The what and why of holiness (2)

The what and how of holiness 2 - Daily Devotion - 3 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

One common misunderstanding people have about holiness is that “be holy” means “be good.” Or worse, that it means avoiding bad things – and we sometimes we have a nagging feeling that avoiding them means somehow missing out on “fun.”

But at its heart, holiness is about much more than goodness. It’s about God-ness. Holiness in the Bible is always connected to God – which means, before we ask what it might mean for a person to be holy, we need to grapple with the holiness of God.

The late theologian J. I. Packer described God’s holiness as:

… everything about God that sets him apart from us and makes him an object of awe, adoration, and dread to us. (J. I. Packer, Concise Theology)

In particular, God’s holiness relates to his glory and his goodness. In the 6th century BC, the prophet Isaiah had an experience of the holy God, a glimpse of a vision of God’s holiness, that marked and transformed him for the rest of his life. This is how he described it:

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

3 And they were calling to one another:

          “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
                      the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:1-5)

Isaiah is left floored first of all by God’s glory – his magnificence, his brightness, his unimaginable hugeness, his beauty and terrifying kingly power. The entire universe is “full of his glory”—which means its glory is a reflection of his. If you put together the beauty and splendour of all the world’s oceans and forests and mountain ranges and creatures – and all the planets and stars and distant galaxies – you would still only have a pale projection of God’s own glory.

But Isaiah is also left floored by God’s goodness, especially compared to his own small, sinful self. The prophet Habakkuk said about God:

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. (Habakkuk 1:13)

God’s goodness is much more than his aversion to evil. God’s goodness is expressed in his justice, love, grace, faithfulness, and truth.

Sometimes the word “holy” is defined as meaning set apart or separated from what is common or unholy. It’s true that God, because he is holy, is set apart from everything else. He is infinitely more glorious than all of creation, which sets him apart – he is in a category on his own. And his goodness is so absolute and that nothing impure can survive in his presence.

But being set apart is not what defines God’s holiness. It simply describes the way God’s holiness determines his relationship to creation. But God’s holiness is an eternal attribute of his being. In fact, this is the only characteristic of God that the Bible uses triple repetition to emphasise (“holy, holy, holy”). God’s holiness is his God-ness, especially his terrifyingly beautiful glory and his goodness.

For today, spend time directing your mind and heart towards the Holy One – the God who has revealed himself in the Bible and in Jesus his Son. Reflect on the words of those mysterious heavenly creatures, the seraphim; allow your mind to focus undistracted on God and his glory and goodness. Speak these words to God; and as you do, remember that Jesus’ death has cleansed you so completely from sin that your lips are completely pure and untainted! You can speak these words to God with peace, assurance and love:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
                      the whole earth is full of his glory.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

The what and why of holiness (1)

The what and how of holiness 1 - Daily Devotion - 2 September 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

For our devotions this month, we are going to return to our focus area as a church this year: Growing in Holiness. These will be a bit different to our normal devotions. Instead of starting with a Bible passage or working through a book, there will be Bible verses sprinkled through the devotions. Sometimes there will be suggestions for other passages you could read and pray through at the end.

In the first part of the month, we’ll be recapping a lot of concepts from our Term 2 sermon series on holiness (I hope that makes you think, “Oh good – there was so much to take in!”). But we will also think about the many practical areas of life as a Christian, and how we can grow in submitting and consecrating each of them to God, by his grace and for his glory.

