"Healing the Broken-hearted" (Psalm 147:1-6)

Psalm 147:1-6

Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
   for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. 
² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
   he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 
³ He heals the broken-hearted,
   and binds up their wounds. 
⁴ He determines the number of the stars;
   he gives to all of them their names. 
⁵ Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
   his understanding is beyond measure. 
⁶ The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
   he casts the wicked to the ground. 

Introduction

The first 6 verses of Psalm 147 very much deal with God’s special abiding care for and restoration of the needy ... within the larger context of God’s great creativity and understanding of the workings of the whole universe. This psalm then moves on to address God’s general provision for all (v.7-11) and then subsequently declares God’s good governance over all creation (v.12-20).

Beginning

Verse 1 is an eloquent expression of praise, engaging the participants in an understanding of the worth of acknowledging God’s graciousness – it is not such a strange thing to be singing praise to God, rather it is simply “fitting” (and thus it should be a natural thing to do). As well as being “fitting”, it is good for us to worship God because it frees us from an undue and unhelpful concentration on ourselves.

Psalm 147 verse 1 provides us with the very simple basis on which we worship God – God lavishes grace on us; this meaning that God is always seeking to connect with us, relate with us, and give us the most important things we need to excel in life. For this reason it is “fitting”, and we might also say healthy, to bring praise to God.

Context

Verse 2 suggests that this psalm dates from the post-exilic period, when the people of Israel were returning to their land and homes following their exile to the north (in Babylon). The Bible generally viewed these exiles at least partly responsible for their fate due to their rebellious activity in allowing oppression and injustice and being so easily influenced by the latest trendy small g ‘god’. Yet there were also political and environmental challenges coming from outside forces like the strong nation of Babylon.

There would come times of repentance, and there would power-shifts in the region, and the people of Israel’s time of exile in foreign hands would come to an end. God, the gracious and merciful God, is certainly prepared to re-gather his people and offer them a future once again. This re-gathering (in verse 2) begins the thoughts of this psalm directly concerning those whose lives are not going well for them.

God Sandwich

This is a great God. The statements of God’s magnificence in determining and naming the stars, and having complete understanding of all His creation (v.4-5) are sandwiched by two other statements concerning God’s concern for the “broken-hearted” and the “downtrodden” (v.3,6). And so here is a direct link between God’s wondrous creativity and God’s gracious mercy. In the midst of the greatness and vastness of creation, God does not miss any incidence of human misery.

God names the stars as God also knows each of our names. We might often scratch our heads about the things happening to us and to others and wonder whatever meaning there could be to this, but God knows and understands everything about what is happening – and in this way can bring exactly the right amount and type of help. God has understanding ... (v.5) ... “beyond measure”! This should reassure us during our times of trouble.

Cast to the Ground? (v.6b)

Whatever else we might say about the last part of verse 6, we can know that where we stick close to God, God will deal with those who oppress us and others. This might not happen according to our preferred timing, but it is God who has the “understanding” and the “abundant power” (refer verse 5) to orchestrate this in the right way at the right time. As God “lifts up” (or raises) the “downtrodden”, as part of the same process ... those who would cause such situations will be brought low. God will vindicate the weak whilst opposing the proud.

Broken-hearted & Downtrodden (v.3,6)

We might wonder how someone would become so “broken-hearted” or “downtrodden”? On the other hand we may well have experienced such feelings ourselves, and come to understand the cause. For the ancient exiles there was isolation – some exiles had been separated from their family and friends; all exiles had been separated from their culture and spiritual centre. So there was a sense of loss of home, or, homelessness. This, and the loneliness that it brings, leads to feelings of broken-heartedness and hopelessness. This is very much the experience of many of our indigenous peoples in Australia since white settlement.

We know, given our levels of depression and suicide in this country, that much has gone wrong in people’s lives. There are people trying to survive without good family structures, or having directly suffered from neglect or abuse of various kinds. Then there is those who have lacked for education and economic resources. Other people begin okay, but later, relationship difficulties or unemployment or illness strikes. Many try to quell the pain with a variety of addictive behaviours.

We might see the “broken-hearted” and “downtrodden” as ‘wounded souls’ who have had their spirits dented, and very much lack for the relationship with God they were designed to have. They may never have had the opportunity of embracing such a relationship. The question for us is: how does God in actual terms “heal the broken-hearted” and “lift up the downtrodden”?? If we believe and even quote this psalm, what are we meaning???

