Mark 13:32-37

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[a]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

I’m coming to the end of a sabbatical, a year’s break from my usual job of teaching. My main focus during this year has not been “Homes Under The Hammer,” as some of my friends have cruelly suggested, but writing, specifically a couple of books. Because I have been based at home, however, it’s also fallen on me to do a lot of the household tasks, like the washing, the washing up, the cooking, and generally keeping our home tidy. Luckily, Claire, my wife, texts me as she is leaving work, so if I haven’t completed all my daily chores, I have a bit of notice to jump to it and get everything done!

The key message in this passage in Mark, however, is rather different; there will be no text message in advance of Jesus’ return, and the time when our saviour will come again is not known. We can’t leave the tasks he has set us to the last minute, because we don’t know when that will be. Rather, we need to work for the Lord all the time.

Every few years, someone or other will proclaim that they know the date the world will end. Most recently, Harold Camping, an American broadcaster, claimed that “the rapture” would occur on 21st May 2011. For one to claim that they know the date of the end the world marks the person out as a false prophet, however, when we consider today’s passage. Jesus says in verse 32, “but concerning that day or that hour, no one knows,” clearly stating that the time of his second coming cannot be known by a mere human. What’s more, to claim to know the date is to elevate oneself above the angels in heaven, and even Jesus himself. “Not even the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father” knows the date when God will call all believers to him at the end of time. Consequently, no matter how much intricate study of the Biblical text or any other source is carried out, we will not find the date of the second coming recorded anywhere; there is no way we can know it.

With this uncertainty, should we expect Jesus’ return during our own lifetime? After all, two thousand years have passed since Jesus last walked the earth, and it could easily be another two thousand before he returns. I hope I have another sixty years left in me at least, so should I really expect to see Jesus return in my lifetime? Who knows? Well, God the Father, and he alone! Despite this, we’re still called to “be on [our] guard, keep awake,” eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus. It wouldn’t do to be asleep, “lest he come suddenly and find [us] asleep.”

Rather than sleeping, Jesus calls us into action. In the parable he uses, Jesus talks of a man going on a journey, but first tasking his servants with jobs to do whilst he is away. The man probably represents Jesus, and the servants probably represent us. Just as the man in the parable gave his servants tasks to undertake in his absence, Jesus, when he went away, left us a specific task to do. At the close of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus instructs his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a). This, then, is our task; Jesus has instructed us to continue the work that he started: loving God and our neighbours, spreading the gospel to the world that we live in, and leading people to Christ. This is what we were told to do before he ascended into heaven, and this is what he expects us to do.

Is this all that we need do? Almost certainly not. In verse 34, the man who is going away leaves each of his servants with a particular assigned task. Similarly, each of us has received specific gifts that enable us to do particular tasks. Maybe we’re gifted musicians, or writers, or preachers. Perhaps we’re really good at dealing with pastoral concerns and supporting people. Maybe we’re called to full-time ministry within the church or a religious organisation, or maybe we’re called to live out our faith and model Christian living in the secular world. Wherever we believe our gifts and skills lie, it is up to us to identify the “assigned task” that Jesus has delegated to us. Not only that, but it is vital that we carry out that task, day after day. We never know when Jesus might return, and we wouldn’t want him to catch us taking a break, sleeping or wasting our talents when he does!

The final word of this chapter also issues us with a direct, single word instruction, “watch!” Jesus says. Indeed, he stresses that this instruction is for everyone, not just for people with a particular skill. We’re all called to actively watch for Jesus’ return. This means keeping his return at the uppermost in our minds.

I wonder how often you think about Jesus’ return? I suspect probably not very often.

I wonder how often you find yourself watching for his return, with eager expectation? If you’re anything like me, you get so involved in every day life that you watch hardly at all, if ever.

The words of this short passage of Mark’s Gospel provide us with real challenges. Do we pay attention to the false teachers who tell us they can name the date of Jesus’ return, or do we point them in the direction of this piece of scripture, and say that there is no way they can know? Do we make sure that we carry out the general and specific tasks that Christ left us, or do we neglect his calling? And do we carry out that last instruction, to “watch!”?

Mark 13:1-31

1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. 20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. 24 “But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. 28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Things aren’t always as they seem and that is definitely the way with this passage. It isn’t an easy read and after reading it we appear to have been left with some great image of destruction, chaos of both the temple and the end times. I can imagine being present there with the disciples; hearing these things and being very fearful. Even quickly reading the passage now it doesn’t make comfortable reading for us. If this is how we feel then upon a closer inspection we will hopefully see that this passage is a call to be ready and not a detailed description of the events.

The stage is set in the first four verses with an example of the disciples and Jesus having very different values. The first verse of this passage has a statement from a disciple about how grand and great the temple looks outwardly. The disciples would of course have felt that the temple was Jesus’ “Royal Palace”. Jesus responds though to state that the building will not last; not a single stone will be left standing. Whereas the disciples see the temple as an amazingly strong building, Jesus doesn’t see strength or security in the huge stones. He knows they will be toppled. This happens in a very short period of time within 40 years as we now know. The disciples are shocked by this though and ask how they will know when this is to happen?

