Andrew McClenaghan - Sunday, 9 July 2023
God's Unchanging Mercy
Scripture References: Malachi 3:6-12, Psalms 25:1-22, Matthew 6:19-34
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CloseWe have seen in Malachi how the Lord loves His people. Not only do the people question His love but, by their actions, they show that they don’t trust His faithful care for them either. They don’t trust Him with their best offerings and now they don’t trust Him with all their offerings. They keep some back so they will have enough. But He reminds them that His mercies never come to an end. For generations He has watched over them and preserved them. They should know by now that they can trust Him with all they have, all they are…. with everything. We have had a further 2500 years of unending mercy as well as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to reassure us. But are we any better? Do we trust God with all we have, all we are…. with everything?
Scripture References: Malachi 3:6-12, Psalms 25:1-22, Matthew 6:19-34
Related Topics: Mercy, Minor Prophet | More Messages from Andrew McClenaghan | Download Audio
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Luke 10 | Tim Baxter | Sunday, 19 October 2008 | Listen | ||
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Leviticus 23 | Lindsay Heal | Sunday, 12 October 2008 | Listen | ||
Mark 16:1-20 | Richard Riley | Sunday, 5 October 2008 | Listen | ||
Leviticus 16 | Richard Luckensmeyer | Sunday, 28 September 2008 | Listen |
What is greatness? In particular, what is greatness in the kingdom of God? That is the question addressed in the passage from Matthew today. Jesus is approached by two different groups. First, the family of Zebedee: James and John and their mother. Second, two blind men. Jesus asks both groups the same question “What do you want me to do for you?” What they request is quite revealing. And so is Jesus’ response to their requests. The Zebedees request position, status, reward for effort. The blind men request mercy, for their eyes to be open. Which request lines up with Jesus’ teaching previously? Which request do we tend to go to ourselves?
The Department of Home Affairs has an Australian Values Statement on its website. Visa applicants for residency/citizenship must sign this. And one of its key principles is that we are a ‘fair-go’ country. We would all agree with that. I suspect, too, that we would summarise our ‘fair go’ culture by stating that ‘you get what you deserve/what you work for’. In fact, many of us have established our relational, social and work ethics on this very principle. But is that what the ‘kingdom of heaven is like’? What is its value statement? What is the hallmark of such a kingdom, and its ruler, even its citizenship? Today, after Jesus has assured his disciples that the dependent will be provided for by their king, he now uses the same ideas to issue with them a warning not to abuse, misuse, ignore or become entitled in the face of the kingdom of heaven hallmark—which is grace.
Jesus deals with the question of ‘Who belongs in the kingdom?’ Is it children? Is it the good? Is it the godly? And, how and what does this look like? This question of ‘belonging’ is one that is constant in our lives – where do I belong, do I belong, what does belonging look like? And Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of heaven is made up of the dependent, the reliant, the weak – just like children.
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