• ·       Jesus offers forgiveness and a new start – this first deals with any sense of guilt, but also with any sense of unworthiness or shame
• ·       God can also touch a person’s life miraculously, taking away heavy burdens and replacing them with a peace only God can give; but often the process takes longer than this, and there are many ups and downs along the way
• ·       Where wounds are bound up (v.3) ... this stops infection coming from the outside and helps the workings of the internal immune system to kick in; from this we can understand that there is often a partnership in healing between the healer (God) and the one whose heart is broken ... where they have to work together for any progress to be made
• ·       Yet for God to be lifting up the “downtrodden” (v.6), this gives a sense of such a person being carried, carried for awhile in the loving compassionate arms of God – it is God’s strength that engages with our weakness and lifts us up
• ·       Jesus brings the opportunity of a new family, a supportive community of like-minded travellers; and it is those who have started down the track of healing and salvation that are well-placed to assist those just at the fork of the road ... the earlier (v.2) concept of God “gathering” the exiles or outcasts seems to be instructive here – healing for the “broken-hearted” occurs as God gathers such sufferers together

So, Paul starts his second letter to the church in Corinth with these words:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV).

• ·       Jesus offers hope through giving purpose to life – purpose that is based around helping others (thus taking the wounded person beyond themselves); there is the initial healing that comes through Divine forgiveness, but healing also comes as the gift of forgiveness is worked through in the context of relationships and community.

 Conclusion

We are surrounded by events and struggles that are beyond us, that are too big for us. In the midst of those challenges, it is valuable to know that the God of heaven knows and understands the burdens of life in a fallen world. God cares and is involved and God’s love for us is undiminished by the hardnesses of life.

(From the Preface to the RBC Ministries publication “Hope in Times of Trouble”, 2011).

"Faith versus fear" (Mark 4:35-41 & Daniel 6:16-23)

What makes us frightened? What do we do when we are frightened? To go across to the “other side” was quite a scary proposition for the disciples. They would be encountering people and situations they hadn’t experienced before. So understandably there would have already been raised levels of concern before the disciples even got into the boat.

Then came the wind and the waves. Then, as we read, the boat became “swamped”! Jesus, who knows the end from the beginning, and that all was going to be well, was quite relaxed and sleeping in the stern of the boat. Jesus here represents the same level of peace that he offers to his followers. Though, when Jesus was awoken by his scared disciples, he was instantly aware of their fear.

Not one to let them continue to shake in trepidation, Jesus stilled the wind and calmed the seas. Everything became calm! It was then, in the calm aftermath, that Jesus wanted his disciples to reflect – why had they acted as they did? Where was their faith? Clearly the amount of fear they had shown had put the reality of their faith in doubt! They were following Jesus, but were they actually putting their absolute faith in Jesus? This is a bit like the difference between people who go to church as against those who are the church! Well, perhaps the answer is seen in verse 41 – “who then is this ...” – they were still discovering who Jesus really was.

Perhaps this rings true for us. Sometimes we suffer from fear, even though most of the time we reckon our faith is reasonably strong. This is because we are still discovering who Jesus is, and the totality of what he can achieve. It would be reasonable for us to have reservations about sharing the good news and sharing our lives with our neighbours. It would be understandable to have some sort of fear reaction to becoming involved in ‘cultivating the soils’ in our local community. Perhaps the answer to this possibility, is to embrace getting to know Jesus more, and by doing this, getting to know God more.

We have to acknowledge that the greatest enemy of faith is fear, and that while it is a natural and sometimes helpful reaction, we have to deal with the negative impacts that it brings ... such as ‘flight’, passivity, making bad decisions, or lacking in confidence.

We have a strong example of one person who had become totally and completely convinced of God’s availability and ability to deliver him from harm. Now we know that sometimes people continue to suffer and die for their faith, yet they are able to maintain their integrity and stability throughout their trials because they have been able to fully put their trust in God ... that indeed, no matter the outcome, God will certainly be with them.

Such an example is Daniel. Daniel had already refused the “royal rations” in chapter one, so that no one could ever think or suggest that he had become more aligned with the king’s agenda than with God’s. He removed such a temptation by drawing a line that he would never cross. Daniel would not allow himself to be identified with Nebuchadnezzar’s excesses. The fact that Daniel on his vegetable diet was in better condition than would ever be expected, led him into a position of great respect and influence.

