Sunday reflections

Today we celebrate the beginning of the most solemn week of our Christian calendar. Those outside our Christian faith might well accuse us of glorifying torture and death as we follow the story of Jesus’ trial, passion and crucifixion.

The Resurrection is central to the Christian faith. Yet it is probably one of the most misunderstood doctrines. What does it mean to say Jesus is risen? What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for us?

The ancient texts in the book of Genesis, which speak to us of creation and then our fall from grace, provide us with the most marvellous insights into our nature and the nature of the world about us. Creationists who insist only on a literal interpretation of such biblical texts do themselves and us a great disservice, precisely because they fail to grasp the depth of meaning that lies within them.

Over the next couple of weeks, we move from the Gospel of Matthew to the Fourth Gospel. Often described as the “spiritual gospel,” this gospel presents Jesus’ teachings in the form of long theologically-charged speeches or his many-levelled interactions with various characters representing key groups within first-century Roman Palestine.

In just a few weeks’ time we will hear the shocking accounts of Jesus’ arrest, his torture, his passion and his death on a cross. But today, early in our Lenten journey, we recall one of the moments in his life when his divine identity is revealed to his closest disciples.

The ancient texts in the book of Genesis, which speak to us of creation and then our fall from grace, provide us with the most marvellous insights into our nature and the nature of the world about us. Creationists who insist only on a literal interpretation of such biblical texts do themselves and us a great disservice, precisely because they fail to grasp the depth of meaning that lies within them.

In an often-violent world, the call to non-violence is counter cultural. War between Russia and Ukraine has shown us the extremes of violence where missiles bring death and destruction. However, violence is not just in a distant land but present in many of our homes.

In today’s gospel it seems Jesus is asking too much of us! Following the commandments is not enough. We must also avoid anger, abusive language, lustful thoughts, and not take oaths of any kind! Even calling someone a ‘fool’ or ‘renegade’ is an offence. But is Jesus actually asking us to follow an impossible set of commandments … or is he doing something else?

Following on from the beatitudes in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus speaks of his followers as salt and light. Is that us, we might wonder? While we may no longer preserve food with salt, though millions in the world still do, we all know something of the lift it can give to food. We don’t want to overdo it, but no salt and our food might lack for something.

The opportunity to make a fresh start is something that we all value, especially if we have been struggling with problems which have weighed us down. The tradition of making New Year resolutions illustrates this deep desire to put the past behind us and move on.