Let's begin.

~~~

Think about this sentence from the Apostle Paul:

He (God) has saved us and called us to a holy life… (2 Timothy 1:9)

That’s an ultra-brief summary of the two great things God has done for believers in the Lord Jesus: Saved us, and called us to a holy life. Let those two things sit in your mind for a moment. Think about how you feel about each one.

Do those two great gifts of God stir different reactions in you? Does one of them trigger a greater thrill and relief and thankfulness than the other? If so, why? Is it – and I’m only guessing, I might be way off the mark – that God’s call to holiness feels just a bit like a burden? A little dry, or perhaps too much effort? At least compared to the first one: he saved us – yes! What relief! And called us to holiness. Oh, yes, that too.

If that’s you, then you and I both have so much more growing to do. It’s an indication that we haven’t yet grasped either holiness or God himself as fully as he wants us to.

Many years ago, when our children were small, we were looking to rent an apartment. We looked at one that we loved: it felt light and fresh and cheerful. We asked our kids about it, hoping they would be keen to live there too. But one of them seemed strangely reluctant. Eventually he said to us, “But I don’t like the dark.” We figured out the problem: we had been through when dusk was starting to fall, and there were no light bulbs in any of the rooms. He thought it wouldn’t have any lights!

The Bible’s message about holiness is full of light. God’s call to holiness is not a tiresome, grit-your-teeth burden. After all, for Christian believers, God also calls us to freedom (Galatians 5:13), peace (1 Corinthians 7:15), hope (Ephesians 4:4) and eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12) – and all of those are features of the life of holiness.

As a taster for where we’re heading, look at how the verse we started with continues:

9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:9-10)

Everything Paul says after the first part applies not just to salvation and forgiveness, but also to God’s call to holiness. The holy life we are called to is not our own doing, it’s God’s purpose and gift to us. It’s a gift given to us in Christ Jesus, revealed in the glorious, saving events of the gospel. Because as we’ll see, Christ is our holiness, from start to finish.

Here’s a different way of expressing God’s call to holiness:

And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6)

One way of describing what holiness means is: Belonging to Jesus. Does that trigger a slightly different reaction in you? If so, you’re going to love where we’re heading!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Luke 17:20-21

Luke 17:20-21 - Daily Devotion - 31 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

20 Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

I had a chat recently with my sister, who isn’t a believer, about her choice to send her daughter to a Christian school.  One of the reasons was that the school had a reputation for being really nice, and that the teachers were really supportive and caring.  The message that I was hearing from her was that there’s something different about the people in this school, something that she really liked and wanted her daughter to be a part of. But she went on to tell me some of her concerns about the Bible and some things she didn’t like.  

There are things my sister has in common with the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. Both of them want to live in a “kingdom of God” of sorts – a kingdom that’s better than the one they’re living in right now. And both of them refuse to acknowledge the King of that kingdom.

In the passage today, Jesus makes a bold statement about the kingdom of God. He says to the Pharisees: You won’t see the kingdom arrive, and you can’t point somewhere else and say “there it is”, because the kingdom of God has already arrived and is now among you. Why? Because its King has arrived! But, he tells the Pharisees, even though this kingdom is among you, you haven’t entered it yet.

How close the Pharisees were to becoming a part of the kingdom of God! The King himself was walking among them, but they refused to acknowledge him as such. And yet – they longed for the better life of this new kingdom.

I hope and pray that when my niece starts going to this Christian school and is in the midst of little followers of Jesus, she will come to recognise the King. It would be a great shame to rub shoulders with citizens of the kingdom, to see the difference the King makes in them, but never recognise Jesus as her personal King. Then again … this is exactly how Jesus so often brings people to trust in him and enter the kingdom that is in their midst – by placing those who belong to him in their lives.

Think about your life or family or circumstances. Who can you pray for today, that God would open their hearts to recognising Jesus as their personal king? Pray, and then remember that you may be the one glimpse that they see today of “the kingdom of God in their midst.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 17: 11-19

Luke 17:11-19 - Daily Devotion - 30 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

11 Now on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was entering a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance, 13 raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went along, they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He fell with his face to the ground at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. (Now he was a Samaritan.) 17 Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to the man, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Sarah Cameron