Now Daniel had to resist a command to pray only to the king. This was of course put up by Daniel’s jealous opponents when they could find nothing wrong with the performance of his duties in Babylon through which to bring him down. The punishment for praying to any other (divine or human) over a thirty day period was being thrown into a den of lions. Yet not praying to his God was not something that Daniel could accept. As we read in verse 10 of chapter six:

Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.

So we know what happened from there. Yet on the basis of all God’s faithfulness in the past, Daniel could rest easy, because he knew that God would be with him. Daniel knew that his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been rescued from the fiery furnace under similar circumstances (when they had refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue).

Such was Daniel’s effectiveness, integrity and innocence, that King Darius, despite administering the set penalty, spent a sleepless night agonising over this, and fasted hoping that Daniel might survive. The king had wished Daniel well (refer verse 16), hoping that Daniel’s God might actually prevail. Next morning, the king rushed to the den of lions, and called out hopefully to Daniel. We then hear that Daniel is alive, with the testimony that an angel of God had closed the lions’ mouths all night long.

Daniel’s was a special trust – it was active and practical, it was very public and completely unashamed or unapologetic, and it stood up under pressure. This was because his faith in God was so embedded in his character – it was so central to who he was as a person! Daniel’s long history of prayerful trust had held him in good stead whenever the pressure was turned on.

Now what about those disciples in the boat many centuries later!?! They were certainly a work in progress!!

To be fair, Jesus’ disciples had been plucked from obscurity – doing other jobs and following other passions, some of them very different from being on mission for God, suddenly having to adjust to following an itinerant teacher with a very radical and counter-cultural message, who, despite having some fans, was attracting some very dangerous adversaries. Their very selection, it seems, was based on the effectiveness they would be able to have, not straight away, but rather in 2-3 years time after Jesus had left them. So indeed, and quite naturally, the disciples were ‘works in progress’! Just like us!!

So to ask the question, “Who then is this” (Mark 4:41) is a fair and acceptable question. In fact, it is a question that we should continually ask. Who is God for us? Where is Jesus in this situation? How is God’s Holy Spirit leading us now? What am I being taught? Where is God present in this challenging moment?

Though apparently asleep in the stern of the boat (that was the disciples view of things anyway), Jesus was ready to still the wind and calm the waves and get the disciples safely to their destination. To all of the disciples’ insecurities, Jesus says, “Peace! Be still!”. Of course this particular destination (on the “other side”) would present many further challenges – like gardening in some of those apparently “bad soils” of the earlier parable.

Yet these disciples may now be better prepared for what was to come. Modern day disciples of Jesus like us may even come to appreciate and enjoy their work on the “other side” ... even drawing meaning and satisfaction from some good results along the way.

"Cultivating the Soil" (Mark 4:1-9 & Proverbs 24:27)

What do you make of this parable from Mark's Gospel?

It is generally called the “parable of the sower”, but might be better referred to as the “parable of the (four) soils”. Generally we see this parable as describing various responses to the gospel message – three of these unfortunate, and only the fourth one being advantageous.

This would also include ourselves in a bit of a self-assessment, as we test what sort of “soil” we are, and how effectively God’s Word can be implanted in us. This then brings the obvious challenge about what we can do about the quality of our “soil”. Can we do something that will make us more receptive to the sown seed?

Yet, lest we get too fixated on ourselves on the one hand, or conversely, too judgemental of others, might there also be a challenge here as to the amount of (good) work being put into the “soil” of our neighbourhoods in preparation for the gospel to be heard! For, actually ‘cultivating’ the “soil” of our community may assist a bigger more positive response.

The first point to make, when we look at this parable, concerns the generosity or the breadth of the sowing. Despite the possibilities of uncooperative or underprepared soil, the sowing happens everywhere. This is because you can never tell exactly what the quality or the readiness of the soil might be. It may appear on the surface to be one of the three soils that will not respond well to the sowing, but the reality might be quite different ... you can never quite tell!! Unless each particular soil is given an opportunity you would never know whether a beautiful plant would emerge or not.

God has always sown generously – the blessings of God’s glorious creation has been given to everyone – God’s grace has also been offered and shared universally. So those of us who bear the good news of Jesus must follow in this generous pattern.

Then back to the four “soils”. There were the three “soils” that proved to be difficult for planting, and the “good soil”. We know from Jesus’ explanation later in chapter 4, what the problems were with the first three “soils”.

