Be Still And Know

Luke 3:23-24 It is so interesting that Jesus began his ministry when he was about 30 years of age. Only Dr Luke supplies us with this information, and it is fascinating to reflect on why it took him so long to begin his public ministry. Like many people, I started preaching in my late teens and had preached to thousands of people by the time I was 30. We cannot know the answer to why Jesus began his ministry when he did, but it is clear that Jesus gained considerable life experience before it started. As a child, Jesus doubtless played with the other children in Nazareth and attended the synagogue on the Sabbath. When he grew up, he was presumably employed for a number of years, probably with his father. How we would love to know what happened in those long years! But what matters is that no one could possibly suggest that Jesus wasn’t fully human. When he was baptised, God spoke from heaven and confirmed that Jesus was his son, so we can be clear that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Luke confirms Jesu

Luke 3:19-20 John the Baptist had a ministry of confrontation. He called the crowd a brood of snakes and delivered an uncompromising message. He believed that his ministry was to call the nation to repentance – and that included the king. Anyone looking for a quiet life would have kept quiet about the king’s marital arrangements. It was well known that, on a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas had met and fallen in love with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Herod. Herodias was the daughter of another of Herod Antipas’ half brothers and so the marriage was totally improper by Jewish standards! Added to that, Herod Antipas was already married. You couldn’t make it up! Most people chose to keep quiet about this scandal, knowing that the king would respond violently to any opposition. But that didn’t bother John the Baptist. He knew what his job was and he got on with it, even though he was imprisoned as a result. Jesus called his followers to be peacemakers, and it is important to recognise that making peace

Luke 3:7-8 John the Baptist was clearly a really interesting character. Matthew tells us that he wore clothes woven from coarse camel hair and existed on a diet of locusts and wild honey (see Matthew 3:4). There was nothing conventional about him. Like so many prophets before him, he spent time in the desert. He had a very simple and straightforward message: he called on everyone to repent and be baptised. Baptism was a rite that was used when Gentiles - or non-Jews – wanted to convert to Judaism. It was a clear sign that they had decided to change their lives, and wished to live under the Jewish law. What shocked John the Baptist’s Jewish audience was that he was asking them to repent and be baptised. They had assumed that, because they were of Jewish descent, and could claim to be Abraham’s children, they were safe. But John was insistent: everyone needed to repent and turn to God. This wasn’t merely a religious act. People needed to demonstrate that they were willing to change their lifestyle.

Psalm 137:3-4 This is an agonising psalm. The people are in exile far from their homes. Sitting by the rivers of Babylon, they were about 1,000 miles from their beloved Jerusalem. In their misery, they couldn’t bring themselves to make music, so they hung their harps on the branches of poplar trees. However, the local people were insistent: they wanted to hear a happy song. But the exiles could think of nothing worse. In despair they cried out: “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?” The pain and awkwardness of living in exile is the experience of every Christian. We are here on earth on a very temporary basis. As the apostle Paul put it: “we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives” (Philippians 3:20). In his first letter, Peter told his readers that this should shape the way in which they lived. He wrote: “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls” (1 Peter 2:11). It is

Psalm 136:1-3 Those are just the first three verses of this psalm. It has 26 verses in all and they all end with the refrain: “His faithful love endures forever.” You have to feel that the psalmist is trying to make a point! During the psalm, he points to the wonder of creation and the way in which God has helped the people of Israel throughout their turbulent history. All of these things illustrate the consistent love of God for his people. In the last few years as a foster carer, I have learnt so much about the word ‘attachment’. In order to be secure and develop in a healthy way, every child needs to have a firm attachment to a parent or carer. If that attachment is disturbed or unreliable, there may be serious consequences for the young person, which often continue throughout their life. This psalm is all about attachment. God promises to love his people and to do so consistently forever. The psalmist celebrates the fact that this has been the experience of the people of Israel through the centuri