There are two things that stood out to me in our passage today. In this little snapshot we see who mattered to Jesus, and the right way to respond to him.

We saw back in chapter 9:51 that Jesus has now set his face for Jerusalem. He is on the way to die for his people. Along the way, he has been meeting many different people. The men he meets in this passage would have been the lowest of the low in social terms as we are told they had leprosy. That would have forced them to be completely isolated from other people. They had to stay away from the city, and were not allowed to participate in religious or social gatherings. We see this ostracization in how they stay at a distance from Jesus in verse 12. But they believe Jesus can help them as they call out to him for mercy. And he heals them! Imagine how life-changing that would have been. We see that Jesus cares for the marginalized and the outcast – his good news is for them.

The second thing that stood out to me from this passage was that we see the right way to respond to Jesus. The men who have been healed go off to see the priests, but then only one comes back to thank Jesus. He praises God for his healing. What’s even more surprising is that he’s a Samaritan – normally the Samaritans were enemies of the Judeans! Yet he has recognised who Jesus truly is. What happened to the others? Maybe they were so distracted by their new healthy bodies that they forgot the one who healed them. Jesus says to the one man who returns that his faith has made him well.

We’re given an encouragement here, from the Samaritan man, that the right way to respond to Jesus is with faith and thankfulness. How much more can we respond that way too now we know that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to give us eternal life! Let’s stop now and pray, giving thanks to God for all of his good gifts, most of all for new life in Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 17:5-10

Luke 17:5-10 - Daily Devotion - 29 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 So the Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? 8 Won’t the master instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready to serve me while I eat and drink. Then you may eat and drink’? 9 He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he? 10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tina Bogg

When the apostles ask the Lord to increase their faith, it’s closely related to what we read yesterday. Jesus has just taught them to forgive their brother or sister over and over again, whether it’s once a day or seven times a day. This does sound very hard. If someone was doing wrong against you – saying unkind words, cheating you of something you deserve, lying to your face, or hurting you physically – Jesus is saying that if they repent and say sorry, you must forgive them. As we saw, you would wonder how sorry they really are if they keep doing it on repeat – but Jesus doesn’t worry about that, he just says to forgive.

No wonder the apostles are asking for help and for Jesus to increase their faith! I love how Jesus initially reassures them that they don’t need to have a lot of faith, only faith as small as a mustard seed. Even tiny faith can do the seemingly impossible. I guess it’s because it’s not our faith that works, it’s who we have faith in – our sovereign, mighty and merciful God.

Jesus then tells a short story about a servant and his master. The point of the story is to help us see that the issue isn’t really about growing our faith, it’s about our posture towards our brothers and sisters. Jesus asks us to see ourselves as the ‘unworthy servant’ in the story, humbling ourselves in obedience to our heavenly Father, just as Jesus humbled himself. As Paul says in Philippians 2:6-7, Jesus, “… being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

When we see ourselves as servants of one another with our Creator in charge, this helps us to see why forgiving one another over and over again is what we should do, not just when we want to or if it suits us. Pray with me that we can humble ourselves and keep following our servant King, forgiving each other for harsh words, selfish intentions and all the big and small offenses we do to one another daily.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 17:1-4

Luke 17:1-4 - Daily Devotion - 28 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Judy Lai

In this passage, Jesus addresses two aspects of the Christian walk.

The first is the ripple effect of our sin (v1-2). The reality is that we are all sinners – none of us make godly decisions in everything that we do, and I find it comforting that the Bible is realistic about that. But Jesus gives us a warning here, because my struggle with sin can affect other brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus’ strongest words are for those who don’t care about their sin, and who revel in their sinful desires in a way that leads others to deny God. “Woe to that person”, says Jesus – causing others to stumble is a grave mistake in God’s eyes.

What a powerful reminder to care about not just my own life and faith, but God’s community. Our actions can have a far greater effect on others than I often realise. When we hide our sin and revel in it in secret, we can end up leading others to do the same and turn away from God. But joy in Christ’s community comes from sharing our struggles, confessing our sin, and constantly helping one another to repent and live God’s way.

The second area of Christian living is sin and forgiveness (v3-4). We all know how much it can hurt when others sin against us. So I love how direct and straight to the point Jesus is in verse 3: When someone sins against you, first rebuke, and second, if there is repentance, forgive. That seems like the ideal scenario – where one party takes the initiative to have the hard conversation (rebuke) and the other has the heart to listen (repent).