The first “soil” was actually described as a “path” – this being too hard to receive the seeds. The seeds just lie on the surface barely noticed then get blown away or taken away by passing birds. Jesus says later in verse 15, that “Satan ... comes and takes away [what] is sown”. We might see this in terms of the prevalent attitudes and behaviours that are often preferred in our society – apathetic and ordinary at their most common, evil and destructive at their worst. Some people seem content just the way they are, and can be hard-hearted regarding change. Such attitudes tend to block an understanding of one’s need. We could perhaps be critical of a “soil” like this, but we might wonder what it was that lead to such a piece of ground becoming so unreceptive?!? Might it have been tragic abuse leading to a level of hurt that could never seemingly trust again!?!

The second version of “soil” is called “rocky ground” – where there was no opportunity of a plant taking root. Thus under the first sign of pressure, like the sun coming out, the new plant was scorched ... then it withered and died. There were some early good signs, yet without proper roots, there was a lack of maturity to cope with the troubles that followed. There was nothing wrong with the seed being planted, just the inability to fully receive it and properly nurture it. Here again we see the possibility of bad experiences that have deafened the ear and deadened the spirit. Yet at the same time, we might also detect a cry for help and healing.

The third “soil” was full of thorns – choking the life out of any budding plant. There was a decent level of receptivity to the seed being planted, but there were so many other distractions and alternative interests that were allowed to take over. Again the benevolent sower spread the good seed, but there was something lacking in the soil. [We ourselves usually know what we are giving undue importance to, but others haven’t come to see things in that way yet.] Perhaps this particular ‘thorny soil’ hasn’t yet seen a credible or exciting or enlightening enough vision of the gospel in action, to be able to see it as a more attractive dynamic than anything and everything else.

What do we do about such “soils”? Do we ignore them?? But, as we said earlier, how would we really know for sure which is which! In being choosy, we may actually miss the “good soil”. So it is that the Sower continues to spread the seed broadly!

Now, happily for the Sower, there is “good soil”. We may not be able to clearly discern it from the rest, but we know it is there! When we spread seed generously and widely enough we find it; and we know it is “good soil” because of the great produce and growth that it brings.

Where there is nothing wrong with the seed, what is left for us gardeners to do is to work the soil, to water, and to fertilise as needed. Where there is resistant hardness, or lots of rocks and builder’s rubble, or many noxious and thorny weeds, we take out our gardening fork and work the soil. There is preparation work to be done to maximise the effort of sowing seed! What this means in our particular local situation is what we have to prayerfully and experimentally work out.

In some suburbs or in some particular residential properties, when we start to do some landscaping and garden preparation, we may see only what could be termed “bad soil”. Yet not many would totally give up at this point and cover it all over with concrete. If we ever think that there are only the first three difficult “soils” and no “good soil” to be seen, then we need to work out what we can do about this in terms of creative cultivation.

To ‘cultivate’ the soil would mean ... paying attention to it, preparing the ground, improving and developing the soil, and cherishing its existence (Oxford Dictionary). Church planter Neil Cole says: “Cultivation has to do with the preparation and improvement of the soil for raising healthy crops ... cultivation [in Gospel terms] is doing what the Lord leads us to do relationally and prayerfully in order to prepare people and communities for the reception of the gospel”.

We need to look at anything we might normally consider “bad soil” in a new way – through God’s eyes of love, care and compassion. At Tarneit Skies Village last Thursday, we heard from prison chaplain Rev Bill Beagley about how, rather than worrying about what a prisoner may have done in the past, he sought to have a conversation around how this person felt about his life now.

It could be that the person who appears right at the bottom (and is completely broken) is actually the best of ‘soils’ in which the seed can be planted. We exist within community to bring forth God’s voice of re-creation and reconciliation. And the Bible brings so many wonderful invitations for people to reconnect with God and each other.

There is the story of the two guys who invited a homeless man out to lunch – so impressed was the restaurant owner that he wouldn’t bill any of them. This is cultivating the soil. But how do we cultivate the soil in Wyndham where police have referred more than 780 domestic violence victims to support services during the past (financial) year? And then there is the chronic lack of public housing referred to in this week’s local paper! Such realities as these cause many to be fearful, tense and worried.

This all takes us to Proverbs 24:27, and what it might mean to “prepare your work outside”. Gospel planting begins in the fields, not in the barns. Gospel planting is not about getting people to agree with us, but rather about presenting the good news of previously undiscovered life options and directions.

