Easter surprise

Category From the Minister

For many people, the defining part of Easter revolves around chocolate, whether in the form of hollow Easter eggs, filled Easter eggs, a chocolate bunny or a chocolate bilby. This year I even saw a giant chocolate platypus. No doubt Easter egg hunts with young children can be lots of fun. But it’s typical of our culture that the commercial side of Easter wins out so much over the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

As an aside, decorating and eating (chicken) eggs has a long history in the Orthodox tradition and throughout Eastern Europe, with some legends ascribing the practice to Mary Magdalene. The egg is of course a symbol of new life. In 18^th century Germany, liquid chocolate was placed into an eggshell to make the first solid chocolate egg. In the 19^th century in England, chocolate makers Fry & Sons and soon after Cadbury made the first hollow chocolate eggs, with the empty hollow of the egg representing the empty tomb of Jesus.

The joyous Easter festivals and traditions that we enjoy are a far cry from the original Easter story as told in Mark’s Gospel. Mark tells how the women, who had witnessed the death and burial of Jesus, returned to the stone tomb early in the morning of the third day to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. This was part of Jewish burial custom, but there was no time to do this special task on the Friday when Jesus died.

Surprise awaits them. The large stone rolled across the entrance to the tomb had been rolled back and there was no body inside the tomb. Instead they meet a young man dressed in white (an angel?) who tells them that Jesus has risen and will meet them in Galilee just as he promised. They are to go and tell the other disciples the news. Mark writes that the women were astonished and bewildered and flee from the tomb in terror.

Our familiarity with the story often robs it of its unexpected surprise and shock. So I wonder what surprises you about the Easter story and how you might recapture some of its strangeness and yet also its deep felt joy that slowly emerges as the disciples encounter the risen Jesus for themselves.

Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2024 by Peter Mallen
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Thinking about the cross

Category From the Minister

It’s Easter time again. For many Australians that means it’s the opportunity to go away camping or to paint the house or enjoy an extra long weekend. While most people no doubt enjoy these extra days off, I wonder if they stop to think why they are declared as public holidays.

When British colonists arrived in Australia in the late 18th century, they brought their Christian faith and traditions with them. Over time, Christianity became the predominant religion in the colonies, and Christian holidays like Good Friday were established. It was and remains a solemn day marked by church services, the reading of the Passion narrative from the Bible and sometimes by processions. Many Christians participate in Good Friday services to reflect on the significance of Christ's death on the cross.

One common interpretation of the cross is that Jesus had to die to take away our sins and to save us from the wrath of God. This type of theology is taken primarily from the writings of the apostle Paul. Yet when we turn to the Gospel accounts, the four books attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that describe the life and death of Jesus, we find few mentions of Jesus needing to die to take away sin. Indeed, during his ministry Jesus often forgives people and invites them to start living in a new way. This forgiveness is not tied to the cross in any way but rather emphasises the compassion and love of Jesus who speaks and acts on behalf of God.

So when we think about the cross, perhaps we would do better to reflect on the love of God and the compassion of Jesus. The well-known verse from John’s Gospel provides an alternative way of thinking – that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son – Jesus – so that everyone who trusts in him may not die but rather have eternal life. The cross is crucial for our understanding of the depth and breadth of God’s love. It stands at the centre of our faith. It shows that love, suffering and forgiveness are all part of following in the footsteps of Jesus.

May God bless you with fresh understanding as you contemplate the cross on Good Friday.

Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: John 3:16, Mark 15

Welcome to the Messiah

Category From the Minister

On first blush, this week’s Palm Sunday story is quite simple. Jesus and his ever growing band of disciples have been journeying from Galilee and have now reached Jerusalem in time for the Passover festival. Jesus procures a donkey and rides this into the city while his followers wave branches and shout enthusiastically ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’

On deeper reflection, it’s also an odd story. Jesus walks everywhere. It’s basically how people got around. Yet on this occasion he is at pains to ride an animal, and a donkey at that. Procurement of the donkey takes up more than half the episode, so was presumably unexpected and memorable. First time rider riding an animal that’s never been ridden before. What could possibly go wrong?!

