John, unlike the average preacher, went out to where there was no-one and began to shout.
*
"Repent!" he cried. "The kingdom of God is at hand!"
*
John was the man who the prophet Isaiah had foreseen when he said:
*
"I can hear someone calling out in the desert.
He's crying: build a road fit for the Lord!
May it straight and level!
Fill every hollow,
flatten each mountain,
make the crooked path straight
and the rough track smooth
so the world can see the salvation of God."
*
John wore a coat made from camel's hair and had a leather belt tied round his waist. He ate what he could find in the desert - mainly insects and honey - yet crowds came out from Jerusalem and the surrounding areas in order to hear what he said. Those who believed his message confessed their sins and were baptised in the nearby River Jordan.
*
"What do you think we should do?" they asked.
*
"If you've got two coats,”he said, “give one of them to someone who has nothing. If you have food, you should share that with them too."
*
The tax collectors also came to be baptised.
*
"Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
*
"Don't collect more than you have to," said John.
*
Then some soldiers approached him.
*
"What about us?" they asked.
*
"Don't extort money," he said, "don't accuse anyone unjustly and be content with your pay."
*
Suddenly he noticed groups of Pharisees and Sadducees standing about in the crowd.
*
"Villains!" he yelled, pointing a finger straight at them. "How do you expect to escape God's fierce wrath? Repent and do what is right! Your descent from Abraham won't save you! God could produce children for Abraham from these dry stones on the ground! He's going to be like a forester who inspects the trees with an axe in His hand. Each tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and burnt!"
*
Then John turned back to the genuine hearers.
*
"Listen to this very carefully," he said. "Someone is coming who's more greater than me - someone whose shoes I'm not fit to carry - for I baptise you with water, but he's going baptise you with the Holy Spirit. He will be like a farmer, separating the grain that's lying on the threshing floor. The wheat he'll take into his granary, but the chaff will be swept up and burnt."
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
A Missing Child
To lose a child, even for a minute or two, is one of the most worrying things which can happen to a parent. I have for you here the true story of a couple whose child went missing for three awful days - awful for the parents, that is, because the child himself seems scarcely to be bothered.
*
Every year it was the custom of Joseph and Mary to travel down to Jerusalem in order to keep the Feast of the Passover. Then, when their son reached the age of twelve years, he was permitted to go with them.
*
At the end of a week full of celebration, Joseph and Mary joined the other pilgrims who were making their way back to Galilee. Unknown to them, however, their son stayed behind in the city.
*
Believing that he was safely in the company of other members of their group, Joseph and Mary travelled northwards quite happily. Then, when evening came, they began to look for him among their friends and relations. Finally, having failed to find him, they abandoned the group and returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
*
It was three frantic days later that they discovered the child, sitting with some teachers in the temple courts, listening to what they said and asking them questions. The people in the surrounding crowd were amazed by the level of understanding that he showed and the answers which he gave to questions put to him by the teachers. His parents were also astonished, seeing a side of their son’s nature they had never noticed before.
*
At the first opportunity, they led him away from the temple and, once alone, began to ask him questions of their own.
*
"My son," said Mary, "why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been looking all over Jerusalem for you."
*
"Why?" he asked. "Didn't you realise that you’d find me in my Father's house?"
*
But this answer of his made no sense to them. Shrugging their shoulders, Joseph and Mary began the long journey to Nazareth one again, this time making sure that they kept a tight hold of their child. At home, he remained quietly obedient to them. His mother, however, unable to forget these strange events, turned them over and over in her mind.
*
*
Every year it was the custom of Joseph and Mary to travel down to Jerusalem in order to keep the Feast of the Passover. Then, when their son reached the age of twelve years, he was permitted to go with them.
*
At the end of a week full of celebration, Joseph and Mary joined the other pilgrims who were making their way back to Galilee. Unknown to them, however, their son stayed behind in the city.
