Sunday 26 October 2025: Luke 16:19-31

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

This parable is a story about two very different lives, two deaths and two very different hereafters. This parable illustrates consequences of living a selfish life and the importance of listening to, and acting on, scripture. It helps us to realise that the worldly possessions that we think are so important, mean nothing to us in the afterlife.

It is important for us to know, however, from the outset that the rich man was not condemned to Hades because of wealth, but it was due to his total disregard of the beggar, Lazarus who was laid at his gate. Our salvation does not come from worldly possessions; it comes from faith in the Lord. The rich man could not have had the love of God within him, otherwise how could he have lived in the lap of luxury, probably with fine clothes, living in comfort and eating good food, knowing that there was a beggar living in poverty right on his doorstep. This beggar whose life was tough and seemingly without hope; who lived off of crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table and whose sores on his body were licked by dogs.

It is also important for us to know that Lazarus was not saved because he was poor. He was saved because he trusted in the Lord for the salvation of his soul. Salvation is a gift from God received through faith in Jesus Christ, who saves believers from sin and death.

John 3:16 says, ‘For God so loved the word, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’

Upon his death, Lazarus, we are told, was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. This is symbolic to illustrate a place of bliss. To a Jew, the idea of enjoying fellowship with Abraham would have been pure bliss, but we can take Abraham’s side to mean the same as heaven and we can only begin to image how this must have felt to Lazarus after living the kind of harsh life that he was used to. He was covered in sores which would have been painful and uncomfortable, and he was likely to be emaciated with hunger, and was plagued by dogs that came to lick his sores. Upon his death, he is taken lovingly by angels to this place of pure joy and welcomed with open arms to Abraham’s side to dwell forever.  

In stark contrast, when the rich man died, he was buried and sent to Hades. Now I think it is worth mentioning here what is meant by Hades as there are different meanings. One meaning for Hades is as the Greek word for the underworld and it is generally considered as an intermediate state for the dead before the final judgement. Hell is the final place of eternal punishment after judgement. Various different versions of the Bible use different names for the place where the rich man was sent. Some say Hades, some say hell and others state the place of the dead, so for the benefit of our reading today, we should consider that the rich man was sent to hell where he was in torment.

Now to us this is probably not a shock considering how he treated Lazarus, but if we think about the audience that Jesus was talking to then we can start to see the impact that this parable would have had on the teachings of the Jews. To the Jews, the Old Testament taught them that being rich and having status would have been a sign of God’s blessing and favour. It was taught that those who obeyed the Lord were promised material prosperity, so for Jesus to then be preaching that a wealthy Jew went to Hades would have gone against what they believed. Jesus taught that simply having wealth was not a sign of blessing but actually can be a test of a man’s faithfulness.

In Matthew 19:24 Jesus said, ‘Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom.’

There is a tendency for wealth to become an obstacle to spiritual devotion, making it hard for a person to surrender their possessions and prioritise God.

In Matthew 19:21 Jesus said, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.’

But this is not what the rich man in the story did. Neither did he share his wealth with those less fortunate than himself. Instead, he stored everything up for his own gain and pleasure. So he ended up in Hell.

Then we come to the part of the parable where the rich man sees Lazarus at Abraham’s side and pleads to Abraham for mercy. But Abraham does not take pity on the rich man but instead reminds him of his life of luxury and indulgence and the life of poverty and suffering that Lazarus endured. Now we see that beyond the grave the tables have turned and of course the rich man does not like it and wants them to be reversed. He wants to have what Lazarus now has and tried to convince Abraham to let this be so. In verse 26, we learn that the choices we make in this lifetime determine our eternal destiny and once death occurs that is fixed. There is no way to cross from that of the damned to those in salvation.

Verse 26 says, ‘And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

In realising his fate, the rich man then wants to act the role of an evangelist to instruct someone to go to his brothers to warn them so that the same thing does not happen to them. But Abraham quite rightly points out that the brothers already have instruction in this matter, but they chose to ignore the Word from God and the Prophets. The rich man then goes on to contradict Abraham saying that they would listen if someone from the dead was to go to explain it to them, then his brothers would repent. This of course was proved through the death and resurrection of Jesus where still He was not believed. It is possible that Jesus was referring to Himself and what would happen when He rose from the dead when people still refused to believe.

The message we get from this parable is a solemn warning. Anyone who lives just for money, and neglects to share with those less fortunate or care for their neighbour, does so at the peril of their soul. Jesus is saying that it is better to beg for the crumbs under someone else’s table in this life than to beg for water in Hell.

The Lazarus in this parable is someone we have all met before. This Lazarus is the man we have seen lying in shop doorways. The man who is there with his belongings, maybe a sleeping bag, perhaps with a dog to keep him company. He may ask you for a few coins as you pass buy, or he may simply sit there being ignored by everyone around him.

What thoughts have we had about Lazarus? How has he got there? He must be on drugs or be an alcoholic. He looks violent so I had better not go near him. What will he spend his money on if I give him money, and will this do him more harm than good?

Perhaps we have seen Lazarus sleeping in tents in the towns or cities? Tent villages are now becoming more and more frequent as more people become homeless. Perhaps we have seen Lazarus at a food bank? Someone perhaps on minimum wage who just doesn’t have enough to pay all the bills and they rely on the generosity of others? Or people who are in debt and their debts never seem to go away and they go from one crisis to another?

The parables of Jesus are meant to challenge us, to provoke thought, and hopefully call for a response to the message we have heard. Today’s story is not about being rich or poor, it is not about whether we will go to heaven or not, it is about living out the commandment to love your neighbour as yourself. To pour out compassion and generosity towards others. To use our blessings to help those who are suffering or in need in some ways.

There are many things we can do to help others, and many of you may already be helping others. If not, then I hope this message has prompted you to think about how you can get involved. 

Sunday 19 October 2025: Mark 12:1-12

The Parable of The Tenant Farmers

Rejection may be one of the most painful things we have to face in life. We have all been rejected at one time or another. We have all experienced the pain, embarrassment and humiliation of being cast aside, turned down, or overlooked.

Surely, we have all faced rejection in school, in games and sports, and even at church? If we were not the biggest or strongest or fastest child, we would often be overlooked by friends when it came to picking teams in the playground. As hard as we may have tried, perhaps we never seemed to be part of the ‘in crowd’ at school. Maybe, we felt as if we were often on the outside looking in.

Rejection is terribly hard. It brings us to tears, leaves us with that empty feeling in our stomachs, and sends our minds into a tailspin of doubt, despair, and discouragement. But even though rejection is hard, it is also good. Why? Because it points us to the God who accepts us. Had I been a strong and fast and smart and cool and popular child, I may never have seen my need for Jesus. The rejection of the world prepares us for acceptance by God.