It seems that it’s all quite deliberate. Jesus could have entered the city inconspicuously among the Passover crowds. This may have been the prudent and safe course of action. But Jesus seems intent on making a statement. That statement appears to be political, namely that he is coming as king, humble and riding on a donkey according to the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The crowd’s response is from Psalm 118, a song of people welcoming a victorious king into the city with shouts of Hosanna and blessing.

So Jesus chooses to enter the city provocatively as a king, as the long awaited and hoped for Messiah. Up until this point in Mark’s gospel, Jesus has been very careful to keep his identity under wraps, which is commonly referred to as the ‘messianic secret’ in Mark’s Gospel. But now he comes openly as the Messiah. Why the change in approach? Why stir up the crowd’s imagination when it’s clear that he is not the type of Messiah they were hoping for? But perhaps that’s the point. Jesus is in fact the Messiah and the events of the next week will show the type of Messiah that he is.

Posted: Friday, March 22, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: Mark 11:1-11

The hour has come

Category From the Minister

Most of our lives are regulated by clock time – minutes, hours, days and years. In Greek this is called chronos time from which we derive the English word chronometer or watch. Whether it’s our daily routine or gathering for a meeting or attending an event, our lives usually follow chronos time.

But there is another sort of time. It’s when a mother knows that it’s time for her baby to be born. Or when it’s time to move out of your long term family home. Or when it’s time to retire from a much loved activity or responsibility. These are examples of kairos time in Greek, which might be translated as the right time, or the favourable time or the God given time.

In this week’s Gospel reading from John, Jesus declares that the hour has come for him to be glorified. God’s kairos moment has arrived when he will be lifted up from the earth – on a cross. For John, this is not a moment of shame or chance, but rather part of God’s plan for Jesus. It is the moment when he will draw all people to himself, the moment when he will be glorified and exalted, and bring his mission to fulfilment. In John’s gospel, Jesus faces this kairos moment with calm acceptance.

I wonder if you are facing any kairos moments in your life? Are there decisions or actions needed that will transform or turn your life in a new direction? As we face such moments, may we have wise people around us and know God’s peace in our hearts that however difficult the decision, the time is right and God will be with us.

Posted: Friday, March 15, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: John 12:20-33

Come into the light

Category From the Minister

I wonder what your night vision is like. As I get older I find that it’s getting harder to navigate at night in my sport of orienteering. It’s always been challenging to run at night while following a map and trying not trip over unseen objects in the darkness. But I’m finding it harder, especially on moonless nights when kerbs and imperfections in the footpath are hard to see.

The Gospel writer John likes using the metaphors of light and darkness. Jesus is the light that is shining in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome this light (John 1:5). Yet as we travel through the season of Lent, we are reminded that there were plenty of obstacles to trip Jesus up from temptation to do things his own way to the misguided expectations of others, from those plotting evil against him to his growing popularity.

In this week’s passage from John, Jesus speaks about how he must be lifted up (on the cross) to bring life to people. Out of great love for the world, God sent Jesus for this very purpose. But not everyone wants to come into the light because it will reveal their evil actions and evil intent. They are afraid of the light revealing who they really are. So while Jesus brings God’s light and God’s life, many choose to remain in darkness.

I wonder if part of us is also afraid of coming into the light. Perhaps it’s why we find repentance and confession difficult. We convince ourselves that we are doing okay and that admitting our weaknesses and failures (our sin) before God will make us feel guilty or ashamed. Perhaps then we have misunderstood God’s love. God wants to bring us to healing and wholeness and to help us live fully in the light. God is ready to embrace us like the father figure in the parable of the prodigal son. It takes courage to step into the light and admit our need. But it’s also the way to find life, true and abundant life. What are we waiting for?

Posted: Friday, March 8, 2024 by Peter Mallen
Tags: John 3:14-21