But often relationships and conflict are much messier. What if someone says they repent, but they keep doing the same thing over and over? What if you doubt they are genuine? Jesus doesn’t waver, in verse 4: Keep forgiving. Every time.

As a cynic, I find it extremely hard to look past someone else’s unrepentant heart or their hypocrisy. My natural tendency is to hold a grudge. Verse 4 is a strong and clear call to faith in Jesus – because the only way you can keep forgiving over and over is to trust what he says, that forgiveness is best. We need to learn to leave our grievances in God’s hands, and to remember that he continues to forgive us over and over. When we remember that, we can let go and forgive too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31 - Daily Devotion - 27 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, 21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house 28 (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ 30 Then the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Val Dewan

During a weekend away, after a few months of not doing much physical activity, I went hiking. The hike was not very difficult, but climbing back up to the start was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do physically. I was sweating and cramping up, but most of all my mouth was extremely dry. I was so thirsty. There is no describing the relief I felt at savouring the first gulp of cold water!

This parable Jesus told about a rich man and a beggar reminded me that even though we think of death as the great equaliser, after death in the age to come there will be a great divide between those who inherit eternal life in heaven and those who suffer God’s eternal punishment. There is nothing comforting about the picture of being forever thirsty. Separation from the eternal warmth and joy of our Lord is the reality for those who do not have faith in Jesus.

I am struck by how many people I know and love have heard the gospel, but did not repent and turn to Jesus. In Jesus’ story, the wealthy man wishes to go back and warn his family. However, the character of Abraham in this parable tells him that the way to eternal life is already declared, in the words of the prophets and apostles in the Bible. He also hints at God’s most amazing and climactic act of salvation, in verse 31: ‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ In Jesus, God himself came down as the Saviour of all humanity, lived a perfect human life, died for all sinners, and rose from the dead.

But this parable is a sober reminder that not even Jesus’ resurrection will be enough for some people to believe and trust in Him. This is such a sad reality. I can only fall to my knees and give thanks to God for the grace He has shown me, and then continue to look for opportunities to tell my friends and family of the gospel. Even if they don’t listen to me then and there, I will continue to pray with hope, because the ‘chasm’ between God and sinners has been bridged through the Cross of Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Val is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 16:16-18 - RESENT

Luke 16:16-18 - Daily Devotion - 26 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

16 “The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter in the law to become void.

18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Mei Chan

I’ve heard the different books of the Bible described as different kinds of food. Some books are like a decadent chocolate brownie – rich, delicious, something you want to savour and come back to again and again. Other books seem more like asparagus (my son’s least favourite vegetable). You know it’s probably good for you, but it’s not as easy to stomach and it takes a lot more persuasion to get you to take a bite.

Sometimes, I find the Old Testament a bit like asparagus :) it’s much easier to get stuck into the glorious first chapter of Ephesians than it is to read all 48 chapters of Ezekiel! But Jesus’ words in today’s passage remind me of the goodness of God’s Old Testament Law, proclaimed from the beginning until John. Yes, the good news in the gospel of Jesus is being preached, and many are turning to him in repentance. But not a single pen stroke will disappear from the Law, because it is still God’s good word to his people, and Jesus gives the example about divorce and remarriage to show this. 

The Old Testament is not out of date or irrelevant, but it reveals to us God’s character and his story for human history. And when we read it through the lens of Christ Jesus, it deepens our wonder that the love God showed the family of Abraham has been extended to all people everywhere. Even the confusing parts are still God’s revelation of himself and his plans! My prayer for us all is that we will grow to treasure all of God’s word, not just the bits that we find chocolatey, and that as we chew and mull over the parts of the Bible that we find more difficult, God would grow us to know him better and love him more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mei is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 16:14-15

Luke 16:14-15 - Daily Devotion - 24 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

14 The Pharisees (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed him. 15 But Jesus said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Scott Favelle

This is one of those passages that is short but can really cut you to the core. It makes me ask myself the question: Do I value what God values?

The Pharisees were people of wealth and status. They would put on the appearance of righteousness, but they were only interested in seeking the approval of people rather than of God. This is a worldly attitude that is still normal in society today. Our society honours and esteems people who have wealth and power. Those things are highly valued by our world, but in this passage Jesus declares them to be detestable in God’s sight.