*
Believing that he was safely in the company of other members of their group, Joseph and Mary travelled northwards quite happily. Then, when evening came, they began to look for him among their friends and relations. Finally, having failed to find him, they abandoned the group and returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
*
It was three frantic days later that they discovered the child, sitting with some teachers in the temple courts, listening to what they said and asking them questions. The people in the surrounding crowd were amazed by the level of understanding that he showed and the answers which he gave to questions put to him by the teachers. His parents were also astonished, seeing a side of their son’s nature they had never noticed before.
*
At the first opportunity, they led him away from the temple and, once alone, began to ask him questions of their own.
*
"My son," said Mary, "why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been looking all over Jerusalem for you."
*
"Why?" he asked. "Didn't you realise that you’d find me in my Father's house?"
*
But this answer of his made no sense to them. Shrugging their shoulders, Joseph and Mary began the long journey to Nazareth one again, this time making sure that they kept a tight hold of their child. At home, he remained quietly obedient to them. His mother, however, unable to forget these strange events, turned them over and over in her mind.
*
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Exile in Egypt
Exile is invariably an awful experience. No-one willingly leaves the land of their birth. It follows, therefore, that someone's personal circumstances have to be utterly dire before they'd even consider taking such a step. And this was the situation of Joseph and Mary, but neither of them knew it.
*
It took something extraordinary to make Joseph realise what danger he and his family were in. After the Magi gone, taking an alternative route back to Persia, Joseph had a dream. In it he saw an angel.
*
"Get up!" he said. "Take Mary and the baby, and flee with them to Egypt! Stay there till I tell you it's safe to return, for Herod will try to kill the child!"
*
When Joseph awoke, he rose, wakened Mary, explained what had happened, picked up the baby, and then set out for Egypt while it was still dark.
*
Meanwhile, in when the Magi failed to report back, King Herod realised that they had deceived him. Flying into a rage, he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old or less, because he'd found out from the Magi that it was two years ago when the star had appeared. Thus was fulfilled the terrible prophecy of Jeremiah:
*
"A voice is heard in nearby Ramah,
the sound of weeping and wailing.
It is Rachel, crying for her children,
and she will not be comforted,
because they're no longer alive."
*
Joseph and Mary remained in Egypt until the news came that Herod had died, then Joseph had another dream. An angel appeared to him and said:
"Get up, take the child and his mother, and go back to where you have come from, for those who wished the child harm are now dead."
*
Obeying the angel, Joseph set out on the long road to Palestine with the prophecy of Hosea in his mind:
*
"Out of Egypt have I called my son."
*
When they reached the border, Joseph learned that Archelaus had succeeded his father as king. Fearing further problems, he refused to enter Judea but turned north to the region of Galilee, and returned to live in Nazareth - which filled in with what Isaiah had said:
*
"He shall be called a Nazarene."
*
*
It took something extraordinary to make Joseph realise what danger he and his family were in. After the Magi gone, taking an alternative route back to Persia, Joseph had a dream. In it he saw an angel.
*
"Get up!" he said. "Take Mary and the baby, and flee with them to Egypt! Stay there till I tell you it's safe to return, for Herod will try to kill the child!"
*
When Joseph awoke, he rose, wakened Mary, explained what had happened, picked up the baby, and then set out for Egypt while it was still dark.
*
Meanwhile, in when the Magi failed to report back, King Herod realised that they had deceived him. Flying into a rage, he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old or less, because he'd found out from the Magi that it was two years ago when the star had appeared. Thus was fulfilled the terrible prophecy of Jeremiah:
*
"A voice is heard in nearby Ramah,
the sound of weeping and wailing.
It is Rachel, crying for her children,
and she will not be comforted,
because they're no longer alive."
*
Joseph and Mary remained in Egypt until the news came that Herod had died, then Joseph had another dream. An angel appeared to him and said:
"Get up, take the child and his mother, and go back to where you have come from, for those who wished the child harm are now dead."
