Friday 05 January 2024

Psalm 146

Background

When we are in church, listening to inspiring words and surrounded by like-minded Christians, walking in the way of Christ can seem relatively straightforward. But when faced with the everyday bustle of life, brushing up against people who clearly do not share our beliefs, then it can be much harder to keep our focus on Christ’s love. In a nutshell, this is the theme of today’s reading.

I John 1 is more of a homily or sermon than a letter to a specific local community of Christians, but it has a very personal feel to it. John tells his readers that what he is saying is entirely trustworthy because he has known Jesus, he has lived with Jesus. Perhaps it is this authenticity that made this 'letter' such a favourite for John Wesley, not least in providing inspiration for his writings on Christian perfection. The main themes of I John 1 are that God is light, love and, in today’s reading, truth. Why would anyone want to deny these things?

In parts of the world today it is fashionable for individuals to follow their own 'truth', and traditional Christian teaching and authority seem to be on the wane. Many of us lament this. Yet today’s piece of writing from a contemporary and close disciple of Jesus would suggest that our own lament is nothing new. Our frustration with those who cannot see the truth in Jesus that we experience, is as nothing compared to John when people deny that Jesus was the Christ. One can almost hear John’s indignant cry “But I was there!" For John, “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?”(v. 22)

John appears to focus on those who have already heard and believed that Jesus is the son of God; that eternal life has been promised for those who 'abide' in such truth (v. 24). It is a call not to be attracted to many other philosophies, labelled “the antichrist” (v. 22), however appealing or attractive they may seem. Today’s passage is relevant for our own days, when even basic Christian teaching seems quaint, old-fashioned or irrelevant to so many. Yet how blessed are those who experience living every day with the peace and joy of abiding in God’s unfathomable, eternal love. Keep the faith. God’s glory will be revealed in faithful living. 

“And now little children, abide in him [Jesus], so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.” (v. 28)

To Ponder:

• Today when all manner of ideas, false truths and temptations are a computer click away, the words of our reading today are all too relevant. What might we all need to deny ourselves in order to keep focused on Christ and his teaching and example? What takes us away from his presence?
• The suggested hymn for today is 418 in the Methodist hymnbook 'Singing the Faith': “We have a gospel to proclaim…” To demonstrate loyalty to Jesus, to be engaged with eternal life now, we need to be consistent with our actions as well as our words. Any hypocrisy feeds the idea of 'antichrist'.