Gospel planting happens as we walk ‘the land’ with care and wisdom, giving prayerful consideration to people’s needs and aspirations. Indeed, gospel planting involves cultivating (the soil of) our local area in preparation for this good news of Jesus taking root, and the health (both spiritual and otherwise) of this community being maximised.

We keep sowing the seed of the gospel in partnership with God, at the same time as seeking to work the soil toward being in a more receptive mode. If we do our “outside” work well, the rest will take care of itself.

"Come to me" says Jesus

Matthew 11:28-30

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

These words from Matthew’s Gospel are wonderful in at least two ways. They are very reassuring and encouraging for each of us. They also form a great invitation to those who are yet to meet Jesus.

These words touch the complexity of everyday life. Each of us suffer from tiredness from time to time. Each of us carry various concerns through life – some of which are resolved quickly, while other issues persist. These worries can arise through: family, work, current responsibility, illness, injury, loss, conflict, finances, fear, temptation, guilt or shame.

The knowledge of someone who loves us and cares for us deeply can certainly take the edge of such burden-carrying. And the fact that Jesus loves and cares for us despite knowing all our foibles is even more significant. This knowledge of God ... this level of relationship with God ... is the encouragement that we can live within day by day, and is also the encouragement that we can live out in public – with the hope that others might find such rest and peace.

Being “yoked” to another might seem at first threatening, difficult, even rigorous. The idea behind the “yoke” was the wooden collar that ran across the shoulders of a pair of oxen (which had been hitched to a plough). This “yoke” enabled the oxen to jointly pull enormous weights, the burden being equally distributed over both the animals (thus neither one became overwhelmed). So there is actually tremendous potential in being “yoked” with a strong and wise partner.

In this case we are also “yoked” with someone who is “gentle” and “humble”, meaning that any guidance or direction given can only be in our best interests (and in the best interests of God’s good plan for humanity and all creation). That’s where I want to be – within God’s good plan for humanity and all creation – an ongoing learning experience. That is the definition of “rest” for me ... to be where God wants me to be, and doing what God wants me to be doing. Then we find life to weigh much lighter!

This sort of “rest” comes from having a relationship with Jesus – the “Prince of Peace”. As the scripture says, this is “rest” for “our souls”, so it’s not really just “rest” in the sense of sleep and ease. For in accepting and following Jesus, the “Prince of Peace”, we could actually be busier than we ever were before ... but in far more important ways. The One we are “yoked” with will take us down the path of all sorts of peace-making and justice-seeking.

Jesus did endure many pressures in his life on earth, so he does understand what we face. Not only this, Jesus can travel with us and lift us up. Jesus offers an invitation ... “Come to me”! This is an invitation for us both to receive, and to pass on to others.

Banning Rodeos Campaign

I have just joined the Animals Australia campaign to ban rodeos from Victoria. If you would like to act likewise then please contact me or just simply go to the Animals Australia website. This is not just a side issue of life or discipleship, but rather central to our calling to be responsible custodians of God's creation. It is frankly ridiculous to me that, in the enlightened times of 2012(?), we would in any way tolerate such events as these and the pain and torture they put animals through - unacceptable! Warren.

Faith, desperation & compassion (Mark 1:40-45)

An unnamed person with some form of obvious skin disease, generally in those days simply called a “leper”, came up to Jesus, fell to his knees, and begged Jesus to heal him. This sufferer had seen and heard enough about Jesus to be totally convinced of his ability to cure those in such a situation as he was in. It was just a matter of whether Jesus would choose to or not. Jesus did choose to, and this man was cleansed from his “leprosy”. And this former “leper”, despite Jesus’ words to keep this quiet, could not hold back his public rejoicing.

Apart from the obvious faith that this man had gained, two other major factors led up to this man’s healing. The first was his level of desperation. This was no doubt due to the situation that people designated as “lepers” were placed in. They were excluded from family, community and religious life – forced to live in desolate places, on their own or together with people who had been likewise deemed “lepers”, often in degrading circumstances. They were generally feared and hated because of the supposed threat they posed. In those days [and right up into the 20^th century in the case of Hansen’s disease], conditions in the “leprosy” category were believed to be very contagious.

