Archive for the “Matthew” category
He gave the impossible
by i.burgess on November 23, 2011
They need not go away; you give them something to eat. Two weeks ago I posted a short reflection on Matthew 14, where Jesus feeds the five thousand. At that time I was most struck by the huge demand Jesus placed on his disciples, rowing across lakes and ministering to the sick and giving out [...]
He asked the impossible
by i.burgess on November 9, 2011
“They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” So says Jesus to his followers. They went to him after a busy day preaching and ministering in a remote place. There was no food there for the people who came, and so the disciples thought it was time to end the day so [...]
On Being a Terrible Evangelist
by i.burgess on April 29, 2011
Jesus Christ rose from the dead, defeating death and having been crowned firstborn over all creation he met his disciples. Back where it all began, Jesus meets his friends again to give them a new mission. The first time around, Jesus was the missionary in the world. After the resurrection, the Spirit falls on his followers [...]
Tables Turned
by i.burgess on April 18, 2011
Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the day when the church traditionally celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem for the final time. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ journey towards Jerusalem forms a significant theme in his recording of his ministry. Luke 9:51, Jesus ‘set his face’ toward Jerusalem. This centre of first century Palestine. The capital, the concentrated centre [...]
Christianity offers you nothing but Christ
by i.burgess on January 31, 2011
“About 12,000 Jews died that day, only a few of the Romans… many died within the temple itself. General Pompey took the fighting right into the temple with his army and saw all the sacred things which none but the High Priests could see. They saw the golden table, and lamp stand and all the [...]
Blessed are the pure in heart
by i.burgess on January 23, 2011
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. What does this mean? Does this mean that God doesn’t reveal himself to sinners? In that case, the Gospel is meaningless and our faith ought to be in our own ability to do right. If purity of heart means simply a heart which has [...]
Blessed are the Peacemakers
by i.burgess on January 23, 2011
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9) Many separatist and marginal Christian traditions throughout church history have been referred to as ‘peace churches’. The Quakers, Mennonites, Anabaptists and others all have been associated with nonviolent resistance and conscientious objection in their histories. In my view, they connect to a strong movement of the [...]
Blessed are the Merciful
by i.burgess on January 21, 2011
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Does this contradict the previous point, for what is mercy if not the mitigation of the expectation of righteousness? When I have heard teaching on God’s mercy, I have been told that is it the relenting of God from his own righteous indignation. In other words, [...]
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
by i.burgess on January 20, 2011
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6) I came across an article this morning from the BBC. Allow me to quote: An army commander in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been accused of leading the recent mass rape of at least 50 women. One of [...]
The Meek
by i.burgess on January 18, 2011
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5) I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard men whinge that the Church is too effeminate and emasculating. To be fair, I agree to a certain extent with that statement but still the objection is often raised that Jesus never advocated that [...]
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