Reflection for 8th September 2024The Fifteenth Sunday After TrinityIsaiah 35.4–7a, James 2.1-10 [11-13] 14-17, Mark 7.24–37A long time ago, someone asked me if the phrase "we are not fit to eat the crumbs under your table" was still used during communion. Of course, I said yes, they are. This person proceeded to express their dislike for that particular aspect, claiming it made them feel rejected, worthless, and an outsider. Back then, I was a bit of a new Christian, and I didn’t really know how to answer them. So, I fell silent. Unusual, I know!Of course, now I can see that the words derive from Mark 7 and that they show God’s amazing grace and mercy to us. But hold on a second, don't we see at first glance in this passage a woman putting Jesus in his place, and Jesus responding, well, in a less than loving manner? It’s an odd passage, isn’t it? Yet, as with everything in the scriptures, the meaning has several layers. Let’s look at the healing part first.At first glance, this passage recounts more of Jesus' healing miracles. We see the demon-possessed daughter freed, and a man's hearing and speech restored. From a modern perspective, we may observe these healings, and conclude that they occurred in the past due to their lack of access to modern medicine, or we may believe that God performed these healings in a different manner than He does today. So, it’s intriguing but not really relevant to us today.Both thoughts couldn’t be farther from the truth. However, we must be careful when it comes to healing, as it can become quite a rabbit hole from which some never escape. I think there is a warning here that sometimes we expect God to heal us in the way we want, not in the way God wants for us. It is not for us to question how or when God heals, as sometimes He withholds His healing for something greater to flourish. 2 Corinthians 4 reminds us to “not lose heart. Despite our outward deterioration, we experience daily renewal within. For our light and momentary troubles, we are achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Therefore, we focus our attention not on the visible, but on the invisible, as the visible is fleeting, while the invisible endures forever. That’s the real healing—to have our inner beings daily transformed and renewed by the love of God as we journey towards eternal life.However, Jesus' miracle healings not only show God's grace at work, but they also demonstrate what God's salvific plan and kingdom really look like. Now, let's examine the underlying meaning of the passage. When Jesus said, "First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs," he deliberately used the same words to describe the gentiles as the Jews did at the time. The Jews thought that God’s salvation was for them alone and so viewed the gentiles as unclean, like dogs, excluded from God’s kingdom. Yet Jesus went to Tyre, a non-Jewish territory, to show a glimpse of God's restoration plan outside Israel. So, when he calls the woman a dog, Jesus uses the words of the Jews to put them in their place, to show how narrow their view of the saving God is. No one can question their status in God's kingdom. Jesus demonstrated this fact with healing, showing a sign that God is working everywhere. And so is God working everywhere in the world today and in us. The statement ‘we are not fit to eat the crumbs under your table’ evoked a sense of worthlessness in the person I mentioned earlier. The point is that although we know ourselves to be unworthy in the light of what Jesus has done for us, through Christ God sees everyone as worthy of His love and offer of salvation. Just as Jesus shared the good news with the Gentiles, we too have the responsibility to spread God’s love to everyone. We should extend a warm welcome to everyone, guiding them towards God—not just those we consider pure, but also those who are unclean, marginalized, lost, and without hope. The bonus of this work is that not only do we see lives changed and transformed but also our own lives, our own relationship with God, transformed, filled with joy, and healed through His grace and love. Blessings and prayers, Emma
Reflection for 4th August 2024The Tenth Sunday After TrinityExodus 16.2-4, 9-15, Ephesians 4.1-16, John 6.24-35I was in a shop the other day when I heard a little girl shout at her mother, “But I NEED it! I WANT it NOW!" The mother, slightly embarrassed, said, “You’ll have to wait for your birthday next week." Unsurprisingly, this did not go down with the little girl, who proceeded to cry as if her whole world had just crumbled down. Each of us has probably seen or experienced scenes like this. We can all understand the pain of a child demanding something they want but can’t have right away. We also understand that the child will hopefully learn to distinguish between need and want as they grow up. Such awareness develops through discipline and experience with how life works. However, there is a spiritual yearning in all of us for something we need and want, but for some, we may not be able to articulate or even accept