As Christians we are not immune to the influence of the world we live in. We can very easily start aligning our values with the world rather than God. I feel the pull of this. Sometimes I see those who are rich and successful, and I desire to be like them. Or on the other side of the coin, I sometimes find my value in my own wealth or achievements rather than in the things that God values.

Pray that we all will seek the approval of God by trusting in Jesus, rather than seeking people’s approval, and that in our hearts we will value what God values rather than what our society values. Pray that God will help us, as Paul says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4). And pray that we would all “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 16:10-13

Luke 16:10-13 - Daily Devotion - 23 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Queenie Favelle

This passage today warns us that if we are not faithful in this life with the things of this world and the riches we have been given, then we will not be entrusted with the true riches promised to us in heaven. Jesus challenges us to use our finances, money, possessions for the greater good – not for ourselves and our own comforts, but to use them for the gospel.

This is something very hard for us to do. In fact, we will only use our resources for the gospel if we see the gospel as worth so much more than our worldly possessions.

Pray now and ask God to help us see what truly matters in this life, and to value the gospel and know its true worth. Ask God to help us see that Jesus is so good that He is worth giving up our worldly possessions for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Queenie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 16:1-9

Luke 16:1-9 - Daily Devotion - 22 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Jesus also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations that his manager was wasting his assets. 2 So he called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in the account of your administration, because you can no longer be my manager.’ 3 Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m too ashamed to beg. 4 I know what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 So he contacted his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 The man replied, ‘100 measures of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write 50.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man replied, ‘100 measures of wheat.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write 80.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries than the people of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Monica Ly

Initially I found this parable puzzling. Why was the master commending his manager after he had been dishonest and wasted his assets? Verse 8 tells us that the master commended the manager because he acted shrewdly - but why is this particular character trait the one that is singled out?

In verses 4-7, the manager seems to have great foresight in anticipating his future financial needs, and he uses his financial leverage to make friends for himself (vs 9). So perhaps the master is impressed because the dishonest manager made the most of the resources he had, knowing what his future would be. That is why he is commended for acting astutely or wisely.

Jesus then says that he expects his disciples to do likewise. He doesn’t mean we should be dishonest, but rather that we should faithfully make the most of our resources now, with the certain future in mind. That certain future is Jesus returning to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42).

This certain future convicts me to be more concerned about gospel needs.  We live in an unbelieving world where many do not yet know Jesus as their Saviour and Lord and there is an urgency because Jesus will return to judge. Perhaps I need to be thinking how I can be wiser with the resources that God has given me? After all, the resources that I do have ultimately belong to God. Those resources could include my money, my possessions, my home, my time, or my skills. How can I be a good steward? By not being complacent but acting thoughtfully now with the resources I have and investing them for the gospel.

Pray now, that God will grant us wisdom in knowing how to be good stewards with the resources He has given us, and to use them well for the gospel as we await the certainty of Jesus’ return. May we look to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to enable us to be generous and cheerful givers, as we support the gospel needs at St Barnabas and around the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Monica is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 15:25-32

Luke 15:25-32 - Daily Devotion - 21 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening. 27 The slave replied, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 32 It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Consider this: Your brother or sister in Christ wanders away from God and church. You then witness them living a worldly life, indulging in all the luxuries and selfish pleasures that you have said “no” to as a Christian.  And then one day they recognise their wrongdoing and decide with earnest repentance to come back to the Lord. Would you be angry and concerned, or possibly jealous?  Or would you be full of joy and celebrate their repentance and return?