It is a very human thing to want to know what the future holds and when things will happen. This nature has been observed recently with Harold Camping attempting to predict when the rapture will take place. Jesus though is more concerned that we are prepared for events than knowing the exact hour and details of what will take place.

What follows is both a list of the sort of things to expect and advice on being ready; rather than a date or time when things will happen that the disciples felt they needed to know. They can expect hatred from all around, betrayal from relations and religious and worldly rulers will censure them. This is not a comforting thing to hear. Jesus also tells them some principles that are true throughout. He lists three things that during all trials as followers of his we must not do or be:

Deceived

Many will come to deceive but we must not be deceived. Many will come claiming to be acting in the name of God but we must not be deceived by them even though many will be. This is a warning that when many are misled we need to look at ourselves and the Church as a whole to hold firm and make sure that we are not being deluded in our faith.

Disturbed

We must not be disturbed by what is going on around us. Wars, famines and earthquakes are all too common on the news these days and these are also the exact things that Jesus mentions here as an indication of the destruction of the temple. We must not be disturbed by these things and feel that everything is falling apart. The most common command to us as Christians is “do not be afraid” and although those words are not used exactly here this does have a very similar feel.

Drawn away

It would be very easy to fall away from following Jesus when things turn bad. Especially if you were arrested and beaten for your faith as is said will happen. Yet the work that Christ has left us to do must carry on and continue. Though the world around us might be in outward turmoil we need to remain firm and committed to our faith.

The disciples had confused the destruction of the temple and the end of the world. There was no need for the temple to stand as long as the world. The original purpose as a house for God in which he dwelt is definitely not needed anymore as God is not confined to a building.  So after the verses on the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem Jesus goes on to point towards the second coming of Christ.

We read of the build up to this in the suffering and false prophets and more deception that are to come. Followed by the dissolution of creation, the appearance of the Son of Man coming in the clouds and the gathering of God’s chosen people. It all makes us want to be very fearful but the previous principles still apply as there is one very important fact that the final verse of this passage says

Although all of creation will pass Jesus’ words will stand true. Every single one of his promises will remain in place even though creation will crumble away. The prediction of the destruction of the temple and coming turmoil is a call to flee the outward security that is found in earthly strength. As shown by the strength of the temple in its construction. Instead we are to run to seek the refuge that is offered by Christ for our souls.

The big challenge in all of the uncertainty in this passage is to examine what our faith is built on. Is it built on things that will crumble; like the hope and confidence that the disciples and Jews had in the physical strength and might of the temple. Or are we standing firm in a faith that is firmly planted in the word of God that will last for ever. A quick glance at Psalm 136 might help clarify this. The psalmist gives  thanks for the wonders of God’s creation and how he has provided for us but there is only one thing that is repeated in this psalm that will last and that is the love of God which is expressed through the words of Jesus.

Mark 12:41-44

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Periodically we see on the news that a celebrity has given money to a charitable cause. Perhaps a pop star has paid for a high-tech wheelchair for a fan. Maybe an actor donates some cash to save a regional theatre from closure. Sometimes we might even hear that a well-known ‘worship leader’ from a big church has just paid for a new school in some far-flung country. Of course, it’s always great when a good cause benefits from a sizeable donation, but in my cynicism I often wonder when the pop star’s next album is coming out, or if the actor is starring in a film opening soon. I even find myself asking if the ‘worship leader’ has a concert for which tickets aren’t selling as fast as he would have hoped. Too often these gifts, seemingly an act of generosity, are given for ulterior motives. Often these motives are more about raising the profile of the giver than benefitting the recipient. And if we hear about these gifts on the news, or read about them in the paper, then they have served their purpose as far as the celebrity is concerned. Sometimes the actual gift can even be written off against tax, so cost less than we might think. Perhaps I’m being cynical. Maybe I should be rejoicing in the generosity of people such a these. After all, gifts such as these can often transform the lives of the beneficiaries.

In today’s passage, we benefit from Jesus’ teaching on giving. We see him once again in the temple, watching as people drop their gifts into the offering box. Jesus sees the rich bringing their large gifts, and a poor widow bring her seemingly insignificant copper coins. Yet it is not the rich that Jesus commends, but the poor widow.

Jesus recognises that the gift of the poor widow is far more significant than that of the rich people, for she gives everything she has. Her gift is sacrificial. Whilst the rich will go home and not notice that they are a little poorer than they were when they set out, they will still tuck into fancy food in their comfortable homes. The poor widow, however, will really feel the impact of her gift, even though it was small. She gave all she had, and may well go hungry that evening as a consequence. Jesus recognises this, and reserves his praise for the widow. She has shown the extent of the love that she has for God by giving him everything.

Are we more like the rich people or the poor widow? Do we give everything we have, or do we just drop a few coins into the plate on Sunday? We have even more reason to be generous than the poor widow. Jesus gave quite literally everything for us. He left heaven to be with us on earth. He died for us on the cross, taking the punishment that should have been ours for disobeying God. He withheld nothing and gave everything. In return he wants our lives: our money, our time, our gifts, our intellect, everything we have. It is our attitude that is important. Is our attitude one of complete dedication to following Jesus, or are we Sunday morning Christians, turning up to church once a week but otherwise neglecting our relationship with Christ? Do we give for attention, or so that we’re seen to be giving, like the ‘generous’ celebrities, or do we give because we are dedicated to following Christ, to serving him in all that we do?

