Wednesday 12 July 2017

Psalm: Psalm 35:9-18

Background

When it comes to gifts, are you better at giving or receiving? Idon't think I am that good at either. In receiving I always think Idon't deserve it, and in giving I tend to be less imaginative thanI wish I could be.

In today's passage the Jews find it hard to receive what isbeing offered to them. Rather than hearing and receiving the giftGod offers (ie Jesus), their focus turns to the boy who'd grown upin Nazareth - just another kid, with nothing heavenly abouthim.

Once again the people of Israel make the mistake of failing toreceive a gift offered to them from God. Of course this is not new,centuries before we see them struggling with the gift of freedomoffered to them through the call of Moses.

Not that it's the easiest gift to unwrap. Moses had offeredtheir ancestors manna (Exodus16), the bread that would keep them alive throughout theirjourney in the wilderness. Now Jesus was offering them his ownself, the bread of heaven. But more than that, by receiving thegift God was including a golden ticket for everyone, the gift ofeternal life. This isn't just a promise of life to come beyonddeath - although we see later in Jesus' life, death andresurrection this is included. Eternal life eludes more to thequality of life to be lived in this life, both before and beyondthe grave - which we often refer to as 'life in God's kingdom'.

To Ponder

• God is constantly offering us gifts. What are you failing tosee because of your prejudice to the medium (a person, a church, aform of worship) it is being offered through?

• In what ways is your picture of Jesus so earthly bound that youare blinkered in seeing what God has offered you?

• When people look at you, to what extent can they see that youare living your life in a way that suggests you have receivedsomething that is precious and will last forever?