Psalm 133:1-2 It’s always inspiring to see unity at work. Whatever the organisation, it is encouraging to see a group of people working effectively and happily together. Whether it’s a football team, school, business, family or church, it is a blessing to see everyone working in harmony. The thought of anointing oil being poured over a person sounds quite sticky and messy to me, but it’s clearly intended as a picture of generous blessing. As the oil is poured, everyone can smell the beautiful fragrance and share in the joy of unity. David then went on to speak of harmony as being like the refreshing dew from Mount Hermon. Whatever way you look at it, unity is something to be celebrated. However, unity doesn’t always happen. David experienced agonising times of disunity and brokenness within the nation of Israel and also, more poignantly, in his own family. I suspect that you can recall many times of unity, but also occasions when disunity has broken out and caused pain and sadness. Sadly, churches often e

Psalm 132:3-5 When David made Jerusalem the capital city of Israel, it was a major political event. The dynamics of the nation from then onwards were totally different. But, for David, this was far more than merely a political moment. He saw the city as a spiritual centre for the nation. This would be the place where people would come to worship God. And, so, the first need was to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. When this happened, David was so exuberantly joyful that he famously danced before the Lord with all his might. His wife, Michal, spotted him from her window and was appalled by his lack of decorum, but he insisted that he had to worship God in this way (see 2 Samuel 6:22). Relocating the Ark was the first step towards the building of the Temple. This didn’t happen during David’s lifetime, but he went to great lengths to ensure that all the resources were brought together so that his son, Solomon, was able to complete it. David was totally committed to the Temple project because of his

Psalm 131:1-2 C.H. Spurgeon, the great Victorian Baptist preacher, commented that this psalm is: “one of the shortest psalms to read but one of the longest to learn”. Learning to be humble is so tough. Anyone who claims to have achieved it has a very long way to go! Humility is a wonderful quality. The truly humble person knows where they stand before God. They recognise his greatness and power, and understand that they are privileged to be God’s servant. They don’t exaggerate their own importance and are eager to see the best in everyone around them. It is the arrogant person who needs to be pitied, because they have yet to learn that true freedom and contentment comes from humility. I don’t believe that King David was suggesting the humble person avoids difficult issues. Far from it, the humble person is more likely to take on big challenges but, with a recognition that their own knowledge and resources are limited, they will rely on the help of other people. It is the arrogant person who falls flat on

2 Timothy 4:7-8 These are remarkable verses. Paul was clear that his life was coming to an end, but there was absolutely no sense of despair or sadness. He was about to be set free from the restrictions and problems of life, to enter into the nearer presence of his Lord. What was there to be sad about? He used this moment to reflect on his life and did so, typically, by using metaphors from sport. He had fought the fight, finished the race and was now awaiting the prize. Surely we all want to get to the end of our lives with this same sense of peace and contentment. None of us will look back on a life of perfection. All of our lives are tarnished by sin and failure, but we must pray that we will be able to look back and reflect that we have run the race faithfully. Paul often spoke about the future in his letters and always did so with confidence and excitement. He couldn’t wait to be with the Lord. He wrote to the church in Philippi: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Ph

2 Timothy 4:1-2 We are all aware that other people are looking at us, and that is particularly true of Christian leaders. Because of the public nature of the role, people are constantly making judgments about us, whether we like it or not. This is challenging for everyone, but particularly those who, like Timothy, are still relatively inexperienced. It is easy to become anxious and overly defensive, but Paul reminds his young friend that the only audience which really matters is God himself. It is God’s judgment which is crucial. Timothy needed to live his life with a constant awareness that, one day, he would need to give a full account of what he had done. Preaching was at the heart of Timothy’s ministry. It was vital that people should clearly understand the faith and be encouraged to live by it. But, like any task, preaching has good days and bad days. There are times when it is joyful and easy to preach, and others when it is sheer hard work. Often people are eager to hear what you have to say and, a