If I'm honest, I probably would be a feeling a mix of all those feelings.  Which is why I think this parable is important for me to read time and time again – because it reminds me of the perspective that the God the Father has.  It’s a perspective that I need to be reminded of, because my heart sometimes feels like it deserves what the Father has given me out of his infinite grace.  And in this parable, the Father says to the older son: “Everything that belongs to me is yours.”  It’s just like in Ephesians 1: 3 where it says that God the Father “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

Knowing that, in Christ, I already have everything from God the Father is so important for me.  It reminds me that it’s impossible for me to strive for any more favour because God’s favour already rested upon me when he sent his Son Jesus to die for me and I believed.  It reminds me that I don’t need to be angry or jealous when bad people repent and receive God’s blessings in Christ, because what God has given me was freely given in the first place – I didn’t deserve any of it.  So I am free to love others, free to rejoice when others repent, and free to rest in the goodness and grace of what God has already accomplished in Christ because it is sufficient for me. Let’s thank God together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Luke 15:17-24

Luke 15:17-24 - Daily Devotion - 20 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. 21 Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again—he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tramanh Nguyen

The story of the lost son is a powerful one. There’s a little bit of the reader – or maybe a lot of the reader! – in the story, especially as we hone in on the thoughts and emotions of the lost son.

In the lost son, we see that our hearts wander far away from our true home, our purpose and our Father. Living for ourselves seems more desirable and attractive, so we recklessly pursue the pleasure of this world. But when we realise the emptiness that the world brings, we find ourselves at a dead end, alone and lost. We realise we have no options and that we need to let go of our pride and return back to our Father.

In the past when I read this passage, I would often only relate to the lost son when I thought about the story of when I became a Christian. Subconsciously I thought, “I don’t do that now as a Christian. This is a conversion story.” But as I reflect on this story again now, I am in shock, because I realise that I am the lost son over and over again. I often wander. I often find the world more desirable than God, and I often pursue the pleasures of this world. Again and again, I end up running back to the Father in repentance and asking for forgiveness.

Naturally, when we read the Bible we think about how we can relate to the story. But what we often forget is that the story is meant to highlight the compassionate Father. He embraces those who are unworthy, those who turn their backs on Him, when they return to him. Let’s thank God that when we are far from home, He eagerly awaits and yearns for us to come back. Thank God that, though we are prone to wander and our hearts are weak, He runs to us, embraces us, holds us safely in His arms and celebrates that we are back home with Him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tramanh is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 15:11-16

Luke 15:11-16 - Daily Devotion - 19 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

11 Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. 14 Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17

REFLECTIONS

Written by Michael Legaspi

The context of this parable is back in verses 1 and 2: “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

My 7-year-old niece recently asked me a peculiar question. She was lying down on the trampoline playing on her iPad, and she said to me, “When can I do what I want?” She was wanting to know when she could decide how long she could play for.

I think as adults, we sometimes ask ourselves that same question: “When can I do what I want?” The younger son in today’s parable wants to do what he wants with his inheritance money, right now. He wants his share of the estate, and doesn’t want to wait until his father is dead – and his request is granted (v12).

So when is getting what you want a problem? It’s a problem when your goal is wild living (v13). I don’t think wild living always means parties and drinking. I think a definition of wild living would be: living like a fool – and a fool is a person who rejects the design of God for his creation and for our lives. It may look different for each person, but wild living is pursuing your own desires – whether in finances, work, relationships, or leisure – without God in the picture. When we do that, our lives become twisted. Take a tree out of the soil and it will die, take a fish out of the water and it will die, take God out of a person’s life and we will die.

It's obvious how selfish the younger son in the parable is. But as I think about how many times I choose what I want rather than what God says is good, I’m reminded of Isaiah 53:6: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
 each of us has turned to our own way;
 and the Lord has laid on him
 (on Jesus) the iniquity of us all.”

When we try to live doing what we want without God, it will always end, sooner or later, in great need (v14). The younger son discovered, when he reached the very bottom, that no one had compassion on him.

We won’t be finishing the parable in today’s devotion. For now, try and see the heart of the younger son. What do you see in him? Some days I see myself, sometimes I see my family and friends. One thing to remember is that all of us are in GREAT NEED. Only God can fix and satisfy that need – and thanks be to God that he paid the full cost of our foolishness for you and me, at great cost to himself, though the blood of his one and only Son Jesus Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 15:8-10

