Aug 5th

John 19     Jeremiah 33     Acts 23     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

In John 23 the high priest, Ananias, orders those standing near Paul to “strike him on the mouth”.  We may consider such a command somewhat surprising coming from a high ranking official although perhaps not as surprising as Paul’s reply in describing Ananias as a “whitewashed wall” – an accusation of hypocrisy where the illusion is to a dirty wall being made clean by the application of a thin layer of whitewash.

What makes this accusation so surprising is that Paul is addressing the high priest - a man who, in the eyes of the members of the council, was appointed by God.  Paul claims that he did not realise that he was addressing the high priest but it does seem somewhat surprising that he did not know who he was addressing.  Some commentators have suggested that this may have been because of Paul’s poor eyesight or the fact that he simply did not know who he was.  However, others have suggested that the more likely explanation is that Paul was speaking out of irony i.e. that he could not believe that such an order could come from a man who purported to be the high priest.

All three of today’s passages remind us of the way in which violence is often a reaction to those who preach the good news.  In John 19 the soldiers displayed violence against Jesus having placed a crown of thorns on his head and struck him in the face.  Similarly, in Jeremiah 33, the words of comfort spoken by the prophet came to him when he was in prison.

No confinement or violence can deprive God's people of His presence.  Indeed it is often in such conditions that God’s grace abounds and we find our greatest strength in Him.

(member of the PCC)

Aug 4th

John 18     Jeremiah 32     Acts 22     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

I love the whole Peter thing. Here is someone who has broken their word and betrayed their Master, someone who has let God down, someone who is fearful and whose faith evaporates at a moment’s notice, someone who, when it comes to the crunch, puts their own interests first, ahead of not only friends, but of Jesus Himself. And what’s more it is not a fluke: Peter keeps on doing it. It looks like we are dealing with a treacherous, unreliable, selfish wimp of the first order.

And how did Jesus manage to get lumbered with this spectacularly unpromising member of His team?

In Matthew 4: 18-19 we read that Peter was Jesus’ first-pick in a recruitment campaign of shockingly naïve simplicity:  “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.”

Peter is chosen by God. No matter what Peter is like, no matter what Peter has done (or will do) Peter is unconditionally embraced by God, loved by God and forgiven by God. And we know what’s coming next: Peter will be empowered by the Holy Spirit and used by God in ways that Peter could never have imagined possible.

Many of us have much in common with Peter. Try substituting your own name for ‘Peter’ into this reflection and seeing how much fits.

 (member of the congregation)