Tag: unity

Unity in diversity

I have had the pleasure recently of being involved in a multi-contributor project: The Jesse Tree Anthology. The brains behind the project, Rachel Yarworth, has provided a guest blog today, revealing more about how the idea developed, the ups and downs of the process – and why she is so grateful to God for it. I heartily recommend it as an Advent resource – both for individuals but also for families.

There’s a window in Coventry Cathedral that is simply breathtaking. I say ‘a window’ – it’s actually an 85-foot-tall collection of 198 panels of beautiful stained glass. Each panel has its own beauty when you look at it in isolation, but when you stand back and look at the whole window, it is glorious. And I don’t use that word lightly. No two parts are the same, but the whole is made even more glorious because of the variety. For me, that’s the beauty of unity.

It’s a common biblical theme. Think of the “great cloud of witnesses” of Hebrews 11 and 12 – that vast collective of men and women of faith whose different voices and stories all witness to God’s faithfulness. Or the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 – each part having its own purpose that serves the whole. Or think of the precious anointing oil in Psalm 133:2 – that precious combination of olive oil, myrrh, cinnamon, calamus and cassia, all contributing to make one powerful blend. So it is when God’s beautifully diverse people unite together for the express purpose of glorifying Him.

It was with these ideas in mind that I embarked on my latest publication: The Jesse Tree Anthology. While considering the possibility of writing a ‘Jesse Tree’ resource that specifically focused on how each Bible story pointed to Jesus, I came across an article about taking part in an anthology as a way for self-published authors to get their books before a wider audience. When I read that, I immediately thought of my writer friends who might benefit in this way. And as the anthology concept and the Jesse Tree subject came together, it seemed to be a match made in heaven.

The Jesse Tree explained

You see, the Jesse Tree tradition is all about using the Advent season to retell key stories of Jesus’ ancestors and forerunners: multiple unique accounts of men and women of faith, each revealing the glory of God in a slightly different way. So what better way to present the richness of those multiple stories, than by using multiple different voices to tell them? Voices of modern men and women of faith! Unity in diversity! Like a weaver intertwines multiple strands of warp and weft to form a single piece of beautiful fabric, I pictured the many strands of ancient stories woven together with the many strands of modern voices to make one God-glorifying piece of art.

The process unpacked

Of course, that’s a romantic picture. In practical terms, keeping track of 25 different authors, and what stages they were each at, was a distinctly prosaic reality. Suggesting corrections to writers with more experience than I required me to face up to the crippling shame of Imposter Syndrome. Editing and re-editing and re-editing again relegated the project at times to the realm of sheer hard work.

But eventually we got there, and when I held the first print copy of the book in my hands, I felt fully blessed. I am thrilled with what we have created, and the way all of our hard work has come together to form something beautiful. What is even more precious to me – and I dare suggest, maybe to God too – is the unity that was displayed behind the scenes. When two people needed to withdraw along the way, it was done in grace with no offense held, and God quickly provided others to take their place. When I was at the height of feeling I wasn’t up to leading the project, some of the contributors (who had no idea how I was feeling) contacted me to say they were praying for me and they believed God’s hand was on it all. When the book was almost ready to be printed and I was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by publicity demands, some of the contributors started posting their own promotions of the book, which brought me to tears by reminding me of the original vision and how they were all carrying it too. 

Each contributor gave of their best to add a lovely, God-glorifying piece of writing, for which I am utterly thankful. But what I appreciate even more is the way they each gave of themselves in diverse ways reflecting their individual graces, to come together as one and produce a unity truly precious in God’s sight. The book is great – I love it. But the unity? That’s been truly glorious.

Rachel Yarworth is the author of Friend of God: The Miraculous Life of an Ordinary Person and The Jesse Tree Anthology. Rachel lives in Worcestershire with her husband Mike, their three sons and their miniature labradoodle. When not writing, Rachel can usually be found home educating her younger two boys, leading a home church or going for long walks in the countryside.

Accept one another

These reflections on learning to accept one another are based on Romans 15:1–7.

‘Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.’ (v7)

We are continuing to look at how living our lives well includes reaching out to others. Here our focus is on humbly considering how well we accept one another.

FRACTURE OR UNITY?

I find it a sad indictment against the Church that there is so much infighting. Just a quick look on social media reveals many heated arguments, in which participants often angrily accuse others of not being real Christians. Tragically, the world at large can look upon so many parts of the Church and see fracture rather than unity.

