If …” said Jesus, “If”!! Jesus was taken aback by this uncertainty, but didn’t seem to hold this against the father. Where did this uncertainty derive from?? It seems to actually have derived from the disciples’ lack of success! This lack of ability, on the disciples’ behalf, to respond positively to the father and son’s need, had had a negative impact on the father’s confidence in Jesus. So this is a very serious matter for us.

[As an aside, I wonder if these disciples here suffered from not only Jesus’ absence, but also the absence of their leaders … Peter, James and John? If this is the case, then the relevance of this passage has to be considered by every Jesus follower, just in case an immediate response is required without any more mature presence being available to us. Sometimes, quite appropriately, we rely on the leaders amongst us to make the big calls; however sometimes we are called upon ourselves to just know deep within ourselves just what to do. That’s what growing up is all about! Also this teaches us something about leadership … that good leadership (and good mentoring, and good parenting) is always about developing others toward maturity, and handing over increasing levels of responsibility to them.]

Anyway, Jesus reminds all and sundry that everything can be done for the person who believes in God through Jesus (v.23)! This allows the father to reconnect with his faith and confidence, yet admit how fragile this can be in the face of life events (refer verse 24). This is also a humble, vulnerable and open response from the father, which brings about the healing of his son. There was a special connection made here! But what would have happened if Jesus wasn’t able to turn up that day (if he’d been in another part of the country)?

What had the disciples missed? To the disciples’ great credit, this inability concerned them, and they were prepared to take a bit of a risk and ask Jesus what they lacked. And the answer stands out like a blot on an otherwise perfectly printed page! To some it might come as a surprise, to others as the obvious answer. In Mark it stands out all the more, because this gospel mentions prayer much less than the others (but then turns around and highlights prayer in the most dramatic way). In the most challenging of circumstances, where perhaps you would have thought you could handle things, but it turns out you can’t … the answer is PRAYER!!

(4) Prayer – Dependence on God

The disciples failed because they were trying to deal with a very demonic and drastic situation in their own strength. Jesus’ earlier response about their faithlessness showed that indeed, through Jesus, they did have the capacity to deal with this issue – but they didn’t call upon the resources available to make it happen! Prayer demonstrates that we are prepared to admit that we are dependent on God. As Athol Gill wrote: “In the story of the epileptic boy, his father’s wavering faith, and the disciples’ inability to perform a miracle, Mark breaks his silence [on prayer] and makes his own distinctive contribution to our understanding of prayer as dependence upon God” (Life on the Road, p.217).

Many human beings spend a life time trying to become independent. The problem is, we are created and designed to be relational beings that are interdependent with others. God didn’t create autonomous individuals, but rather human community (designed on the prototype of the Divine Trinity). And ultimately we are designed to respond to and respect our Creator, whom we are dependent upon for the very oxygen we breathe, the water we drink, as well as quality community functioning.

Thus if we are to be effective followers of Jesus, then we have to be prayerful. We have to seek and gain the resources from God through which to respond to all challenging circumstances. It’s amazing how the most difficult of prospects gains new perspective and ultimate resolution through prayer. [The disciples could have healed the boy, if they had only realised that Jesus would truly work through them, and thus properly prepared themselves.]

Mark’s Gospel gives us an honest picture of the struggle Jesus’ disciples had in coming to terms with this new movement of God. The fear and misunderstanding that they continued to show (again as soon as verse 32) reflect very slow learners indeed. But these words are recorded so that those of following generations might know that “all things can be done for the one who believes”, and also in the case of the (wonderful) father in this incident, for the one who is prepared to work through their unbelief.

This father’s admission of “unbelief” rightly acknowledged his human dependence on God. Doubt is not the enemy of our faith, rather … the lack of courage! God’s power is limitless for those who have the courage to expect great things from God.

At a corporate level, we as God’s church in this place will need to express our dependence on God through prayer, in tackling all of the challenges ahead. It is God’s undertaking, blessing and guidance that we will need, if we are going to get where we are meant to be. Don’t expect it to happen otherwise!

Embracing Possibilities of Growth - a sermon on 2 Peter 1:1-11

(1) Why Growth?

From the moment we’re born we grow physically, and that growth is quite obvious. Often children will have their progress in height marked on the kitchen wall. When I was in year 8 I was tall enough to play centre half forward, but unfortunately I peaked early, and by year 10 I was in the back pocket, heading towards the end of my football career!

But how well we are growing spiritually might be a lot harder to track. Here in 2 Peter chapter 1 is a general call to Christians of all ages to strive to get closer to God. This means that we’ll have to perform some sort of assessment as to how we are travelling in our spiritual growth. If we think we’re cruising along okay, what steps can we take to stretch ourselves even further and better connect with God’s purpose for our lives? If we are struggling, what steps can we take to experience God afresh and sense a degree of hope again?

Spiritual growth has been defined as, “growing in our knowledge of Christ and in our likeness to Him”. So this is both a head and a heart thing. This is both an internal and external matter. This is an active as well as a passive thing.

The last three weeks’ sermons have laid some foundation here. If we can move beyond worry, deal with our discouragement, and recover from bitterness, then we are better placed to embrace the opportunities of growth that surround us. While we allow our head and heart to dwell in more negative pastures, we might just miss the blessing and future ministry God has for us. Indeed we can utilise the more difficult circumstances we have faced, together with the process we have undergone to move forward, as triggers for growth. We can see the whole tapestry of our past lives being the basis on which we make the best of the future.

