Tough times lie ahead. The erosion of sympathy for Christians and the faith they hold guarantees this. A period of severe sifting appears about to begin. Other countries and cultures are ahead of us in feeling the flames of persecution. Competing faiths and societal attitudes are quickly turning against the folk who confess Christ and as opposition intensifies so the company of confessors will dwindle. An anti-Christian outbreak seems imminent. It may not be the last and final wave of attack but everywhere it seems that men are growing impatient with the rule of Christ and his faithful subjects. We are out of step with modern mores in morals, religion, politics, cultural tastes and amusements. We will be deemed to be intolerant and loveless critics of the current ways of the world. The peace and privileges we enjoy will be withdrawn. There are too many rapidly developing lobbies that would like to see us removed. Adherence to the Gospel is going to be costly.  There are times when God looks upon the earth and faith cannot be found and the love of the many has grown cold. Church and community both, have turned away. The current tide of opinion and events seems to be pointing to a widespread occurrence of faithlessness and recklessness in human behaviour and belief. God may stem the advance of evil and folly but a time of trial may be ahead.

  Ancient Israel passed through phases, if not one long lasting phase, of infidelity towards God. At times the nation surpassed the pagan world in depravity and superstition and there was no barrier against the corrosion of faith and morals, no witness to truth and righteousness. By and large the church in our era seems to be beyond hope of recovery. It sinks further and further into irreverence and irrelevance. The peoples of the world stumble in darkness and the masses are lost. Every nation wrestles with its dilemmas and throws up its horrors. The ground that believers thought themselves to have occupied is receding. Influence wanes. Mockery and ridicule wax strong. Our duty as believers will be increasingly daunting and our hearts will be faint.

  The prophet Ezekiel faced such a situation of hostility and hardness of heart. Even though the great glory of God was revealed to him, and the guardianship of God was pledged to him, his spirit was still shaken and overwhelmed by the calling assigned to him. The obstinacy of the people to whom he was to preach a word of warning terrified him. He was armed with the authority of the divine word but afraid of the reaction and the seeming hopelessness of his mission.  To survive the ordeal thrust upon him God assured him, “I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them, though they are a rebellious house” (Ezek 3:8-9).

  By nature and necessity the spokesmen of God are usually folk of sensitivity. There is much fear of the words they are commanded to declare for these are not congenial to the human mind. They shrink from the orders they have received and are strongly tempted to trim what they are given to say. It takes the strength of God to embolden them and disregard the enmity or indifference aroused. Their resolve has to be stiffened though the pain remains. Secret battles are often fought between God and his prophets and preachers. Subtle escapes from disapproval and unpopularity proffer themselves. Ezekiel was enabled to stand his ground though greatly outnumbered by those who would block their ears to him and scorn his speech and actions. Only when judgment is fully announced can the word of hope be expressed.

  The Lord Jesus was constantly assailed by his opponents. Their plotting was always apparent and Jesus’ prowess in outwitting them was always obvious (e.g. Matthew 21: 23-27). They became more and more furious and their hatred ominous. But Jesus always firmly stood his ground. The animosity and trickery of the Jewish leaders could not trip or topple him. His human sensitivity may have been stung but his prophetic song of servant-hood to the will and word of God reveals that his resolve was never overcome. “The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. There fore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near.” (Isaiah 50:5-8a).

  Ezekiel and Jesus were flinty folk, unmoveable in standing their ground and contending for truth. Martin Luther was a man of similar character. Neither threats nor rewards would silence him. He was brave but not without fear and apprehension. Often tired, and sick, overburdened with concern and wearied by conflict, he must have had his moments of weakness and anger. The turmoil of his ministry and times must have been overwhelming and difficult for any normal human being to bear. But Luther held out on many occasions. His reputed watchword is so apt: Here I stand! Luther stood his ground. And so, too, did the leaders of the English Reformation.

  John Bradford was one of the dearest and most devout of the Protestant martyrs, and among the most able as preacher and theologian, held in high esteem by his peers. He went bravely to the stake in 1555 at the age of 45. He withstood the unpopularity of the people and their leaders, and stood his ground.

