i call you by name
Winston Churchill once said, ‘Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.’ With many qualities and different tasks there are different ways of achieving the initial aim.
This evening our readings (Isaiah 43:1-7 & Matt 7:13-27) give 2 apparently different thoughts about calling and conversion. The reading from Matthew offers the teaching of Jesus as he offers those listening some stark and difficult choices. First there is the advice to enter through the narrow gate, not to take the easy option, and try entering through the wider gate. Then there is the advice to beware of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, and of how a tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Jesus goes on to offer thoughts about those who genuinely want to follow him, and the dangers of calling on him when it’s too late. Finally in this section there is the well known account of the wise man building his house upon a rock while the foolish man builds his house on the sand.
This teaching has formed the basis for many preachers speaking about the need for conversion – many of these texts have been used to confront listeners with a need to make a decision for Jesus, and make it quickly.
Today perhaps we have moved away from such blunt teaching a little, but these passages still have a lot to offer us. In an increasingly secular society it is very easy to go along with the flow of current thinking, perhaps to allow the name of Christ to be removed from Christmas, perhaps to allow schools to ignore teaching of Christianity, perhaps to think it is polite to keep our faith to ourselves. Each of these are ways in which we perhaps are trying to enter the kingdom of God through the wide entrance, not through the difficulty of the narrow gate.
And what about false prophets today – wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing ? Well, perhaps these are the people, often outside but sometimes even inside the Church, who speak about political correctness, the sort of political correctness which so often excludes any talk of Jesus. And it’s easy for us to fall in the trap of a society that it is so liberal that it often excludes anything that may risk being defined as normal or standard – it seems that minority interests rule in everything…
And then there is the rock and the sand – we live in a wonderful society where there are shortcuts for almost everything – houses and offices and factories are built in no time, changes can be made overnight by the click of a computer button, but Jesus is making it clear that there is no shortcut in our relationship with him. And that is the truth of each of these sections of the passage we have heard. Jesus is reminding people that following him won’t be easy, that commitment to his teaching will result in some tough choices.
And it’s important that we too remember that the teaching is for us. Jesus doesn’t suggest that following him will be easy in any age. We may not risk persecution for our faith, but we must consider what we are asked to give, what we are asked to commit.
As we begin a new year, it’s a wonderful time to ask ourselves some of these questions, and perhaps make some sort of decision to do something different with regard to our faith. Faith is a long journey but the one fact that can never be denied is that faith is a continually moving part of our lives. Throughout our lives we continue this journey, sometimes hitting walls, but always seeking to get closer to God…
And whilst it is easy to use these passages as opportunities to threaten people with eternal damnation, and many people have done that, it is worth at this point looking back at the reading from Isaiah… This is really strange in some ways – so often the Old Testament offers frightening accounts of death and destruction and the wrath of God, and the New Testament and the life of Jesus puts that into some sort of context and softens things for us a bit, tonight we have things the other way around.
Whilst the readings from Matthew offer these thoughts about making a decision and making it urgently, Isaiah offers us some sort of context… Yes, it is important that a decision is made, and yes, it is important that we consider the teaching of Jesus, and the lessons it offers us today. And we must never forget that Jesus has said it won’t be easy to follow him with the commitment he desires and certainly deserves, but Isaiah reminds us how God has chosen us and of how he will protect us all the days of our life.
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine’ writes Isaiah, and what a wonderful reminder this is to us that we need have no fear in our choice to follow Jesus – God is so desperate for us to follow him because he is a God of love and a God of compassion.
We may have challenges, we may run into problems in our faith and our discipleship, but this passage from Isaiah is one to truly treasure, because it is our assurance that God will never leave us. We have to make a choice for God, but he is waiting for us with open arms.
The story of the Prodigal Son is well known and it’s one that reminds us perfectly of how God feels about each one of us. Of course, the prodigal son goes away and wastes money on an immoral life. Finally when he has nothing he decides, as a last resort, to go back and seek his father’s help, but when he gets there he doesn’t have to beg – he doesn’t have to prove himself again.
In fact, it is quite the contrary – before the son even reaches the house, the father is preparing the feast – before he knows what the son has to say for himself, he is there waiting with open arms. His first thought isn’t of recrimination but of love, and that is how God treats us all.
Yes, we have to turn to follow him, and yes, there will be difficult times, but God is always there, and always ready to greet us with open arms.