Rejection is also good because, when we look back over our lives, we begin to see how God used rejection to lead us and shape us and bring us to where we are today. Rejection is often the vehicle that drives us into the blessings that God has for us. Think of the process of finding somewhere to live. Rarely do we end up in the first house we try for. Because, usually, a couple of offers or bids are rejected, most of us are able to find the house that is just right for our family. Or how about our jobs or careers? Like many boys, I always wanted to be a train driver, so I applied at the first opportunity, only to be rejected for failing a test. That rejection led me down a completely different career path that, ultimately, I believe was far more beneficial for my life as a Christian.

Rejection is often what reveals God’s wise plan for us. It is often what shows us how sufficient Jesus is for us. Rejection, therefore, is a marvellous gift from God.

Our reading today says that Jesus also experienced rejection, but that it was marvellously used by God to accomplish His purposes. The main point of the parable of ‘The Tenant Farmers’ is that God’s Son would be rejected only to be vindicated, and that those who rejected Him would be judged. 

In verses 1 to 5, we see the tenants of the vineyard reject the owner’s servants. The owner is God. The vineyard is God’s people, Israel. The tenants are Israel’s leaders. The servants are the prophets. And the owner’s ‘beloved son’ is Jesus.

Jesus is saying that God entrusted the land to the Jewish leadership, but when He sent His servants, the prophets, to collect fruit from Israel, they were mistreated and killed. So, He sent more servants, but they received the same treatment. Finally, God sends His Son, Jesus, because surely He will be respected. But the Jewish leadership would get rid of Him, too, in the hope of retaining authority and respect for themselves. At this point God intervenes decisively to bring judgment on those who rejected and killed His Son, and to bless those who, instead, chose to follow Him.   

The parable was aimed at the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders who were questioning Jesus at the time. Verse 1 would have immediately reminded them of one of the most famous parables from the Old Testament in Isaiah 5:1-7. There are many similarities between these two parables, but the one major difference is that, in Isaiah’s parable, the problem is a fruitless vineyard where the nation of Israel was failing to produce the fruit of righteousness. In Jesus’ parable, the problem is the unrighteousness of the tenants, or leaders of the nation of Israel. Verse 12 of our reading tells us that the Jewish leadership knew Jesus had spoken the parable against them.

What landowner in their right mind would send their child to talk to people like this? What kind of father would send his son to people who despise his authority and mistreat his servants, to people who have beaten and killed every single other person that he has sent?

God is the kind of the Father who would. The simple act of God sending His Son shows us how much He loves people who do not love Him. God loves us so much that He sent us His Son. God is holy and we have rejected Him. We, therefore, deserve His judgment. But in mercy, He sends us Jesus instead of judgment. The sending of the Son of God reveals the love of God. We need to remember this when we doubt or wonder whether God loves us. He does. He sent Jesus.

Everyone who marvels at Jesus’ rejection for their acceptance is called into a new family, the Church. In 1 Peter 2:4-5, the Apostle uses the imagery of chosen stones to describe this: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

In Christ, we become living, precious, beautiful, choice stones that make up God’s house, the place where the holiness of God dwells on the earth, the place where God is worshipped among all the nations. We should, therefore, not underestimate what we are in Christ. We are one of millions of ‘living stones’ holding up the house of God, created by the Word of God, built on the Son of God, full of the Spirit of God. Our local church is more precious and powerful than we might realise. It is where God choses to live. It is where we will find spiritual life. Christians who neglect or reject their local church do so to their own detriment.

The rejection of Jesus is marvellous because it brings us to God and makes us the house of God. Everyone who admits their sin, who realises their need for a Saviour, and who puts their trust in Jesus will be granted full acceptance by God. 

Sunday 5 October 2025: Matthew 13:1-23

I wonder if, like me, today's hymns bring back lots of memories for you? I can certainly remember from my junior school harvest festivals singing ‘we plough the fields and scatter’. It has always been a favourite hymn year after year. But I also wonder if the familiarity of such hymns sometimes leads us to overlooking the meaning of the words they contain.

In the case of ‘we plough the fields and scatter’ it is just possible that its words may help us to see the parable of the sower from a slightly different perspective to the traditional way. After singing that famous first line, 'we plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land', we then go on to sing, 'but it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand'.

In a literal sense, we know that to be true. In our everyday world, we are the ones who sow and harvest the crops, and we depend on God working through creation to provide the conditions for those seeds to germinate and grow. But could our reading today be telling us to see ourselves not as the Sower, or as the seed, but as the soil, and then to ask ourselves what type of soil are we?

If we think of the seed as the Word of God, then Matthew is perhaps inviting us to ask ourselves how we can be rich, fertile soil, enabling God to be a living, growing and life-enhancing presence in the world. We can do this by letting go of all destructive feelings like pride, hate, greed and jealousy, and all the harmful thoughts and emotions that tempt us to exploit the world and those around us for our own ends.

These are the things that distance us from God. When we give in to these desires, we are like the rocky ground, where the soil is thin and sparse leaving the seed, the Word of God, to remain dormant. The question we need to ask in response to Jesus’ parable in Matthew’s Gospel, is what kind of soil are we going to be?

Jesus wants us to be the good soil of the parable, but that means asking ourselves what are we doing to enable the seed – which is the presence of God in the world as the Spirit of Life and Peace – to grow and thrive?

Soil is messy, dirty stuff; and if we try to live independently of God then we remain messy and dirty, governed by desires and impulses that we know are not good for us. But if we accept Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, then even with all our faults, we can be changed and transformed; we can be the means by which God's living presence, in the form of the Holy Spirit, can grow and thrive.

Jesus must have spent time observing and talking with people who knew and understood the relationship between the natural environment and human needs. He knows about sheep and shepherds, vines and vineyards, and today, maybe we can think of Him sitting on a hillside near Nazareth, watching someone sowing, throwing the seeds out onto those different types of soil that He described in His parable?

But what do we need to do to become 'the good soil' today? How can we enable others to grow in their knowledge and understanding of God? Well, if we want to be good soil, then we have to concentrate on being close to God. Being good soil is setting our minds on the Spirit. It isn't necessarily about doing lots of good works (although that is a most worthy thing to do); it is about being receptive to God, allowing our knowledge and understanding of what it is to be Christ-like to grow day-by-day, so that eventually we find ourselves helping and encouraging others to be like the seed sown on good soil, growing towards the sunlight.