Whereas this letter is attributed to the disciple Peter, internal evidence of the issues it deals with would indicate it was written at a date later than Peter’s lifespan. Yet is has been accepted as Holy Scripture, because it genuinely represents Peter’s authentic discipleship experience which can enlighten the human path ahead (and thus was published under Peter’s name, as was the custom of the time).

Peter was certainly one who could learn from his mistakes, accept his humanness, make himself humble, commit to Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit, and go about changing the world. The purpose of this letter is clearly outlined in verse 2: that those who accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour might experience grace and peace in ever increasing quantities; for this is what the people of the time would need to survive life in a complicated world (where moral lapses and misleading teaching were rife).

What would these ever increasing quantities of grace and peace mean to us? This would mean that we would more and more sense the favour of God upon us, that no matter where life takes us, and no matter what circumstances cross our path, that God is with us, and with Jesus we can meet any challenge. This would also mean that we know such a peace within our own skin, and such a clarity in our own mind about our relationship with God – that we would truly become peacemakers in our community and the world.

Sometimes we hear people admitting to and bemoaning the fact that their spiritual life is going nowhere. There is a choice to be made here: either remain unsatisfied, or take some action. It won’t just happen. It may take courage (for there could be opposition)! But it is those who are desperate for change that will make it … as Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they [these are the ones that] will be filled (Matthew 5:6).

Other times we might meet certain people who call themselves Christians, but their conversations, various attitudes and activities seem to contradict this; there seems to be a lack of grace and love in them. They would need to also hear Jesus when he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit [the humble, the open, the vulnerable], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3).

As verses 3 & 4 of our text indicate, God has not held anything back that we need to go forward; and most especially God has given us the opportunity of continually finding reasons for having the faith that will carry us through the limits of our humanity [refer also v.1b] toward participating in the “divine nature” [v.4].

(2) What does it mean to “become participants of the divine nature”? Here are some thoughts:

· Cranfield, drawing on Calvin, suggests this means that, without ceasing to be human, we shall share in that which is characteristically God’s own nature, which includes God’s glory, blessedness and immortality. This obviously has implications for eternity, but this text is addressing the here and now.

· To have our lives reflect or represent Jesus to the world at large, as if they were looking at Jesus himself!! So, a measure of spiritual growth might be to assess ourselves against the question: ‘How much of Jesus Christ can be seen in me?’ or ‘How much has the Spirit of God [another member of the Divine Trinity] been allowed to work in my life setting forth Jesus Christ?’.

· To embrace the “divine nature”, the biggest hurdle to overcome is the lure of the “corruption” in the world around us. Just like the fish most desires the promise of a feed that the lure suggests to it, human beings have to deal with and move beyond selfish, individualistic pursuits promised by the prevailing culture, toward God’s grand purposes.

· Psalm 1:3 describes the growing person this way … “They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither”. If we think of the needs of our garden – all the plants have been planted with great expectations, yet if they’re going to thrive they will need proper attention (fertiliser, mulch, water) and occasionally some pruning, and the whole garden area will need some regular weeding!

So clearly, just believing God exists, while this is a good start, will not cut it for long. Also, just paying token attention to Jesus will only lead to disappointment. The faith that has welled up in us has to be channelled directly into everyday living. Such effective and fruitful living (refer v.8) will necessitate: goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love. This will require our “every effort” (v.5). We know that God will always do His part while we are doing ours!

Sometimes we might find ourselves seeking to defend the reasons why we are Christians or why we think Jesus is important. But defending the faith like this is a poor substitute for actually living it in such a way that it already makes sense to people who see and begin to know us.

(3) Areas of Growth

“Faith” is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). We have found that our faith has been well-founded, because God has changed our lives for the better, and give us hope and purpose. Even when life has been hard, God’s promises of nearness and spiritual resources have been fulfilled: ‘God will never leave us or forsake us’; ‘Ask in My Name and it will be done’!! It is on the strong foundation of this faith that additions are made. A concrete slab is the foundation on which many houses are built. But we cannot live just sitting on a concrete slab. Walls and a roof have to be erected. Plumbing and electrical fittings need to be added. And finally there needs to be paint and furnishings. Faith needs to be built on for us to experience growth in life.

The word translated “Goodness” in verse 5 refers more to a character trait than single acts of goodness … like we have an innate virtue, or by nature we seek excellence in all our endeavours. This is where our faith affects our morals and ethics, the decisions we make … especially as they affect other people.

The “Knowledge” referred to here concerns understanding what God wants from us. Seeking to understand the culture in which we live and the functioning of the world around us is important for our relevant witness, but is not the basis on which we build our life; it is the Scriptures that provide that. So it is the ‘Word of God’ the Bible that provides the clearest revelation and interpretation of the character and priorities of God. And it’s not just the words on the page that we’re giving attention to, but we also need to listen to the voice of God behind the words, as these scripture verses are applied to our particular situations.

“Self-control” will guard us from the excesses that are earlier described as the corruption that is in the world”. This brings in the concept of discipline and giving ourselves boundaries within which to live. These are not so much about denying ourselves certain things, but rather about how best we can enjoy and share the freedoms we have been given. Self-control will bring us a measure of protection, and will give us to capacity to hang-in long term with our commitments.

