Jesus Without Language

Paul stared at the passage of writing. The letter to the Corinthians was getting long, but it was all important stuff they needed to hear. He had just finished the bit about how God gives us different gifts, and now he had to find a way of explaining how those gifts worked together.

Paul looked around for something he could use as a symbol. The curtains needed the window. The lamp needed the oil. The plants needed the rain and sun and soil… nothing was quite working. He tried again. His pen needed ink and a hand to hold it and an arm to move it and eyes to see… wait this could work! He put the pen down and looked at his reflection in the basin. Then, he rushed to the table to start writing…

The body has many parts, but it’s still one body, just like the Church has many members but is still one church.

Imagine if a foot said it didn’t belong to the body because it wasn’t a hand! Doesn’t that sound silly? How would we walk without feet?

Imagine if an ear said it wasn’t part of the body because it wasn’t an eye! How would we hear?
If the whole body was nothing but ears, how would we smell? If the whole body was eyes, how would we hear? The body needs many different parts.

God has arranged the body so that we can all work together. The eyes can’t say they don’t need the ears. The hands can’t say to the feet that they don’t need them. Our churches are not places for being exclusive and only gathering people who are the same, but inclusive where we love the differences that others bring. We need each other to be the whole body.

When we work together, it changes how we treat each other too. If one person suffers, we all suffer. It’s the same when we get hurt. If you cut your foot, then the body is hurt even if your arm is fine. If you win an award for your drawing, your whole body is honoured and rejoices, not just your hands.

God has put the body together so that there would be no division in the body and that the members would all value each other. We all have different roles to play. Some roles are more important than others, but that doesn’t mean that the smaller roles aren’t important too. Without them, the body, as God designed it to be, would be incomplete.

The church year isn’t the same as the usual calendar. It starts in Advent as we get ready for Jesus to be born, and this is the last week before we start that journey again. This week we look back at the whole year and remember that Jesus is, was, and will always be King.

But Jesus isn’t like the other kings, and Jesus’s kingdom isn’t like other kingdoms.

Most kings are born in palaces and sleep in grand beds; Jesus’s first bed was a feeding trough, and for many years he had no home.

Most kings are big and powerful and have armies to fight for them, but Jesus was a servant to everyone.

Most kings wear royal robes and golden crowns, but the only crown we see Jesus wear is one made of thorns.

Most kingdoms fight over land and resources; Jesus’s kingdom fights for people’s hearts.

When Jesus was arrested, a man called Pilate tried to understand what kind of king Jesus was. The Jewish leaders had called him “King of the Jews,” but the man who stood before him didn’t look like a king.

“Are you a king?” asked Pilate.

“My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus.

“So you are a king then?” said Pilate.

“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. Then, he continued, “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth.”

Pilate was confused. What was this truth that Jesus spoke of? But Jesus wasn’t confused. He knew that sharing the truth of God’s kingdom would end with him dying and then coming back to life.

Confused, Pilate had the crowd decide, and the crowd had Jesus killed. The king of all Heaven and Earth had a crown of thorns placed on his head and died between two thieves. But we know there is still more story to tell, and that the story of Jesus never ends. We know that the story of Jesus is still being told in the things his followers are doing today.

Next week, we will begin the story again for a new year. Jesus will be born and die and rise again; then his followers will spread the word of his Kingdom around the whole world.
 

Jesus and his followers left the temple. As they walked away, one of his friends looked back and stopped Jesus to ask him about it.

The temple was really impressive. They had built huge walls around the mountain top–as high as an 8 story building–to support a flat area the size of 30 football pitches. In the middle, the temple was built. It was huge too, made of white stone that was covered with large gold plates reflecting sunlight. Along the top of the temple walls, there were golden triangles so the whole place looked like a giant crown. It was supposed to be a temple for the world, but only the priests could get all the way inside. People came from all over the world to see the biggest place of worship ever built, to marvel at the size of the stones and tall arches, to spread their arms around the tall white columns and glimpse the beautiful coloured stones that made the floor.

One of Jesus’s disciples pointed and said to him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!”

Jesus saw something different, though. He replied to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another—all will be thrown down.”

The disciples around him stopped walking, their faces shocked. How could something this huge be destroyed? The crowd carried on walking with sad faces. Behind them, the temple–the pride of their nation–shone brightly.

Later that evening, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Jesus privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen?”

Jesus looked at his friends’ sad faces. They had believed his words, and yet he could not tell them when the Roman army would destroy the temple. But he could warn them that many things would happen–people would come and lead men into foolish places, earthquakes and wars would shake the world, famine and illnesses would visit communities–but that they were not the end of the story. There was no need to trust in huge buildings or shiny gold plates because the kingdom of God was going to change everything.