Luke 15:8-10 - Daily Devotion - 17 Aug 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tina Bogg

In our house something is always lost. It might be a crucial Lego piece, a shoe, a bar of chocolate… This story of the woman who had ten silver coins and loses one reminds us that when we lose something that is precious to us, we don’t just give up, we search carefully until we find it. We retrace our steps, search in every random unfathomable place (under the couch, in the fridge, through every bin) and then look again and again until finally, we see a little glimmer of it! How willing we are to look is often a measure of how much it means to us. In the same way, we are so precious to God that He will keep searching for us, calling us, sending us people and messages and even chastising us until we turn to him and are saved.

Sometimes the joy of finding what we had lost is so wonderful that we cannot help but tell everyone around and invite them to celebrate with us. “Look – that thing I told you about: I found it!!” In a far more amazing way, Jesus teaches us that there is rejoicing with the angels when a sinner repents.

I’m sure we all have friends and family who we would dearly love to know Jesus, but with whom it seems almost impossible that they would change. We might have attempted many times over the years to invite them to church or talk to them about Jesus, with no apparent fruit. I can think of my own parents and sister, as well as a number of high school friends. I think this is why there is such celebrating in heaven when, at last, God changes their heart and they do turn and give their life to Jesus! Let us keep praying, keep expecting, and keep doing our part in God’s plan for the people God has in our lives, knowing that with us things may be impossible but with God, all things are possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 15:1-7

Luke 15:1-7 - Daily Devotion - 16 Aug 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 So Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

A few years ago, when moving house, I found an old photo of church that I think was a good 7 or 8 years old. My wife and I looked through the people in the photo together, remembering fondly about brothers and sisters, marvelling at how kids have grown, and praising God that some believers had now finished the good race.  But there were a few in that photo that I realised either no longer believed, or at least, no longer attended any church.

Today’s passage reminds me of those ‘sheep’ that have a place and home with Jesus, but for whatever reason have wandered off. Jesus tells us three things about these lost sheep.  Firstly, he tells us that the shepherd himself will go and find them.  Secondly, he tells us that the shepherd himself will carry them home.  Thirdly, he tells us that once the lost sheep has returned, there will be great rejoicing.

I mourn for my lost brothers and sisters.  I pray that the Good Shepherd himself, Jesus, will find them and carry them home. It’s a job that over the years I’ve realised can only be accomplished by Jesus himself, no matter how many ways I’ve tried to encourage a brother or sister to come back or remind him or her of the promises the Bible makes. I long for that day when a brother whom I once thought was lost, but now is found, has repented and returns – what rejoicing there will be!  Join me in praying for the lost sheep today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 14:34-35

Luke 14:34-35 - Daily Devotion - 15 Aug 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

34 “Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, how can its flavor be restored? 35 It is of no value for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Joki Truong

Salt is a pretty staple item in my pantry, and it comes in many different forms. From my go-to pink Himalayan to the classic Asian chicken powder to the humble soy sauce: all of these are essential ingredients in most (if not all) of the recipes I cook at home. It adds flavour to an otherwise bland dish. But can you imagine if salt wasn’t … salty? It’s even in the name! What good would it be if something didn’t fulfil the purpose it was made for?

In today’s short passage, Jesus continues speaking with the crowds who have been following him, telling them the cost of being his disciple. Jesus gets straight to the point here: salt is only good when it serves the purpose it has been given. Once it loses its saltiness, it cannot be made salty again. It has no use, and as a result, it gets thrown out.

This reference to salt reminded me of Matthew 5:13 where Jesus refers to us as the salt of the earth. There, in a similar way to this passage in Luke, the “salt” would be thrown out if we were to lose our saltiness. God has saved us to be set apart from the world, to imitate Christ as his followers, and to glorify Him as we live the life Jesus has bought for us by his death on the cross. If we do not live to serve God, we are only serving ourselves, and as a people He has re-created for a good purpose (like salt), we are no longer fulfilling that purpose he set before us.

Have you been living a life that is set apart for God? I know I struggle the most when the world deceives me to think it’s just easier to just do what I want instead of what God wants for me. Pray that as the salt of the earth, we will never lose our saltiness, but that we will fix our eyes on Jesus, listen and obey his teaching, and live out the purpose we have been given: to glorify God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joki is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 14:28-33

Luke 14:28-33 - Daily Devotion - 14 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. 30 They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one coming against him with 20,000? 32 If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Amelia Lin