Such “lepers” lived in utter poverty, reliant upon charity for their survival. They had no medical support. Also, they were legally obliged to yell out “unclean, unclean” if any non-sufferers accidently were about to cross their path. This would be a life of physical, mental and emotional anguish. So, when this particular “leper” approached Jesus, he was taking the risk of doing so against the law. But “leprosy” was a calamity, and he just wanted to get his life back ... circumstances had conspired to destroy any chance for him to enjoy life or be creative or have the opportunities others took for granted.

The second factor in this leper’s healing was who Jesus was. Jesus was the God of compassion. Jesus saw this man’s condition, understood his situation, and was “moved with pity”. Jesus would be deemed ‘religiously unclean’ if he touched this man (thus setting Jesus up for more ‘pharisaic’ criticism), yet Jesus considered this irrelevant (in the face of such desperate need). Jesus could also have been viewed as ‘infected’ having touched this man. Yet Jesus, without hesitation it seems, reached out his hand and indeed touched him. [Jesus could no doubt have healed him from a distance, so by touching him was actually making a point regarding intimate contact with sufferers.]

To be even willing to touch him would be of great comfort and encouragement to this man – but because his assessment was right as to who Jesus was, he received complete healing as well. Of course he then went off on his own tangent (refer verse 45) – so you could argue that this man actually didn’t go on to become a follower (or disciple) of Jesus, because he didn’t understand what Jesus was most primarily about, and did exactly the opposite of what Jesus had counselled him to do.

Yet this possible outcome did not deter Jesus. He saw desperate need, and responded from deep within himself. Jesus was ‘gutted’, and his stomach turned by what he saw, and he could act in no other way. God’s will was for this man to be liberated from his physical and spiritual oppression. What a person like this man would do with this great gift subsequently – well that was now up to him. The physical liberation we see here leads toward a social liberation that has the potential to lead to a spiritual transformation as well.

There is another Greek word used in some of the old manuscripts that are used to translate this gospel passage into English. Where we have translated “pity” in verse 41, an alternative is “anger” ... “moved with anger”. At first these (“pity” and “anger”) might seem like opposites, yet when we consider the deep emotional place both of these feelings come from, we might recognise a connection. Jesus could have been “angry” at what life had come to be like for this man – a far cry from that original created ‘goodness’. What had happened that so badly disfigured a person physically and so deeply deprived them spiritually ... the disease itself, the social ostracism – the whole stigma of the thing! “Pity” or “anger” ... the result was the same – the beautiful touch of God’s healing.

So this is the example the gospel gives us in terms of the Jesus-like response to desperate need. Not all, probably not many, will be able to express faith themselves and come forward for help. Many innocents will suffer quietly; some under the power of abuse or addiction will feel demeaned and shamed by the situation they are in; some others will express very negative anti-social behaviour. Jesus-followers will seek to help them out, just because they too are ‘gutted’ by what they see. Yet on many occasions this will certainly test our faith to the core. In most cases it seems, our efforts won’t lead to immediate miraculous healing, but our genuine and personal touch will tend to bring ‘just what the doctor ordered’.

In the 19^th century, there was an large outbreak of “Hansen’s disease” (the worst of those conditions categorised under the general term leprosy) throughout the islands of Hawaii. Eventually the government decided to set up a leper colony on the island of Molokai, in a remote section where it was nearly impossible to escape. Sufferers were rounded up and transported by boat to Molokai (sometimes even dumped into the water a couple of hundred metres out from the shore).

“Hansen’s disease” took a shocking toll on the body and mind, and at this time had no cure nor effective treatment. Therefore, we would easily understand how such a “leper” colony would become a hopeless and degrading place. These poor people, given only the barest of necessities, had basically been left to their own devices to fend for themselves, with death being the only means of escape.

To this chaotic and degraded place came a Catholic priest from Belgium – Father Damien – in May 1873. Father Damien was not sent to Molokai, he courageously volunteered. Single-handedly, for some time, Damien fulfilled a variety of needed roles on this island – he comforted the hurting, he bandaged weeping sores, he nursed the dying, protected the weak; he built houses, churches, orphanages and hospitals; he buried the dead (hundreds and hundreds of them); Damien performed the role of both priest and community leader ... all the time desperately seeking more help to come from church and government. He grew vegetables, and sought to trade them for nails, timber and medicines that were sorely lacking. Damien on occasions also swam out to try to rescue those who were struggling to swim to the island having been sent over the side of the transport boat.