The poor widow holds back nothing in her gift to the temple. She could have kept one of the coins back in order to buy something to eat on her return home, but she gave everything. As Christians, do we give everything to Jesus, or is there some element of our lives that we hold back? Is there something that we do that we know Jesus would not approve of, or something that we know that we should be doing that we don’t? Perhaps we engage in pre-marital sex. Maybe we gamble. Perhaps we don’t love our neighbours. Maybe we hate our boss. By committing acts that we know displease God, or failing to do things that we know he demands of us, we are holding something back in our relationship with Jesus. We’re not honouring him fully. We’re like the rich people in the temple, creating an illusion of serving God, whilst ultimately we’re holding back. We need instead to be like the poor widow, giving everything we have to God. Until we do that, it will always feel like our faith is lacking something. Of course, honouring God with our whole lives is difficult. It requires a complete shift in focus, but ultimately it will be worth it. Our lives will feel as if they have purpose. We’ll know with certainty that we are destined for heaven, to eternal life in God’s new creation. So let’s strive to be like the poor widow, giving everything she has, rather than like the rich people, holding back so much of what we have to give.

Of course, sometimes it can seem futile bringing our particular gifts to God. We see people who have given everything that they have and think that their “everything” is worth much more than ours. Perhaps we listen to a preacher and think that we could never do that, or read a book and think that nothing we write could ever be that good. If we play a musical instrument maybe we feel inadequate when we listen to people playing at church because they’re so much better than we are. Surely it’s better to leave serving God to people who are better than us?

This is the wrong attitude to take, tempting as it may be. Look back at the widow in the passage. She could have thought that her two copper coins were worthless compared to all that the rich were giving, but she gave them anyway. She knew that, though she had little, God could still use it. I know of a preacher who I regard as superb, from whom I’ve learnt a great deal, who really struggles because he thinks that he is useless. He still preaches, though, and God uses him. I’m sure I’m not alone in having been touched by his words. I certainly wouldn’t regard myself as a good writer, but I know that God can use my wafflings and perhaps if I allow myself to be guided by the Holy Spirit as I write, there’s a possibility that something I write could help someone in their faith. God can use us all, and everything we do, no matter how useless, poor or inadequate we feel ourselves to be. Let’s not hold back anything, therefore, but give ourselves entirely to the service of our God.

I bet when that poor widow dropped those two coins into the temple offer box, she had no idea that we would still be talking about her two thousand years or so later. She knew that if she gave all she had, though, that God would use her gift for the glory of his kingdom. And that’s exactly what has happened, because she has been held up as a role model for generations of Christians. Jesus gave everything he had for us, so let’s endeavour to give everything that we have back to him. It may be hard but the reward for doing so is immeasurable.

Mark 12:28-34

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Do you see yourself as a revolutionary, striding out to radically alter the world we live in?  Do you see yourself as a messenger, bringing a message of hope to the world?  Do you get excited about your faith?  If you’re a Christian, then you should!  The world may see the Christian message as dull, dry and boring.  Some may see the Gospel message we proclaim as irrelevant and pointless.  Many may mock us for what we believe.  The truth is, though, that the Gospel, the good news, that we believe is earth-shattering.  It is immensely powerful.  If every Christian sought to faithfully follow the teachings of Christ as they went about their daily lives, there really would be a global revolution for peace and love, respect and kindness.

In today’s passage, we see Jesus, in a few simple words, teaching one of the most incredible messages of the entire Bible.  We see here Jesus announcing a “love revolution.”

At the beginning of this passage, Jesus is asked by a scribe, an expert on the Jewish law, “which commandment is the greatest of all?” Many over the generations had found themselves tied up in knots trying to decide what the most fundamental of God’s rules is.  Jesus replies with great simplicity that the most important commandment is, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Jesus neatly wraps all of the teaching of the Old Testament, the entirety of God’s message for the world, this simple commandment: just love God. That’s it. Just love him. If you do that, then all the other laws and commandments will be fulfilled.

Of course, loving is not always that easy. If we say we love another person, we put them first in everything, we place their needs above our own, we do everything within our power to make them happy. We certainly don’t betray them, lie to them, cheat on them or neglect them. This is the same attitude we should have with our relationship with God. Do we put him first in everything, or do we neglect him? Is every fibre of our being, our soul, our mind and our strength, dedicated to loving God? Or is loving God something that we do on a Sunday morning, and then forget about the rest of the week? If we really love God, if we really do make loving him our first priority, then our relationship with him will underpin our entire lives; what we do, what we think, what we say. Every waking minute should be dedicated to displaying our love for God; listening to him, talking to him, and striving to live out his commands in our lives.

How do we do this, though? How, practically, do we show that God is our first priority? Jesus addresses this point in the next section of this passage, when he says that the second commandment is, “you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” If the best way to serve God is to follow his commandments, we can demonstrate our love for God by loving those around us: not just our literal neighbours, those who live near us, but also our friends, our family, our work colleagues, people at our Church, people we see in the gym, people we see as we pay for our parking. In short, we show our love for God by loving all those we encounter.

