17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Pearl

‘The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.’

Matthew 13.45-46

Do you have something that fills you with enthusiasm, so much so that you are willing to make every sacrifice to experience something so wonderful. Jesus tells us that God’s kingdom is like that. But, is it something we think of attaining when we die or are we actively seeking out the God’s Kingdom in the here and now?

‘The Pearl of Great Price’ is perhaps the loveliest of all the images that Jesus uses to describes the Kingdom of Heaven. But don’t look upon this parable as an example of greed. What is important here is the joy of the discovery and the sacrifice that is made to obtain what is of great value.

To be in God’s Kingdom is to perfectly accept his will as our own and then to go and carry out his will in the world, in our day to day lives, however hard and sacrificial that might be. He takes us as we are; unlovely, unreliable, selfish people and offers us the opportunity not only of a lifetime but a life everlasting with Him. If we can live like Jesus, we can be examples of life lived in him, that pearl is God’s Kingdom of love,

Have you given all you have to obtain that Pearl which is the Kingdom of Heaven? If you haven’t, ask yourself, ‘What matters most to me’?

              A charge to keep I have:
              a God to glorify;
              a never-dying soul to save,
              and fit it for the sky;

              To serve the present age,
              my calling to fulfil;
              O may it all my powers engage
              to do my Master's will!

              Help me to watch and pray,
              and on yourself rely,
              so shall I not my trust betray,
              nor love within me die.

Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

The Methodist Church provides worship and devotional resources at www.methodist.org.uk

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Waiting for God, Oh!

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed ears, then the weeds appeared also. 

The owner’s servants came and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
 ‘No.’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may root up the Wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in a bundle to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

                                                                            Matthew 13.24-30

In Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon engage in a variety of discussions and encounters while awaiting Godot. They are not waiting hopefully and, apparently, not for the first time. Godot never arrives. Are we waiting in vain for God?

It often seems like that but in this parable, Jesus teaches us the lesson of patience. Acting impatiently, imprudently and judging in haste will lead to destroying the fragile faith we find in ourselves or in those we seek to bring to God’s kingdom of love. The farmer waits patiently for the harvest and that’s what God’s kingdom is like.

God waits patiently even though he can hardly bear to see the weeds that are the world’s sinfulness. The choice is between calling in the harvest now and risk destroying that which is good along with the bad or delaying judgment compassionately so that more may be rescued in the end. As his servants we should patiently wait with him.

That may look like God is uncaring for or inactive in the world, especially to those say, ‘Why doesn’t God do something.’ But we should point to God’s great act of intervention, the incarnation of his Son. He was full of compassion, totally committed, combating evil victoriously. It was he who encouraged patience because the final downfall of the enemy who sows deceit is yet to come.

              Day of judgment!  Day of wonder!
              Listen to the trumpet’s sound,
              louder than the voice of thunder,
              echoes all creation round:
              God of mercy, God of glory,
              may we then in Christ be found.

               And to those who have confessed him,
              loved and served the Lord below,
              Christ will say, ‘Come now, you blessèd,
              see the kingdom I bestow’.
              God of mercy, friend of sinners,
              we shall then your glory know.

John Newton (1725–1807)

The Methodist Church provides worship and devotional resources at www.methodist.org.uk

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Ears of the Hearer

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13.3b-9

I told a joke. The humourless man didn’t understand and failed to laugh. The timid boy laughed and then stopped because he wasn’t sure that he should be laughing at a time like this. The girl with her eyes on her phone didn’t hear the joke because her mind was focused on other matters. But the woman with a sense of humour, who listen carefully to the joke, laughed and laughed and laughed and couldn’t help but repeat the joke to everyone she met.

Christianity is not about glib, comfortable life lessons. It’s about what God is doing in the world today through his Son and what he wants us to do to bring about his kingdom on earth. The Parable of the Sower shows us how we receive his message and act (or failed to act) upon it. Let’s face it, there have been times when we have received God’s message in each of the four ways described in the parable. We have failed to hear it, or stumbled when things have got tough, or allowed the world’s attractions to distract us. At our best, we listen and learn and understand and our actions produce 30 or 60 or 100 times the results.

It is tough when we study scripture and try to reflect upon God’s work today, but it is our task to think it through and discover it for ourselves. How then do we bring folk to God? What stories can we tell that will encourage people to listen? Matthews’ Gospel is excellently set out to help us.

Whoever has ears to hear, let them listen and laugh and take part in the joy of heaven.

               Master, speak!  Thy servant heareth,
              waiting for thy gracious word,
              longing for thy voice that cheereth;
              Master, let it now be heard.
              I am listening, Lord, for thee;
              what hast thou to say to me?

               Speak to me by name, O Master,
              let me know it is to me;
              speak, that I may follow faster,
              with a step more firm and free,
              where the Shepherd leads the flock
              in the shadow of the rock.

               Master, speak: and make me ready,
              when thy voice is truly heard,
              with obedience glad and steady
              still to follow every word.
              I am listening, Lord, for thee;
              Master, speak!  O speak to me!

Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879)

The Methodist Church provides worship and devotional resources at www.methodist.org.uk

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Bespoke

‘“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”’

Matthew 11.28-30

Especially in the current situation, we seem to be increasingly burdened with the yoke of the cares of this world and are driven to exhaustion and disillusionment trying to live up to its rules. We seek God and do not find him. We exhaust ourselves searching for the truth. Even those who have found faith in Christ are weighed down by what we perceive to be the work of God.


Jesus said, ‘… my yoke is easy and burden is light’ but this doesn’t seem to fit well with what he says elsewhere. Jesus never tells us that following him, and his way of life will be problem-free. Indeed, we can expect to be mocked, abused, cursed, jailed, even killed for his sake. He never hoodwinks us into following him by telling us anything other than what life will be really like as the people of God. So, his words here seem to be at odds with this.


We should remember that Jesus was a master carpenter and he would have tailor-made ox yokes. The Greek word for ‘easy’ also translates as ‘well fitted’ and a yoke that is well fitted makes any burden lighter and easier to carry. The task to which we are appointed in life is bespoke and is founded in love. We will never be given more than that with which we can cope. Consider this – when the rule we are called on to follow is love God and love your neighbour as yourself, there is joy and, in that rule, we can find rest in the warmth of his loving embrace.


                             Jesus, Lord, we look to thee,
                             let us in thy name agree;
                             show thyself the Prince of Peace;
                             bid our jarring conflicts cease.


                             By thy reconciling love,
                             every stumbling-block remove;
                             each to each unite, endear;
                             come, and spread thy banner here.


                             Make us of one heart and mind,
                             courteous, merciful, and kind,
                             lowly, meek in thought and word,
                             altogether like our Lord.


                             Let us for each other care,
                             each the other's burden bear,
                             to thy Church the pattern give,
                             show how true believers live.


                             Free from anger and from pride,
                             let us thus in God abide;
                             all the depth of love express,
                             all the height of holiness.

Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

The Methodist Church provides worship and devotional resources at www.methodist.org.uk