That’s what Jesus had come to teach them. That’s why he, the king of all Heaven, had been born in a stable, not a palace. That’s why he had wandered, showing them how to love their neighbour, to heal the sick, to welcome everyone. He had been a living temple that didn’t have closed doors only priests could open. That’s why he would let himself die on a cross like a criminal because even death wouldn’t stop God’s truth. And that’s why he promised to return because the story wasn’t over yet.
 

In her hand, between the wrinkles, lay two tiny copper coins. She would have to wait until there was nobody near the offering box.

In the temple courtyard there were thirteen wooden boxes with trumpet-shaped bronze funnels for giving gifts. The coins would bounce off the funnels, ringing out the offering to show how much people had given. These two tiny coins might not even make a sound.

The old woman shuffled around the large open space. It was often busy in this courtyard; most people got to the temple through here. There were also groups of men discussing religion or gathered listening to a rabbi speak. As she passed one, she learnt it was the teacher Jesus they were listening to today.

Jesus had seen her too. He was watching her look for a quiet offering box. Jesus knew that she only held two tiny coins in her hands. Jesus didn’t want to embarrass her because he knew her truth; he knew her secret. Jesus knew those two coins were all the money she had left and she wanted to give it to God.

Into the courtyard came a group of scribes. Their long robes were bright, making them stand out from the other visitors. They walked over to one of the offering boxes and started to pour coins into the funnel. The coins made the air ring like bells. Everyone stopped and turned towards the sound. The scribes looked around, proud that they were being recognised for their gift.

Jesus wasn’t impressed. He knew the men would change the large value coins for many little ones to make themselves look generous. He knew that these men would have collected the money from those with so little. Their generosity was fake.

While everyone was staring at the men putting on a show, Jesus turned around and looked straight at the old woman. When she saw him staring, he looked across at an offering box that had nobody near it. He nodded, and she smiled back to him.

Then, Jesus did something amazing. As the old woman dropped her two coins, sure the whole crowd would be looking the other way, Jesus spoke to all the men around him and told them that her offering was the greatest. As she turned back into the courtyard, Jesus and the crowd around him stood up. They didn’t face the rich noisy scribes, oh no! They all faced the old woman. Her offering, her two tiny coins, had been recognised.

Today’s story is about two of Jesus’s twelve special friends called disciples These disciples were called James and John, but Jesus liked to call them the “Sons of Thunder.” James and John were fishermen; they worked with Simon-Peter. Jesus had walked along near their fishing boat one day and called them to follow him. They went from fishing all night and pulling in heavy nets with fish to fishing for people to be part of God’s kingdom, fishing for followers of Jesus.

From then on, James and John could always be found near Jesus. We do know that they weren’t always very intelligent, and sometimes they got a bit overexcited. One day, they were so irritated with a village who didn’t welcome them that they suggested calling down fire from Heaven to burn it up. Do you think Jesus agreed with their request? No. Jesus told them that he was there to save people, not destroy them. James and John may have had bad tempers, but Jesus still chose them to be part of his kingdom.

One day, James and John came to Jesus with another request. The brothers had worked out that one day Jesus would be king, and they wanted to sit at his right- and left-hand sides when he was on the throne. Jesus listened patiently. The only throne Jesus would have on earth was a wooden cross; Jesus knew this, but obviously James and John hadn’t worked that out yet. “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you go through the things I must go through?” James and John didn’t hesitate, “Yes, we can, we really can.” Jesus looked at his friends; he did not want them to suffer but he knew they would. “To sit at my right or left is not for me to decide,” Jesus said and then he walked away.

When the apostles heard about this conversation, they became angry with James and John. Jesus called everyone together and gave them some new instructions. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. I did not come to be served, but to serve,” he said. That must have sounded crazy to the disciples, but slowly they came to understand. Through Jesus, they learnt a better sort of greatness, not one you take but one you give.

After Jesus had gone to Heaven, James and John helped start the church, a church of people who would serve. The disciples tried to serve everyone, and the church grew. James became the first apostle to join Jesus in Heaven. His boldness meant he didn’t deny what Jesus had taught him, even if it meant losing his life. His brother John lived for a long time. He wrote to churches, and some of his letters are in the Bible. Knowing Jesus changed John. No longer did he imagine burning villages; his letters are full of love and understanding. He became known as “The Apostle of Love.”
 

It was time for Jesus and his friends to leave. Everyone picked up their things, shook off any dust and placed them into bags if they could. But before they could move, a young man ran up to them. He knelt down in the grass by Jesus’s feet and begged to ask just one question.

“Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to live with God in heaven forever?”

