Hebrews 10:12 & Hebrews 11:13-16

This morning, we are going to think about the way the cross straddles the whole of time – past present and future. The Christian calendar (although not totally accurate) puts the cross at the centre of history: History, is His Story. All that happens before it, leads to it, and all that follows, leads out of it. That’s why Easter is the most important Christian festival. The cross happened at a particular historical moment, but the effect of the cross straddles all time.

1 John 2:1-2

Crucifixion was a brutal and humiliating means of execution. Some of you may have seen various films that try to capture something of the horror in the death of Jesus on the cross. Here was an innocent man, brutalised and desecrated. But we all know we live in a world where the most terrible things happen. Innocent people face death in ways that beggar’s belief. It’s impossible to compare one terrible death with another. The New Testament does not claim that the death of Jesus was anymore brutal then the death of the two condemned men that hang either side of Him. In fact the, it puts very little emphasis on the physicality of the cross. No sordid details, really. Just a skeleton of an account of His crucifixion. 
Much more attention is put on the spirituality of the cross.

Mark 15:34, 2 Corinthians 5:19 & John 14:9-10

...And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

This is often referred to as, "the cry of abandonment." Perceived to be the cry of the God-forsaken Christ, Even the use of Eloi captures a change of relationship between Jesus and His Father. It’s a formal name rather than the more intimate one that Jesus uses at other times. As with the story of Abraham, and his intended sacrifice of his son Isaac, the whole idea of a Father abandoning his son is one that people struggle with. So what exactly is going on here?

Romans 3:21-31

I have never had to go to court to answer for something I have done or been accused of. In the New Testament, the cross is often pictured in the context of someone being in court, standing accused, and awaiting judgement. 

Peter 1:17-21 & Romans 6:15-18

For lots of people, the cross remains a mystery. For some it’s simply a nonsense, whilst others might see it as lucky charm. What it is, though, is hard to avoid. 
It’s featured in all kinds of art, drawn, painted, engraved, worn, it can be a visible sign of faith as well as a reminder of the role that Christianity has played in the history of not only this nation but so many across the globe. Many churches are built in the shape of a cross and most would have some kind of symbolic representation. Even football players cross themselves as they run onto the pitch and for many crossing themselves is a symbolic way of sanctifying their actions. It can be powerful and it can be sanitised to such an extent that it loses its impact. 
All of which is amazing when we consider the cross to be a place of execution.

The Tax Collectior
What a contrast these two characters make, the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Jesus often use that particular technique in his teaching, especially in his parables. He would often take extreme examples. It was a good way of making his point clear. And in this particular parable, Jesus does just that. We have two characters here, who are poles apart. Jesus has deliberately chosen to put them in that place.

The Lost Sheep
There’s no shadow you won’t light up,
mountain you won’t climb up, coming after me.
There’s no wall you won’t kick down,
 lie you won’t tear down, coming after me.

          (Reckless Love - Cory Asbury)

This parable, and the song, tell the story of a shepherd who stops at nothing to find his sheep. It defies all logic, all reason – it makes no sense. If you have 99 sheep, why on earth would you risk everything to find that one that ran away? The simple answer is love. Undeniable, totally reckless, love. No matter what goes on, no matter what we do the reckless love that God has for us will never give up. No matter how lost we get, our shepherd is coming after us. 

The Growing Seed

When I was growing, as a child, there were certain things I didn’t enjoy doing with my parents. I had a very fortunate childhood with lots of wonderful memories but my biggest nemesis would invariably be any form of visit to a garden centre. 

Anywhere looking and wandering around plants and flowers was the dullest thing to me and a garden centre was the place where my parents could spend hours on a Saturday afternoon. As a child, too young to be left home alone, these aren’t fun places to be. No such thing as ball pits, soft play or coffee and cake back in my day.

However, fast forward 40 years and, against all the possible odds, I have become my parents. I have become a lover of the garden centre and, most of all, the garden and anything floral, green and natural in it. I am easily at my happiest when browsing for new plants or taking a cheeky cutting in a park, looking for possibilities of life in the garden and, dare I say it, even a very recent visit to Wisley in Surrey was an absolute joy.

Forgiveness
Forgiveness is such a key aspect for living a Christian life. Firstly, and mostly God sent His one and only Son Jesus to take on human form to be tortured, beat, mocked, and crucified so that He could take all our sin upon Himself as an ultimate way of showing love and forgiveness.

And He calls us to forgive

The Invited Guests

This week we are having a closer look at five of the parables of Jesus. We have five different contributors reflecting on five different parables. 

I really value the parables of Jesus, they contain so much; deliberately funny, thought-provoking, and challenging. So often we see the disciples confused by the point Jesus was making but, of course, the disciple will work at trying to grasp what Jesus is saying. Growing through the thinking and struggling. Grasping more about the kingdom, which is not fully graspable.

One of the pictures of the kingdom Jesus uses, is the picture of the feast; The Banquet. People gathered around, eating and celebrating, enjoying the best that life offers in food, drink and company. It’s a picture that speaks of generosity, hospitality, welcome. These are never grabbed meals, fast-food, watching calories. These meals are banquets, taking time to celebrate, enjoy, experience abundance, laughter and beauty.