Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 16 October 2022
What House are You Building?
Scripture References: Haggai 1:1-15, Deuteronomy 28:1-6, Deuteronomy 28:15-19, Matthew 6:25-34
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CloseHaggai turns to the leaders of God’s people, and states the excuse God’s people have for not building God’s house, the Temple: ‘It is just inconvenient, and not the right time’’ (vs.2). It’s not as if God’s people doubt His importance, or the significance of the symbolism of the Temple, do they? And, as we will see, the circumstances are tough: there has been prolonged drought, crops have failed consistently, finances are tight, and the local political opposition is quite fierce. Haggai then turns to God’s people, though, and points out the problem: ‘Your houses look pretty fine, but God’s house is in ruins. Your priorities are exposed by your personal lives’ (vs.3-4). It is an incisive and exposing statement. And it is not so much a statement about the city-planning of Jerusalem, but a statement about how God’s people view the significance of God, the significance of His desire and promise to live with them, and the significance of sin. In their paneled houses, these people make a statement: God is not that important! Such a 2022 book for God’s people…
Scripture References: Haggai 1:1-15, Deuteronomy 28:1-6, Deuteronomy 28:15-19, Matthew 6:25-34
Related Topics: Minor Prophet | More Messages from Bernard Gabbott | Download Audio
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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