2 Timothy 3:16-17 When we use the term ‘scripture’ we are clear that we are referring to the Old and New Testaments. However, when Paul was writing, much of the New Testament had yet to be written. It wasn’t until AD 382 that the Council of Rome made a firm decision on which books should be included in the Bible. So what did Paul mean when he referred to “all Scripture”? He certainly meant more than just the Old Testament. We know that because, in his first letter to Timothy, he brought together a verse from Deuteronomy and a saying of Jesus, referring to them both as being Scripture (1 Timothy 5:18). We can’t be sure of the form in which Paul had access to the sayings of Jesus, but he was clearly fully aware of Jesus’ ministry and teaching. Today, we privileged to have both old and new testaments bound together in one volume, and we can confidently regard Paul’s words as applying to both. What I find interesting in these verses is that Paul makes it clear that scripture can have both a positive and a n

2 Timothy 3:12-14 Paul didn’t want Timothy to have any illusions. Following Christ was the most wonderful life that Paul could imagine, but it wasn’t easy. And he knew it wouldn’t be easy for Timothy either. He would face challenges on all sides and, at the same time, would have to cope with the sight of his opponents flourishing. It was going to be incredibly tough, but Paul was convinced that, by clinging onto the things he had been taught, he would be fine. Paul told Timothy he could be confident of the teaching he had received because he knew the trustworthiness of those who had taught him. Timothy had a Jewish mother who, it seemed, was largely responsible for his upbringing. The Old Testament has much to say about the teaching of children. From their earliest days, they were introduced to the law. It was claimed that the Jewish law was so firmly imprinted on a child’s mind that they would be more likely to forget their own name than God’s law. Timothy’s Christian life drew heavily upon the loving an

2 Timothy 3:10-11 On the face of it, this might sound like Paul is bragging, but he knew how crucial personal example was. He has just informed Timothy of the challenges he may face and of the way in which society is going to become more and more ungodly and destructive. If Timothy is going to survive, let alone thrive, he will need to be a very effective teacher, but also have a life that backed that teaching up. It’s interesting that Paul begins these verses by referencing his teaching. That was crucial. In these letters, Paul repeatedly pointed to the vital importance of sound teaching. But no Christian teacher will ever have an impact if their life does not back their teaching up. Paul never claimed to be perfect and, indeed, was often keen to point out the extent of his sinfulness. But he knew that, amid all his failures, he had offered Timothy an example which was well worth copying. Let me get personal for a moment. Your life is observed by other people whether you know it or not - and whether you

2 Timothy 3:1-2 The last days are often spoken about in the Bible. They refer to the period in which we now live, the age of the Spirit. In the prophecy of Joel, we hear God saying that in the last days, he would “pour out my Spirit upon all people” (Joel 2:24). In Acts 2:17, Peter declared that this was being fulfilled on the Day of the Pentecost. There is no doubt that this was a very challenging time for God’s people; it is interesting that, at the heart of Paul’s description of this period, was the destructive effect of money. Jesus often reflected on the significance of money. It is important to emphasise that there is nothing inherently evil about it. Money is ultimately part of God’s creation but, in common with all his gifts, what matters is how we handle it. When it is well used, it can be an incredible blessing. When it is abused, it can be a complete curse. Paul’s declaration that people would love only themselves and their money is terrifying, because it deliberately pushes God out. And when G

2 Timothy 2:25-26 It’s not the easiest thing in the world to speak with those who oppose you. Many people in that position are likely to be forceful and strident in their tone. They want to win their argument and convince their opponent that they are absolutely wrong. But Paul urged his young friend Timothy to be gentle in the way that he confronted his many opponents. Why was that? Because he knew the gentle approach is always the godly way. Trying to batter people with our arguments might feel good but it’s not the way of the Spirit. Paul knew that, through gentleness, the opponents might change their minds and learn the truth. Gentleness is a difficult word to handle. It might sound weak and soft, but true gentleness is strong and determined. However, it is also gracious, kind and loving. Reading these verses reminds me of my most effective teachers. They were all very clear about what they believed, but they shared their learning with such kindness and gentleness that they taught me how to live well