*
Obeying the angel, Joseph set out on the long road to Palestine with the prophecy of Hosea in his mind:
*
"Out of Egypt have I called my son."
*
When they reached the border, Joseph learned that Archelaus had succeeded his father as king. Fearing further problems, he refused to enter Judea but turned north to the region of Galilee, and returned to live in Nazareth - which filled in with what Isaiah had said:
*
"He shall be called a Nazarene."
*
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Magi
Appointed as king by the Senate of Rome, Herod ruled Judea for thirty-three years, during which time he was very careful to ingratiate himself with his patrons. He built the city of Caesarea in honour of Augustus Caesar and the Fortress of Antonia in honour of Mark Anthony. As for opposition to his reign, he ruthlessly murdered anyone he saw as a threat, and that included his own wife and three of his sons.
*
Then Magi rode into Jerusalem. These were members of the Persian priestly caste.
*
"Where is the new-born king?" they asked. "We saw his star in the east and have come to pay our respects."
*
When Herod heard this, he was worried and immediately called his priests and lawyers together.
*
"I'm the king," he said "What are these idiots talking about?"
*
"Of course you are," said the priests. "They probably refer to the Mahdi."
*
"The Mahdi? When is he due to be born?"
*
Nobody knows."
*
"Then at least tell me where he'll be born."
*
"In Bethlehem," they said, "because the prophet Micah wrote:
*
"'But you, Bethlehem, though you're small,
you are by no means least amongst the clans of Judea.
It is out of you that a ruler shall come
who will be the shepherd of my people.'"
*
Then Herod called the Magi to his palace secretly. Having found out from them the exact date on which the star appeared, he told them to go to Bethlehem.
*
"Make a careful search for the child," he said. "Then, when you find him, tell me at once, because I too wish to honour him."
*
The Magi agreed and left Herod. Travelling towards Bethlehem, the star they'd seen in the east went ahead of them until it halted over the place where the child was.
*
Overjoyed, the Magi went into the house in which Mary and Joseph. Seeing the child with his mother, they fell on their knees and did obeisance to him. Then, taking out gifts, they offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh.
*
That night a dream warned the Magi that it was best not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their homeland by an alternative route.
*
*
Then Magi rode into Jerusalem. These were members of the Persian priestly caste.
*
"Where is the new-born king?" they asked. "We saw his star in the east and have come to pay our respects."
*
When Herod heard this, he was worried and immediately called his priests and lawyers together.
*
"I'm the king," he said "What are these idiots talking about?"
*
"Of course you are," said the priests. "They probably refer to the Mahdi."
*
"The Mahdi? When is he due to be born?"
*
Nobody knows."
*
"Then at least tell me where he'll be born."
*
"In Bethlehem," they said, "because the prophet Micah wrote:
*
"'But you, Bethlehem, though you're small,
you are by no means least amongst the clans of Judea.
It is out of you that a ruler shall come
who will be the shepherd of my people.'"
*
Then Herod called the Magi to his palace secretly. Having found out from them the exact date on which the star appeared, he told them to go to Bethlehem.
*
"Make a careful search for the child," he said. "Then, when you find him, tell me at once, because I too wish to honour him."
*
The Magi agreed and left Herod. Travelling towards Bethlehem, the star they'd seen in the east went ahead of them until it halted over the place where the child was.
*
Overjoyed, the Magi went into the house in which Mary and Joseph. Seeing the child with his mother, they fell on their knees and did obeisance to him. Then, taking out gifts, they offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh.
*
That night a dream warned the Magi that it was best not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their homeland by an alternative route.
*
Monday, March 16, 2009
Trust
We'd like to trust people - indeed, we want to trust them - but we know, deep down, that real trust needs to be earned. It's an unfortunate fact that some people will promise you anything in order to get what they want. Then, once they've got it, they quietly forget what they promised. But the people whom we admire, and ultimately come to rely on, are the ones who live up to their promises.