Sometimes, it can be hard to love our neighbours. How do we love that irritating person in our office? How do we love the person who cuts us up whilst we’re driving? How do we show love to the person in the supermarket who grabs the last bag of Braeburns? At the most basic level we love them by liking them, by not getting irritated or angry, by seeking to serve them. Go for a coffee with that irritating guy at work. Let that driver who is trying to cut us up pull in in front of us. Offer that last bag of apples to our fellow customer. These are all small things, but if we all based our actions on loving our neighbours, if we all sought to demonstrate love in everything we did, the world would be a remarkably different place. Homes would be happier. Offices less stressful. Wars would be a thing of the past. A world in which every action taken is based on love for other people seems like a pipe dream, but as Christians, we are called to be the vanguard. Even if we are the only people in the world who live this way, we can transform it with our actions. There are two billion Christians in the world. That’s a lot of us to bring about a love revolution!

Within this verse, there’s an assumption that is often overlooked. Jesus says, “you shall love your neighbour as yourself,” the assumption being that we love ourselves. Sadly, this is not always the case. Over the last few years, I have met so many people who not only don’t love themselves, but actively hate themselves. They feel inadequate, useless, worthless. They hide themselves away, they tell themselves that they are a burden on those around them, and that no-one could possibly love them. Sometimes they cut themselves, and sometimes they even consider taking their own lives. This is one of the greatest sorrows of the world today.

Perhaps you feel this way about yourself. If you don’t, then I will guarantee that at least one of your close friends does. You’d be surprised at how many people do. The truth is, though, that God loves every single person on this planet. When he created the human race, he saw that his creation was “very good;” everything else he made he thought was simply “good.” He loves us so much that, even though throughout our history we have demonstrated hate towards him, he sent his son to die for us, for you and for me, so that we could once again be brought into his arms. God doesn’t see us as worthless, or useless, or hateful; he loves us, and that is a remarkable thing. It’s also true that, despite what we may think, there are people around us who love us passionately. Our lives have touched the lives of others more than we will ever know. We matter to our family and our friends. We have value and worth in their eyes, even if we can’t see it ourselves.

Sometimes we can get bogged down in theology. We wonder whether women should be allowed to be vicars or bishops. We struggle with how to deal with our best friend who has just come out as gay. We worry about whether we should allow a yoga class to use our Church hall. When we dwell on issues like these, being a Christian can seem really hard, if not impossible. In this section of Mark’s Gospel, however, Jesus condenses all of the teachings of the Church into just two commandments; love God, and love each other. That’s what is at the heart of our faith. Sometimes even fulfilling these commandments can seem hard, but if we all strived to live them out in the world, if we put love at the heart of our lives and everything we do, we could transform the world. If all two billion Christians sought to live out the message of this passage, we really would start a love revolution. So let’s do it!

So-called “super-injunctions” have been dominating the media recently. A super-injunction is a severe form of gagging order, served through a court in order to prevent the publication of certain information. These injunctions are “super” because their terms are so strong that they make it illegal to report the existence of the injunction itself, or any identifying information about the parties involved.

Several high-profile cases have brought super-injunctions to the forefront of public debate, not least when the BBC journalist Andrew Marr recently told a national newspaper that he was embarrassed to have gagged details about his private life for several years. Clearly, super-injunctions have huge political implications for liberty and the freedom of the press. But how can Christians respond theologically to them?

Firstly, we know that God sees through our exterior reputations. Sometimes, people take out gagging orders to prevent false information from being spread. In these scenarios, the injunctions allow them to challenge the information in the courts before it is made public so that they can protect their reputations. More commonly, gagging orders prevent embarrassing information from being made public. Usually, innocent bystanders (most obviously, family members) are caught in the cross-fire of a scandal being published in the media. However, in any case, an injunction serves to protect damage to reputations.

God sees our hearts, however, not our outward appearance. He knows our secrets, our thoughts, our words and our deeds. As Ecclesiastes says, “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14) We may try to protect our reputations for noble reasons or ignoble ones, and we may be falsely accused or thoroughly guilty, but we can have confidence that God will bring everything into judgment. With a good enough lawyer, it is possible to keep secrets from the press: keeping secrets from God is simply not an option. Super-injunctions are not invincible, therefore. They protect the individual from the judgment of the tabloids but they cannot stand against God’s coming judgment.

This means that we can trust God to judge the private lives of public figures. Our tabloids and glossy magazines have acted as judge, jury and executioner for many celebrities. They can build careers and destroy them within a matter of weeks. As the saucy details of sexual impropriety and moral misadventure spill across the pages of the press, it is difficult to remember that these politicians, sportsmen, actors, bankers (whoever they may be) are real people. Christians should, of course, guard themselves against temptation – but Jesus explicitly warned against judgmentalism. In one of his most striking illustrations, he compared judgmentalism with catastrophic short-sightedness:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

We need not tut at the TV screens saying, “What a sinner!” each time a footballer who has been playing away from home emerges from the tunnel. In fact, Jesus turns our judgmentalism back on us: instead of focussing on the speck in someone’s eye we should look for the plank in our own. God will judge good and evil, after all, and we are not exempt from that. We ought to search our hearts rather than those of others.

