Rupert’s Blog

Right then, on to the next parable to be covered in our summer series on Matthew’s Kingdom of God parables: the parable of the weeds.  For those at Community Church this will be viewed on Sunday 5th August.  Comments and personal reflections most welcome.

The Parable of the Weeds

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’

Questions for reflection:

What is the reaction of the servants to the discovery of the weeds:  surprise, even accusation?  Or is there even a touch of comedy here?

‘Let both grow together’. Given the mix in life and the world how do you see this lack of separation:  as a puzzle, a threat, a sign of even-handedness and generosity, an irritant….What do you view your own inner mix?  How close is the cry ’It’s not supposed to be like this!’ to your own feelings?

The burning metaphor has been strongly used in some quarters over the years (to put it mildly).  What might Jesus’s point be I wonder?

Andrew (guest blogger)

This is the 4th Parable of the Kingdom that we are looking at this Summer. We are staying in Matthew’s gospel, but are darting around the gospel a bit! Each week the parable is being posted on this blog, with a couple of questions for reflection. On Sundays at our church gathering we will be looking at the parables with a variety of different speakers over the summer months and with a number of associated photographs. For a full introduction see the post here.

Suggestion: In the spirit of thumbing our noses at our tendency towards self-preservation, try to put to one side the fact that we know what Jesus is going to say and so force yourself to get closer to, and not ahead of, the text/scene.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard - Mt 20: 1-16

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Questions for reflection:

What are the emotions that attempt to erupt in you when you read/hear the parable?  What waters do the summary phrases such as ‘it’s not fair’, ‘you have made us equal’, ‘I want to be treated differently and I don’t want to be treated differently’ stir? 

There seems to be a very personal response to each person/group.  What is your response to that - mortified,  oddly flattered,….?  Is this like sibling rivalry, albeit possibly less public and vocal than our photo might suggest?

Do I really believe first is last?  Isn’t most of my effort taken up with being first or at least not last?

Andrew (the aforementioned guest blogger). I can hear my wife thinking ’that term sounds very unappealing’.

The third parable we are doing in the series is the Net found in Mt 13. There is a series introduction here, with an explanation and a list of all the parables we are doing over the summer. Again if you are going to be at our church on Sunday, do take some time to reflect on the parable. And of course, anyone else is more than welcome to participate and leave a comment!

The Parable of the Net - Mt 13:47-50

Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Questions for reflection:

As you reflect on the parable and attempt to honestly evaluate yourself, you may like to consider the following question:

Good and bad fish are swimming together, until the separation at the end.  What does that mean for you?  Can we tell which are which?

This coming Sunday (15th July) at our church meeting, we are continuing our series on the Parables of the Kingdom by looking at the parable of the 10 virgins. Each week we are posting the parable that we will looking at the following Sunday, to aid reflection and engagement with God, before we hear someone else’s thoughts on the text. Please leave any thoughts or observations in the comments section. Thanks for the great comments in the first parable (The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl).

The Parable of the 10 virgins - Mt 25: 1-13

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Questions for reflection:

As you reflect on the parable and attempt to honestly evaluate yourself, you may like to consider the following questions:

What is the difference between the wise and foolish young girls? What does the oil represent for you?

“The Bridegroom was a long time in coming” When it seems God is taking longer than He ’should’ to appear, to answer prayer, or to work in some way we would like Him to, how do we respond?

Tags: Parables, Parables of the Kingdom

Photo supplied by FreeFoto.com

Over the summer months, we are looking at 9 of the parables of the Kingdom found in Matthew’s gospel. Actually it is 11, but 4 of them are so short and paired together in the Scriptures, we are looking at them together.

We are only looking at the parables that Jesus starts off by saying: “The Kingdom of God is like…”. There are other parables that teach or speak about the Kingdom of Heaven / God, but we had to restrict the number we looked at somehow. This blog series is following what we are doing on Sundays in our church. I or guest blogger Andrew Hook, will be posting the parable the week before we look at it on Sunday.

I hope that this will enable each of us to take some time to reflect on the parable during the week. So for those who will be there on the Sunday, we will have grappled personally with the text before we hear someone else’s thoughts and reflections. It would be good to leave some comments here too, so that our insights are shared with others … so go on, if you lurk here be brave! Anyone, whether part of our church or not, is welcome to participate. The MP3’s are posted here the week after the talk on the Sunday.

