Newspapers

Today’s household object is the newspaper and the Bible passage is Matthew 21:6-11.

Newspapers used to be the only way to find out the news, with the printing press giving ordinary people access to the news and to books. They are often a symbol of public opinion, and Palm Sunday shows us the crowds cheering Jesus into Jerusalem. The media of the time (grapevine and gossip, as Gordon Giles puts it!) spread the news that Jesus was about to ride into Jerusalem, and the crowds gathered accordingly. ‘Hosanna’ means ‘save us’ and is a direct quotation from Psalm 118:25.

Public opinion on Palm Sunday favoured Jesus, but only a few days later, another crowd gathered to hear Pontius Pilate ask what to do with the same man and stirred up opinion which demanded the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus. Public opinion then, as now, was fickle. Jesus was both hailed and harrowed by unthinking, uninformed and desperate opinion. We need the truth of God’s word to anchor us, giving us attitudes and opinions that reflect who God is rather than what people think. Newspapers and the ‘media’ are not enough to guide us into truth; only God’s word can do that.

The Dining Table

Today’s household object is the dining table and the passage is Genesis 22:9-14, the story of Abraham and Isaac and how God provided the lamb so that Isaac was not slain on the altar.

Most churches have a table in the foyer or back of the hall for leaflets, hymn books, offering dishes and other paraphernalia associated with church life. There is also a table at the front of the hall where the bread and wine are placed when Holy Communion is shared. One table seems merely functional; the other is given special meaning because of the ritual that is represented by the bread and wine. In many churches, it is called the altar table, reminding us of the Jewish rituals of sacrifice which Christ’s death on the cross brought to an end.

The call to Abraham to sacrifice his son of promise resonates loudly with Christ’s sacrifice, the Lamb of God who by His own blood redeemed the world. Just as God spares Isaac by providing a lamb to sacrifice instead of his own son, so Christ steps in to be sacrificed so that we do not have to face God’s wrath for our sin.

Yet the Lord’s Supper was not inaugurated at a special altar, but at an ordinary dining table, reminding us that the fellowship which Christ’s death has procured for us is often sanctified through ordinary meals. It’s why we have spent time eating together as well as studying God’s word this Lent. It’s why our Good Friday service begins with a fellowship meal. As we sit, eat and chat together at a dining table, we are reminded that Easter has restored relationships to the world: our relationship with God, and our relationship with each other.

A Salt Shaker

Today’s household object is the very ordinary salt shaker and our passage is Matthew 5:1-13.

Salt flavours and preserves; somehow the chemical reaction between sodium and chlorine produces sodium chloride or common salt. Jesus said that His followers are the salt of the world, but warned that the if the salt has lost its taste, how can saltiness be restored? The salt in our cupboards has to be used; if it gets damp in the pot, it solidifies and is no use to us.

Salt has to be ‘shaken’ (or ground) to be useful. It’s no use hiding away from the world in order to remain spiritually pure; Jesus prayednot that You take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.’ (John 17:15) We remain in the world whilst not being the same as the world because of God’s Spirit in us; we are called to bring out the God-flavours of the world and to be tastily different!

Curtains

Today’s household object are curtains and the Bible passage is Mark 15:33-39.

In the book of Exodus, we find some of the earliest instructions for making and hanging curtains. When Moses is given instructions for building the Tabernacle, these include two curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns (Exodus 26). Each curtain was about 42 feet long by 6 feet wide (my tall Victorian house has rooms that are over 10 feet high, which is not easy when it comes to decorating!) The curtains had to be joined together with blue loops and gold and brass clasps, making two sets of five. Another special curtain was made to separate the most holy place; this curtain had cherubim embroidered on it and were attached to four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold, which had hooks of gold and rested on four pieces of silver. These curtains were for concealment, to hide the most holy place from prying, unworthy eyes. (See ‘At Home In Lent,’ P 141)

To this day, we use curtains for privacy and to protect ourselves from the outside world, but at Easter, we read that the curtain in the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom. Given its size and height, this was no ordinary act, but a divine one, demonstrating that the barriers to God’s presence were removed and that now ‘we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain (that is, through His body.’ (Heb 10:19-20) The curtain has been torn; now we can enter God’s presence, cleansed through the sacrifice of Christ.

The Piano

Today’s household object is the piano and our Bible passage is Matthew 28:16-20.

A piano is not necessarily found in all homes, but I was privileged to grow up in a house with a piano and later to inherit that piano so that it lives in my home now. I never actually learned to play the piano very well myself, but my son had piano lessons and so the piano was well used; my grandchildren are now enjoying the instrument and its use continues to this day. I am fascinated by how the piano is made and used to love it when the piano tuner came and took off all the exterior pieces so that I could see the hammers as well as the keys.

One reason I love the piano is that you can play more than one note at the same time, and can play chords (combinations of notes which sound harmonious when played together.) A chord is usually made up of 3 separate notes, and this reminds us of the mystery of the Trinity: one God in three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. This doctrine is a mystery, but is key to our understanding of God as a being of relationship manifested in the inseparability of the Father-creator, the Son-Christ and the Holy Spirit, ever-present among us. (‘At Home In Lent’, P 136) Relationships matter, because God Himself is a being of relationship! The author urges us to ‘play a triad chord’ on the piano, ‘listening to the blend of three-in-one, contemplate the mystery of God, our creator, our redeemer and the sustainer of faith and life.’ (ibid., P 137)

Submitting To God

Submission is a theme which occurs frequently in the Bible; we see the question of submission within the Godhead and submission to secular and church authorities; the subject also comes up in the discussion on marriage. This evening, Garry focussed on the question of our submission to God.

Submitting to God is a necessary part of life. God created everything and therefore everything belongs to Him (Ps 50:1, 10-12); He has the right to demand our submission, but instead asks us (see Matt 23:37, Mark 3:1-5). He calls us to submit, giving us a choice.He longs for us to be in a right relationship with Him, but He will not force us. In Rev 3:20 we see Christ knocking at the door of our hearts; submission comes from love, not because we are forced. Often, the picture is of a lover wooing his beloved (see Job 36:15-16) To submit to Him leads us from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of a table laden with choice food. God wants the best for us, and submission to Him is not because He is a spoil-sport who wants to dominate, but stems from His love for us since He knows what is best for us.

Submission out of love in the context of a loving relationship sets the scene for every other kind of submission, which will be looked at later.