*
Simeon had been given a promise. To everyone else it seemed unbelievable, but God had assured him, through the Holy Spirit, that he would see the Mahdi - the long-awaited redeemer - before he died. Years had passed, however, nothing seemed to have happened, and Simeon was tempted to doubt whether he'd really understood the message he'd been given.
*
Then came a day when he felt a strange compulsion to go into the temple at Jerusalem. He obeyed the urge, and saw there a young married couple. It was Joseph and Mary, who had come up from Bethlehem to present their newborn son to the Lord. For the law required that the first-born boy in every family should be brought into the temple and two doves or young pigeons offered on his behalf.
*
Before they'd got to the altar, Simeon ran to Mary, whisked the baby out of her arms and began to shout with excitement:
*
"Sovereign Lord, now, as You promised,
You can dismiss Your servant in peace.
These eyes of mine have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared in the sight of all people,
to be a light bringing revelation to unbelievers
and giving glory to those who are faithful."
*
Joseph and Mary just stared at the man, astounded by what he was saying. Simeon smiled at them, kissed the baby he was holding and handed him back.
*
"This child of yours will bring about the rise and the downfall of many. Men will speak evil against him, thus revealing the secret thoughts of their hearts." He was quiet for a moment, gazing sadly at Mary. "And a sword shall also pierce you to the soul."
*
*
Simeon had been given a promise. To everyone else it seemed unbelievable, but God had assured him, through the Holy Spirit, that he would see the Mahdi - the long-awaited redeemer - before he died. Years had passed, however, nothing seemed to have happened, and Simeon was tempted to doubt whether he'd really understood the message he'd been given.
*
Then came a day when he felt a strange compulsion to go into the temple at Jerusalem. He obeyed the urge, and saw there a young married couple. It was Joseph and Mary, who had come up from Bethlehem to present their newborn son to the Lord. For the law required that the first-born boy in every family should be brought into the temple and two doves or young pigeons offered on his behalf.
*
Before they'd got to the altar, Simeon ran to Mary, whisked the baby out of her arms and began to shout with excitement:
*
"Sovereign Lord, now, as You promised,
You can dismiss Your servant in peace.
These eyes of mine have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared in the sight of all people,
to be a light bringing revelation to unbelievers
and giving glory to those who are faithful."
*
Joseph and Mary just stared at the man, astounded by what he was saying. Simeon smiled at them, kissed the baby he was holding and handed him back.
*
"This child of yours will bring about the rise and the downfall of many. Men will speak evil against him, thus revealing the secret thoughts of their hearts." He was quiet for a moment, gazing sadly at Mary. "And a sword shall also pierce you to the soul."
*
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Trouble with Sheep
The trouble with sheep is that they're not very good at looking after themselves. Bulls, on the other hand, can be left in a field overnight and you can still come back the following morning expecting to find them. You couldn't possibly do the same thing with sheep. Short of horns, teeth and claws, wolves regard them as dinner on legs - which explains why the shepherds of Bethlehem needed to stay awake all night to protect them. And it was during one particular night that the shepherds received a surprise:
*
An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of God shone around. Naturally, the shepherds were terrified, but the angel spoke to calm their fears.
*
"Don't be afraid," he said. "I have news which should give you, and all those who hear it, the very greatest of joy. Today, in the city of David, a saviour who is the Mahdi has been born. And this is how you will recognise him: he's wrapped up in blankets and sleeping in a feeding trough."
*
Suddenly, a great army of angels joined the first and all of them began to praise God, singing:
*
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will towards men."
*
When the angels had left them and returned into heaven, the shepherds looked at each other.
*
"We must go to Bethlehem," they said. "We need to see this wonderful thing which we have just heard about."
*
Leaving their sheep in the field, they ran to the city and began to search for the baby. They eventually found him with Joseph and Mary, lying in a feeding trough, exactly as the angel had predicted. Overcome with emotion, the shepherds rushed into the inn, woke up the guests and told them everything that they'd heard about the child. The guests were bewildered by what they said, but Mary treasured each one of their words and pondered them deep in her heart.