2 Timothy 2:24 Every Christian is a servant of the Lord but there is no doubt that in this verse, Paul is particularly thinking of the responsibilities of church leaders. Clearly they cannot serve the Lord if they are prone to pick quarrels but, more than that, they need to be kind to everyone. Kindness is a word which reflects the nature of Jesus. This doesn’t mean that church leaders should avoid getting into debate with opponents, or that they should side-step difficult situations. Far from it. Church leaders are called upon to face the toughest of challenges with gentleness, warmth and kindness. Being patient with difficult people has always been a fundamental requirement of church leaders. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth he referred to them suffering fools gladly (2 Corinthians 11:19). I once heard it said that our calling is not merely to suffer fools gladly but to enjoy them enormously! Every community will include people who are challenging and, if we are honest, we might recognise that w

2 Timothy 2:20-21 Here Paul is describing the Church. It is made up of very different people who have a wide variety of roles. Paul’s concern is that Timothy should live in a state of constant readiness for whatever the Lord might want him to do. But he could only do that by keeping himself pure. Paul had his eyes wide open to the challenges that Timothy would face as a young leader in a non-Christian, and largely anti-Christian, society. He knew Timothy would be tempted to compromise and to slip back into godless ways. And, of course, Paul would say exactly the same to leaders today. Our society is driven by a lust for money, sex and power in just the same way as Roman society was. It is clearly expressed in completely different ways but the challenge to keep pure is as vital today as it was then. The devil does an amazing job in making purity sound dull and joyless, because the truth is the exact opposite. Purity is the route to living life to the full and Paul was eager that Timothy shouldn’t settle fo

2 Timothy 2:15-16 It’s always a pleasure to see someone who is a good worker. They may be an accountant, a cleaner, a lawyer or a shop-worker but, the moment you see them at work, you know that they are fully committed to the task. However, it is very easy to be less than that. Laziness can be a temptation in any walk of life, and that includes Christian teachers. It is possible for them to look for short cuts and offer their teaching without being properly prepared with prayer and careful study. Paul urges his friend Timothy to ensure this never happens to him. He needs to give his best so that he will never be ashamed of his teaching. That will only happen if he is self-disciplined and determined to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. Paul knew only too well that words that can be a great blessing but also a curse. In verse 14, he urged Timothy to remind people that they shouldn’t fight over words. He said such arguments were useless and could lead to disaster. The word that he actually used is “catastrophe”

2 Timothy 2:9-10 If it were possible to extinguish Christianity through violent persecution, it would have been snuffed out long ago. But it is a fact of the last 2,000 years that the persecution of the Church has simply accelerated its growth. Tertullian, an author in the second century, wrote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Most of us have had no experience of violent persecution, but it is important to remember that it continues to be the experience of many Christians around the world today. Every year, thousands of Christians are killed because of their faith in countries such as Afghanistan, North Korea, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. Paul was certain that, however great the persecution, the word of God could never be chained. We find exactly the same truth in the prophecy of Isaiah 55:10-11. God declared: “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It

2 Timothy 2:6 Paul was well aware of what a hard job it was to be a Christian leader. When he wrote to the Corinthians, he told them he was “pressed on every side by troubles”. He knew what it was to be perplexed, hunted down and to live in constant danger of death (2 Corinthians 2:4-11). He didn’t want Timothy to have any illusions about the challenges that would face him and, so, having compared his ministry to that of a soldier and an athlete, he now points to the example of a hardworking farmer. All farmers are focused on bringing in a good harvest, but they only achieve it if they put in months of really hard work. This is a good reminder for us all. There is something in all of us which would like God’s work to be easy and straightforward. We would prefer everyone to be co-operative, helpful and smiling. But if you have ever been involved in a local church, you will know that it is not always like that. It is often difficult to find people to do all the jobs that need doing. People are not necessari