Today's reading from Matthew contains a question in verse 10 that the disciples ask Jesus: 'why do you speak to them in parables?' Jesus responds that parables help people to better understand what He means by the Kingdom of Heaven. Some people, like the disciples, have that understanding already, but for others it's harder to reach, and parables are a means of helping them to see the truth.

As we are discovering together in this series on the parables of Jesus, they invite lots of different interpretations. My interpretation of the good soil may not be yours, but that doesn't necessarily matter. The more we come up with different ways of explaining what each thing might represent, the more we come to understand the mysterious richness of God's Word and His presence in the world. They are a way in which Jesus gets us to see how we can think imaginatively and creatively about the Kingdom of God.

But it is important that we use our creativity within the framework of the Church family to ensure that, together, we reach the right conclusions when interpreting God’s Word. Without that, we risk creating our own personal religion according to our likes and dislikes, and that would be heresy.

In the case of our reading today. the parable of the Sower contains an explanation of its meaning from Jesus himself, and His view is absolute. So, when we think creatively about God’s Word, we should always check within our Church family or with other authorities to keep on the right track.

And so today, as we reflect on the ways in which we can be the good soil of the parable, let us also reflect on how we can all find ways of enabling the Spirit of God to grow and thrive through what we say, think and do. We might do this by being silent and still, or we might do it by showing God's love through our words and interactions with others.

Ultimately, we each have to discover our own personal way of becoming the 'good soil' of the parable, knowing that by doing so, we will be enabling the Spirit of God, which is already part of who we are, to become evident in our everyday lives.

Has the seed of God’s Word taken root in your life? If so, what kind of soil are you going to be? 

Sunday 28 September 2025: Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

This passage obviously has a significant and powerful message to the people of Jesus’ time and people today about how, in order to truly live up to God’s commandment, we need to break down prejudice and help others, no matter their circumstance, their race, their religion or any other characteristic that makes us think they are different from ourselves.

This parable centres around three key questions that the man of law asked Jesus. The questions were unlikely to have been asked because the man was ignorant, after all we are told at the very beginning that he was an expert in law. He would have been a very learned man, and most likely actually had the attitude that he knew more than most people about everything. So, it is most likely that on this occasion the lawyer stood up to ask Jesus questions in order to try to catch him out. This is not the only time that Jesus has been questioned in that same manner, and Jesus, instead of answering the question, follows this up with another question.

Question 1 – ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

This question was meant to test Jesus, to see if he would reject what was written in the Law. To the lawyer, Jesus was simply a teacher, and eternal life was something that could be earned through his own merit rather than being a gift from God.

Jesus answers ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’

Of course, the lawyer would have been fully versed with what was written in the Law. After all we are told he was an expert in the law. He most likely would have studied it for many years, teaching others on what it means. So, Jesus instead of rejecting the Law, directs attention towards it. The Lawyer obviously correctly answers the question Jesus has asked and was probably feeling quite smug with himself. He correctly stated that he had to follow the Law and ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.’

Jesus confirmed to the lawyer that he was in fact correct and that if he did this then he would live. Now Jesus was not saying here that if you keep the Law then you will be saved. He never intended anyone could be saved simply by keeping the Law. The purpose of the Law was not to save someone from sin, but to shine a light on our sin.

Jesus is the source of eternal life. Christians receive eternal life by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not through earning it in some way. We have to believe in Him and accept Him as Saviour. Eternal life is the gift we receive when we place our faith in Him.

John 5:24 says, “Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

Question 2 – ‘Who is my neighbour?’

On the surface it appears as though he simply wanted to better understand the Law, but most likely it was that he wanted to limit the extent of the Law. When it comes to loving others as ourselves there is a tendency that we too want to limit this to thinking it applies to those who are close to us. Our neighbours may be considered to be our close friends, family and acquaintances. This question reminds us that we cannot just look at the Word of God on the surface, but we need to dig into the Word to understand the deeper purpose of the message that God wants us to know. Showing love, justice and compassion for everyone no matter who they are, or where they are from is what true obedience to God’s Word means. We need to see everyone as our neighbour. This is what Jesus did when He poured out His love for others, even when He was on the cross.

When we read this encounter between the Lawyer and Jesus, it shows us that no matter how knowledgeable we think we may be about the Bible, no matter how long we have been a Christian, we all need to continually seek to know more about our Lord and Saviour. We all fall way short of true understanding and in applying the Word in practice. This is why we need to continually seek, ask and knock on Jesus’ door to check that how we are behaving and thinking is in line with the teaching of Jesus and God’s command. Love your neighbour as yourself. What this means is reaching out to others to help and show mercy. Not shutting doors because someone appears different from us but treating others with a heartfelt compassion.

Question 3 – v36: ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’

Well of course we already know the answer, and it appears to be fairly obvious. The Samaritan showed mercy and compassion on a Jew. Now we need to remember that at the time that the relationship between Jews and Samaritans was one of animosity and division. They had different religious beliefs and there were political tensions among them. So, it would have been understandable if the Samaritan in the story was the one who just walked on the other side of the road and turned a blind eye. Let us remember that while to us all Samaritans are Good Samaritans, it was not like this in Jesus’ time. To the Jews, all Samaritans were, by the very fact, bad. This is why Jesus used the Samaritan as the subject of the parable. It was important for those hearing the parable to realise that in fact Samaritans can be good also. It was to break down prejudice. To open their eyes to the fact that kindness towards others should not be restricted only to those who are similar to ourselves. The Good Samaritan isn't a story about how nice 'we' are. It's a story about how one of 'them' helped one of 'us'. 

In this story, it is the Priest and the Levite who walk on the other side. They were from distinct groups within the larger Jewish population, so if anyone would be considered to be a neighbour to the beaten Jew it should have been them. But instead, their actions reveal in them the hardness of their heart and the inability for the Law to instruct them. They are dead in their sin. The Law commanded them to love their neighbour as themselves, but the Law does not give them the power or the desire to obey the Law. It was easier for them to ignore the beaten Jew than to go and help him.

This question shows us that it is easy for us too to overlook who our neighbours are. This may happen because we are focused inwardly rather than being focused on God. When we fail to stop to help someone in need because we are too busy. When we neglect to talk to someone feeling lonely or down because we are thinking about our own needs and problems. This question reminds us to check our hearts and be honest where we have sinned and fall short of God’s command. Loving others as ourselves is not just a good idea, or something nice to do on a Sunday, this is about embracing the love of God and allowing this to shine out of us into the lives of others.