As self-control becomes our habit, next comes “Endurance” … that will be the capacity to persevere through all of the pressures that come to bear on us. Negative events are not as problematical as they once were – they don’t throw us off as much. We should here grow in patience, seeking to see things from a broader perspective, and other people more from God’s standpoint than from ours.

“Godliness” is a constant and very practical awareness of God in every aspect of life, and life responses that are consistent with being devoted to God (as God is devoted to us) [EMB Green, L Richards]. All what God has done has been on the basis of His own righteousness; it was through God’s own nature and character that He had to make an attempt to save us; God could not deny His own unfailing love – such that God supplied in Himself the redemption of those caught up in sin; God had to be true to Himself in expressing saving love [Richards]. This is the righteousness that is the basis in which God wants us to live! It’s about being true to our calling, as God has been true to Himself.

Closing with the additions of “Mutual affection” & “Love” clearly bring in the outward elements of caring for others, practical kindness and self-sacrifice.

We are going to need help with the first six of these, and we are going to need a context in which to practice the “mutual affection” and the “love”. This is why Christians have to become part of local churches, which should provide both the help and the context for growth. Joining together in worship, prayer, bible study and mission, strengthens our desire to know Jesus more and work on these areas of growth that we have discussed.

The New Testament knows nothing of Christians living in (self-imposed) isolation from other believers. Quite the contrary, verses like Colossians 3:16 and James 5:16 show the richness of interrelationships in Christian community. “In the Bible, believing always implies belonging. A ‘Christian’ without a church is like a sailor without a ship, or a bee without a hive: [it’s] unthinkable” [Kim Hawtrey in Christianity – A Pocket Guide from Matthias Media].

(4) Being Near-sighted or Having Good Vision?

Verse 9 brings a strong challenge to us. Have we taken the forgiveness we have received from God, bought at such a great price, too lightly? Have we accepted, then unwrapped the gift, but having seen and touched what was inside, put the gift away in the cupboard (just like the Christmas gift we have no idea what to do with). To do this, according to this scripture, is “nearsighted”. This may suggest that we have become blinded to the far-reaching implications that our forgiveness should relate to; or that we see only the temporal rather than the eternal – those things that are close more so than those matters which are vital.

We could use the list here in 2 Peter 1 to assess our spiritual health, and where we might be on the journey. If we need help we should seek it, and we shouldn’t delay. God has acted and fulfilled His promises, and now is looking for our response. As verses 10 & 11 indicate, taking this upward growth curve seriously … would show that we are recommitting ourselves daily to the good cause we have adopted, enabling us to continue to walk without any threat of ultimately stumbling.

Recovering from Bitterness

(1) Facing the Hurt

Bitterness is a long-term anger turned inward. Bitterness is a piercingly cold feeling of resentment (Oxford). Bitterness is “an intense animosity toward another person that erodes our peace of mind and robs us of joy” (D & J Ryan). Bitterness is holding a grudge against someone. Bitterness is fuelled by a sense of injustice over something that has happened … usually to ourselves or someone close to us.

Sometimes such anger turned to bitterness was allowed to fester inappropriately, because it was actually based on a misunderstanding or having unreasonably high expectations of others. Other times such anger turned to bitterness was justifiable on the basis of a really painful offence.

We know that anger in itself is not sin, it is a natural human reaction to evil; without anger we would be less liable to seek to correct wrongs and injustices. It is where we allow anger to rule us and to control our behaviour in a negative sense, that we move in contrary ways to how God would have us. This is why bitterness is such a problem – it separates us from God.

Not only can carrying bitterness towards others badly affect us physically and emotionally, but also destroy us spiritually. Our spiritual life can completely dry up under the influence of bitterness, such bitterness having the potential to be just as destructive as any drug. Our tendency is to relive the offensive incident and allow it to grow deep roots within us. [In a corporate sense, we have often seen the devastating results of long-term community bitterness toward other ethnic groups or nations.]

Hebrews 12:14-15 reads:

"Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled."

So, rather than just allowing anger and bitterness to do its ugly work, we have to face our hurts full on, and place them in God’s care. We have to then put any desire for revenge behind us (for revenge has no place in the Christian life), and also find a way through any unwillingness we have to forgive.

Now I know there have been many things perpetrated where it would be so difficult to expect the person offended against to offer forgiveness … where there have been hideous incidences of abuse and violence (where even criminal charges have been applicable).

Yet, even here, the path to growth and hope is through forgiveness. This may or may not have a positive effect on any perpetrator, but the main benefactor of such forgiveness will always be ourselves … for we are lifting a burden which is truly too heavy to bear. Only God can ultimately right such wrongs, and we are not built to carry such heavy responsibility.

We cannot judge, because we simply do not know enough. To desire getting even or revenge is to get in God’s way. Of course it is not possible anyway to get even, in either totally recovering our loss or exacting the same loss on another. Revenge in word or deed is violence, and inflicting violence will hurt and demean us further.

Recovering from bitterness cannot really begin until a person begins to face the emotional pain of the past. So if you have feelings of resentment weighing you down, then really you have some work to do. And you may need some assistance. And that assistance is available.

There is a power and strength beyond ourselves that enables us to forgive, but we must choose to move towards forgiveness to find the help that God offers. And I’ve seen bitterness lifted and the difference it makes. Forgiveness breaks the shackles that have held a person prisoner and allows human beings the freedom to become the person God intends them to be.

