Welcome

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).

Readings: Leviticus 24; Psalms 131-134; Luke 7

In Luke 7, Jesus is busy at work in Galilee. It seems he now lives in the town of Capernaum, the hometown of Peter and others. Capernaum was on the shore of Lake Galilee, where some of the disciples fished for their living.

This study has been tagged an ‘introduction’ because it covers the basics. We are not told who wrote Psalm 119, the longest of the Psalms. Some think Ezra penned it, but others say David, which I prefer. We may be familiar with its construction, but here is a brief reminder. It is divided into 22 sections – each 8 verses long, with each section headed by successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Not only that, but every verse in a section begins with the section letter. This of course is not apparent in any language other than Hebrew, [but in the English King James Version, one section runs very close to it – the section headed Teth (vv. 65-72). So, for English readers only, by making two slight alterations to the KJV we can reproduce the original construction of this section.

Readings: Leviticus 16; Psalm 119:1-40; 2 Corinthians 12-13

In Hebrew, the title Leviticus means, ‘And He called’. It comes from the first word of the book. It is thus a book that concerns all those ‘whom God has called’. So, it is a book for the ‘the called-out ones’. In Leviticus we see the mercy of God in that he is willing to dwell with man, symbolised by the tabernacle, as a dwelling place, and also providing an acceptable way for sinful man to approach God, who cannot look on sin. So, the book details instructions on how sinful man can approach God on the basis of forgiveness of sins, through the offering of various sacrifices and by sanctification, and so obtaining God`s mercy and forgiveness.