Father Damien went there for a stint of a few months, but finished up staying 16 years – dying there of Hansen’s disease related ailments at the age of 49. Ultimately Damien would become Saint Damien on October 11^th 2009 (ironically exactly the same day I was ordained by the Baptist Union of Victoria). This, like other awards he gained in his own lifetime, were worthy recognitions of Damien’s work. However, when it comes to picking up one’s cross and following Jesus, Damien said that, “The Lord decorated me with his own particular cross – leprosy”, a cross Damien had to bear in serving others, and also later in his own body.

An Endless Feast (Mark 6:30-44)

I had the pleasure today of taking the 5th birthday celebration service for the Village fellowship at the Tarneit Skies Retirement Village. Below is the message I gave.

Jesus wanted to have some quiet time alone with his disciples. They had all been pretty busy on God’s mission, so a little rest and reflection and refreshment would always be a good idea. So off they went in a boat over to what is described as a “deserted place”. The trouble was ... they had been seen and recognised, and we have read about the hundreds and thousands from all the towns gathering as a crowd when the boat containing Jesus and his disciples arrived.

Now other people in this situation might well have told this big crowd where to go, for they really did need their rest and recuperation – and this really was a bit of a bother. However, we now read what is a really telling comment (in verse 34) which tells us a lot about God ... “As [Jesus] went ashore, he saw a great crowd – and [Jesus] had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd”.

[If you refer to Psalm 23, you can see there many benefits that a shepherd provides for his sheep - resources, refreshment, peace, restoration, guidance, protection, comfort, safety, a sense of home ... a place of belonging, acceptance and value.]

At least two things to consider here. Jesus represents here how God feels about people who are lost, or lack direction, or who are so uncertain in their lives that they will race after every new possibility to give them some hope or purpose ... Jesus has “compassion” on them. As “sheep” need a “shepherd” to guide them and keep them from harm, human beings need a completely reliable point of reference for the conduct of their lives. This is because many are weary and fragile from the journey, and vulnerable to life’s pressures, and could easily take the wrong track.

Secondly, Jesus also is teaching us how we should feel about the “sheep” amongst us who lack a “shepherd”. As we have already considered, there are many needy people, who for a wide variety of reasons, struggle in life. The “compassion” Jesus brings, and models for us, is a deep gut reaction filled with disappointment, love, and a longing for justice and freedom. From this position of heart-felt concern, Jesus would not be able to turn the crowd away!

So enraptured by Jesus’ teaching that day were this crowd, that all of a sudden there was a realisation that the hour was late. Jesus was not inclined to agree with his disciples about sending the crowd away into surrounding villages to get some food from there. It would seem that the hospitality on offer from God had not been fully explored yet. They had received some teaching, but God’s hospitality is far broader than that – it is holistic and touches all parts of life.

This raised an obvious problem though ... an apparent lack of resources. Where would the food come from? Sometimes when faced with dramatic need, the resources we have on offer seem so few (and so limited). The disciples (refer verse 37) thought that the task was impossible! But is there a greater source we can call upon? Are our resources always to be calculated purely from what we can see and touch? When Jesus was faced with a lack of resources on the ground, the outcome was actually an ‘endless feast’!

We would know that five loaves of bread and two fish would have no chance of feeding five thousand hungry men with their wives and families. Yet when they were distributed, and everyone had enough, there were twelve full baskets left over. What had happened? Jesus had looked up to heaven in prayerful trust, blessing the loaves and fish and breaking them up in the firm hope that they would be enough, and then gave all the pieces to his disciples for distribution.

Simply put, God provides the resources to meet the needs of the crowd. Yet Jesus did utilise the personal human touch by getting the disciples to be involved in the distribution. On a global scale, we know that the poverty endured within so many nations and so many communities, is due to a lack of proper distribution and also a lack of committed consideration, rather than any lack of generosity of God. We can scarcely blame God when we have abrogated our responsibility concerning caring for the earth.

It will be the followers of Jesus who sense God’s attitude of compassion to all people everywhere, and take up their responsibility to make a positive difference. And in doing so, in total reliance upon God to bring forth a wide variety of resources through which to get the job done, we will participate in what can only be described as an ‘endless feast of blessing’. People will come to know Jesus, the One who can introduce them to Creator God, give them the Holy Spirit, and address each and every one of their needs and aspirations.

Something that started modestly five years ago, and is currently celebrating its fifth birthday, has the potential to touch at least five thousand in the years to come. For what happens here, can become of great benefit on a much broader scale across this residential community, and around the local Tarneit community, and right across all the families represented here.