Jesus looked down at the man. He looked like someone important. His clothes were very fine and his cloak looked warmer than any Jesus’s friends carried. He must really, really want to know the answer to this question if he would run so far and risk making his fine clothes stained.

“You know the commandments,” said Jesus.
“Do not kill; do not envy what is not yours; do not steal, do not lie; do not cheat; honor your parents.”

“Yes, yes,” interrupted the man, “I have kept those commandments since I was a child.”

“Then you are missing just one thing,” said Jesus sadly, for he could see the man’s heart.
“Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The man looked around at Jesus’s followers; they travelled with so little. He stood slowly shaking his head. He had worked hard to gain his money, to sleep in comfortable beds and wear fine clothes. He wouldn’t give that up.

Some of Jesus’s followers had gathered to hear the man’s question, and they watched as he walked away.

“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” sighed Jesus.

The disciples looked confused; so Jesus tried using a picture.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

“Then who can be saved?” asked one of the disciples.

Jesus’s sad face disappeared and was replaced by a cheeky grin.

“With God all things are possible!” he laughed.

“We’ve given up everything to follow you Jesus,” came Peter’s voice.

“Yes, and I promise not one thing you have lost won’t be repaid 100 times over. But the first, they will come last, and the last will be first.”

The disciples had heard that last line before; with Jesus everything seemed upside-down. They picked up their things and left the rich man behind.

The crowd travelling with Jesus was getting near Galilee. Some of the disciples were looking forward to seeing their family.

“Do you want to stay at my house tonight, Jesus?” asked Andrew.

“We could find some space at our house too!” said John.

Jesus shook his head. “No, we won’t stay. I don’t want people to know we are here.”

Andrew and John looked disappointed. Jesus saw their faces and paused. “I have some important things to teach you,” he said. “I don’t want a crowd.”

They understood that. When people heard Jesus was near, the crowd gathered in minutes. People who were sick were pushed to the front to be healed, and kids ran up to see. Jesus had become a celebrity.
When they stopped, the disciples gathered round to hear what Jesus was going to teach them. Jesus breathed in a deep breath.

“The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the hands of men. He will be betrayed.”

The disciples shuffled uncomfortably. Jesus called himself “the son of man.” They knew some people hated Jesus, but who would betray him?

“They will kill him.”

Jesus paused. Some of the disciples looked shocked, some sad. Some seemed not to believe him. Jesus was the Messiah, the rescuer. How did him dying help his people? But Jesus wasn’t finished.

“And after he is killed, he will rise three days later.”

Nobody said anything. Did they hear him? Did they not have questions?

They did have questions, lots and lots of questions. They didn’t understand what Jesus had said. They whispered one to another all evening, but nobody questioned Jesus. They were afraid of what his words meant.

But Jesus was sure. Jesus knew the big plan of what would happen. Jesus knew that nothing could stop God’s new kingdom coming: not the religious leaders, not the weak disciples, not the armies and people in power. Nothing. Not even death.

There was something missing from David’s city, and today was the day he would go fetch it. At the top of the city, on a wide flat ground, David had given orders for a special tent to be put up, a tabernacle.

The tabernacle would be the new place for the ark of the covenant, a very special box which held the stones God had given Moses and some of the manna he had given his people to eat. Even though God is everywhere, the box was a symbol to show God was with his people. The Israelites had carried the ark through the desert and into God’s promised land, into the land where David now ruled as king. The ark had lived many places; at one time it had even been lost, but wherever the ark went it was powerful. When the ark was in the wrong place, bad things happened; when it was in the right place, great things happened. David wanted the ark in his city, in Jerusalem. He wanted God to be at the centre of the kingdom he ruled. One day, he planned to build a great temple for the ark, a home for God to live in.

David had tried moving the ark before, but he’d been too quick to do it his way and everything had gone wrong. This time he would do it God’s way, the way the scriptures told him the ark should be moved. David was so excited. He called the Levites who had been prepared to carry the ark. He called his whole house. He called everyone to come join the journey. When they reached the house of Obed-Edom where the ark was, the Levites picked up the ark, and the journey back to Jerusalem started with David leading the procession.

And what a procession it was: men and women and children, gladfully singing, making music, worshipping God! There at the front came David, not in his royal robes or on a huge war horse, but wearing a simple linen cover and dancing with joy. The rams horn blew, the people sung, and David danced. He danced even though he sometimes looked silly; he danced even when people pointed and whispered. Eventually, one of the women asked him why he would make himself look so silly, and David replied:

“I will dance before the Lord, and I will not care about honouring myself, for I dance with such joy for all the Lord has done for me and my people. I will happily humble myself even more before my Lord.” David understood right then that he wasn’t the important thing in that procession, but the ark, God with them.