Here are the parables we will be looking at:

• Sun 7th July - Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl (Mt 13:44-46)
• Sun 14th July - Parable of the Virgins (Mt 25:1-13)
• Sun 21st July - Parable of the Net (Mt 13: 47-52)
• Sun 28th July - Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Mt 20: 1-16)
• Sun 5th Aug - Parable of the wheat and the weeds (Mt 13: 24-30, 36-43)
• Sun 12th Aug - Parable of the wedding banquet (Mt 22: 1-14)
• Sun 19th Aug - Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast (Mt 13: 31-34)
• Sun 26th Aug - Parable of the unmerciful servant (Mt 18: 21-35)
• Sun 9th Sept - Parable of the Talents (Mt 25: 14-30)

If you are wondering why we aren’t following the order in Matthew, it is solely that lots of different people are speaking this summer who are not available on the relevant Sundays if we were to do it in order.

With various coming and goings this Summer, if I or someone else isn’t that quick in responding to comments, it is probably because we are away and don’t have internet access! But I will eventually read all comments, as will many others, so please do leave your thoughts!

We draw to an end of this paper from Steve de Gruchy from Micah Network. Traditionally evangelical churches haven’t had a strong social justice aspect to their work. In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis, but often as a thinly veiled attempt at conversion or not particularly well thought through as to the theological reasons why we engage with mission in much more holistic way.

In the paper from de Gruchy, he integrates mission and social justice (which he calls development) arguing that all is part of the Missio Dei, the mission of God, to bring Shalom to people. Here is part 9:

The mission of the Church requires personal conviction, commitment and witness.

The Church is the community of believers. At its heart is thus a profound dynamic between the collective and the individual, one we see best represented in baptism, the sacrament of belonging and participation. On the one hand we are baptized into the body of Christ, and we now belong to a community that has existed through centuries in many different places - and continues to exist in many different cultures today. On the other hand each individual person is baptized and ‘named’ before God, so that this is a radically personal act through which we participate in the community. Without the community there can be no personal faith - for it is the community that passes on the scriptures and the sacraments, and keeps the faith alive so that we may be introduced to it. Yet, by virtue of our baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus, each one of us is personally set aside by God and gifted by the Holy Spirit to participate in the missio Dei.

The mission of the Church is clearly a collective task, but because of this dynamic of belonging and participating, that mission requires personal conviction, commitment and witness. Each Christian is required to grow in faith personally, to turn their life to the life that is offered by God in Jesus Christ, and seek to bear witness to this life - by being a disciple of Christ - in the midst of the world. At times, when individuals fall away from this discipleship, it is the task of the collective body of Christ to remind them of their calling in Jesus Christ. At other times, when the collective is itself falling away from the missio Dei, it is the task of individuals to bear witness in such a way that the Church is called back to serve the shalom of God.

My Comment: de Gruchy here is bringing the tension of the individual and the community. In our western mindset, we have traditionally emphasised the individual, and have ignored or diminished the place of the community. But we need the whole church to engage with the mission of God to bring about transformation in our communities. Together we can make a huge difference, apart we are a drop in the ocean.

Churches have often been abusing and controlling - subjugating the individual to the supposed will of God, that is really no more than the ego of a person or persons. Some groups have reacted against this; others remain in a CEO, top down model of church.

Can we create a community that occupies the middle ground: one that empowers people with their dreams to participate in the mission of God, in the midst of community?

Tags: Missio Dei, Mission, Missional Church, Social Development

Pervious Posts: Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

See read more section for de Gruchy’s summary, which is part 10.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the summer, as I mentioned in the previous post (which was also an introduction to the series), we are looking at the parables of the Kingdom. Jesus spoke a lot in parables, and some of them, mainly in Matthew’s gospel, start with him saying: “The Kingdom of God is like…”. These are the parables of the Kingdom.

At the beginning of each week, the parable for the following Sunday will be posted, along with an image for reflection. As we engage with the Scriptures ourselves we take our growth seriously, rather than solely expecting someone to come each week with their reflections and be spoon fed! This shouldn’t detract from what the speaker will say, but may bring clarity and stimulation. Even if you are not there on a Sunday (or aren’t part of our church) please do contribute and participate.

This Sunday we are looking at 2 very short parables, in Mt 13: 44-46 - the parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl. The text appears below together with a picture for reflection (which you can click to enlarge). It would be great if you can add your thoughts or observations in the comments, to create an opportunity for learning together …

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Questions for reflection:

As you reflect on the parable and attempt to honestly evaluate yourself, you may like to consider the following questions:

The merchant sold everything. How important is the Kingdom to you? What things do you keep hold of?

How would describe your attitude in letting go of other attractions to take hold of the Kingdom? Joyful? Grudgingly? Hopefully? Fearfully? What does this tell you about your view of the Kingdom?