Jesus ends the conversation with a command: ‘go and do likewise’. We do not know how the lawyer responded to this command. Did he listen to Jesus and go and do likewise, or did he simply ignore what he said and walked away? How do we respond to this command? Are we willing to go and do likewise, or are we going to ignore what Jesus wants us to do?

This should encourage us to not just be bystanders by chance, if we happen to be at the same place as someone else, but to actively seek opportunities for us to show the love of God to others. We need to make the effort to step out of the routine and seek ways where we can show kindness to others through sacrificing our time or energy. Making our faith visible to others when we demonstrate acts of love and kindness and treat our neighbour as ourselves.

Sunday 21 September 2025: Luke 12:13-21

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Our reading is a classic example of how the Gospel maintains its relevance to life from Jesus’ time right up to the present day. It starts with an argument about inheritance. How many times these days do we hear of families torn apart by the question of who gets what when a loved one dies? Worse, there are plenty of stories about people who deceptively befriend the vulnerable with the sole intention of inheriting their worldly goods, or those who even turn to murder for the same purpose.

So, it is an emotive topic, and one that no doubt was deliberately intended to find its way into the Gospel because it is one that we can all understand. And Jesus masterfully deals with the question put to him by the man in the crowd by telling a story about a man whom we have come to know as the rich fool.

Apparently, problems like the one raised by the man in the crowd were often brought to Rabbis for them to settle. And many times we will have heard Jesus referred to as ‘Rabbi’, or in the case of our reading from the New International Version, ‘Teacher’. But Jesus responds by pointing to a higher issue which is to have the correct attitude towards the accumulation of wealth. Life is more than material goods, and what is far more important is our relationship with God.

The man’s concern seemed only to focus on his own needs, which seems to align with Martin Luther’s description of sin as ‘the heart turned in on itself’. It is notable that the man appears to consider neither his need for God, nor the needs of those around him, ignoring the consistent demand throughout the Bible that those blessed with wealth should be concerned for the needs of the poor. This is particularly striking, given that the nature of the society in which he lived, would have made the needs of those around him obvious. We only have to look at the plight of many in the middle east today to conclude that not much has changed in two thousand years.

The issue is not only that the man has acted selfishly, but that he has appeared to leave God out of his considerations. This provides the link with the teaching of Jesus in the parable which followed that attention to God, both in His provision for us and His holding us to account, rescues us from both greed and anxiety.

So, Jesus put his finger on the questioner’s heart. When we bring problems to our heavenly Father in prayer, we may often find that He responds in the same way that Jesus did towards the man in the crowd by showing us how we need to change and grow in our approach to tackling our problems. The answers we receive may not be the ones we were seeking or expecting, but rather something more effective in helping us to see the direction that God is prompting us to take.

In this parable, Jesus tells us about a rich man whose fields produce a surplus harvest. Unsure how to store all this abundance, the man makes plans to tear down his smaller barns and build larger ones. He believes he will be able to store enough to relax for several years and live off what he has earned, and we hear that he says he can now eat, drink, and be merry.

It is at this moment that God appears and tells the man that he is a fool, because that very night he will die. What good will all his preparations be in light of death? 

Jesus ends the story in verse 21 by telling the crowds, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God”. 

This story would have been challenging enough for those who originally heard it told by Jesus, but maybe it is more so for us in our modern-day setting because we can relate to the rich man. Our society has taught us to dream of retirement years when we can eat, drink, and be merry, and so perhaps it might not seem wrong that this man would plan for a future where he could relax. We are not told whether he gains his wealth by unjust means. We are not told anything negative about him until God appears and declares him a fool. 

That silence is part of the parable’s power. The man’s mistake isn’t how he made his money. It is what he believed it could do for him. He put his trust in his possessions and not in God. That’s what made him foolish. 

Jesus tells us in verse 15 that a good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, and that we should be on our guard against greed and the desire for those things we do not have. This is the polar opposite of what our modern-day world is telling us. It is not just the advertisements we see in the media, product placements in films, tweets by the famous, or the bewildering persuasion from an array of so-called influencers. It is also from our everyday interactions with those around us; our families, our friends, our neighbours and our colleagues. Jesus is helping us to respond to this ever-present pressure by sharing the truth that fulfilment does not come in the form of an abundance of possessions. It comes from a living and faithful relationship with Him and by doing God’s work wherever we can.

The rich fool in the parable died before he could begin to use what was stored in his huge barns. Planning for retirement, or planning for life before death, is wise – but neglecting to plan for life after death could be disastrous. If we accumulate wealth only to enrich ourselves with no concern for helping others, we face the prospect of entering eternity empty-handed.

So, why do we save money and accumulate material goods? Are we saving for a rainy day, for our later life, to keep-up with our friends and neighbours, or to be secure? Jesus challenges us to think beyond earthbound goals and to use wisely what we have been graciously given for the good of God’s kingdom. Faith, service, obedience and love are the way to become rich in the sight of our Father in heaven. 

Sunday 14 September 2025: Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Ten Talents

The master was clearly a wealthy man to be able to give away that amount, and he entrusted the gold with his servants. He was also trusting them that they knew him and what he would want them to do with his wealth. The first two servants clearly knew what was expected of them. They put the gold to good use and traded it to gain profit for their master and for this foresight they were richly rewarded. They were praised and given even more responsibility. However, the third servant was afraid and mistrusted that his master will be merciful to him. This does not motivate him to do more for his master, instead he is just focused on ensuring he can give him back what was given to him. This lack of trust and his fear, leads to him being scolded and punished.

When you were a child were you ever told that you could be anything you wanted to be. Maybe an astronaut, the prime minister, a scuba diver, etc. Well, the truth is that this just isn’t true. Why? Because the gifts we have and the things we are good at may not match the skills needed for what we aspire to. So, what ends up happening as we grow older is that we find ourselves taking on roles that play to our strengths. God gives us gifts to be who we are. Some of us are good at teaching, some of us are good with figures, some of us maybe good at planning, and some good at music. Whatever your abilities, they are given from God and can be used for God. We can see the glory in God when we use the gifts He has given us to do His work.

In some versions of the Bible gold is translated as talents, which although is a monetary term, is useful for us to think of them as gifts or abilities. Now did you notice in the reading that the servants were not given the same talents, but they were given them according to their abilities. Therefore, the one who was given 5 talents was given them because his master knew he could cope with looking after that large sum of money. Now what this shows us is that life is not equal. We do not all get the same. That may be a little unfair you may be thinking, but that does not mean that it is not fair. What would have been unfair was if the master treated them all equal and gave some of them way too much responsibility that they could not cope. Instead, the master knows them so well that he gives them just the right amount of responsibility according to their abilities. This is the same with God. He does not dish out gifts in equal amounts, but He is fair and gives us just what we need. In Romans 2:11 it says – ‘For God does not show favouritism.’ So while God may not treat us all equally, He is still fair. Like the master in our reading.