In Romans Paul urges us to look to the needs of others. If we are stronger in a particular area than someone else, rather than looking down on them we should bear with them and encourage them. In all honesty, there are particular situations when this is more difficult. However, our motivation is always to be the same. We never deserved Jesus’ love and acceptance but He has poured it on us in bucket loads. So how can we withhold our love and acceptance from others?

LEARNING FROM BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

If you know you find it difficult to accept others, or if there is one person who is springing into your mind as you are reading this, be encouraged by verse 4: ‘For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.’

The Bible shows us how to love and accept others; it reveals God’s love for us and how Jesus was willing to be insulted for us – and ultimately die for us. It shows us the disasters that occurred when different people refused to accept one another (such as Cain and Abel, Saul with David). The Bible also shows us how God honours those who put their lives on the line for others (such as Esther and Ruth).

Prayer: Lord thank You for the reminder to accept those around me. Help me to share Your love today. Amen.

Gently instructing one another

These reflections on instructing one another are based on: 
Titus 2:1–6.

‘teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live… Then they can urge the younger women…’ (vv3–5)

The heart behind this passage seems to me to be all about the church family functioning as a supportive network, one helping another to live righteously. The emphasis is on self-control, but there is also an urgent call for sound teaching, purity, kindness, integrity etc.

LIVING AND TEACHING AUTHENTICALLY

I feel I need to be honest now and say that there have been moments in which I have found comments from older women difficult to take. These were often in the context of parenting when I had very small children. I found myself thinking that collective wisdom had moved on and the women were too old-fashioned in their opinions. I think I probably missed out because of my attitude, and know of others who longed to have such input when they were younger.

However, what still causes me to sit up and listen is when women have modelled something beautifully, and have also taken time to simply be my friend before speaking into my life. Often the subsequent teaching is done naturally – and it is that that I think Paul is referring to here.

In each example, he is urging the leader or older person to first live out the way they will then instruct others to. As long as that happens in an organic way, rather than one person lording authority over another, I think it is a wonderful picture of unity and support within the body.

LEARNING AND INSTRUCTING WITH HUMILITY

Our society often feeds us the lie that only we know what is best for our own lives, and it can harden us to input from others. If only we could be humble enough to both receive and give gentle instruction in order to build one another up and help each other live lives worthy of our callings…

Prayer: I am sorry Lord when I dismiss what others may try to teach me. Help me to be humble and gracious, and also to recognise when You want me to help someone else. Amen.

Grief a year on…

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Warning: this is a long and extremely honest look back over my grief journey during the past 12 months. Today marks the first anniversary of Mum’s death. What a year it has been; none of us could have predicted that just after we said goodbye to her, the world would be thrust into a pandemic. That everything we took for granted would suddenly be pulled out from under us. And that a year later, we would still be living under restrictions with the death toll, and mental health toll, continuing to rise each and every day.

MY JOURNEY

I have had many responses over the last year, some probably due to ‘normal’ grief and others directly related to what we are all living through.

A little over a month after Mum died, I led my last worship service in our church building before we shut down. (On Mother’s Day – not great planning to put myself down on that day.) And then we were thrust into the busyness of getting the church online. While my husband (our lead pastor) had a great tech guy helping him as they hurriedly learned new skills, our family was heavily involved week by week. The ongoing pastoring of those in our church was something I gladly undertook with him too. 

Until the times when I felt overwhelmed. And then I began to realise I had a little resentment rising up. Not about helping others, but simply that I hadn’t had the time or space to grieve. And that my grief had actually been overshadowed by our nation’s, by the world’s, grief. From my perspective, that didn’t seem fair. But that was closely followed by guilt for feeling that way, especially when I had had the privilege of sitting next to my mum for the ten days it took for her to go and be with Jesus. 

Night and day I had remained in my parent’s home, and the final night we sat in her room with her until she took her last breath in the early hours of the next day. I know so many have lost loved ones this year without being able to say goodbye in person, and my heart aches for them. I have also thought, too, of those trapped in deep poverty who are dealing with the same kind of chronic illnesses Mum had. Although Mum’s life was difficult, her home was comfortable.