  “But, alas!  it is to be pitied, it is to be lamented: we ought to fear the plagues of God hanging over our heads. For notwithstanding God’s most abundant mercy upon us, which should provoke us to repentance, when or where was there more security, and less fear of God, than is even in this realm of England at this day?”

 “ . . . whoso truly understandeth (the law and gospel), cannot by man’s doctrine be seduced from truth, or read the Scriptures but to edify both himself and others: whereas he that is ignorant of the same cannot, though he were a great doctor of divinity, and could rehearse every text of the Bible without a book, but both be deceived, and deceive others . . . . For how can it be, that such as find no terror of conscience, and see not their just damnation in the law of God, which commandeth things impossible to man’s nature and power; how can it be, I say, that such could find sweetness in the gospel of Christ? How can the benefit of Christ show itself to him that needeth it not?”

  John Bradford joined the ranks of those fortified by God-given resolve to endure the hardness and stubbornness of those who oppose and defy the Word of God. His reputedly sweet nature must have suffered under the opposition he endured. He was a flinty man also. The people of God must become flinty in our time. We can see that many in high places of position and authority in church and state have become hardened and unyielding. We can see that society in general cares nothing for the Word. We must stand our ground for the honour of God and the welfare of men.

RJS

  Speech, the power to communicate thought vocally, is a marvellous gift. What wisdom and wonders are uttered by the human voice. The faculty of speech singles out mankind as a species of great intelligence and dignity, although not all speech serves as evidence of this observation. For most of us the ability to talk is a fairly easy function and the use of the cell phone manifests with what alacrity and excessiveness we are inclined to employ it. What is all the gabbling about? What more do we have to say than our forbears who depended on pigeons and smoke signals? How much is the chattering necessary and beneficial and why must it all be so instant all the time? Can some of the conversation be saved up for later when folk actually meet, and wouldn’t it be better if some of it never occurred? Many regrettable or inane things are said in haste. Scripture places great value on words and they are not be wasted or worthless. Words mark humanity as the bearer of a noble station and vocation and the base and trivial use of language is an enormous letdown. The tongue can be accused of many crimes and infirmities. Silence can be a virtue. Small talk can be a burden. Slick chatter can be an irritant. Sincere and sound speech can be a boon and a tonic, a blessing that braces the soul.

  Not all speech has to be sombre by any means. There is a place for humour and wit and remarks of many types and tones. Speech may convey all varieties of comment, information, opinion, and emotion. It is admirable if it is clean, thoughtful, well meant, non-platitudinous, and original to the moment and the topic addressed. The cliché is a lazy and boring means of expression and ought to be “avoided like the plague”.  Some persons insist on communicating stereo- typically until the cows come home. News items, political speeches, and popular drama can consist of little else than a string of catchphrases that require no deliberation or creativity. By the time the speaker  has touched base, given us the bottom line, completed the update, and brought us up to speed, we are equipped to think outside the box and adjudge as to whether or not something is at the cutting edge, cool, great, or whatever. Whatever it might be, it is what it is, and we are given the heads up to ascertain as to whether it’s a no-brainer, as clear as mud, or as plain as the nose on your face. We are well able to give our take and give others a handle on it. Politicians, scientists, economists, journalists, all produce their time worn, old hat, as ancient as the ark, terminology. And so, too, do we Christians. The value of speech is easily depreciated. Familiarity, repetitiveness, glibness, imitativeness eventually cheapens everything we say, and the message bounces off our auditors if we become casually “sloganistic”. Pausing and pondering in conversation or discussion are far better than pre-programmed contributions or replies.

