In Matthew 16:24’s Jesus pointed out that “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (NRSV). Luther thought that picking up one’s cross was not so much about suffering, for everyone suffers regardless of their faith. He pointed out that instead its about bearing…

Jesus asks his disciples this question in today’s Gospel from Matthew 16:13-20. The author and academic C S Lewis once contended that the answer most people gives falls into three categories: Lord, lunatic or liar. Peter said Jesus was “… the Christ (Messiah, anointed one), the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Peter clearly…

It seems there was quite a scene that day when Jesus withdrew out of Galilee into the northern non-Jewish (gentile) realm of Tyre and Sidon. Confronted by a desperate mum seeking her child’s deliverance from a demon there is plenty of awkward to and fro. Pretty much everyone these days rightly feels uncomfortable about the…

I’m hoping that today’s sermon on Matthew 14:22-33 is one that encourages you in faith. That Jesus walks on water and what he says as he does so shows in several ways that he is God, given the way it connects to key parts of the Old Testament. That Peter both believes and is moved…

We continue following the Gospel of Matthew consistent with the international lectionary of the worldwide Christian church. Today we are on the shores of the lake with a very large crowd – at least 10,000 it would seem as the writer only notes ‘five thousand men, besides women and children’ (Matthew 14:21). There is much…

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23. Today we hear of the Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. It tells us about the various ways the world receives the word and why sometimes it sticks and often it seems not to stick. It is meant as encouragement both individually for what God’s word can yield in our own lives…

Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to him all who are weary and heavy burdened because they will receive his rest is a well used verse of scriptures. Christians love it for the promise it offers both them and those to whom they bring God’s mission. It’s the sort of thing we see on…

For the next fortnight the epistle reading covers Romans 6 in two parts. Romans 6 tells us about the ongoing role of our baptisms. Baptism is no less than union with the death and resurrection of Christ. This matters, because our sins are left behind in the grave. But what comes after is a new…

It strikes me that some common phrases in Christianity can lose their impact over time.  Romans 5:3-5 is one.  As you look at your own life, does suffering really produce endurance which produces character which produces hope?  Only in a kind of more hoped for than realised way? Is the hope that comes from times of trial something…

In Matthew’s Gospel doubt was the disciple’s reaction that accompanied worshipping the risen Lord. It’s very honest. It captures that we are not linear binary creatures as, clearly, the worship of God can be accompanied by doubts. It happened for Jesus’ disciples – why wouldn’t it be different for us who are remote from him…