I have railed at God, asking him deep and personal questions about suffering that I have wrestled with over the years. But, for all my railings, there have often been times of being overcome with thankfulness too, that God took Mum when he did. One of the many diseases she had was a respiratory one, and I know she would have been particularly susceptible to, and petrified of, Covid. Just a month later and we may well have been saying goodbye from afar too. And I am so grateful her final days contained no knowledge of what was to come.

RENEWED FAITH

Recently, I have been engaging with the twice daily zoom calls for the young woman Hannah, struck down suddenly with a bleed on the brain. I know her family and husband of just a few short months may have initially opened up those calls to anyone out of desperation, in order to get as many people as possible praying for her. But they have become a source of inspiration, faith and unity for so many, as well as upholding them in their incredible personal journey. 

The honesty and openness with which they have generously shared their raw pain but also huge faith in the goodness of God has been a breath of fresh air and life to me. I am passionate about honesty within the Church, and it is so refreshing to see how willing they are to share. But it has also reawakened faith and stirred up passion in me again. That was something I desperately needed, and hadn’t realised how much it had dulled until it had been reawakened. 

RECOGNISING THE IMPACT

The years of painful, unanswered prayers and the impact that has had on our unsaved dad as well as Mum have taken their toll. As a church leader I have felt guilty for not having huge levels of faith when praying for the sick, although I have always fully believed that God can and is willing to heal miraculously today. I have certainly known the truth of this verse: ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick’ (Proverbs 13:12).

I know that God’s ways are higher than ours, but there are times when we really do wonder what he is up to! I certainly questioned his methods when Mum went to church in a wheelchair and came out running…but it didn’t last. Surely a miraculous, lasting healing would have made more sense and had a bigger impact on Dad? But I have to trust her quiet, determined and immensely strong faith in the midst of such trouble and affliction spoke even louder…

CONTINUED WRESTLING

That is not to say I don’t still have doubts, and questions. It has been incredible to listen to the stories of miraculous healings from others who have come on the zoom calls to encourage and spur on Hannah’s family – stating that because God healed their family member or friend he will do it for her. I do rejoice and my faith does rise, but so too do the questions.

I totally understand that when a young woman like Hannah is suddenly struck down it isn’t right, and the Church should be praying for healing and against any work of the enemy.

But…

It makes me ask – what about those who aren’t healed? What about those dear, faithful Christians who live with chronic illnesses for years. Specifically, what about my mum?

I know she was an older woman, who had suffered tremendously in her last few decades. But she had actually been ill for much of her life. We almost lost her just after I was born – and that certainly cemented the end of her relationship with my biological father. While she did embrace life and did achieve much, my childhood and adolescence were littered with sickness, and life or death operations became all too familiar over the years.

So, there is a deep pain, and many questions there, which I continue to wrestle with at times. 

For Mum the question changed from ‘why me?’ to ‘why not me?’. She felt she needed to give up her right to understand. There were moments when darkness enveloped her but she always clung to the knowledge that God was with her even when she couldn’t sense his presence. 

A CALL TO PRAYER

I do know God is good, and I know that Mum always stood on that truth. I know her resolute faith in the midst of severe, life-altering pain spoke to many, not least me, and I hold on to the promise that her example will one day draw Dad to his own faith. 

Mum clung on to life for many extra months, even when she was desperate to go home, just to see Dad’s salvation. That is, until my sister and I spoke to her of letting go – that we may be the ones to see the fruition of the promise God gave her so many decades ago.

When her strength was fading and her physical abilities shrunk her world to their living room, Mum began to feel useless. Then God spoke to her about the need for her prayers, because so many are too busy these days to be the prayer warriors he looks for. She took up that call and prayed faithfully for all those God placed on her heart. 

That is a mantle I believe God is waking us all up to, and that the situation with Hannah is helping with too. Yes, we have authority as God’s children and yes, our prayers do make a difference. My mum, as her life was ebbing away and she was crippled with pain, refused to stop praying. It became much more difficult but she never gave up. The importance of prayer is something that I have learned from her, and have had emphasised in recent weeks on the zoom calls.

MUM’S LEGACY

I think the best way I can honour Mum’s memory is by being as stubborn in my absolute faith and trust in God as she was – and by going deeper in my prayer life too.

So, while I may still have questions, and while the waves of grief still feel overwhelming at times, I thank God for who my mum was, and the legacy that she has left behind.

PS And, as Steve and I have spent recent days working hard on the final checks and publicity for our book Grace-filled Marriage, I have often paused and smiled, thinking of how I can’t wait to send a copy to Rob and Hannah.