  Texts can be too hastily quoted, testimonies too readily given, and affirmations of faith and witness can be ill-prepared and premature. It is easy to spout and say nowt, and oft times such things are said under some kind of over enthusiastic pressure from friend or foe. The mouth needs to be monitored by solid conviction and understanding. We are to share with care towards the Word and our listeners. Sects, cults, and sceptics also possess “the gift of the gab”.  Fraudulent folk also can master the popular phrases of the godly and what is sometimes called the language of Zion.  Our words should aim for personal integrity in accord with our reverence for God. Holiness and humility should attend our speech with respect for the fact that our audience has brains, background, and conditioning that may or may not make them favourable to the presentation of Christian truth.  And in the end, try as we may; only God has access to the heart and power to persuade it. Much of what we declare to an unbelieving world may be scoffed at and scorned – the gospel gives offence to human haughtiness and self-will, but our hack phraseology can fuel the mockery of the faith. If something is to be of profound meaning to others it must be of profound meaning to us. A (sad) comment sometimes made to officiants at funerals or weddings by non-churchgoers is, “You say it as if you mean it”. Folk are wearied and disillusioned by the volubility of religious utterance, especially in cultures where Christianity of some kind has had a strong and enduring presence. Ancient Israel is an example of gabby religiosity: “Do not trust in deceptive words and say, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:4). Here was an expression of false piety. As Dr. Johnson has observed, we all talk and write in a manner that is better then we really are. We are never as good, reasonable, charitable, impartial, and sincere as we like to present ourselves, but the believer, by God’s grace, ought to strive to speak word and witness worthy of him for the real wellbeing of our fellows and in the longing for their grasp of the hope of a joyful resurrection. There are terms we need to rethink, and truths we need to restate, for ourselves; to check out the authenticity and earnestness of what we say and to find our own genuine idiom of faith, even if it is only thinking through the language we borrow and making it ours. Words without weight are as counterfeit as coins of cheap metal (mind you, these now have replaced coinage of real mineral value).

  Clichétic speech is irksome, though sometimes difficult to avoid. But it is too over-used to stir or stimulate the mind. It causes folk to communicate like automata. It means we listen like dummies. It is dehumanizing. However there is one cliché that certainly has a noble and holy derivation.

  John Donne, poet and preacher, in a sermon on Genesis 1:26 (And God said, Let us make man, in our Image, after our likeness) speaks, “of that man who has taken hold of God by those handles by which God has delivered and manifested himself in the notions of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”. He has, “his being, and his diet, and his physic there in the knowledge of the Trinity; his being in the mercy of the Father; his physic (healing) in the merits of the Son; his diet, his daily bread, in the daily visitations of the Holy Ghost”.

  May God in his mercy give all his folk a firm handle on the deep realities of the faith we possess, a fast grip on all the blessings he affords, and enable a faithful account and recommendation of his infinite goodness and generosity to those who trust him.

  The Lord has given us many ways by which we may gain a handle on him: his Word, all the concepts of God that Scripture imparts, his ordinances and sacraments, prayer, association with the people of God in holy gathering, friendship with fellow believers. And the seasons of Advent, Christmastide, and Epiphany have shown us how God may be handled by us in the fact of the Incarnation. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1 and see vv2-3). In addition there is the beautiful hymn on the Lord’s Supper written by Horatius Bonar that reminds us of the solemn tryst and joy to be experienced in the sacrament: Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face; here would I touch and handle things unseen; here touch with firmer hand eternal grace, and all my weariness upon thee lean.

RJS

  The Passover was the most significant festival observed by the Jews. Men were obliged to attend and by Jesus’ time women and families accompanied them as they were able. Joseph and Mary maintained the custom together annually. It is probable that Jesus also travelled with them to Jerusalem prior to the account of his visit to the temple recorded by Luke (2:41ff). But at the age of twelve Jesus was about to become a bar mitzvah, a son of the law and so attendance at the Passover was of exceptional importance on this occasion. Jesus was growing through the processes of normal education in his knowledge of Israel’s Scriptures and his deep consciousness of God from birth was developing in the awareness of his special sonship. He was becoming a son of the law but he was also cognizant of being the Son of the Lord. This Passover was poignant in the maturation of his self understanding. He would ponder the law with personal reference. The time in the temple was a spiritual homecoming and an opportunity for keener insight. For his parents and their friends the Passover was the focus. For Jesus there was the compulsion to be about his Father’s business and that was the concentration on the Father’s Word from which he would derive the knowledge of his heavenly commission.

  Jerusalem was the centre of Jewish wisdom. The great rabbis and doctors of the law would be situated there and others dispersed among the populace and foreign nations would also gather for conference and consultations. A thirst for knowledge could be quenched by listening in to their discussions. A twelve year old boy exceptional in his learning and ardent in his yearning for greater comprehension could not miss out on the opportunity to overhear the conversation and debates participated in by the most eminent experts of the day.

