Category Archives: Bible

Arts, Bible, Christianity, Culture

James urges Christians to live out their beliefs

NEW TESTAMENT

– A narrative on James 1–5

IN a circular letter addressed to Jewish Christians scattered by persecution across the Roman empire, the apostle James has called for a faith that is visibly demonstrated by good works, controlled language, and steadiness under pressure. Writing in forthright terms, James warns rich landowners that they will pay dearly for hoarding their wealth and refusing to pay labourers.

He begins by encouraging faithfulness in the face of difficulty. He reminds his readers that the unchangeable God who gives wisdom to all is never the source of temptation. “The crown of life” awaits all who press on, he asserts.

Every Christian should listen carefully to, and consider, God’s truth – and then put it into practice, he says. Such practice includes treating people equally whatever their economic situation.

Wishing someone well who needs practical help is no help at all, he claims. Abraham was commended not just for believing God’s promise but for doing what God asked, and preparing to sacrifice his son Isaac.

A person’s speech is also a test of their faithfulness to God, says James. The tongue can be like a spark that sets a forest ablaze; one word out of place can do immense damage. And curses on people have no place in the mouths of those who praise God.

The root cause of all sin is selfishness and greed, he argues. Humility before God is the only safe way to live. God will judge others, and he will determine the number of someone’s days. So he urges his readers to bear in mind that Christ will return soon and not to boast, argue, or slander each other.

James concludes his letter with some practical instructions on praying for the sick and turning people back to God.

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Arts, Bible, Christianity, Culture

A Sting in the Tale

MANY of Jesus’ stories about the kingdom of God contain an implicit challenge to his listeners to respond in a personal way. Here are some – and their apparent morals.

The Sower and the seed

(Matthew 13:1–9; 18–23)

A farmer hand-sowed a field. As he threw the seed from his bag some of it fell on the path and was eaten by the birds. Some fell on shallow, stony soil; it grew at first but then withered. Some fell in thorn patches which soon choked the young shoots. But some fell on deep fertile soil, germinated, and developed grain – between 30 and 100 times what was sown.

The Sower is God, the seed is his word. The soils are those who hear it. And only some understand it enough to become fruitful disciples who put the teaching into practice.

Moral: Listen carefully or else you’ll miss God’s word to you.

The weeds in the field

(Matthew 13:24–30; 36–43)

Once upon a time a farmer sowed good quality seed corn in his field. But an enemy sowed poisonous darnel in it too, contrary to the law. The farmer told his workers not to pull up the darnel because its strong roots would dislodge the weaker roots of the wheat. They could be pulled up just before harvest when there could be no mistaking the plants and no damage to the crop.

The farmer is the ‘Son of Man’, a title Jesus uses for himself. The seed is the people who follow him, among whom evil sows its minions which are often indistinguishable from believers at first. The harvest is the end of the world when evil is weeded out for ever.

Moral: The kingdom will grow quietly, and the wicked will get their come-uppance.

Small beginnings

(Matthew 13:31 – 33; cf. Daniel 4:10–12, 20–22)

God’s kingdom is like a small mustard seed. From insignificant beginnings it becomes a huge shrub, home to numerous birds. If Jesus is thinking of the bird’s-nest tree in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel, he means the nations of the world will be incorporated into God’s kingdom. It is also like a tiny pinch of yeast which makes a whole batch of dough rise sufficiently to feed about 100 people.

Moral: Be patient.

Worth a fortune

(Matthew 13:44–46)  

This was the farm worker who dug up a pot of coins in his employer’s field. So he sold everything he had to buy the field at market rates – with its forgotten added value! He was overjoyed. So too was the merchant who saw the biggest pearl ever. He sold all he had to buy it because its value was incalculable.

Moral: If you want real happiness, you’ve got to give the kingdom all you’ve got.

Sorting the catch

(Matthew 13:47–50)

The real work in large-scale fishing comes when the catch is landed. The dragnet pulled between two boats trawls up many inedible creatures which have to be sorted out and thrown away.

Moral: Don’t think you’re acceptable to God just because you are caught up in kingdom activity.

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Arts, Bible, Christianity, Culture

Preparing the way so that people can meet with God

OLD TESTAMENT

– A narrative on Isaiah 40:1–11

PICTURE two remote towns in a hilly area with only a footpath between them. Laying aside any conservation concerns, imagine the earthmovers carving a swathe through the hillside. You are building a road.

In ancient times there were only footpaths or sheep tracks outside the towns. The main caravan routes were only trodden-down earth. If a king or army wanted to get somewhere quickly, a battalion of engineers was sent ahead to clear the path of obstacles, bridge the worst ravines with rubble, lessen the steepest gradients, and tread down the path to reduce the risks of tripping.

The context of this prophecy is the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon. They faced a 900-mile trek on foot. They could not build roads, but they still had to prepare for such an arduous journey. It provided the prophet with a timeless image.

It was applied in the New Testament to the ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1–3). It can be further applied to any Christian’s witness. There are boulders of prejudice and stumbling-blocks of ignorance to clear away; there are rifts in relationships to bridge, and steep uphill paths we must travel to win people’s confidence and respect.

Preparatory work is boring, as anyone who has wallpapered or painted a room will know. Stripping off the old layers is hard but essential work. If we want people to meet God, we have to prepare them to recognise and welcome him.

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