In this passage, Jesus urges the crowds to estimate and consider the cost of following him and becoming one of his disciples. It is a serious business. Jesus compares it to budgeting for building a house and ensuring that you have enough to lay the foundations and finish the rest of the house, otherwise you will be ridiculed. To raise the stakes even higher, he compares this decision to a king considering whether his 10,000 men are able to oppose an army of 20,000, and wisely asking for peace while the army is still far away. Jesus asks his disciples to give up everything they have.

When I read this passage, my first thought was: Why does Jesus say this? Imagine being in the large crowds following Jesus around and hearing him talk about counting the huge cost of following him. It doesn’t seem like a good argument for convincing people to start or continue following him.

I had a couple of reflections from this. First, I’m thankful that Jesus does not hide the realities of following him from us. Jesus is not trying to lure people into following him by sharing about the amazing blessings we can receive, and then watch on coldly as we get hit by the hidden consequences. He tells us the truth. Jesus tells us exactly what to expect, that there is a real cost – to give up everything we have.

Secondly, why would anyone follow Jesus considering it is such a high cost? Because knowing God is so great that he is worth giving up everything for! It reminds me of Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8 – “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”

Jesus is worth giving up everything for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amelia is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Luke 14:25-27

Luke 14:25-27 - Daily Devotion - 13 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

25 Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ian Mu

My friend absolutely loves mangoes, and because I’m not as excited for mangoes, people sometimes think I must hate mangoes. But the truth is, I don’t hate them – I just don’t love them as much as my friend does.

In Luke 14:25-27, Jesus makes a similar point, but in a much more serious context. He tells us that if we want to follow Him, we must "hate" our father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even our own lives. At first glance, this seems quite strange. But Jesus isn’t really telling us to hate our families and ourselves. Instead, He’s using strong language to make a point that is so important for us to understand: our love for Him should be so strong that, by comparison, our love for anyone or anything else seems like hate. It’s not that we actually hate our families or our own lives, but that our love for Jesus should be far greater.

In fact, when we love Jesus above all else, something amazing happens – we actually learn how to love our families better. By putting Him first, we allow His love to transform us, and that love spills over into our relationships with others. We become better friends, parents, siblings, and spouses because we are filled with the love of Christ.

Is there something or someone you’ve been loving more than Jesus? For me at the moment, I am aware that I have all of a sudden prioritised my career. And I have to ask myself: How can I re-prioritize my relationship with Jesus?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Luke 14:15-24

Luke 14:15-24 - Daily Devotion - 12 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

15 When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!” 16 But Jesus said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 21 So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 Then the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 So the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Omar Dewan

Last year my wife Valerie and I had our “international honeymoon”. Our first destination was the Japanese city Sapporo. I distinctly remember walking around at night time and eating some yummy vanilla ice cream as we walked into random streets and alleyways. What appeared to be quiet and tiny streets were actually buzzing with activity – we found that there’d be lots of people hidden in tiny rooms and houses, which actually functioned as small restaurants or quiet bars.

So I imagine that the servant in the Parable of the Great Banquet would have had a HUGE task in going out to the roads and country lanes and compelling people to come to his master’s banquet – and getting enough people to come so that his master’s house would be absolutely full!

There are many things I could reflect on in this parable, but for today my first reaction was to give thanks that Jesus is unrelenting in bringing people from the farthest corners of the world into his kingdom. In Jesus we have a God who left the heavenly realms to enter our world as a servant, in order to save us from our spiritual darkness through his death and resurrection. How exciting is it that we can look forward to the day where we, as followers of Jesus, can join God in his great banquet!

That exciting day also prompts me to think about those around me who don’t yet know Jesus. I continue to have spiritual conversations with mum, dad and brother – but there are also many other non-Christians in my circles, like work colleagues. In seeking to be like Jesus, I’m challenged to consider: How am I following his example of “going out to the roads and country lanes”? How am I calling the many non-Christians that I know of to God?

It sure can be a daunting task – but as I try to fulfil it the best I can, I am comforted by Jesus’ promise: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Omar is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.