In Genesis (chapters 37 – 46) we read of Joseph, who was sold into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers because of their jealousy. Later we read that when Joseph was in a position to treat these brothers however he liked, he chose the path of remarkable forgiveness. Why … because Joseph viewed remaining in solidarity with God much more important than seeking any sort of revenge (which of course would not have regained him anything of what he had lost anyway).

If I was in Joseph’s position, and had experienced such dreadful rejection, forgiveness would not have come easily at all to me; yet this was the only hope-filled option. Of course, for such forgiveness to be truly transforming, it had to be sincere; therefore was delayed for a little time, while the full depth of feelings were worked through.

If you look at the narrative about Joseph in Genesis, you’ll see all of the stages of the process being spoken of today in recovering from bitterness – facing the hurt, feeling the anger, grieving the loss, and letting go.

(2) Feeling the Anger

The anger that we feeling following abuse, rejection, betrayal or unfair criticism, that tends to easily turn inward toward bitterness, needs to be healthily expressed … to God, and maybe to trusted others. Speaking these feelings out tends to lift some of the potentially destructive energy out of them without suppressing such feelings. Repressed anger will inevitably lead to bitterness of spirit. To hold on to a grudge is really (even subconsciously) to desire vengeance to be visited upon a person … ‘I cannot be kind to that person until they get what they deserve’. This is unhealthy!

We also can’t force or manipulate someone to be sorry; we can only do what will be helpful from our side. This will include expressing how we feel … sometimes to the one who has offended us, but always, as I just said, to God. David (king of Israel) often expressed to God his anger about those who opposed him (in the Psalms). In so doing David was often able to resolve much of his bitterness (eg. Psalm 13).

This can be warts and all; listen to Psalm 109:8-13 …

"May his days be few; may another seize his position. May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow. May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit. May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil. May there be no one to do him a kindness, nor anyone to pity his orphaned children. May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation."

Such passionate expression was clearly helpful, may even life-saving, for David. Whenever we can’t speak to people who have hurt us directly, we can always talk to God. We can in this way discover what anger is well- founded, and what anger, on the other hand, may originate in our own immaturity, lack of understanding or desire to control others.

Where we have acted badly out of our anger, we can seek forgiveness. Where our anger is justified, we can seek insight into new ways of moving through our anger and taking some positive steps forward.

One of these steps may well be directly confronting the person involved, seeking some dialogue, and perhaps some clarification of the reasons behind the offensive actions or unfair criticism. Other times the need for self-protection may well prevent this.

When confronting, this is not just passive – it is important to stand up for yourself and for what you believe is right (otherwise nothing is gained and bitterness may deepen); as long as this is done without any desire for getting even. A typical opening statement may be: ‘I felt very hurt and angry when you belittled me in front of all those people’. This statement addresses your anger without attacking or accusing.

When confronting another person is dangerous (as in many cases of abuse) or impossible (eg. if the person has died), then a letter can be written (as if it was to be read by the offender), and then destroyed … in some sort of acknowledgement that the issue is done with.

[David also took his opportunities to express his lack of understanding about God’s perceived inaction. In so doing David was better able to experience again God’s love and mercy, which are always at work behind the scenes. So, if any of our bitterness is actually directed at God, God is able to where this, and willing to hear from us about it, and guide us into new understanding.]

(3) Grieving the Loss

When we are offended against there can be a real sense of loss. This may be material, but could also be in the area of self-esteem, identity, security, belonging or future expectations, and such losses as these will cause us to grieve. These are losses for which there may never be adequate restitution. This is where we would ask questions like: ‘What is wrong with me’ or ‘How could this injustice be inflicted on me’ or ‘How will I ever cope again’.

This sense of loss concerning our personal rights (the right to be viewed as a valuable human being) can be so great, that to be asked to lay aside our anger or bitterness is like being asked to give up all we have left. And it seems like, without any vestige of immanent justice, that what was done was actually okay – first forgiven … then forgotten, and I’m just left with my loss, without any sense of vindication, and the strong possibility in mind of being hurt again.

Yet as we are nonetheless willing to take the first step of forgiveness, we are letting God in to touch our hurt and anger with healing love. Without a ‘letting go’, we leave no room in our lives in which God can work!

It is a normal and helpful process to grieve any loss. Pretending that we are made of steel and nothing can touch us won’t take us forward. Grieving our loss is part of the process of facing the total impact of what has happened to us, and thus part of the necessary preparations for genuine forgiveness.

As we embrace such grief, the words of Jesus become a wonderful promise … Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Yet, this is connected closely to another ‘beattitude’ that soon follows … Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (5:7).

(4) Letting Go

Some people will say, ‘He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness’! This may be true – but the real question is not whether another person deserves forgiveness or not, but how much we desire our own physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. It is the same when the thought is that the other person isn’t even sorry!

Bitterness eats us up inside, plays havoc with our emotions such that we are very hard to live with, makes it difficult for us to trust anyone, and disconnects us from God. Bitterness can also cause all sorts of inconsistencies in our lives (often plain for all to see), where we can in some areas bless others with ministry whilst ‘cursing’ others through our attitudes and words (James 3:10-12).

Sometimes we might think that forgiving someone when they’re not even sorry legitimises what they did, means that they were right, or suggests that we ourselves really don’t count anymore. Rather, forgiving someone raises our feelings of being a valuable person … because we are not going to let the destructive thing that was done to us have any further power over us.