We have stories from other couples in the book, who have faced unexpected difficulties and pain and seen God’s grace uphold and sustain them. They too will have an incredible story to tell about one of the most challenging periods of their married life and what God did in and through them…

As the body of Christ, we need each other!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

We are the body of Christ and we need each other! These reflections on our need for unity and encouragement from one another are based on 1 Corinthians 12:12–27.

‘Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.’ (v27)

While I originally wrote these notes some time ago, I don’t think it is a coincidence that we have arrived at this passage on the first day of England’s second lockdown. Now, more than ever, we need to remember that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We may have to wait to socialise with others for at least another month but we are still a part of God’s wider body – and we still need each other.

DO NOT DISQUALIFY YOURSELF

While we might be isolated from one another, we each play a vital role in God’s kingdom. Each one of us is significant in our own right, chosen and loved by God, but we should never compare ourselves to another person, and the role that they have, and think that we are less important as a result. I love the graphic picture Paul paints for us in this passage – imagine a foot saying that it can’t be part of the body because it isn’t a hand! And yet, so often, we can disqualify ourselves using the very same logic.

Remember: God never disqualifies us. I know that lockdown can cause some of us to feel that we aren’t needed – being on our own can cause those sorts of messages to fill our brains. We need to fight against them with the truth from this passage: each of us fulfils a particular purpose that God has created, and uniquely equipped, us for. Without us, the body would be lacking.

PRESERVE UNITY AT ALL COSTS

The text also talks about honour. We should never look down on anyone else because they are different from us, or because they have a role that we think is less than ours. We should go to great lengths in order to preserve the unity of the body of Christ.

Verse 13 says that we now ‘form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free’. That is certainly a truth that the world in 2020 needs to be reminded of. As does the Church. We have seen so much racial unrest, and awful acts of violence this year. It seems almost unthinkable that we have got to this place. Yet so many people have lived with the reality of being discriminated against simply by being born looking a particular way or into a certain set of circumstances.

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

Church we need to do better! We need to focus on what it is that unites us: our faith in Jesus Christ. We should also celebrate the diversity that we find in the Church. I always wonder: where else could you find a group of like-minded yet so different people, of all ages and backgrounds, that, when interacting as they should, work together so well?

The Church is an amazing reflection of God’s grace and creativity. As individuals we should be proud and honoured to be part of God’s body. We should also actively cultivate ‘equal concern’ for those in the body that we interact with regularly. Can I challenge you to think honestly about how you respond to others in the church a) that are being honoured and b) are suffering?

LOOK OUT FOR OTHERS

One of the ways we can show our unity, particularly in this time of enforced separation, is by checking in on each other. Those within your church (and your local community) still need you in their lives. What that looks like needs to be a bit different right now. So who can you message/arrange to go on a walk with/set up a video call with/drop an unexpected gift to/ring? It’s time to ask God for some creativity. Hopefully you will be on the receiving end of some wonderful acts of care and concern too.

Prayer: Lord thank You that I am a vital part of Your body, the Church. Help me to set aside any feelings of jealousy or apathy towards others today. And help me to show those around me that I am still thinking of them. Amen.

A time to mourn

Reflections based on Ecclesiastes 3:4: ‘A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.’

Ecclesiastes 3 talks about the fact that there is a time for everything, and this verse includes times for weeping and mourning. Personally, I am living in a strange time of mourning the loss of my mother and now my grandmother deeply, but also realising that life goes on and there is much to be positive about too.

I know that we are months into this pandemic, and so many others are in a similar position of mourning – but their loved ones died unexpectedly from this horrible coronavirus. I cannot imagine the pain of not being able to say goodbye to my own mother, and yet that is what has just happened to my dad…

The government is at the stage of trying to ease lockdown as the numbers of deaths and newly infected patients is decreasing. However, there still seems to be much to weep and mourn about. Thousands and thousands of people have died, nurses, doctors, care home workers and those in prisons, supermarkets, food banks and elsewhere are literally working around the clock to provide care and keep necessary facilities open. The mental and physical toll on them must be extraordinary.

And last week we learned of the tragic and totally senseless death of George Floyd, at the hands of police. It has sparked outrage across the world and riots and peaceful protests have been occurring in many large cities. It is right for us to mourn and weep with George’s family. But also with all who have spoken about seeing themselves in the terrifying image of him being held down with a white policeman’s knee on his neck.

