St Barnabas Jericho

“Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6. 1)

In this world of social media and e-communication, we often feel forced to announce what we are doing in order to reassure other people that we are doing it, or as it now seems to be, to avoid criticism for seemingly not doing something! For example, when I didn’t announce on twitter what I decided to give up or take up for Lent, someone said to me, are you bothering with Lent this year? It is all too easy to assume that just because someone doesn’t announce a sentiment, a prayer, a thought or an action, then they have simply forgotten it. This is a mistake. In fact, announcing something publicly often makes us feel as if we don’t actually need to do what we said we would do.

‘When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat”?’ (John 6. 5)

Jesus, having compassion on the great crowds of people that followed him, saw that they were hungry and he asked one of his followers if he had any thoughts as to a solution. Then one of Jesus’s other disciples saw that one of the children of the crowd had a small amount of bread and fish. Then Jesus blessed the bread and fish and there was sufficient food for the whole crowd. God has enough love and grace for everyone. For five thousand, or many more. This story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand tells of God's endless provision for his people, but crucially, we, like the young boy in the crowd, have our part to play in helping to share it.

“Never be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you be upon earth; therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5. 2)

Some people find small talk difficult. There is an expectation that we have to fill silence with a discussion about the weather. There’s no harm in that. But neither is there any harm in being sparing with words. Sometimes a quiet and considered sentence is worth more than hundreds of words without proper thought. God does not need our small talk. God knows everything that we come to him with: and so we do well to meditate on this verse in the context of our prayer life: even just to sit in the house of the Lord in silence is prayer enough.

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency.” (Micah 7. 18)

Clemency is a beautiful word but not one that we use very often. The hebrew word is "hesed”, which means mercy, kindness or lovingkindness. The idea of God not retaining anger, of God showing forgiveness, kindness and mercy is not a new or foreign concept to any of us. But it is often overlooked, forgotten or ignored, because we find it hard to forgive ourselves. We harbour grudges against each other, we judge each other harshly and we judge ourselves the most harshly of all. But these characteristics are not of God. Rather clemency emanates from the being of God.

‘Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?’ (1 Corinthians 1. 18-23)

It is as if these words were written yesterday. But they were written by St Paul in the early Christian era, around about 60 CE to the Church community in Corinth. We often look for and need guidance and direction from others. But often we only find confusion and contradiction. What are we to do? Later in the same chapter of this letter, we are encouraged to trust in the source of your life. And that is Jesus, who “became for us wisdom from God”. Perhaps in this era we need to trust that the true wisdom comes from God who dwells within?

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55. 1)

This is a positive rally call to trust that God promises a life of abundance and fulfilment if we trust in him. This is a metaphorical invitation to a life of spiritual richness and joy. If we spend time with this image, what does our imagination lead us to think of?

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him” (Mark 1. 25, 26)

Yesterday we saw Jesus thronged with crowds of people. Today we see Jesus taking time by himself, in a deserted place so that he could pray silently. This is not the only time we Jesus escaping the fray to be by himself. But even in the dark of the early morning, the disciples hunt for him until they find him! We can glimpse something of Jesus’s real humanity in verses like this.

“And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him…” (Mark 5. 24)

How often do we come across a verse like this that refers to Jesus’s own situation of vulnerability? Do we stop and reflect on how in demand Jesus was? Did it cause him anxiety or fear or anger, or did he simply take it all in his stride? The phrase “pressed in on him” is quite specific: it does suggest crowding, overcrowding, thronging, suffocating. Jesus was in high demand and it must have been exhausting. Do you ever feel overwhelmed and exhausted? He knows what it feels like.

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. (Romans 2. 1)

It is very easy to judge others on their words or actions and to think that we can do better. It is one of the deepest characteristics of homo sapiens: is to cast aspersions on others and to exclude or to dismiss or deride others. What we are called to do, however, is to let Jesus be the judge, and instead for us to help other people live a better life, by coming alongside them in humility and understanding.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14. 1)

These are the words of Jesus and how calming and comforting they are to a weary soul, to a heart which is in pain and a conscience which is smarting. These words are for us but they are also for us to share with others when they need our support. To believe is simply to allow your mind and heart to come together and for your mind to turn away from doubt and allow the warmth and light of love to come in.