We could hold onto and brood over the belittling statement that was made to us, and therefore start to live like we believed it; or express the hurt and forgive the person who said it, thus releasing the power of demeaning words laying over us. We can’t make our forgiveness conditional on the other person apologising, changing, or in any way earning this. We should forgive to liberate ourselves, and provide a potential gift that may subsequently evoke change in another.

Forgiveness does not involve prescribed magic words, but rather involves a heartfelt willingness to deeply struggle through hurt, anger and grief towards living in solidarity with God (and becoming like Jesus). Of course, our ultimate example of forgiving, even in the most hideous of circumstances, is Jesus (Luke 23:34). It was precisely because the religious and political leaders of the time were lost and had no idea of the gravity of what they were doing, that Jesus forgave them.

Forgiveness may not take the pain away, or redeem the loss, but it does make the future liveable. We forgive because we have been forgiven, no doubt by others along the way, but ultimately by God through Jesus (Colossians 3:13); and we wouldn’t want to be the one who blocked the path of forgiveness of others by negating the value and effectiveness of forgiveness ourselves.

It is likely that we will not be able to forgive fully all at once even if we want to. The loss remains, the hurt can re-emerge, our thoughts run wild; so forgiveness will be a process – whereby when any evidence of resentment returns, we reassert (seventy times seven times if necessary) that we have forgiven that other person (C S Lewis).

“I forgive this person for what they have done. By the choice of my will, and being not deterred by how I feel, I choose to not bring these issues up again, and to treat this person as forgiven. Whereas I may remember what happened to me from time to time, I will not brood over this anymore. I will refrain from seeking revenge or hoping that something bad happens to this particular person. If and when this offender expresses regret to me, I will look for ways to rebuild friendship. And, I will not act as if they owe me anything in return. I will reaffirm my decision to forgive, even if this is necessary every day. If I am at fault in any way, may this be revealed to me.”

(5) Living Better – Rising Above (Romans 12:14-21)

a. Seeking the best for others – bringing an act of kindness toward someone who has offended us proves to ourselves that we are not caught up in any vicious cycle of negativity, and that we can rise from our hurt and pain.

b. Being ready to mourn (or grieve) with others who have likewise suffered loss, and help those who have proven themselves to be weak. Many offenders have acted in this way because of their own difficult experiences and deep needs.

c. Seeking peace in all relationships – not peace at any price where the truth of what has happened is denied (and further abuse might occur), but a peace that works creatively towards harmonious and safe relationships.

d. Being open and honest about yourself, so that you will know what you need to work on – especially if this is in the area of bitterness or unforgiveness (James 5:16).

Dealing with Discouragement (1 Kings 19)

(1) Introduction

We can easily be discouraged in life. This may come from deep feelings within us, or come from the words and actions of others, or a combination of both … where our deep held fears are negatively impacted by things that happen to us in life. For example, we may have come to feel undervalued, and then don’t get that promotion at work … discouraging! We might not be the brightest student, but really do our best in our studies, only to be criticised for the lack of quality of our work … discouraging! We might have served our community faithfully as a city councilor, yet still get voted out at the recent election … discouraging! We might have contributed brilliantly to our community group, but someone didn’t like what we did, so is out to get us … discouraging! Any sense of failure or unmet expectations can be mightily discouraging! Even the gap between who we are and how we want to be can be discouraging!

Discouragement, if it is not attended to, can lead to depression. As believers we have a great source of encouragement to offset any discouragement, so we should use it. Also, we know that it takes many sources of encouragement to overide the smallest incidences of discouragement, so we need to learn to be encouragers of others, so that we can become part of the solution.

(2) Moses – Numbers 11:14-17 reads:

"I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favour in your sight—and do not let me see my misery.’ So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you. I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people along with you so that you will not bear it all by yourself."

Setting of Discouragement: Moses felt the burden of his responsibility in the leadership of the people of Israel. This was a complex task that he originally felt unequipped for, yet could not escape the call of God upon him. By now, Moses had led God’s people out of Egypt, but still faced the daunting task of guiding them towards the promised land.

Source of Discouragement: There were the constant demands of the people, but most discouraging was their continual complaining, such that Moses felt that they were “too heavy” for him to carry. He required help, but didn’t sense he was getting any. Given the complexity of the task, and that it was God who had given him the task, he felt let down … both by the people, who were making the job harder … and by God, who seemingly wasn’t making it easier.

Symptoms of Discouragement: Feelings of incapacity, anger, hopelessness – so much so, Moses didn’t want to face this growing misery but rather escape it.

Solution to Discouragement: Taking some positive action, in this case gathering around him some other potential leaders among the people. If Moses would do just this, then God would honour this enterprise by gifting and calling these others to share in Moses’ burdens. I really appreciate the phrase “I [God] will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them”, suggesting that God would take some of the passion Moses had for the well-being of his community and place this same passion within others”.

It would have been a huge mistake for Moses to continue to take all of the responsibility upon himself, and God provided for Moses here a good survival strategy … share responsibility and burden with others … be willing to let others in; and of course trust God for the results.

Moses, in his efforts for God, had probably started to think that good outcomes depended solely on him; when the truth of the matter is that Moses, if he was to be successful in his leadership, needed simply to be faithful and do his best, and to understand that it was actually God who would then bring about the right results. This awareness should lift the burden and resolve Moses’ discouragement.