*
*
An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of God shone around. Naturally, the shepherds were terrified, but the angel spoke to calm their fears.
*
"Don't be afraid," he said. "I have news which should give you, and all those who hear it, the very greatest of joy. Today, in the city of David, a saviour who is the Mahdi has been born. And this is how you will recognise him: he's wrapped up in blankets and sleeping in a feeding trough."
*
Suddenly, a great army of angels joined the first and all of them began to praise God, singing:
*
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will towards men."
*
When the angels had left them and returned into heaven, the shepherds looked at each other.
*
"We must go to Bethlehem," they said. "We need to see this wonderful thing which we have just heard about."
*
Leaving their sheep in the field, they ran to the city and began to search for the baby. They eventually found him with Joseph and Mary, lying in a feeding trough, exactly as the angel had predicted. Overcome with emotion, the shepherds rushed into the inn, woke up the guests and told them everything that they'd heard about the child. The guests were bewildered by what they said, but Mary treasured each one of their words and pondered them deep in her heart.
*
Friday, March 13, 2009
A Difficult Decision
Sometimes life seems to be nothing more than a continual series of choices - and often they can be extremely difficult. Take, for example, the one which Joseph was forced to make:
*
He was engaged to be married to Mary, but some time before the wedding he learned that she was pregnant. Horrified by this revelation, Joseph immediately resolved to end the engagement but, being a fair man, he decided to do it discreetly, so that Mary wouldn't be subjected to public disgrace.
*
He was thinking about this dreadful situation when he went to bed and fell asleep. In his sleep he dreamt that someone - an angel - came to him with a message from God.
*
"Joseph," said the angel, "don’t be afraid to take Mary for your wife. The child who is within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary is going to birth to a boy who will to rescue his people from sin. This will be a fulfilment of the promise which the Lord gave through the prophet Isaiah: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel."
*
When Joseph woke up, he did exactly as the angel had said and took Mary home as his wife, but he avoided sexual relations with her until after the baby was born.
*
It was during this period, while they were still waiting for the baby to arrive, that Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be made of the whole Roman Empire. Everyone was instructed to go to their ancestral home in order to registered, so Joseph and Mary left Nazareth and travelled south to Bethlehem, the city of David, because Joseph was a direct descendent of David.
*
They were still in Bethlehem when the time came for the baby to be born. Mary gave birth to a boy and because there wasn't enough room in the inn she had to wrap him in blankets and lay him to sleep in a feeding trough which had been previously used by the animals.
*
*
He was engaged to be married to Mary, but some time before the wedding he learned that she was pregnant. Horrified by this revelation, Joseph immediately resolved to end the engagement but, being a fair man, he decided to do it discreetly, so that Mary wouldn't be subjected to public disgrace.
*
He was thinking about this dreadful situation when he went to bed and fell asleep. In his sleep he dreamt that someone - an angel - came to him with a message from God.
*
"Joseph," said the angel, "don’t be afraid to take Mary for your wife. The child who is within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary is going to birth to a boy who will to rescue his people from sin. This will be a fulfilment of the promise which the Lord gave through the prophet Isaiah: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel."
*
When Joseph woke up, he did exactly as the angel had said and took Mary home as his wife, but he avoided sexual relations with her until after the baby was born.
*
It was during this period, while they were still waiting for the baby to arrive, that Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be made of the whole Roman Empire. Everyone was instructed to go to their ancestral home in order to registered, so Joseph and Mary left Nazareth and travelled south to Bethlehem, the city of David, because Joseph was a direct descendent of David.
*
They were still in Bethlehem when the time came for the baby to be born. Mary gave birth to a boy and because there wasn't enough room in the inn she had to wrap him in blankets and lay him to sleep in a feeding trough which had been previously used by the animals.
*
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