Thirdly, we ought not to gossip about moral failings, but look to our own. Twitter has been alive with speculation, rumour and contempt of court in the last couple of days as users have used strength in numbers and relative anonymity in order to break several super-injunctions. The mainstream press are more liable to legal reprisal so have been forced into weasel-worded reporting. One article today essentially says “We can report that something has been reported even though it is illegal to report it”. One coded newspaper article in the Telegraph ends with this:

THE FOOTBALLER
A married footballer took out a super injunction to prevent details emerging of an affair he had with a former Miss Wales.

THE ACTOR
An actor granted a gagging order was trying to prevent the public discovering he had cheated on his wife with a prostitute.

THE CHEF
An internationally renowned chef won a gagging order preventing publication of a legal wrangle with two former employees.

CENSORED
One public figure has been granted a super injunction of such strength that no details at all can be published.

The suspicion! The intrigue! I have found myself desperate to know who has been doing what with who. Which actor? Who is so famous in their field that even their profession cannot be disclosed? There are obvious public interest issues in some of these cases. If a politician were to be hiding details of their corruption, I would argue that it is in the interests of good government for that to be made known. But sharing the details of what celebrities have been doing in the bedroom is quite plainly gossip. Whether the newspapers should have the right to print such stories is a matter of political persuasion, but I would suggest that we ought not to have much interest in reading them. In Psalm 101, David shuns salaciousness:

¹ I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, LORD, I will sing praise.
² I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs of my house
with a blameless heart.
³ I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.

I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
⁴ The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

⁵ Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret,
I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
I will not tolerate.

(Psalm 101:1-5)

“I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.” How many pages of the weekly glossy would David have read? Few, I suspect. Instead, he looks to his own heart and commits to following God’s ways, “careful to lead a blameless life”. Faced with sin and wrongdoing, he focusses his attention on his walk with God. He wants to delight in God’s love and justice, not to revel in other people’s misdemeanors.

David’s prayer is a model to us in a world of secret scandals and hidden wrongdoing. We can long for the latest headline, standing proudly above the “sinners” we see splashed across the papers saying, “thank God I am not like them!” Alternatively, we can trust in God’s right judgment, turn away from evil, and seek to live lives which honour him.

Valentine’s Day is less than one week away. Couples all over the world will be sharing romantic gifts, and hopeful admirers will be sneaking cards into letterboxes to tell their valentine something special.

In the run up to 14th February, hundreds of people in the UK will send the Prime Minister a Valentines Card to raise awareness of the 27 million people all over the world (including the UK) who won’t be shown that they are a Special Someone. These are the people that are trafficked into situations including prostitution, begging, forced labour, military service and domestic service.

This year, you can help stand against human trafficking through a number of the ‘Special Someone’ initiatives.

There is an opportunity to buy Valentine’s cards for your loved ones at www.treatsomeonespecial.com. For each card sold, another will be sent to David Cameron asking him to hold to his commitment to prioritise tackling the trade in people and opt in to the revised  EU Directive on Human Trafficking. Proceeds from the cards will support the work of anti-trafficking agencies.

Last May, when the Coalition Government formed, they promised to make tackling human trafficking a priority.  However, the UK is currently one of only two EU member states that are yet to opt in to the directive – an agreement which offers better protection to child trafficking victims, greater powers to prosecute traffickers and protection for victims in criminal proceedings.

There are a host of other creative initiatives on the Special Someone website. Sarah Burnett of Share Creative says, “With human trafficking now the fastest growing illegal industry, we need to realise that it’s a very real, very lucrative and very close problem. As we treat those we love this Valentine’s Day we’re also taking action to fight the treatment of people as commodities.”

Share Creative, Care and  Stop the Traffik would like to invite you to join them in showing the real value of people this Valentine’s Day, calling for the end of the human trafficking industry.

I recently bought a new Bible. If you’re a regular reader, you will know that I have blogged previously about the excellent websites and online tools to assist in Bible reading. So why have I splashed out on a new dead-tree copy of the Bible? In short, I still see online Bibles as tools, not as replacements for a printed copy. Cross-referencing and indexing is much easier online, but the day-to-day experience of reading a physical book is still far superior. Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think I could ever part from a Bible which I can hold comfortably – tangibly – in my hands to read. There is something reassuring – almost quieting – about the feel of a Bible.

I firmly believe that the copy of the Bible you use will affect how you read it. Drivers take a car for a test-drive before buying it; Christians probably use their Bible more than any other book, so it makes sense that we would carefully choose a comfortable model. A giant study Bible is difficult to read, so you are unlikely to use it for long. Likewise, the small typeface of pocket editions causes discomfort if read at length or in low light. So, here are the considerations I had when buying my Bible to get the most out of reading it.

The Version

Unless you are reading the Bible in the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, you will need to select a translation. English-speakers are particularly blessed to have an enormous range of translations available. Each version is influenced by a kind of translation philosophy, which asks how the text should be best understood in English. There is a kind of spectrum here – some translations aim to keep as close to the original as possible, resulting in a word-for-word likeness between the English and the original. Others try to bring the text to life by using modern expressions and idioms.