This poor man’s death has raised the profile of another pandemic sadly rife in our societies: racism. And we need to take the time to mourn for the fact that, for all our ‘advances’, we are not united as one people. All of us are made in the image of God, and Jesus came to reconcile us not just to the Father but to each other. However, these gospel truths are not reflected in so many people’s experiences – and we should weep at that knowledge.

I was stopped in my tracks when I had the pleasure – and challenge – of editing Ben Lindsay’s book We Need to Talk about Race. There was so much in it that confronted my largely comfortable, privileged life and made me realise I don’t fully understand the experiences of so many of my brothers and sisters. And it is far too easy to simply ignore that fact, and spend my time with those I’m comfortable with, with those that are like me.

It is time to mourn our own prejudices and apathy – and repent of them –but also time to take action. To stand alongside those who are being oppressed, and to take the time to listen to them in order to gain understanding. Our nation has seen a rise in community spirit through the lockdown; may we now come together in unity, lifting up those who have been brought low in order that we may all stand as one against the horrors of injustice.

Jesus’ prayer for us

Reflections based on John 17:20–25.

Just before He was betrayed by Judas, Jesus spent some time praying for himself, for his disciples but also for future believers – that’s us! In that prayer, our reading today, He prayed that we would be one ‘so that the world may believe’ (v21). His prayer echoes what the previous devotion discussed – about God’s plan being focused on us, that we would share the hope we have found through the way we live and speak.

The Great Commission, some of Jesus’ final words to His disciples, again encourages us to get out and share the Good News: ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ (Matthew 28:19–20)

Peter, in his first letter, encourages us to ‘always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.’ (1 Peter 3:15)

I think we can clearly see that we have a responsibility to share our hope with those around us – through the way we live and the words we speak.

If what you’ve read today fills you with dread and condemnation rather than joy, please don’t allow it to settle on you. I am not a natural evangelist, and also experience feelings of inadequacy. But even if you are struggling with the most difficult of situations, it can be through those testing times that we reveal the faith we have in our God to those closest to us. It is about learning to cling to that hope when all around us looks hopeless – which we will start looking at more closely next time…

For prayer and reflection: Jesus You prayed that we would be one so that the world would believe. Help me to realise that in You I have everything I need – to live in unity with others and to be a good witness.

Hope within the body of Christ

Reflections based on Ephesians 4:1–16.

‘There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called’ (v.4)

I find this reminder of our one hope really interesting – and encouraging. It comes under a subheading ‘Unity and maturity in the body of Christ’ and here we are urged to live lives ‘worthy of the calling’ and are given a wonderful picture of how the body of Christ should work. Supporting one another, building each other up and each playing the part that God gave specifically to us…

Paul is obviously very aware of how differences between people can niggle and eventually erode the unity of the Church, so he begins by reminding us that there is only one body, and one Spirit – just as there is but one hope.

As we looked at last week, that hope is open to everyone who chooses to believe. That means our churches are going to be full of people that are very different to us! How do we learn not to just live with them, but appreciate those who may have different viewpoints and giftings to us? Well I think ensuring we keep the ‘main thing the main thing’, as a speaker I heard once said, is a pretty important part of that.

If we keep our focus on the fact that we, totally undeserving sinners, were offered unmerited favour by our God, through Jesus Christ, then we can look at others through the eyes of humility and love. But also with a heart of celebration – God has given each one of us this hope! And exuding that future hope, no matter what our circumstances (and possibly personal differences), is something that only the Church can do.

Let’s ‘grow up’, shape up and show the world that we certainly do have something that unites us all!

For prayer and reflection: Thank you God that you love me – but that you also love the people I find most difficult in church. Help us to learn to celebrate that each of us is different.

Balance for better

#BalanceforBetter is the theme for International Women’s Day, but is a year-long campaign, not just for today. I knew I wanted to mark and celebrate IWD, but, having written about it most years, I wasn’t really sure what angle to take. That is, until a good friend of mind commented on the following scripture (which she read within my YouVersion Bible study – shameless plug there! 🙂 ):

God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’
(1 Corinthians 12:18-21 – but do read vv12-27 if you have time!)

It is so important that we accept, love, encourage, support, challenge and champion one another. There is absolutely no room in God’s family for us to turn to someone and say ‘I don’t need you’, whether on the basis of gender, race, age or any other reason. The Church needs to be leading the way in showing how, as the IWD campaign puts it: ‘Everyone has a part to play – all the time, everywhere.’

