Staying connected with Jesus

Category From the Minister

Grapes are a wonderfully versatile fruit. While being delicious eaten fresh, they form excellent dried fruit (think raisins, sultanas) and their juice forms the basis of many fine table and fortified wines. Grapevines are quite tough and will grow in a variety of climates from cool to warm and in different types of soils. It’s no surprise, then, that grapevines are planted widely across the world.

In the Hebrew Bible the vine is often used as a symbol for Israel (e.g. in Psalm 80). The prophets use the image to illustrate the faithlessness of Israel, showing how God took a vine from Egypt, planted and tended it, and came looking for good grapes yet found either no fruit or wild grapes. As a result, Israel will face God’s judgment.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus calls himself the true vine (John 15:1) who produces the sort of fruit that God seeks. His followers are the branches of the vine. So long as they remain connected to Jesus, the source of their life, they will be fruitful. But if they lose touch with Jesus and his ways, they will become worthless branches only useful for firewood.

While we may become anxious about how fruitful our lives are and how well we are holding onto Jesus, the comforting truth is that Jesus is holding strongly onto us at the same time. The fruit we produce – love, kindness, joy, generosity and so forth – develops as we trust in Jesus and in the presence of God’s Spirit at work in our lives. Grapes tend to come in bunches, so our fruit is more easily seen and appreciated as we work together. What sorts of delicious and satisfying fruit are you and your community producing?

Posted: Friday, April 26, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: John 15:1-8

Encountering Jesus on the road

Category From the Minister

While we normally regard Easter as a happy and joyous celebration, it wasn’t that way for the early followers of Jesus. In most of the stories we have of disciples meeting Jesus after the resurrection, they are portrayed as confused, depressed, doubting and in some cases plain terrified.

The marvellous story of two of these disappointed disciples trudging home after the events of Easter starts with this familiar tone. Luke writes that they look sad and gloomy, their hopes of a brighter and better future with Jesus firmly dashed by the events of black Friday. They are joined by a mysterious fellow traveller on the road and get to talking about their recent experiences. Their new friend listens patiently to their story before gently urging them to see the Scriptures that speak about the Messiah differently.

The two invite the friend to share an evening meal with them and as he takes bread, blesses it and breaks it, suddenly they recognise that their friend is none other than Jesus, risen from the dead. Now their hearts are filled with joy and wonder and excitement, even while Jesus disappears mysteriously from their midst.

I wonder how and where we notice or sense the presence of Jesus with us. And why we often struggle to recognise or name this presence. Perhaps we are too preoccupied with our own thoughts and problems. Perhaps we imagine that Jesus would never come to us in our everyday situation. But what if Jesus came to us in the guise of a stranger who listened to our story and then encouraged us to view life in a different way? Who knows, perhaps we have met Jesus and weren’t aware of it. This story reminds us that Jesus meets us where we are yet may be hard to recognise.

Posted: Friday, April 12, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: Luke 24:13-35

Thinking about the cross

Category From the Minister

It’s Easter time again. For many Australians that means it’s the opportunity to go away camping or to paint the house or enjoy an extra long weekend. While most people no doubt enjoy these extra days off, I wonder if they stop to think why they are declared as public holidays.

When British colonists arrived in Australia in the late 18th century, they brought their Christian faith and traditions with them. Over time, Christianity became the predominant religion in the colonies, and Christian holidays like Good Friday were established. It was and remains a solemn day marked by church services, the reading of the Passion narrative from the Bible and sometimes by processions. Many Christians participate in Good Friday services to reflect on the significance of Christ's death on the cross.

One common interpretation of the cross is that Jesus had to die to take away our sins and to save us from the wrath of God. This type of theology is taken primarily from the writings of the apostle Paul. Yet when we turn to the Gospel accounts, the four books attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that describe the life and death of Jesus, we find few mentions of Jesus needing to die to take away sin. Indeed, during his ministry Jesus often forgives people and invites them to start living in a new way. This forgiveness is not tied to the cross in any way but rather emphasises the compassion and love of Jesus who speaks and acts on behalf of God.

So when we think about the cross, perhaps we would do better to reflect on the love of God and the compassion of Jesus. The well-known verse from John’s Gospel provides an alternative way of thinking – that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son – Jesus – so that everyone who trusts in him may not die but rather have eternal life. The cross is crucial for our understanding of the depth and breadth of God’s love. It stands at the centre of our faith. It shows that love, suffering and forgiveness are all part of following in the footsteps of Jesus.

May God bless you with fresh understanding as you contemplate the cross on Good Friday.

Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: John 3:16, Mark 15

Welcome to the Messiah

Category From the Minister

On first blush, this week’s Palm Sunday story is quite simple. Jesus and his ever growing band of disciples have been journeying from Galilee and have now reached Jerusalem in time for the Passover festival. Jesus procures a donkey and rides this into the city while his followers wave branches and shout enthusiastically ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’

On deeper reflection, it’s also an odd story. Jesus walks everywhere. It’s basically how people got around. Yet on this occasion he is at pains to ride an animal, and a donkey at that. Procurement of the donkey takes up more than half the episode, so was presumably unexpected and memorable. First time rider riding an animal that’s never been ridden before. What could possibly go wrong?!

It seems that it’s all quite deliberate. Jesus could have entered the city inconspicuously among the Passover crowds. This may have been the prudent and safe course of action. But Jesus seems intent on making a statement. That statement appears to be political, namely that he is coming as king, humble and riding on a donkey according to the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The crowd’s response is from Psalm 118, a song of people welcoming a victorious king into the city with shouts of Hosanna and blessing.

So Jesus chooses to enter the city provocatively as a king, as the long awaited and hoped for Messiah. Up until this point in Mark’s gospel, Jesus has been very careful to keep his identity under wraps, which is commonly referred to as the ‘messianic secret’ in Mark’s Gospel. But now he comes openly as the Messiah. Why the change in approach? Why stir up the crowd’s imagination when it’s clear that he is not the type of Messiah they were hoping for? But perhaps that’s the point. Jesus is in fact the Messiah and the events of the next week will show the type of Messiah that he is.

Posted: Friday, March 22, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: Mark 11:1-11

The hour has come

Category From the Minister

Most of our lives are regulated by clock time – minutes, hours, days and years. In Greek this is called chronos time from which we derive the English word chronometer or watch. Whether it’s our daily routine or gathering for a meeting or attending an event, our lives usually follow chronos time.

But there is another sort of time. It’s when a mother knows that it’s time for her baby to be born. Or when it’s time to move out of your long term family home. Or when it’s time to retire from a much loved activity or responsibility. These are examples of kairos time in Greek, which might be translated as the right time, or the favourable time or the God given time.

In this week’s Gospel reading from John, Jesus declares that the hour has come for him to be glorified. God’s kairos moment has arrived when he will be lifted up from the earth – on a cross. For John, this is not a moment of shame or chance, but rather part of God’s plan for Jesus. It is the moment when he will draw all people to himself, the moment when he will be glorified and exalted, and bring his mission to fulfilment. In John’s gospel, Jesus faces this kairos moment with calm acceptance.

I wonder if you are facing any kairos moments in your life? Are there decisions or actions needed that will transform or turn your life in a new direction? As we face such moments, may we have wise people around us and know God’s peace in our hearts that however difficult the decision, the time is right and God will be with us.

Posted: Friday, March 15, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: John 12:20-33