Jesus was using this parable to teach that when the Lord returns there will be true servants of Christ and there will be false servants. It is clear to see that the example He uses shows Jesus as the master, and the long journey could be referred to as the period between the two comings of Christ – the first as a man and the second still to come. The three servants represent those living to represent the interests of the absent Lord and are given responsibilities that match their abilities.

When Jesus describes the return of the master, He is referring to Himself and the second coming and the blessings and judgement that will lead to salvation for the righteous and damnation for the wicked.

The first two servants were rewarded for their good judgement of using their abilities to the best use. Verses 21 and 23 say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The test of their service to their master was not how much they earned, but how hard they tried. They used their abilities to the full and earned 100% of what they put in. They were excited to show their master what they had produced. When was the last time you were excited about something you had done for the Lord? These two servants represent true believers whose reward will be to enjoy the blessings of His eternal kingdom. That should be our goal, not to just sit back and think we have made it, we are going to heaven. We should be constantly working for God and seeking His blessing.

However, the third servant had nothing but insults and excuses towards his master. He accused him of being a ‘hard master’, being unreasonable, and reaping where he had not sown and gathering where he had not scattered. In blaming the master for his lack of work, he made excuses that he was scared and therefore buried the gold. He was an unbeliever and not a genuine servant and this led to his rebuke.

Rather than agreeing with the accusations made by the servant, in verses 26 and 27 the master made a very valid point. If he was guilty of the things that the servant accused him of, then surely the best thing to have done would be to actually put his money to work for him. Therefore, instead of being a valid excuse, the servant further condemns himself and his one bag of gold is taken from him and given to the one who has ten already. Now you may think that is a little unfair to take from the man who has the least and give it to the man who has the most, but remember we have already said that God does not treat us equally, but He is fair and just. Let’s just think about this situation for one minute. The servant with the one talent did not bother to do anything with it, why therefore would the master leave him with it. He wants to put his money to work and as such decides to entrust it with the one who was the most fruitful. That is how you maximise any investment. And this is how God enables His kingdom to grow. Verse 29 says, ^‘For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them’. 

Those of us who desire and are willing to be used for God’s glory are equipped with the means to do so. It is not through our own strength, power, intelligence, determination, words, etc, that we work for God, but it is through the gifts that He has given to us. We are told that the more we do for the glory of God, the more we are enabled to do for Him. Equally, that could also be turned around, that the less we are willing to do, the less we use our gifts for His good, the more stagnant we become. Those who squander what they have will lose that little bit that God trusted them with. Think about this from a church perspective, if we want to be entrusted to work for God, then we must be willing and ready to make sacrifices, for example with our time, getting involved, or helping others.

Then finally we come to the end of the parable. Verse 30 says, ‘And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

When we put our faith in the Lord Jesus and love Jesus, we need to be obedient to Him, and others should see the fruit of the Spirit in those working for God’s kingdom. We can’t just expect to be saved because we simply show up to church and sing hymns. We are all part of a team, God’s team, and we each have gifts according to our abilities. When we love Jesus, obey Him and serve Him, His glory shines through. We need to recognise what may be getting in our way of doing this. Maybe we are too busy (or that’s what we convince ourselves), and yet we find time to do other things. Maybe we are too lazy and get too distracted by other things such as TV or leisure activities. Or maybe we are too unaware, we simply fail to understand what God expects of us and neglect to pay attention.

This parable teaches us an important lesson. We are not bystanders. God has blessed us with many gifts, all given according to our own unique needs and abilities, but God expects us to put these gifts to work. God does not expect us to be like the lazy servant and stand on the sidelines; He wants us to act like the first two servants and make our talents grow and be productive. We should all examine ourselves and ask how we are putting our talents to work for God. We need to spend time investing and serving God, and like the servants in our reading, one day God will say to us, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness.’

Sunday 7 September 2025: Mark 4:26-34

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

We live in a fast-paced world. Everything is moving quicker, especially with the growth of technology. We have high-speed internet access. We have high-tech televisions that can download movies, communicate with our phones and tablets, update our computers, and tell us what to do next, all with the touch of a button.

Technology has sped-up life to such an extent that we live in an instant-moment culture. Life happens in the ‘now’.

The growth of technology has many benefits, of course. Just last week I was talking with some youngsters – they were about 30 years old – wondering what life would be like when they reached my age. They will likely be able to see and do things we can’t imagine at the moment.

Digressing slightly, and talking about the world of work – if I can remember that far back – have you heard some of those office phrases that sometimes get trotted out? Phrases such as blue-sky thinking, circle back, square the circle, idea shower, brainstorm, thinking outside the box, touch base, and of course, singing from the same hymn-sheet! But there is one that maybe we should consider as part of the mustard seed parable and that is ‘seeing the bigger picture’.

Too often, maybe, we have a tendency to look inwards and focus on our immediate concerns and worries. The mustard seed parable suggests to me that the bigger picture is more worthy of our focus. For the Kingdom of Heaven awaits and its riches will be greater than anything we are able to imagine in our current earthly form.

So back to technology. Right now, we can have conversations and relationships with people from different cultures and countries. It’s amazing that we can have a conversation, by video, with friends, family, colleagues or just about anyone from just about anywhere in the world simply through the use of a computer or an app.

One of our visiting speakers pointed out to us recently that technology has enabled God’s Word to spread further and faster than ever, to the extent that it has now reached every corner of the globe. Something for us to ponder on, I think.

But, there are drawbacks to technology because it has sped-up life, and many of us want things to take place now. We no longer want to wait for things to happen. We do not believe we have the time, or energy, for things to take place at a natural pace. If it cannot happen now, or in a short period of time, we believe it is not worth the effort. We want the get-rich-quick plan. We want all that this life has to offer and we want it now.

Also, we sometimes measure ourselves by how we see others. If someone else has a bigger house, then our house isn’t big enough, even if it comfortably houses our entire family. If someone has a bigger car, then we need a bigger car, even if we can’t really afford the payments.

When it comes to faith, are we sometimes tempted to do the same thing? We want all that the Christian life has to offer - today. And sometimes we are not willing to wait. We are, sometimes, unwilling to be patient in our growth in Jesus. If we are not a deeply-devoted, heart-changed person in a few weeks, then, in our consumer-driven mindset, perhaps we are starting to look elsewhere to see what other options are available?