Now, as today is International Women’s Day, I want to take the time to give a shout out to some of the women who have stood by me, shaped me, helped make me who I am today – and who continue to challenge and spur me on. But, in the spirit of this year’s theme, I’m also going to include some of the men that have had a big impact on my life too:

My mum: I know I’ve shared before that she has taught me the most about resilient faith. These last few years have been so unexpected, and so so hard, as she continues to battle for every breath. It is amazing to see her faith remain as strong as ever even though she gets weaker and weaker.

My husband: he really is the solid, steadfast anchor of our family. We have been through a lot, but I have watched him grow and develop into the wonderful father and church leader that he is today. And he really champions me, even though what I’ve feel led to do in recent years has necessitated him being more vulnerable than he was comfortable being.

My sister: the last few years have been so incredibly painful and difficult for her, but she has dug deep and shown a strength I have rarely seen. It has been such a privilege to walk more closely alongside her – and to enjoy the delightful results of her incredible cooking too!

My dad: he has shown such generous and selfless love right back from the day he chose to take on us two little girls when he married my mum. Today, more than ever, he is pouring himself out selflessly caring for my mum 24/7. The tenderness in their relationship is so tangible – and beautiful – now.

John: this is the guy who encouraged me to pursue joining a worship band, and who spent hours helping me to build my confidence. He was also the one person who said ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ when I made a huge mistake that impacted so many of us. He is an all-round incredible musician, but also wise, generous and humble guy – that I don’t see often enough now!

Accountability friends: we have been through so much over the years – cried many tears and laughed until we cried too. Thank you for always being there – and for fighting for depth in our friendships, even when it has been such a raw and painful process. You really are people I couldn’t do life without.

Book study group: it is such a delight to be a part of this group. Thank you for persevering through those awkward moments, as we learned to build trust. And thank you for your honesty and vulnerability. Shared stories really do break shame and bring freedom – and I love the way you support one another in being more open.

Fellow writers: thank you for your support, especially through the ACW Facebook page. I love the way we interact (including the banter) and really appreciate those of you who have particularly taken the time to help and encourage me personally (such as Wendy, Amy, Jennie, Fiona, Claire, Philip, Cathy, Sheridan, Jo and many, many others).

Anna and the kingdom ambition WhatsApp group: for years I had longed for a group of women leaders to share more deeply with. Thank you Anna for listening to that nudge from God and inviting me to join your group. And thank you all for the way you share and interact with one another, speaking truth and bringing love through your messages. I don’t know you that well yet, but already I feel a connection with you.

I know I have missed many amazing people who have shaped my life and been a huge support, but I need to stop before this becomes a book rather than a blog post! Can I just encourage you, this International Women’s Day, to thank the women – and the men – who have championed you, and brought better balance to your life. And also think about how you can bring better balance in the spheres of influence that you have.

Jesus’ teaching

Reflections based on Matthew 5:17–30 and Mark 9:33–41.

As I mentioned last week, Jesus’ teaching often went further than Old Testament laws. At the start of our Matthew reading, He tells His listeners He’s not there to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it. He goes on to use the following phrases a number of times: ‘You have heard it said … But I tell you’ (vv21, 22, 27, 28). His standards here seem so unreachable, but He was calling out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law – and also affirming that He is totally holy and without sin. He was providing a fuller understanding of why God had made the Law in the first place; that it was all about the heart. Indeed, He reveals that God already knows what is going on in our hearts when He tells the listeners in our Mark reading that the one who wants to be first should be last. He knew what His disciples were arguing about so went straight for the heart issue.

What He talks to His disciples about reveals the characteristics of a life of holiness. Not only are we called to be humble and unified, but we should love everyone – even those who cannot do anything for themselves, such as little children. In verses 38–41 the disciples are grumbling, jealous of someone who has healed in Jesus’ name, more concerned with their group’s position than whether any good had been done.

The verses in the rest of Mark 9 reflect what we read in Matthew 5:20–30. Jesus uses incredibly violent language, not to call us to literal maiming of ourselves but to help us realise how seriously God takes sin – and so must we. Jesus teaches His disciples – and us – how ruthless He wants us to be about living a life of holiness. 

Reflection: Is there anything within Jesus’ teaching that you find jarring? If so, explore why you think that is.