(3) Jonah – Jonah 3:10 - 4:3 & 4:9-11 reads:

"When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live’."

"But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labour and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals’?"

Setting: Jonah had been called by God to provide a prophetic voice against the wickedness that was evident in Nineveh. Initially Jonah refused, fled and was rescued from drowning through being first swallowed then spewed out by a whale. When called a second time, Jonah went to Nineveh and preached God’s word of judgement against the evil being practiced there. This provided staggeringly good results, with the people from the king down looking to fast, mourn their sin, turn from their ways and violence, and believe in God.

Source: So due to this general repentance, God changed his mind away from judgement and destruction for Nineveh toward bringing mercy. Now, Jonah didn’t like this at all, he didn’t agree with such a change of heart in God, and would have preferred judgement to have been carried out. So Jonah’s worst fears about how God would act were realised. Jonah was displeased that events had turned out contrary to his own preferences. In Jonah there was an unwillingness to accept the character of God the way it is, and to change his mind in line with this. Jonah was stuck in a certain way of thinking; and this being contrary to God’s thinking, was always going to leave him discouraged.

Symptoms: Anger, hopelessness, and again a preference to escape.

Solution: Being prepared to see things differently. [God gave Jonah a bush that would give him shelter for the night and potentially shade from the harsh conditions next day, however next morning caused this bush to die. As Jonah was prepared to express anger over this relatively minor inconvenience, God was able to point out his concern over the much bigger picture issue.] God wanted to emphasise that the One who has created and nurtured a people for generations would want to do everything possible to save them (v.11).

We see all the faults and errors, and feel the pain people cause us; but God sees the created potential, and falls over himself to offer opportunities for personal and national change. Sometimes our discouragement comes from just not looking at situations in the right way! If we constantly feel discouraged, then we may need to reassess how we think about God. We may have to be prepared to accept correction and search for a better understanding of God.

(4) Elijah – 1 Kings 19:1-18

Setting: Elijah had arrived suddenly on the scene in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 17) specifically to bring God’s prophetic word to King Ahab. Ahab was leading his people away from worshipping the true God to rely on the false Canaanite ‘god’ Baal ... the ‘god’ of storm and rain. So Elijah announced a time of drought which would serve to demonstrate that it was Elijah’s God Yahweh that truly controlled nature, not Baal. This showed great courage because Ahab had been known to kill anyone who opposed him, and went on to say to Elijah …

“Is it you, you troubler of Israel?”

[Elijah] answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have … because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed thje Baals. (1 Kings 18:17-18)

Many will know the ensuing story (in 1 Kings 18:20-40) of Elijah taking on all the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and proving in a dramatic way that Yahweh was the true living God. Whereas the prophets of Baal failed the test put before them, Elijah prayed and fire fell upon the altar of wood – the true God came through as Elijah had pronounced, and the people that had witnessed this fell on their faces and said, “The Lord is indeed God, the Lord is indeed God”. Elijah had stimulated a popular return to the true faith. And then the drought broke! This was no doubt an exhiliating experience for Elijah. So why should this now go so wrong for him? How could there be anyone left unconvinced?

Source: This all made Ahab’s wife Jezebel very angry, and she put out a contract, so to speak, on Elijah’s life. Under such threat, Elijah fled as far as possible. He was not ready for such opposition after the heights of his recent success for God. Why should his life be threatened when he had so forthrightly corrected the religious errors of the whole nation?

Then Elijah had to face the fact that in the face of danger he had run, which may have made him feel even worse about himself … self-condemnation. How often have we reacted to adversity in a way that might momentarily be safer or more convenient, but make us very soon feel worse because we didn’t take what we now know would have been the more appropriate action.

Symptoms:
· flight (v.3a); Elijah quickly forgot how powerful (and faithful) God had just proven to be. Even though Elijah had been a personal channel of such power, the instant he was personally threatened he fled. This shows that discouragement is never far away (even when things are going stupendously)! Perhaps in the midst of a mountain-top experience, Elijah just wasn’t ready for the inevitable reality check!!
· a desire to be alone (he left his servant behind in v.3b); which is usually unhelpful
· again a desire to escape life (v.4)
· mental and physical tiredness (v.5a) when of course everything looks worse
· an initial disinterest in food (v.5b-8)
· bitterness (against God) … how can one so zealous and courageous be allowed to be threatened and hounded like this! Wouldn’t Elijah actually deserve better? (v.10a)
· a focus on the negative (v.10a … this had been the situation before Elijah had acted so bravely, obediently and creatively)
· faulty perceptions (v.10b … there were other prophets, but Elijah [like Moses] had allowed himself to believe that everything depended on him).

Solution: Looking for God’s presence and listening for God’s voice. Realise that God has a purpose to be fulfilled … no matter how good or how bad the past has been, there will be a future with hope. And that hope is of course not dependent upon us, but rather upon the greatness and re-creative power of God. For Elijah, God appeared in the form of an angel (v.5ff) and provided the necessities for the journey of life; so Elijah could regather himself and move forward.

God provided a listening and attentive ear (v.9b), then later could be heard in the “sheer silence” (or in a ‘quiet whisper’) following the strong wind, earthquake and fire – a loving and reassuring voice that touched Elijah at his point of need (v.12b). There was further work to be done, there were national leaders (and another prophet) to anoint with God’s blessing; and Elijah was still God’s chosen person to do it! And Elijah wouldn’t be alone … there would be helpers, and there would be a special friend (Elisha) to join with him in his spiritual mission.