If I am studying a passage (either for my academic work or if I am preparing a Bible study) I tend to use an essentially literal translation. I keep a pocket English Standard Version in my bag for these sorts of purposes. But after a couple of years’ use, I decided to stop using the ESV for my regular devotional reading. The language is strangely formal, and phrases are often expressed in Yoda-like syntax. It is a bit like reading my old GCSE French essays, which I always penned in English and then looked up word in turn in the bilingual dictionary before copying out the French. The tone is slightly like one a 19th Century gentleman might adopt. The ESV, and translations like it, are very helpful and certainly have their place. But when I settle down on an evening to read through Deuteronomy, I do not want the language to get in the way of my reading.

So, I opted for the New International Version. It comes somewhere in the middle of the spectrum I outlined above – it tries to represent the original text accurately, without reading interpretation into the translation, while using common English expressions. Where Hebrew idioms make no sense in English, the NIV translates according to the meaning the author intended, not the words they used. This has its limitations, of course, but for casual every-day use the NIV strikes and excellent balance between accuracy and ease of use. Since switching back, I have appreciated how much easier it is to read than more literal translations, and therefore how much more often I have been carried away in the passage, rather than stuck in the text.

The Typeface

Having chosen a translation to use, I needed to pick the actual book. Because I was looking for a Bible to use for my every-day devotional reading, and I tend to do that at night by lamplight, I decided I needed a relatively large typeface. I have a couple of old Bibles with a very harsh serif typeface, printed lightly on very thin pages. It is very difficult to make one set of letters out from those printed on the other side of the page! For my new Bible, I wanted a softer font, where the print was easy to read. Happily, the NIV has recently been re-set in a new, subtly-serifed and attractively laid out design. The result is extremely clear, easy to skim, and a joy to read at length. The result is so beautiful, I photographed it to illustrate an article on Crossring a few days ago!

My new Bible is so beautiful that I recently used it to illustrate an article here on Crossring

The Feel in the Hands

This is the most subjective point, yet I think it is vitally important: your Bible must feel good in your hands. Consider the following examples of bad Bibles. The Bibles we use at my church are paperback, in a standard “pew Bible” size. That means that they are almost impossible to balance on one knee, or to hold in one hand, with any comfort. However you hold them, the pages droop and you constantly risk dropping them on the floor. Or consider my pocket-sized leather-bound Bible, which has to be held fully open (which requires two hands) or it snaps shut altogether (which causes it to fall on the floor, which causes a pretty embarrassing noise and kerfuffle in the middle of a sermon).

So, my new Bible is a standard pew-copy size, but is hardback so it stays fully open on almost every page. It is light enough to hold, but sturdy enough to balance on one leg. The cover is smooth, but slightly matt, so it stays firmly in the hand. There is no irritating dust jacket or faux-leather. (Speaking of which, what is the obsession with patterned, faux-leather Bibles? They are universally hideous.) It is balanced; poised; firm; robust. It is a joy to hold, and therefore is more of a joy to read.

How Good is Your Good Book?

Next time you need to buy a new Bible, I would recommend giving a bit of consideration to these areas. By chosing a Bible with an appropriate translation and a clear typeface which is comfortable to hold, I have turned Bible-reading from a physically awkward experience into a pleasurable one. All they need now is a version which supplies the reader with a mug of cocoa each time it is opened!

Join in the discussion, and share your Bible knowledge! What are you reading, and how happy are you with it? Why did you opt for the copy you use, and would you make the same decision again?

Mark 14:43-52

⁴³ Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁴⁶ The men seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁴⁷ Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁴⁸ “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? ⁴⁹ Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰ Then everyone deserted him and fled. ⁵¹ A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, ⁵² he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

We all end up doing things we regret, things we do or say that we wish on reflection we hadn’t.  Maybe it’s an angry word to someone who’s already going through a bad time, or a thoughtless act that had negative repercussions.  This passage in Mark showcases the guilt of various different people, manifested in their different ways, and we’re going to look at each one to see what we can learn from their mistakes.

Judas, inevitably, trumps the others in his historic and iconic betrayal of Jesus.  This is his defining moment, fulfilling his role in the story and creating his infamous title of “Betrayer”.  Despite being one of the Twelve, chosen personally by Jesus, following him around all day every day, seeing the miracles, learning from the teaching, even performing miracles and preaching the Good News, in the end it’s Judas who hands Jesus over to the authorities to be executed.  Judas was guilty.

Next we have the crowd, or mob, or “gang of ruffians” (depending on your translation) who come armed with swords and clubs to take Jesus by force.  As Jesus rightly points out, they could have come and arrested him peacefully at any time, since he had been openly teaching in Jerusalem at the time.  But no, they felt they had to make a scene, to come armed to the teeth, as if Jesus was a dangerous criminal.  Doubtless that was their intention, to spread rumours about how Jesus was a nasty person, a smear campaign if you like.  The crowd was guilty.

Three out of the four gospel writers leave our next person nameless; only John reveals it to be Simon Peter who struck out with force, cutting off the ear of the Chief Priest’s servant.  Jesus reprimands Peter sternly; after all, violence is not the answer.  One also has to ask why any of the disciples was carrying a sword in the first place, given that they were just praying in a garden.  Clearly, this wasn’t what Jesus expected from his followers.  Peter was guilty.

After all that excitement, the disciples all fled the scene.  They feared for their own lives, and in their panic they thought only of their own safety.  They didn’t stay to defend Jesus, they didn’t stand up for him and force the crowd to arrest them too, they didn’t stick with Jesus through thick and thin like you might have expected them to.  They just ran.  Cowards.  The disciples were guilty.