As we go through this year, and through our lives, may we continually turn our faces to God, so that we can enjoy his welcome and greeting and share the love that he offers. AMEN
This evening our readings (Isaiah 43:1-7 & Matt 7:13-27) give 2 apparently different thoughts about calling and conversion. The reading from Matthew offers the teaching of Jesus as he offers those listening some stark and difficult choices. First there is the advice to enter through the narrow gate, not to take the easy option, and try entering through the wider gate. Then there is the advice to beware of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, and of how a tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Jesus goes on to offer thoughts about those who genuinely want to follow him, and the dangers of calling on him when it’s too late. Finally in this section there is the well known account of the wise man building his house upon a rock while the foolish man builds his house on the sand.
This teaching has formed the basis for many preachers speaking about the need for conversion – many of these texts have been used to confront listeners with a need to make a decision for Jesus, and make it quickly.
Today perhaps we have moved away from such blunt teaching a little, but these passages still have a lot to offer us. In an increasingly secular society it is very easy to go along with the flow of current thinking, perhaps to allow the name of Christ to be removed from Christmas, perhaps to allow schools to ignore teaching of Christianity, perhaps to think it is polite to keep our faith to ourselves. Each of these are ways in which we perhaps are trying to enter the kingdom of God through the wide entrance, not through the difficulty of the narrow gate.
And what about false prophets today – wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing ? Well, perhaps these are the people, often outside but sometimes even inside the Church, who speak about political correctness, the sort of political correctness which so often excludes any talk of Jesus. And it’s easy for us to fall in the trap of a society that it is so liberal that it often excludes anything that may risk being defined as normal or standard – it seems that minority interests rule in everything…
And then there is the rock and the sand – we live in a wonderful society where there are shortcuts for almost everything – houses and offices and factories are built in no time, changes can be made overnight by the click of a computer button, but Jesus is making it clear that there is no shortcut in our relationship with him. And that is the truth of each of these sections of the passage we have heard. Jesus is reminding people that following him won’t be easy, that commitment to his teaching will result in some tough choices.
And it’s important that we too remember that the teaching is for us. Jesus doesn’t suggest that following him will be easy in any age. We may not risk persecution for our faith, but we must consider what we are asked to give, what we are asked to commit.
As we begin a new year, it’s a wonderful time to ask ourselves some of these questions, and perhaps make some sort of decision to do something different with regard to our faith. Faith is a long journey but the one fact that can never be denied is that faith is a continually moving part of our lives. Throughout our lives we continue this journey, sometimes hitting walls, but always seeking to get closer to God…
And whilst it is easy to use these passages as opportunities to threaten people with eternal damnation, and many people have done that, it is worth at this point looking back at the reading from Isaiah… This is really strange in some ways – so often the Old Testament offers frightening accounts of death and destruction and the wrath of God, and the New Testament and the life of Jesus puts that into some sort of context and softens things for us a bit, tonight we have things the other way around.
Whilst the readings from Matthew offer these thoughts about making a decision and making it urgently, Isaiah offers us some sort of context… Yes, it is important that a decision is made, and yes, it is important that we consider the teaching of Jesus, and the lessons it offers us today. And we must never forget that Jesus has said it won’t be easy to follow him with the commitment he desires and certainly deserves, but Isaiah reminds us how God has chosen us and of how he will protect us all the days of our life.
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine’ writes Isaiah, and what a wonderful reminder this is to us that we need have no fear in our choice to follow Jesus – God is so desperate for us to follow him because he is a God of love and a God of compassion.
We may have challenges, we may run into problems in our faith and our discipleship, but this passage from Isaiah is one to truly treasure, because it is our assurance that God will never leave us. We have to make a choice for God, but he is waiting for us with open arms.
The story of the Prodigal Son is well known and it’s one that reminds us perfectly of how God feels about each one of us. Of course, the prodigal son goes away and wastes money on an immoral life. Finally when he has nothing he decides, as a last resort, to go back and seek his father’s help, but when he gets there he doesn’t have to beg – he doesn’t have to prove himself again.
In fact, it is quite the contrary – before the son even reaches the house, the father is preparing the feast – before he knows what the son has to say for himself, he is there waiting with open arms. His first thought isn’t of recrimination but of love, and that is how God treats us all.
Yes, we have to turn to follow him, and yes, there will be difficult times, but God is always there, and always ready to greet us with open arms.
As we go through this year, and through our lives, may we continually turn our faces to God, so that we can enjoy his welcome and greeting and share the love that he offers. AMEN
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