Maybe we will even compare ourselves to other Christians? If we see someone growing in their relationship with the Lord, or in serving the Lord, we may look at ourselves, and get discouraged and say, “Why can’t I be like that?”

Instead of those words being an encouragement of growth, there is a risk that they become a discouragement that leads to separation. This is a separation between ourselves and our community, and ourselves and God. We risk feeling that, if we don’t have the biggest faith, the deepest relationship, or even the best devotional life, that we don’t measure up in the Kingdom of God.

That mindset goes against what I think Jesus is saying in our passage today. Jesus doesn’t use the analogy of the largest thing possible, but instead uses the smallest of seeds in order to point us to a deeper relationship with God.

Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. When this seed is planted, it grows and becomes one of the largest plants around. It is a plant that can grow as high as 15 feet. Something as small as a mustard seed can reach extraordinary heights when it is planted and allowed to grow.

Sunday 31 August 2025: Matthew 22:1-14

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

When anyone hosts a wedding there is a lot of preparation that goes into it. Not only in terms of the venue, the food, the outfits etc, but most importantly who are you going to invite to share the most important day of your life. So once you have your chosen guest list and you send out the invitations, imagine how it can be if those you have chosen, refuse to come to the wedding. In our reading we learn that those who had been invited to the wedding refused to come. They simply rejected the king’s invitation. But the king does not give up there, he still has faith that they invited guests will accept the invitation. So he sends many servants out to tell then that everything is ready and to come to the banquet. But even the second invitation does not persuade them to come, with them making up excuses about things more important than going to a wedding banquet, or even worse they literally shot the messenger.

Jesus said that the ‘kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.’ A grand banquet such as that for a King’s son’s wedding would be a grand affair and would be eagerly anticipated and cherished. It would be an honour to be invited to such a wedding and therefore those who were invited should have been jumping for joy that they were on the guest list and eagerly accept the invitation. Jesus was illustrating here that many people, just like those invited wedding guests, will ignore God’s invitation to be part of His kingdom, or will simply be too busy with their lives that they do not accept God’s invitation. These individuals are missing out on the greatest banquet and being part of God’s kingdom, or they simply overlooked the wonderful offer that was put to them.

In the parable the king, rightly so, was enraged by the behaviour of the guests, so much so that he sends his army to destroy the murderers and burn their city. So that was the first wedding guest list wiped out.

The king then says to his servants that those who did not want to come to the banquet in fact did not even deserve to come. Their refusal to attend, mixed with violence against the king’s messengers, demonstrates their rejection of the king’s gracious invitation and honour. Their actions also reveal in them a lack of faith and a failure to acknowledge the dignity of the king and his son. The message Jesus was portraying through this parable was to draw a comparison between those in Jesus’ time who were initially called to God’s kingdom, but instead rejected Christ himself, his message and the message conveyed by his disciples. Some of the Jews reacted violently and mistreated and killed the prophets and messengers of God and even had a hand in the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus. This then showed that they were unworthy for salvation in God’s kingdom.

But of course, just because those who were invited did not come, the wedding banquet went ahead. Now we come to the other list of guests. These are the ones who were not invited initially, but to whom the invitation was extended and this included anyone and everyone. All are included and those who wanted to come were welcome. There was no distinction in terms who deserved to come or were important enough to come. The invitation was extended to all, good and bad. Jesus was declaring that this is like the kingdom of God in terms of who is invited into his kingdom. No longer would the kingdom be reserved only for Jews, but that Gentiles were also welcome in God’s kingdom. The Kingdom of God is open to everyone regardless and there is no special birth rite or qualification that is needed.

If you have attended a wedding before you will have probably thought carefully about what to wear to the occasion. After all you know that there are likely to be photographs taken so you want to look your best, you don’t want to look out of place, and you want to feel part of the special day by putting on your best suit or dress. So imagine if you had been invited to the wedding banquet being hosted by the king himself, surely then it is even more important that you show your respect by being properly attired. Well of course you are possibly thinking that those invited secondly weren’t expected to be invited so would not have been prepared, or they may have been poor and could not afford proper wedding clothes. However, at this time it would have been custom for guests to be provided the proper garments if they did not have any. The fact therefore that the man was not wearing wedding clothes is even more significant as he declined to be correctly clothed and therefore lacked righteousness. He attended the wedding but was not committed.

This highlights the importance that just accepting God’s invitation to be part of his kingdom is not enough. The wedding clothes here represent righteousness, where our lives are transformed through faith and a genuine commitment to live the way God wants us to live.

Jesus said, ‘many are invited, but few are chosen’. The invitation of the Gospel goes out too many, but not all will choose to accept it. Some will outright refuse the Gospel message, and some will appear to accept it, but their hearts are not in the right place, and they will eventually be exposed as false.

This then leaves us with a few who are truly chosen. The ones who are called, accept and obey. The only way you can tell whether a person is chosen is by what they do, how they act, and how they obey the word. To be chosen, we have to accept the invitation and respond with genuine faith, repentance and a lifestyle that reflects the God’s grace to be called worthy.

Jesus preached this parable in the temple courts. Back in Matthew chapter 21 from verse 23 we read that Jesus was in the temple teaching when the chief priests and elder came to Jesus and started questioning his authority. In preaching this parable Jesus was firstly claiming that no longer were the chosen few only worthy of God’s kingdom, but this was now extended to Gentiles as well. Jesus was then stating that it is not good enough just to claim to accept God, but you have to truly change your heart and live out God’s word. Imagine if this parable was preached by Jesus today, he may be preaching this to hard-working church-attending Christians. On the outside people who appear to be good and listen to God’s word, but on the inside are hard and lack the one key thing, love. We can be close to God (like those who attended the wedding), but like the man who refused to wear the right clothes, if we fail to clothe ourselves with righteousness, that means being covered in God’s moral standards, justice and love, then we may miss out.

We need to reflect on any distractions or habits that may be keeping us from fully embracing the invitation from God. We need to pray for God to open our hearts to the needs of others and to act in accordance with his will. We need to accept the invitation, and say yes to what God wants to do in our lives.

Sunday 24 August 2025: James 3:1-12

What do you think is the most powerful part of the human body? Our bulging biceps? Our beating hearts? Or our amazing brains? Did you know, for example, that supposedly our brain processes around 70,000 thoughts a day, or that our heart pumps two thousand gallons of blood every 24 hours?

Those parts of our body are amazing, but James tells us in our reading that there is an even more powerful part – our tongues. The human tongue makes-up less than 1% of our body, but it punches well above its weight, because we use our tongues to speak, and our words can have huge effects. Our words can be a powerful force for good, or for bad.