So, a lot of guilt flying around there.  But we ought to take a closer look, because there is a flip side to each of these stories.

Fear makes even the bravest of men do uncharacteristic things.  I personally am terrified of crane flies, or daddy-long-legs as they often called.  Just the sight of them sends me into a panic, reduces me to a bundle of nerves, until my wife can come along and save me.  How much more, then, must the disciples have been afraid in this confrontation?  Their beloved master, with whom they had spent countless months following, was being arrested by force by an armed gang.  They feared for their own lives, they feared for Jesus’ life.  It’s completely understandable that they fled – I’d have done the same in their position.  And if it’s so understandable, if it’s such a natural response to flee danger, if it’s so right to understand the sanctity of life and freedom, were their actions really wrong?  Are they really guilty after all?

Simon Peter has a reputation for being the first person act, whether rightly or wrongly.  In this instance he takes the protection of the Son of God very seriously.  He knows who Jesus is, he understands his significance, and the thought of him being arrested is more than he can bear.  He does what any brave person does when someone they love is threatened – he defends him.  Peter chooses to fight fire with fire, drawing his own sword against the armed attackers who, after all, started the fight in the first place.  Is there anything wrong about that?  Wouldn’t you do whatever you could to defend Jesus?  Surely this act of defense is admirable?  Shouldn’t he be upheld as a hero for his bravery?  His intentions were honourable, and in any other situation he would have been sainted for his actions, so how can he be guilty?

What about that crowd?  Weren’t they just following orders?  They were just a hired gang of thugs sent to do the synagogue leaders’ dirty work.  Did they have any idea what they were doing, of the significance of this Jesus they’d been sent to arrest?  It hadn’t been their decision to arrest him, they’d had no hand in the plot.  They were simply doing their job.  So are they guilty?

Finally, we come back to Judas the Betrayer.  What strikes me is that Jesus actually defends Judas’s actions, and indeed the actions of the crowd that accompanied him.  Jesus said “the Scriptures must be fulfilled”, indicating that actually what they were doing, indeed what Judas was doing, had to be done.  It was part of God’s plan.  It was the right thing to do to accomplish what Jesus had set out to achieve.  And if Judas was a key player in this, the one who initiated the series of events that led to the redemption of mankind, surely he can’t be guilty either?  If Judas was just carrying out God’s plan, surely it’s God who is guilty, not Judas?

There are a lot of unanswered questions there, and I don’t have the time or knowledge to answer each one fully.  But the point I want to draw out of all this is that from a human perspective guilt is relative.  You can look at each case from a different point of view, and arrive at a different conclusion.  Was Judas guilty?  Was Peter a brave hero?  Was God wrong to give Judas such a responsibility?

We all want answers to these questions, because of how it affects us.  None of us is guilt-free, after all.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God, we all make mistakes, we all do things with the right intentions that turn out to be wrong.  The phrase “only following orders” reminds me of the war crimes trials following the Second World War, where juries concluded that actually those soldiers and leaders were accountable and guilty for their part in the atrocities, despite the fact that they were just doing what they were told.  We too have nothing to hide behind, no justification that can acquit us from what we’ve done, or failed to do.

What I want to draw out of this is the difference between guilt and feeling guilty.  Judas felt so guilty after his act of betrayal that he went and committed suicide, despite the fact that Jesus quite plainly states that it was God’s will that it should happen that way.  Although to you and me it might look like Judas had committed a huge and unforgivable sin, it’s just possible that Judas was in fact obeying God and was in the right, and that not betraying Jesus would have been contrary to God’s wishes and therefore sinful.  Similarly, the heroic act of self defense that Peter showed in drawing his sword against a whole crowd of experienced tough-guys is shown up by Jesus to be unjustified and sinful.  He may not have thought he was doing anything wrong, but he was guilty nonetheless.  The point I want to make is that it’s God who does the judging, not us.  Our guilt or innocence is not measured by earthly standards, but in accordance with God’s will, God’s plan for humanity.  We may not understand it, we may not even like it, but ultimately that’s all that matters.

The good news here is that size doesn’t matter – Jesus forgives us, whether we’ve committed murder or forgotten to put the bins out.  That’s what makes the Cross so important – God forgives everyone, no matter what they’ve done.  No one is guiltless, but no one is beyond the grace of God.  Even Simon Peter.  Even Judas.  Even you.

When my friend suggested he might try to read the bible in two weeks over the summer I don’t think he expected I would take anything other than a passing interest. But, seeing as I hadn’t read the entire bible (and as you’ll see, I still haven’t read the entire New Testament), the idea was very attractive to me. Two weeks with a good friend, over the summer holiday (which tends to be a difficult time spiritually), reading the bible.

So we did it – well, we tried. I spent twelve days at his parent’s house, while my payment for staying there would be helping paint the outside of their house.

There are 1189 chapters in the bible, some are longer than others but it seemed like a reasonable way to split it. Over the 11.5 days we actually had, that meant over 100 chapters a day.

We started reading aloud, which is probably best for taking in the word, but, by the time we reached Genesis 12, our mouths were dry and we were slurring our words. It wasn’t long before we realised that we needed to read silently to get finished in time.