  Jesus was not so impertinent and ill-mannered as to interject and lecture his elders but his lingering presence must have amused and intrigued the assembled teachers of the law to such an extent that they good naturedly enquired as to his interest and basic grasp of Israel’s tradition. Drawn to respond Jesus posed questions that only someone well informed could address to the august body of instructors. As dialogue developed it became clear that the mind and manner of Jesus were extraordinary and initial amusement and curiosity grew to astonishment. Jesus impressed his mature and professional audience to the point where they could only be described as astounded. “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and answers” (v47). He began by asking questions of the wise. As his parents approached to reclaim and rebuke him he could be heard answering the questions of the wise. What is more, his parents, for all their godliness, failed to discern the wisdom of his reply when they asked him why he had separated himself and delayed in the holy city. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (v49). So often his priorities would run counter to human expectation. With all the instruction Jesus’ parents would have given him from early experience of his uniqueness and from the writings of the law and the prophets would they not have been more prepared for the manifestation of remarkable features in his life and character? Mary had to slowly ponder her way to perception, which makes her input to Luke’s gospel even more dependable.

  At the commencement and closure to the Lucan narrative we are cautioned to notice the unique wisdom of the Lord Jesus in his youth (vv40&52). His mind was shaped by the Old Testament and filled with the Holy Spirit. While his parents were anxiously searching for him he was earnestly searching the Scriptures. Care must be taken in trying to assess the internal life of the Lord but he must have possessed a strong sense of unbroken communion with the Father and cultivated it carefully through disciplines of study, prayer, worship, and obedience to God and guardians (v51). Great grace was within him and this was attractive to others.

  Jesus had a thirst for wisdom and he was the fount of wisdom. His whole ministry is evidence of this. He was observant of nature and his parables are proof of his powers of detailed perception. He had profound penetration into the complexity, ways, and wiles of human nature. He was apprised of the culture and customs of his times and the motives and influences that moulded them. He had grasped the realities of contemporary politics and religion. His comments evince great acumen and in controversy he was unbeatable. His wit could be sharp and withering when trained on pomposity, hypocrisy, and self-righteousness. Jesus was immensely, infinitely wise. When we ponder like Mary that fact becomes more and more clear. His wisdom was spectrum wide – ethical, practical, historical, - in every way conceivable. He was no exhibitionist, formal philosopher, professional counsellor or commentator. He was principally prophet and shepherd in his public speech and in his spiritual wisdom he was unsurpassable. He came as the sage of salvation, not pronouncing theory but truth emanating from his relationship with the Father. He knew the Truth and embodied him (John 10:30). Jesus was and enunciated wisdom. He was the Word in our world, the Revealer from the Father’s bosom. Coming from the Father his main wisdom imparted to us was the way back to the Father. Such wisdom is simple but beyond the reach of sinful man (1 Corinthians 1).

  Men are puffed up about knowledge, which is always dependent upon others, and acquired or suggested by tutors. Men are pretentious concerning wisdom and make great display about their judgment and prudence, but the boastful rarely avoid becoming buffoons. The knowledge of Christ in its simplest form is greater than the accumulated knowledge of the world amassed in ignorance or defiance of him. It is in the temple before the Lord, figuratively speaking, that real wisdom is gained for the comfort and conduct of this life and the hope of the life to come.

  Salvation is to be sought from the One who was trained and instructed to provide it. He knew the solution to our predicament. He listened to the Father and leaned upon him and wrought our deliverance. He knew perfectly the nature he came to salvage and the nature of the God who willed to restore. He could match these two natures together in his perfect person, and match God and man together again in the salvation he performed. Divine wisdom prevailed in Jesus to the overcoming of human folly. The gospel is the publication of divine wisdom that confounds Satan and the world. Jesus is the answer to the divine dilemma posed by rebellious man: How can I give you up? How can I hand you over? (Hosea 11:8).

  The cross is the ultimate disclosure of the divine wisdom. Only the humbled will see this when grace enables them to appreciate “the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”, (Colossians 2:3), - Father and Son equalized: “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). Jesus is supremely proficient in accomplishing our salvation: It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus (prevenient grace), who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” 1 Corinthians 1:30). His wisdom is our comprehensive restoration and we are saved by his knowledge (Isaiah 53:11b).

RJS