In our Bible passage, James compares our tongues to some other small objects that can have a disproportionate effect in relation to their size.

In verse 3 he says, “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.” A little piece of metal can make a huge horse change direction.

Verse 4 says, “Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go”. A small rudder can determine whether a whole ship stays afloat or crashes into the rocks!

And in verse 5, James tells us that just a “small spark”, can set a whole forest on fire. A small cigarette or a match can create an inferno – and we have seen plenty of evidence of that during this exceptionally warm summer, haven’t we?

So, small things can have big effects – including our tongues.

Whenever we open our mouths to speak, which is apparently something we do on average 700 times a day, we are wielding a powerful force. Good words can lift our spirits, encourage us, inform us and inspire us. But bad words can break a heart, sow division, or drive us to despair. Friendships and careers, marriages and even churches can all be damaged by bad words. The wrong words can be ‘weapons of mass destruction’.

At the beginning of our reading in verse 1, James suggests that people who use their tongues to teach have a particularly responsible job. They will be strictly judged for what they say. Teachers in schools, leaders in churches and parents of children have a huge responsibility to use words well.

School teachers and parents have the power to shape the lives of children with their words. And church leaders have the huge responsibility of telling people about Jesus and explaining the Bible.

But whether we are teachers or not, our words must always be chosen very carefully. They can have a huge effect on others – both for good and for bad.

I expect we all know the popular saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words – or names – will never hurt me.” That phrase actually came up in discussion during one of our Bible studies recently. But the trouble is, if we’re honest with ourselves, that phrase is not true – is it? Because wrong words can be incredibly harmful and hurtful. I’m sure we’ve all been hurt at some time or another by critical comments, harsh words, bullying and bad language.

James says our unruly tongues need to be tamed – just like we tame animals to be pets at home or to perform in a circus. Listen to verse 7: “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.”

Our tongues need to be brought under control. We need to make sure we say the right thing at the right time. As James says in verse 10: ^“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” We should be consistently careful and wise in what we say.

But it’s incredibly difficult sometimes, isn’t it? We have all said wrong things from time-to-time, and we find it really hard to keep our tongues under control. On our own, we can’t always say what’s right; we don’t have the power to be perfect. Verse 2 says we’re all “at fault” for some of the things we’ve said because we are all prone to stumbling.

Human beings can tame roaring lions and birds of prey, but we can’t control our own tongues. That’s because the Bible says our speech shows our heart. To change our words, then, we need a change of heart.

That is the point James is making in verses 11 and 12. Listen to them again: “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig-tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” 

What James is saying is that a plant produces its own fruit. A grape vine produces grapes, and a fig tree produces figs. We don’t see oranges on an apple tree, or plums on a pear tree. And elsewhere in nature, a salt spring can only pour out salt water – it can’t produce pure water.

In the same way, our words are the ‘fruit’ from our hearts – they ‘spring’ out from our soul. If we find ourselves speaking bad words, it shows that there is something wrong with our heart. So, to tame our tongues, we need a new heart.

On Friday, our car wouldn’t start because the battery was flat. We could have used a charger to get us going again, but that would only have been a temporary fix. Without addressing the root cause, the problem would keep on recurring. So, we had to bite the bullet and buy a new battery. And, my word, they are expensive these days! But the change of battery did the trick and the car is running reliably again.

In a similar way, we need to have a change of heart to tame our tongues. We need to tackle the problem with our speech at its source!

Jesus himself taught this, just as James does. Listen to Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:33-35, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognised by its fruit . . . The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good person brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” 

There’s only one person who can perform the ‘heart surgery’ every one of us needs. And that person is God’s Holy Spirit. Whenever someone becomes a Christian and first puts their faith in Jesus, God’s Spirit enters their heart and begins to change it. It’s what Jesus famously called being ‘born again’.

And when God’s Spirit gets to work on our hearts, our words will change as a result. As our heart is transformed by God, so too our tongue will be tamed. In fact, some of the most noticeable ‘fruit of the Spirit’ in our lives will be a change in how we speak and what we say. If we are eager to grow as disciples of Jesus (as I hope we all are) we should be eager to see improvements in our speech as God’s Spirit gets to work.

So, before I finish, let us consider how we can use our tongues well. What does good and godly speech look and sound like? How can we serve Jesus with our lips as well as with our thoughts and deeds?

Here are three ways I suggest we can serve Jesus with our speech; three things for which we can ask the Holy Spirit to train our tongues. We can serve Jesus with our speech by praising God, by encouraging one another, and by sharing the Gospel.

Firstly, our tongues should be used to praise God. In verse 9, James suggests that, when we “praise our Lord and Father” we are putting our tongues to very good use. Our first duty as Christians is to worship the Lord who has made us and saved us. We can praise Him in prayer, and sing songs to God in gratitude for all He has given us.

Secondly, we should use our lips to encourage our fellow Christians. In Hebrews 10:24-25 it says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Colossians 3:16 calls on Christians to “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” So, I hope that when we gather together, as we are now, in church on a Sunday, that we don’t grumble or gossip, criticise or condemn, but try to encourage one another in love. I hope we seek to spur each other on to keep living for Jesus and growing in faith.

Thirdly and finally, we should use our tongues to share the Gospel with non-Christian friends and family. The New Testament tells us to always be ready to give a reason for the hope we have, to always be willing to mention Jesus’ name.

When we think about it, perhaps the most loving words we can ever share with someone are words about Jesus; words about the one person who can save us from sin, steer us through life, and grant eternal life beyond the grave.

So, in the power of the Spirit, let’s use our tongues to praise God, to encourage one another, and to share the Gospel. 

Sunday 17 August 2025: James 2:1-13 and 4:1-12

Favouritism Forbidden

James calls us to not just be listeners of the Word, but to be doers of the Word. Not just to hear or read is good enough, we need to also act. In our reading, James is focusing on one of the two most important commandments, ‘to love our neighbour as ourselves’. Think what this means. It means that we should care for others as we would care for ourselves. We should, therefore, be willing to share our possessions, share our time and our energy and, of course, we should share with them the truth so that they have the opportunity to know and love the Lord as we do. All too often our actions are based on ourselves, our self-centredness. How often have you shied away from sharing your faith with others for fear of ridicule or rejection? Are we, therefore, denying them the opportunity of knowing God and receiving His love and grace? How often have we neglected to give someone our time or generosity because we had better things to do or wanted to use our resources elsewhere?