Tags: Kingdom, Kingdom of God, Parables, Parables of the Kingdom, Preaching, Church

Over the summer, each Sunday we are looking at the parables of the Kingdom: parables where Jesus starts by saying “the Kingdom of God is like…” At the beginning of each week, I (or someone in my stead) will be posting the parable we are looking at the following Sunday with an image for reflection. First one tomorrow. I would love to hear your reflections…

This last Sunday, I was speaking, introducing the topic of the parables of the Kingdom by putting them in their bigger context of the Kingdom that has come and is coming …

The image I have of the “now” and the “not yet” of the Kingdom is of dawn coming, but the son has yet to rise above the horizon. Isaiah prophecies that a light will come in the midst of incredible darkness ( Isa 60); Jesus came as a light to the world (Jn 1), but there is still darkness. This is the dawn, light has start reflect around the sky, the same light that will blaze above the horizon, but has yet to be fully revealed.

In reading Rev 21, we see the end of the story, the Holy City comes to earth … the Kingdom has come in all its fullness. The sun is shinning in all its glory, and there is no night, no darkness. To use a phrase that Rob Bell has used: Heaven has crashed into earth … but will it be heaven for you?

When this light comes, it brings into the light:

1. Our actions - Jn 3: 19-21 where Jesus talks about people loving the darkness as their deeds remain in the darkness. But when the sun rises above the horizon, there will be no darkness … all will be laid bare and exposed.

All the things that we have done in darkness will be brought into the light. The God who is generous, forgiving & pure will come, and the things we have kept in the darkness will be brought into the light …

2. Our words - Lk 12: 2-3 where Jesus says that everything that has been said in secret will be bought into daylight or shouted from the rooftops.

All the things that we say about others but won’t say to them, all the things that we say to make ourselves look good, or to down others will be brought into the light.

3. Our motives- 1 Cor 4:5 where Jesus says that our motives will be exposed and bring to light all that has been hidden.

Where we are judgemental, or competitive, or compare ourselves to others, or do things for our glory, the Light will reveal all.

We have the opportunity to live, preparing ourselves for heaven, so that when heaven does come, when the sun rises above the horizon, all has already been brought into the light. The Kingdom has come, but not in all its fullness … we can chose to live in light of the coming Kingdom, in the Light of the coming Kingdom … or in the darkness which still covers the earth, ignoring Kingdom drawing near…

I have spent such a long time talking about God’s grace, kindness and love. These are all foundational in my understanding of God. But God also calls us to respond to His love and live a life worthy of Him. I feel challenged by these Scriptures and thoughts … what about you? If you were there, what did you think?

Tags: Kingdom, Kingdom of God, Rob Bell, Heaven

We have following through a paper produced by Steve de Gruchy that is looking at holistic gospel, one that integrates good news at a spiritual, emotional, social & material level. Today I reproduce Part 8, looking at this “missio dei” of the church, the bringing of shalom of the Kingdom, that Jesus inaugurated.




The mission of the Church concerns the penultimate in the
light of the ultimate

While the work of God, and therefore the work of the Church, is not restricted by human definitions of spiritual and un-spiritual, there is an important biblical distinction that has to do with time and specifically the anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ and the coming kingdom. We have noted above that while the reign of God is hidden within history we anticipate a time when this present age will end, and the kingdom will be ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. The Church has always lived in this time between the resurrection of Jesus and his second coming; and the relationship between the ultimate kingdom and the penultimate concerns of this life has presented the Church with two powerful temptations. The first has been to focus all its energies upon the ultimate coming kingdom, so that it no longer participates in the missio Dei here on this earth. The truth is that we cannot speak of eternal life if we do not at the same time speak of the real life that is the focus of God’s shalom. The second temptation is to become so focused upon the penultimate concerns of this earth, that we believe that it is our task to establish the kingdom of God here on earth. We soon get sucked into the vagaries of human life, the arrogance of works righteousness, and find we can no longer offer anything distinctive.

On the contrary it is clear that the mission of the Church, if it is to be faithful to the missio Dei, is to hold the ultimate and the penultimate in creative tension. This means taking the penultimate matters of life - justice, peace, the environment - extremely seriously because the Bible tells us that God takes them extremely seriously. But it also involves giving our participation in these matters a specific character - one that is profoundly shaped by the faith and hope in the final manifestation of the reign of God. Our prayer life, our worship, our sacraments are thus a vital way in which we bear witness to the ultimate in the midst of the
penultimate.

My Comment: I think de Gruchy is spot on here. I have been in both the two extremes, and have seen others do the same. We need to hold both together. We are not just a cheap service provider for social justice projects; nor should we be so concerned the coming Kingdom that we have no concern for this current life. In fact, I think a genuine view of the coming Kingdom would motivate us to participate in bringing hope and restoration now!

While I do thoroughly agree that we need to be concerned with what many people who aren’t Christians are concerned about too: poverty, the environment, social justice etc … we also have more to offer. We also offer spiritual wellbeing, freedom from shame, cleansing from guilt, and a hope for the future that transcends anything that our politicians can offer…

Tags: Kingdom, Kingdom of God, Missio Dei, Mission, Missional Church, Social Development

Note: Here are the other posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.