St. Luke's, Ramsgate

The present pandemic has led to some very strange economic behaviour - especially the government furlough scheme.

In this story that Jesus tells, Jesus teaches the disciples about the economics of the Kingdom of Heaven. The landowner in the parable gives full pay to workers who do almost nothing - a bit like furlough!

How many times are we to forgive others? How big a sin is still forgivable? Jesus's answer to these questions is radical, so he tells a story to help us understand why as Christians it is essential that we always forgive.

How do you help a fellow Christian who is caught up in a serious sin, perhaps even one that is harming you? Jesus lays out some practical teaching based on some key principles...

What key principles of being church do we need to hold onto in this period of change? Why does Jesus talk about the angels of 'the little ones' in heaven? Does the parable of 'the Lost Sheep' in Matthew have the same application as the one in Luke's gospel?

The disciples ask Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus's response is radical and paradoxical: he places a little child in their midst and tells them that you have to lower yourself to the level of a little child to be in the Kingdom of Heaven. He then goes on to give some very strong warnings...

As Peter finishes his letter to the scattered and under pressure small Christian communities, he reminds them of the living hope that they have in the resurrected Christ and calls them to lives of humility, because "God gives grace to the humble."

Sometimes as Christians we can face pressure from the world around to give up on our faith. In some places this can even mean death. So, how can we flourish as Christians when faced with such pressure? Peter gives us some great reasons.

As Christians we are called to be finished with sin by being willing to face the ridicule and pressure of those we used to hang around with. This is to live for God. 

​Yet, God does not leave us alone in the world he gives us a Christian community to embrace.

Who or what do you fear? Fear controls and drives our lives in many ways. In the midst of a scary world, Peter encourages us to fear God and shows us what this looks like in practice.

Peter continues to explore how as Christians we are to live among those who have rejected Christ. In this passage he focuses on wives with non-Christian husbands. Once again the model is Christ.