James is showing us in this passage the danger of not following a fundamental commandment. Forget all the other 8 commandments, stick to the royal law he says. The royal law forbids selfish exploitation of others and James focuses on one simple truth, love others, love our neighbours. He is saying that if you only love those neighbours whom you like, who you get on with, who are like minded, who make you feel good, then you are committing a sin. Favouritism is not akin to ‘loving your neighbour as yourself’. What if the other person is not like you, is not the kind of person you would normally be drawn to? This did not worry Jesus. He loved all kinds of people. Sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, those who were lame or diseased and would have been outcast, those who were homeless. If you keep all the other commandments but fail on one, then James is saying you are committing sin. James warns us to not be judgemental, but to be merciful. When was the last time you passed judgement on someone? We were talking last week in our Bible study that when it comes to road rage, we need to remember that none of us are perfect drivers and have likely done what we are angry at another driver for doing. But we need to show mercy and not judgement for there is only one who stands in judgement.

Submit Yourselves to God

Relationships are built upon trust and love, and James shows us the dangers and strife that often exist in relationships. There are so many broken relationships. Unhappy homes, broken marriages, brothers who don’t talk to brothers, parents who don’t take to their children, co-workers who won’t work alongside each other. The sad fact is, as pointed out by James, there are fights and quarrels among us, even in churches. What causes these quarrels? Well, there are many different reasons depending on the circumstances, but ultimately as James points out, these are mostly born out of our selfish desires. That maybe to acquire personal gain, to get our own way, to drive for prestige, etc. Whatever the reason, it is in our nature to be satisfied, to fulfil our desires. So, what is the answer then? Well, James makes this very plain to see. We need to ‘submit ourselves to God and resist the devil. Come near to God and allow Him to come near to us’. James says ‘You do not have because you do not ask God’. Instead of taking things to God in prayer, we try to get what we want by our own desires. James is saying that if we want something, then we should ask God for it. If we ask, and then that prayer is not answered, then maybe our motives were not pure. We wanted something for our own glory, rather than for God’s glory or for the good of others.

James’ message about relationships, how we interact with others and treat others, is one of the most significant messages of living out our faith. Faith without love is simply believing in the Word, but not acting on it. If we were to be content with what God has given us, think about the profound effect this could have on the world. If we loved our neighbours as ourselves and were more interested in sharing than acquiring, then think about the peace that would result. If we were to follow Jesus’s words and store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, think about the great contentment that would come about across the world.

Our relationship with God, along with our commitment to act in accordance with His Word, can help to strengthen our relationships with others. As our relationship with the Lord grows, our desire to be more like Him grows, and our desire to act in accordance with His Will grows. It does not become a burden to put others first and to love others as ourselves, it becomes a very part of what we want to do.

In chapter 4, James gets us to take a hard look at ourselves with regards to all kinds of behaviours. Greed, conflict, slander and trying to work things out on our own without God’s guidance. James gets us to hold a mirror up to ourselves. What do we see when we do that? Do we like what we see or are we ashamed (I am not of course talking about our physical appearance!). We need to ask ourselves, am I content with what I have, or do I have envious thoughts of those who have more? Do we take things to God, or do we continually listen to our own lies? Do we listen to God, or do we resist when being nudged or directed? Do we speak ill of others or lift others up?

God wants us to have a deep and loving relationship with Him, but an outcome of that relationship should be that He changes how we interact with others. God’s love for us can help us to love others as He loves us all. 

Sunday 10 August 2025: James 5:7-12

As Christians, we must patiently endure hardships and heartaches until Jesus returns. To help us in this endeavour, James provides three examples of patient endurance.

First, he gives us the example of the farmer. Farmers have to be patient with the weather as well as waiting for their crops to sprout and grow. We know it is worth the wait, because the harvest will be valuable.

James paints a picture of a spiritual farmer who is looking for a spiritual harvest. There are seasons to our spiritual life - like there are seasons on the farm. Sometimes our hearts become cold and frosty, and God has to ‘plough them up’ before He can plant His seeds into our life. God sends the sunshine and the rain to water and to nurture the seeds that He has planted. There is growth, but we must be patient for the harvest.

Although farmers are waiting, they are never standing still. They are always doing something that will help and benefit the harvest; their work is focused on what will happen at the end. James is saying we should put our faith into action – keep

working and waiting.

Farmers rarely fight with their neighbours. Rather, they welcome other people and willingly help other farmers out. Serious farmers do not have the time or the energy for arguments with their neighbours – there is too much to do. James may have had this in mind when he says in verse 9, “Don’t grumble against each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”

As Christians, God is producing a harvest in our lives. God wants the Fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, and the only way He can do this is if we surrender to His will and allow Him to grow the fruit in His way.

Second, James gives us the example of the prophets. He was writing to Jewish Christians who would have quickly understood his reference to the Old Testament prophets. Some of these suffering prophets were Jeremiah, Elijah and Amos.

These prophets were mentioned in the New Testament as examples of victory over persecution because, even though the Old Testament prophets were doing what God wanted them to do, they still suffered. The prophets faithfully preached the truth of God, yet they were persecuted.

As Christians today, we must never think that, by obeying what God wants us to do, it will result in an easy life. Jesus was obedient and faithfully did what God wanted Him to do – and yet that led to the cross! The Trials of the prophets remind us of God’s promise that He cares for us when we are going through sufferings for His sake.

The reason why people who speak faithfully and truthfully of God are persecuted, is so that their lives will back-up their message. Today, we need to keep reminding ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a first-hand demonstration to those around us that what we say is lived out in our lives.

Even if we are going through trials and difficulties, we must keep on speaking about Jesus and what He means to us. We must surrender our lives daily to God and allow Him to grow the fruit in our lives in His way.

Third, James gives us the example of suffering, and it is difficult to find a better example of suffering than Job. His circumstances, his wife, and his friends were all against him. It even seemed that God was against him because, when Job cried out for answers to his questions, there was no reply from heaven.

Nevertheless, Job endured. He was so sure of his faith in God that he persisted in honouring Him – even though he did not understand all that God was doing. That is endurance. Through the suffering, Job met God in a new and deeper way. Through this difficult experience, God was glorified and Job was purified.

The Bible tells us that, as Christians, we will face difficulties, trials, and suffering. Hopefully, these troubles may not be as extreme as the ones that Job encountered, but, to us, they will seem just as challenging. At all times – but especially in challenging times, we are called to turn our hearts wholeheartedly to Jesus. He knows what we are going through.

So, we need to be patient in times of suffering. Like the Farmer, let us keep working and allow God to grow in us the Fruit of His Holy Spirit. Like the prophets, let us keep witnessing so that our lives are a living testimony for what we believe. And like the sufferer, Job, let us remain steadfast in our faith, patient in our suffering and live our lives for the one who faithfully loves us.