To cut a long story short, we managed to read as far as Luke 6, about 80% of the bible. It was very good, and an edifying experience, but there’s definitely a few considerations before doing it again.

What was good

Reading the word of God is always a good thing, whether it’s reading large chunks and getting an overview, or studying a few verses in detail. I was really helped by looking at the Old Testament history and realising how much Israel, and the rest of the world, needs a saviour; hoping for the promised salvation and learning of God’s character in the prophets and above all seeing the Gospel in the Old Testament scriptures that 2 Timothy 3:16 speaks of.

Learning from the Bible with someone else was really good; it’s really good to spur each other on to wrestle with the Bible as we try to understand it and continue to learn of our great creator God.

Before this, I’d never read most of the minor prophets. I particularly enjoyed seeing the redeeming Christ in Hosea, which I’d never read before.

What wasn’t so good

We were reading 5-6 hours a day & we weren’t very disciplined in which hours, if it hadn’t been for the fact that we didn’t need to help with the manual labour until the last few days we wouldn’t have finished the Old Testament.

I was staying in my friend’s room, so we spent pretty much the entirety of the time together, which wasn’t too bad but I would suggest doing this with someone local whom you don’t have to live with.

Finally, it’s very easy to become proud of the fact that you’ve read lots of the bible and become ‘puffed up with knowledge’. Remember, it’s by grace that we can read the word of God.

Suggestions

If you were to try a Bible-reading marathon yourself, I would suggest:

• Make sure you have a complete 14 days as a minimum.
• Get yourself a friend (or several) to read with
• Make sure that you can spend the majority of the day reading (inc. food breaks)
• Make a plan beforehand, our plan was very crude counting the chapters. For a ball park, the histories are a little above average speed; the wisdom literature (except Psalms) is pretty slow; Psalms should be done in a day; and the New Testament is quite slow as there is so much more to take in.

Mark 14:12-26

12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” 20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

As Jesus neared the end of His earthly life, He shared a simple meal with His friends.  The Bible records their preparations, and the sharing of bread and wine.  There are a great number of important truths in this passage, and I would like to share a few with you now.

The first thing that leaps out at me as I read this text, is the simple fact that God is a God who provides.  Philippians 4:19 says “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” and He demonstrates that here.  Jesus and His disciples needed a place to share their final meal together – a simple need perhaps, but a need nonetheless.

We tend to forget that we desperately need our God.  You may not immediately agree with that, thinking to yourself that you’re always asking God to meet your needs – a job, a home, a healing or a breakthrough of some kind.  However, how often do we ask God to meet our basic needs of each day?  Do you ask God to provide your food for the day?  An easy one in the Western world maybe, but a great need in the third world.  Do you ask God to keep you safe as you travel to work?  Perhaps not, and you’ve travelled there everyday for years without incident right?

The truth is that we need God for everything in our lives.  I doubt we could get through a single day on our own – truly on our own – without God’s help.  His protection and care follow us around, and He supplies all that we need.  If you have a need that you feel is not being met, ask yourself if it’s really a need in your life, or simply a “want”.  If it is a need, then ask God to meet it for you.

When the disciples followed Jesus’ instructions and went to see the room that was prepared for them, everything was as Jesus had said and it all worked out wonderfully.  I’m not sure what it’s like in your life, but sometimes things don’t always work out so perfectly!  But what’s the reason for this?  Even when we obey God’s commands to the letter, why is it that sometimes things just don’t work out?  For instance, perhaps in your church you felt that God had led you to work on a certain project.  When you do, for one reason or another, it just doesn’t work out.  Did you miss God?  Or worse, did He let you down?  Perhaps neither.

What would have happened had the owner of the room refused to allow the disciples to use it?  Or what if the man collecting water had decided to go to his own home instead of doing what he had been asked to do?  Things could have worked out quite differently.  Sometimes we need to realise that God is not just instructing us, but He is also instructing others.  Even when we do all that is asked of us, things don’t work out because another party somewhere along the line did not follow God’s command.  We live in a fallen world where unfortunately, not everyone will do what God asks them to.  When that happens, God’s perfect plan may not come to pass as He first intended.  Thank God He works out all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)!

This passage closes with Jesus leaving us the great act of Holy Communion.  If you attend church regularly, then you are probably familiar with Communion, where bread (or sometimes wafer) is shared with the congregation, and also wine (often non-alcoholic juice of some kind).  It’s an important ceremony, and one we should approach soberly.  Paul advises us in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:29-30) to take Communion seriously, and not to approach it without recognising what it is.

Holy Communion is about remembering Jesus.  It is about us recognising that Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for ours.  When we come to the Lord’s Supper, we ought to examine our hearts and come with a clear conscience, not taking it if we feel we have something against our conscience.

When we do share in the bread and wine, we are sharing in Jesus’ body and blood.  We are remembering that His body was broken, and that His blood was shed, in order that we might go free.

The Lord’s Supper is a time of sadness, when we remember that He died and suffered for us, but it’s also a time of joy, when we praise God for making a way for us to freely approach Him.

The next time you take Communion, remember its importance, and remember you don’t eat alone – the rest of the church eats with you.  But Jesus Himself will wait until we are all together in heaven.