If God acted in all these ways to deal with the discouragement experienced by Elijah, Moses and Jonah, then God will act to address the discouragement we experience today and tomorrow.

(5) Conclusion

To allieviate discouragement, we can try the following:

a. Accepting ourselves as being loved and valued by God, even when we have stumbled (rather than getting down on ourselves). God was not angry with Elijah, just ready to care for him. [Refer to Psalm 37:23-24.] To wallow in our discouragement is to waste some of the potential already placed in our present and future.

b. [Yet] Being honest about where we’re at, and acknowledging our need of help from God and others (to get where we need to be).

c. [But] Being careful who we listen to, take advice from, believe in and trust. Be careful who we allow to influence us. Not everybody is for us, or for God … there are Jezebel’s around to try to trip us up.

d. Allowing our true friends to be truly friends to us … sometimes people are more ready to help than we think, we just need to be prepared to let them in a bit. Talk over your disappointments, and listen for the good reflections that might flow back to us.

e. Looking after our physical well-being, making sure that we don’t get too tired and that we get enough of the right food, exercise, recreation and rest.

f. Focussing on the positive things we have been able to achieve and that have happened to us [Philippians 4:8].

g. Don’t give in! In all circumstances, keep our eyes on Jesus, and our ears attuned to God. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

h. Get up in the morning and get into life with high expectations for the day!!

Moving Beyond Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)

If we are to experience the "glory of Jesus" (refer last week's message), then we will need to deal with many facets of being human that dramatically effect our lives. I have chosen over the next few weeks to deal with three of these ... worry, discouragement and bitterness. First, moving beyond worry ...

(1) What is worry?

Worry is an abnormal [or undue] concern about our own future or the future of others. It is a pessimistic look at the future. Sometimes it stretches back into the past as we consider our previous decision-making and wonder whether we did the right thing (Egerton C Long).

Worry has also been defined as “a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained” (ed. M P Green). So, worry can begin with a particular fear that lies deep within us and then starts to dominate us.

When worry really gets a grip on us (and crosses over many areas of life), we would probably then refer to this as anxiety or an ‘anxiety disorder’, which is a medical condition we would need professional help with.

The dictionary tells us that “worry” is:
· letting the mind dwell (continuously) on troubles
· fretting or stressing over various things
· allowing for no rest or peace of mind
· a general uneasiness.

The original meaning of the English word “worry” was to ‘choke’ or ‘strangle’, relating to the form in which you would interfere with or ‘worry’ others (ie. worrying or annoying someone to death). This signifies that worry can be a real ‘stranglehold’ on your life (Long).

The Greek word translated “worry” in our text from Matthew 6, has the background meaning of ‘being pulled in two different directions’ (say between our hopes and fears), or to be distracted or divided in mind, or for our mind ‘to go round and round’ a problem (with seemingly no solution in sight).

From a Christian and Biblical perspective, to “worry” indicates forgetting about or even denying faith and taking things back into our own hands (Long).

(2) What do we worry about?

· How our children will go in school
· That we will succeed in business or in our workplace, and provide for our family’s needs
· Our health
· Our relationships
· Our financial situation.

In my case I tend to worry most about how people have or might react to things I have said to them. I tend to lose sleep when people have seemed to misunderstand me, unfairly criticized me, or where our ongoing relationship may be tenuous.

A few comments and insights from our Matthew 6 text:

(3) Life is bigger than food (v.25)

Often the thing s we worry about are not the most important things when seen in the light of the whole of life, all the broad possibilities in life, and of course, God’s bigger picture of interactive community life. There is just so much out there to experience, yet we can get bogged down in small areas of thinking and functioning. When did you last miss something really significant whilst worrying about something so comparatively inconsequential?

(4) Placing ultimate trust in God (v.26, 28-31)

Perhaps those being addressed here in this Gospel, with Matthew echoing the teaching of Jesus, are those Jesus’ followers or missionaries of Matthew’s first century church, who had left behind everything that would have made them feel secure (including family, friends and previous religious connections), to head out into the unknown. How far could their faith take them? Would they really survive? God would not want their natural concerns though to lead to worry.

God cares for all of his creation; and this has been proven throughout world history, and often also in our own personal experience of life. Without any great anxiety the birds of the air find enough resources to live on. There continues to be great natural beauty, productivity and resilience in the natural environment; this in no way is benefited by worrying whether certain flowers will bloom again next season. [Action from us will be required where there has been harm done to the environment; but this action should take place not in the context of worry but rather in the context of knowing that ultimately God will renew what has been neglected.]

Plants live and die in short spans; birds have only short lives … yet these have been placed within an ordered system of nature. Jesus wants to say here, that if God cares for such as birds and lilies, then surely God cares greatly for those human beings that He gave responsibility to for the rest of creation. We need to trust in this. Our ultimate trust in all areas of life must rest in God.

Excursus: Warehousing (gathering into barns) … verse 26

The suggestion here that birds don’t gather food into barns, meaning that they don’t stockpile produce beyond the day’s needs, is worthy of consideration. This would certainly be a challenge against any stockpiling (by individuals or nations) that negatively affects poorer or less resourced people. Any thoughts along the line of getting in quickly (and stocking up) before someone else can need to be reassessed … for this is individualistic (not communal) thinking. If it is a propensity to worry, and/or a lack of trust in God that causes such warehousing to occur, then this should also be looked at.