it.Need and want are both themes that run through the readings. In Exodus, the people wander through the desert while fleeing from Egypt. The crowd is in a state of crisis because of their hunger, to the point where they are literally starving. Like all groups of people, they start complaining bitterly to their leaders, Moses and Aaron, that they have been brought out here to die. I always wonder at this point: Where is the people’s faith in God? They had not long ago had their thirst quenched by water flowing miraculously from a boulder struck by Moses. Why were they grumbling again? Had they forgotten God’s care for them so quickly? Despite their lack of faith, God does hear the cries of His children and promises to provide bread from heaven. Quails are strangely migrating across their path. However, verse 4 reminds us that with the gifts comes a test. God will see if the people will obey God's instructions or not, which include the command to only gather as much as they need to eat (verse 16) and not leave any for the next day (verses 19–20). Of course, they do not obey, and their lack of obedience tests the patience of both Moses and God. It appears, however, that the disobedience is not solely due to stubbornness or defiance; they simply do not know God enough to trust Him.John's reading further explores this lack of sufficient knowledge to trust God. In this passage, a crowd of people has chased down Jesus because they want to see more godly signs and want Jesus to become their king. Although they need Jesus as king, their reasons are wrong. They wanted a political king who would free them from their oppressors, just like Moses did in the Exodus. Jesus, however, wanted to open up their understanding of the fact that the new Passover, the new Exodus, was taking place right in front of them, and that He was leading it. This is why Jesus' rebukes appeared almost churlish, as the crowd was on the verge of crowning him king. When people referred to Moses leading the Jews in the Exodus, they meant a journey from oppressive governments to political liberation. Jesus points out that during the Exodus, God provided not only physical nourishment by dropping bread from the sky but also spiritual nourishment, which kept alive their faith and hope. However, Jesus would provide something far greater and deeper than political freedom or spiritual sustenance. In contrast to what the crowds expected, Jesus will rule in a different way. The crowd was unaware that they had just witnessed the feeding of the five thousand, which was a prelude to the true nourishment they would receive from the Son of Man, Jesus himself. We know that Jesus would go on to offer His life for all on the cross, bringing them freedom from sin and into true relationship with God. Jesus is the true bread from heaven, the food they and we really need and should want.The crowd did not realize that who Jesus is was more important than what he could do for them. In verse 27, Jesus is the one for whom "God the Father has set his seal." Like a goldsmith with a hallmark or like a king with his great seal, God has stamped Jesus with a mark that declares not only where he comes from but that he carries his authority. Jesus bears the marks of what he is doing by providing care, preaching the coming of God’s kingdom, and healing the sick—actions that say this is the kind of thing that, in Israel’s scriptures, God himself does. Verse 35, the climactic conclusion of the passage, reveals this point with the first of the famous 'I am' sayings in John's gospel, "I am the bread of life." Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." God is imposing a demand on both the people and us: while we may feed them with bread and fish until they recognize who Jesus truly is, a deep hunger within them remains unsatisfied.Believing in Jesus requires a change of heart away from what we think we want or need. This requires a yearning heart that is open to discipline, obedience, and acceptance of who Jesus truly is—the saviour and true king of our lives. Although faith in Jesus will never remain untested, God assures us that even in the midst of seemingly meaningless troubles and trials, there are deep purposes for Him at work, and He calls us to faith obedience. He invites us to actively offer the little we have, for He will provide the resources we need because God chooses to work through and with us. Are you ready to face the true nature of Jesus in a fresh perspective? This will help you understand what he can do for you. Make verse 34 your prayer: "Sir, give us this bread always" to meet your deepest needs. Blessings and prayers, Emma
THE FLYFORDS COFFEE MORNING Is on the Second Thursday of each month for all members of the community. We look forward to seeing you Anytime between 10am - 12.30pm at the FLYFORDS HALL, GRAFTON FLYFORD. An opportunity for a chat, a cuppa and cake with friends, in a safe environment. Plenty of room for parking and easy access to the hall. Simply come along on the day. Bring a friend - we look forward to seeing you!
