Letter from the Rector
Some years ago, a friend told me about listening to a recording of the whole of the Gospel of Matthew. She described how, listening to large chunks of it on her way to and from work on her daily commute, she realised just how awkward and challenging Jesus was. She realised that we often edit the story to give ourselves a Jesus we can live with, with all the rough edges smoothed off and the challenging words edited out.
In the Gospel of Mark, we hear of an occasion when Jesus returned to his home town of Nazareth where we might have expected him to receive a warm welcome from friends and family, but nothing could be further from the truth. He said, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” Mark tells us that he could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. His own family were scandalised by the things he said and did.
I wonder how we would react if Jesus was in our midst.
When you read the Gospels, you notice that almost everyone who meets Jesus struggles to fit him into their preconceptions. John the Baptist expected a judgemental Christ and doubted whether Jesus really was the anointed one. The Scribes and Pharisees set limits to what the Christ could and couldn’t do, and Jesus repeatedly crossed the line. Jesus’ own family feared for his sanity. The disciples were willing to follow him but regularly misunderstood his teaching. The sick and the poor come closest to understanding Jesus, but even they couldn’t grasp all that he is.
This should encourage us! If we allow it, Jesus will be a continual source of wonder, challenge, and personal growth. Perhaps you could decide that over the summer you will read one of the Gospels or listen to it being read (there are excellent recordings by the actor David Suchet which you can find online). We are currently hearing Matthew on Sunday mornings, but we only hear parts of it. Why not allow yourself to hear the whole of it?
W H Auden, the famous twentieth century English poet, once explained why he believed in Jesus: ‘I believe because he fulfils none of my dreams, because he is in every respect the opposite of what he would be if I could have made him in my image’.
We need the real Jesus, not the one we imagine will fit into our existing set of ideas and assumptions. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’
May it be so.
Rev.Trevor