(5) Worry is pointless (v.27, 34) … yet we still do it!

As Jesus points out, worrying about certain things cannot help us in any way. Good planning can help, having goals can help, making good preparations can help (after all the ‘birds of the air’ are quite industrious beings); but worrying can’t help at all. Especially if that worry is directed toward things well into the future which may or may not happen. And even more especially if these are things over which we have no control.

I basically cannot control which way interest rates go, the direction of the Australian dollar, or whether the violence in the Middle East worsens. I can make some wise decisions in financial planning, and offer contributions to world peace, but worrying will solve absolutely nothing. I will say that worrying at least shows that we have human feelings and do care about others. We just need to be proactively focused on the challenges of today, and those areas where we have some measure of input! We need our full energy placed here.

Being concerned for a good outcome is one thing, but worrying about various dire possibilities:
· can lose us sleep, affect our digestion, make us sick and shorten our life,
· negatively affect our capacity to think clearly and decide well,
· keep us from taking proper responsibility,
· paralyze our spiritual growth,
· can rob us of some of life’s possibilities and dampen our joy,
· denies God’s provision for us in the past, and
· means that we might miss reassurances about how God is working in the present.

(6) God knows what we need (v.32)

God knows that we need food, water and clothing. God knows that we need shelter, employment and income. God knows that we need friendship, encouragement and support. God knows everything that we truly need; and what we truly need, God wants us to have. Sometimes life brings opposing forces to bear against our best interests, and we can feel bereft or forgotten; but this doesn’t deter God from knowing and responding to our needs … we just require patience.

Sometimes we might be listening, but other people (who also affect certain situations) aren’t listening … so we need greater patience still! And it is more effective I would argue (following Craig S Keener) to see needs in a corporate way more than an individual sense, thus best allowing God to respond (in terms of the bigger picture that only God usually sees).

Excursus: The folly of the “Gentiles” … verse 32

The term “Gentiles” is used here to represent all those who would trust only themselves or their own small ‘g’ “gods”, and therefore have cause to worry. As the Jews in Mathew’s Christian community would naturally consider “Gentiles” to be without God, then they would readily understand what was being referred to here. Those without God in their lives have cause to worry (and materialism seems to be a common outcome from this mindset); however those who know God through Jesus have no reason to worry anymore! And of course, when people look at how we react to adversity, we want to be numbered amongst the faithful believers, not the faithless lost.

(7) Greatest priority (v.33) – that worry tends to dissipate!

For the follower of Jesus, despite all of life’s responsibilities and complexities, the highest priority is seeking to live out God’s ways in the context of the community in which we reside … being totally absorbed in living for God. This is seeking the priorities of heaven being lived out on earth – as we pray “Thy Kingdom come … Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

This is why we were created and then re-created through the work of Jesus. This is our path to being declared right before God and knowingly receiving all that will be important for us to receive. Or paraphrased another way, in seeking first the Kingdom of God, we allow everything else to fall into place. Unduly worrying about less important matters diminishes our efforts for the Kingdom of God.

(8) Is worry sinful?

Well ‘no’ and ‘yes’!

Generally I would answer this question in the negative. Incidences of worry would just be part of us being human – just a part of deep fears coming to the surface.

However, if we continue to choose to worry, when we have been given sufficient resources and reassurances to be able to trust in God (as well as in the support of our family, friends and Christian community) then probably ‘yes’ … it would be sinful to continue to worry.

(9) Some steps forward!

a. Practice faith

Believe that God will keep His promises and see you through each situation. God repeatedly promises: “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, cf. Matthew 28:20). Exercise your faith in both ordinary circumstances and difficult crises. We can thus begin to look at our problems through God’s eyes, where “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

b. Pray about every issue

Bring petitions and requests to God. Name the problem and tell God everything about it including your doubts and fears; yet while doing so being expectant that God will bring both insight and changed circumstances. While God already knows about your situation, talking about it opens the door and offers space for God to handle it in His own way. So, look to gain peace of mind through such prayer (Psalm 34:4). Also, Paul expects us to be expectantly thankful in such praying (refer Philippians 4:6) because of our faith.

“Lord, this is Warren. I’ve just been reminded that I should tell you everything. So here I am. I just don’t know if that conversation I had today really helped or hindered that person. I’m really concerned that I stuffed up some of my hard work toward building a relationship with them. Would you give me peace of mind about this? Would you allow this person to understand that I had their best interests at heart? Would you help me to have the right attitudes and words next time we meet? Given the conversation was difficult, would you still bring about some helpful outcomes from all this? I am thankful that the results will be far better than I am currently thinking. I know that this has been the case so many times in the past. I’m going to leave this now in your hands … I thank You that I can. Amen.”

This prayer involved faith, trust, thankfulness, petition, and seeking peace, together with a humble willingness to take personal responsibility in the future as necessary.

c. Consider your growth curve

Think through how some of life’s difficulties have grown you as a person. Whereas worry stunts growth, putting a positive spin on negative circumstances aids growth (Romans 8:28-30).

d. Take on your fears head on

If you have a fear of a certain thing, take positive action to tackle this before it starts to lead towards a pattern of worry (Philippians 4:13).