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1. The Face of the Eagle

Each of the four gospel writers presents Jesus from the perspective of one of the four faces of the cherubim. The most commonly accepted view is that Matthew presents Jesus as the lion, the designated King of the Jews, Mark presents him as the ox emphasising his diligence and unrelenting service, Luke presents him as Son of Man with a focus on his human descent, and John presents the spiritual perspective, the eagle flying high in the sky above the earth.

Readings: Numbers 32; Proverbs 23; John 5

Our time at the table of our Lord Jesus, meditating upon his precious words and taking bread and wine in remembrance of his loving self-sacrifice, are intended to encourage and strengthen us in enduring the trials of this life. The state of the world today, both at a personal and national level, is becoming ever darker as divine standards of morality and behaviour are flouted and the international situation, again becomes increasingly dangerous.

About four hundred years have passed since the work of the prophets after the exile (Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). Indeed, the sun had gone down on the prophets (Micah 3:6). There had been no open visions, it seems. However, as time passed the faithful in the nation of Israel were still looking for Messiah. Time had passed and, according to some calculations, the time for the fulfilment of Daniel’s Seventy Week prophecy (Daniel 9:24) was about to be fulfilled.

Reading : Psalm 37:1-11

The word “joy” is rather an old fashioned one, one that we wouldn’t tend to use in everyday conversation. It describes a subjective emotion, a feeling difficult to describe or to share with another. However, with the modern concerns over mental health, people are beginning to appreciate the benefits of considering positive emotions such as happiness, and to talk about them. A gardener recently described the feeling of “absolute joy” she experienced by being in her garden and seeing the results of the labour put into it.

The Apostle Paul remembered the Brothers and Sisters in Galatia with love and affection. Galatia is probably in the centre of what today we call Turkey, and was visited by Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. They had travelled through the island of Cyprus and then, because Paul was unwell, they crossed the sea to Turkey and went up to the higher regions. This is a very interesting comment which he made in chapter 4, where he wrote, “You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus,” (vv. 11-14).

Readings: Numbers 12-13; Proverbs 8-9; Luke 22

Surprisingly, we do not very often have an exhortation which examines the characters and events which took place during the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples. So, I am going to try to remedy this omission (if it is one) and look at that thirty-six-hour period before and during this memorial meal that Jesus instituted. Jesus uses words in the upper room which really sets the tone of this crucial period in his ministry and helps us to understand what is in his mind at this time.

In Luke 13:18 Jesus asks the rhetorical question: “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?” He then answers his own question by comparing the kingdom to a grain of mustard seed: “which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches” (v.19, NKJV). What a contrast between the small beginnings and the enormous end towards which the process of growth is directed. A vast tree grows out of a tiny seed. The meaning of the simile is clear: the Kingdom begins with one man, Jesus; he gathers around him twelve apostles. Together they make converts in Galilee and Judea consisting mainly of the poor, social outcasts and penitent sinners.

Both the parable of the rich fool, and the incident which gave rise to it, are recorded only in Luke's Gospel. Jesus was preaching to "an innumerable multitude of people" (Luke 12:1), teaching them, amongst other things, to put their trust in God and to fear Him: "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (vv. 6-7).

Contrary to the attitude which Jesus was endeavouring to instil in his listeners, a man from the crowd confronted him with a personal, materialistic matter:

"Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." (v. 13).