John 14 vs 1 - 14

“We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,

full of grace and truth”

These words from John’s Gospel tell of the most tremendous, transforming experience in John’s long life. They speak to us of the glory of the man who became John’s Lord and Master, a glory that John saw each and every day in the company of Jesus in the same way as the Apostle Peter also saw it.

For both men the glory they saw was life-changing, just as it was for St Paul on the road to Damascus. It was something never- to- be- forgotten and an experience about which all three wrote. And they were not alone.

The shepherds experienced a heavenly display on a hillside above Bethlehem. Their terror changed to awe and wonder, once they had been reassured by the Angels they met, following which they were able go into the town to see that God had been born in glory as an infant a stable.

Today we are told that Christmas is for children and so, in a purely secular and commercial way, it tends to be.  But the real Christmas is for everyone, young, middle-aged and elderly unlike. None are excluded. The account of the birth of Jesus and its sequel is a message of hope, real hope, for us all.

As such it is also a reason for thanksgiving for us all. This is because there are no exclusions. There are no requirements to be born great, intelligent or lucky. Nor do we have to work for the hope that is God’s gift to all mankind.

All that is needful to avail ourselves of the hope of Christmas and beyond, is to open our ears and eyes and hearts what God is saying to us ,what in other words he wants us to hear see and do. We need nothing more.

When in due time Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple as required by Jewish law, they were met by Simeon. He was now a very old man and had waited all his life for this one day.  Now he saw the hope and glory given by God to mankind. Now he could at last depart in peace having seen God’s plan for man’s salvation in the form of a little child.

Simeon is an encouragement to us all and a person worth thinking about.  Firstly he teaches that it is never too late. Some are fit, others perhaps not so; some of us are at peace, others have worries; some grieve, while others rejoice; but we all have one thing in common.  One day we will stand before God when our sojourn here comes to its end. But the question for us is this:  ‘Will we be able to speak as Simeon did?’

For some the answer is a resounding ‘NO’ because fear or ignorance rules where love should abide.  Jesus invites us to take into our lives the love he offers along with the reassurance that it abides for ever.

John also confirms that those who receive Jesus, those that is, who hear and accept his Word, can become sons and daughters of God.  That is a truly amazing state of affairs which only requires our positive response in order to become a present reality.

 “Lord Jesus I believe, help thou my unbelief.”

Jesus is the child whose coming into the world we celebrate on this day.  He is the crucified and risen Lord through whom God reveals his love which he shares with us if we allow it.

‘His love has no limit, his grace has no measure,

His power has no boundary known unto man.

For out of his manifest riches in Jesus

He giveth and giveth and giveth again.”

May that love enable us all to see that what John Wesley said is true –

“THE BEST OF ALL IS GOD IS WITH US”

and may we be able to say with St John “WE BEHELD HIS GLORY”

In the world, not of it

In the world, not of it.

Let us look at two men and see what happens when a new approach is offered to them.

Here is a young man inquiring about heaven. He is wedded to the wealth he has accumulated but, by asking Jesus about heaven, he invites a different perspective.

The world admires him for his wealth and, as a result, it rewards him with status. However, Jesus says, “No, do not be beguiled by your wealth; instead give it away because it is clouding your vision.” Sadly the young man goes away disappointed because is it is not what he wanted to hear.

Contrast him with Zacchaeus who, when called to do so, abandoned his elevated position and his wealth in order to entertain Jesus. As a result he begins his journey towards the kingdom of God and the life to come.

In the world’s view status, power and wealth are what work for mankind. They do so because they do indeed have their own rewards in the here and now. However they all too frequently prevent those who cling to them from forming a view of what lies beyond the immediate.

It is when we introduce love that a new perspective is capable of emerging and it is one which offers a completely different outlook. It is a dynamic and radical alternative because it allows us a freedom which infiltrates all aspects of our lives. Why is that and how does it come about?

Let us look first at what wealth demands from those who inherit or set out to accumulate it.

Wealth requires that we attend to its needs. We must monitor its size to see if it is growing or declining. We are required to examine the strength of its performance and to change its location if appropriate. Another task is to keep track of the performance of our portfolio compared with those of others whom we regard as our peers or betters. In other words wealth demands that we spend time with it and worry over all aspects of its well-being.

Wealth also brings responsibilities and the larger the sums we accumulate, the greater the burden we carry. Not least, wealth insists on our attention to it while at the same time making us the focus of the attention of others. We become the subject of scrutiny by those who view us as perspective customers for their services or products, as well as those who see us as potential allies or investors in their enterprises or activities. We also become the target of those who see us as competitors in the race for status.

We appear on lists, both public and private, which determine whether we are worthy of an invitation to this or that event. We are also assessed to see whether we should be offered greater status, a higher position perhaps, because our wealth justifies it.

Here we have arrived at the nub of the matter. We are listed, courted and feted, not for who we are, but for what we have acquired. Our wealth, in reality, comes to own us, not the other way round.

That reality dictates where we live, where we holiday, with whom we spend our time and what activities we engage in. We become the servants of the status imposed on us in the eyes of others. We can enjoy the power and privilege that status provides but how carefully do we consider the price exacted by it which is, emphatically, not quantifiable in monetary terms.

I am reminded of the experience of a friend who encountered a very wealthy and successful businessman who was approaching the last week of his life. In the quiet of the early hours one morning he confided to my friend, who sat beside his bed to listen, that he had wasted his life. That was because he had done nothing to prepare for death and now he thought it too late.

This was his soul’s response to a life lived not only in this world but also totally of this world. His wealth, his power as chairman of several companies and his status, exemplified by a knighthood, these were the controlling influences in his life. Fortunately for that man, he was in the company of someone who was able to bring him face to face with a different eternal reality. In a very real sense God sent him an angel.

“Be in the world not of the world” was the advice given by Jesus - but how exactly do we do that?

By surrendering what we are and have, to the blazing light of love because, in the process, we discover our true destiny. Where power sees wealth as a ladder to status, love sees it as opening the door to generosity of heart and a spirit of compassion. Where status seeks the highest rung on wealth’s ladder, love seeks to find where it can be of service. Love transforms our perceived right to wealth into a vision of the trust that wealth places upon us.

If we let it, love will teach us to surrender to the desire for wealth and to let what we have speak through us of the generosity and compassion that God requires us to show to the world of which we are a part.