The Messiah’s Secret - Render to God the things that belong to God.

One of our favourite programs at home is ‘Time Team’ were archaeologists search for items that relate to ancient times revealing the way people lived and every day things like: coins, pottery and jewellery.
Traces of Roman occupation are found in many places in England. Below we have a sand pit with some artefacts in it.

 

"“Render (give) therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22: 15-22.
We give acknowledgment to what the Romans have handed down to us: some of the road routes; locally Wattling Street that runs through Tottington, Radcliffe to Manchester. In the city of York and Chester some of their buildings and walls are still standing and we have the Roman baths in Bath with the traces of the Roman buildings that once stood there.

All the materials that the Romans used came from sources found in the things that God has created. We acknowledge that the stone they crafted for buildings and metals smelted out of the rocks that they made into tools. The wood they used in the construction of buildings and boats that came from the trees that God brought into being. The Romans used the knowledge and skills that God had given them.

Jesus was making the distinction between Caesar and God.

The Pharisees and Herodians decided to send some of their followers to ask Jesus about Rome taxation. They hoped his answer would undermine his popularity with the people.
"They said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what do you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
Jesus discerned that their question had been contrived; his response silenced them. "Show me the money for the tax. And they brought him a coin a denari. Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said, “Caesar’s.” Jesus then said, “Render (give) therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22: 15-22.

What lay behind the Pharisees and Herodians Question?
The Roman General Pompey conquered Israel in 63 BC, under their occupation the residents of Israel had to pay taxes to Rome; Income and Poll tax.
Income Tax paid on wages, food, property, roads and bridges.
Poll Tax paid by every adult starting at the age of 12 for a girl and a boy from 14 years.

When taxes were first imposed the people rebelled against it, mainly because the coin had an inscription on it that they despised, ‘ Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus’ Augustus elevated himself as God.

On the Hebrew coins they had emblems of ears of corn, palms, vine leaf, lilies and temple ornaments and furnishings. Some had Kings Heads on them.
The Israelites paid a temple tax of half a shekel or two Drachmas. Numbers 31: 36. Matthew 17: 27

The disciples of the Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to catch him out with their question. If Jesus had said, do not pay your taxes to Rome, the Pharisees would have told the Romans and a result they would have arrested him. If Jesus had found favour towards paying taxes to Rome, the people would have accused him of upholding Augustus’ position as God over them.
Jesus’ answer, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus’ answer I thought reflected God’s justice.

God’s justice
Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him at his home. They were sat probably on cushions, reclining, at the table, when a woman entered the room carrying an alabaster box. Whilst they continued eating their meal, she stood behind Jesus at his feet, weeping, her tears wet his feet. She proceeded to wipe them with her hair and kissed them, also administering the ointment from her box to his feet. Simon watching was alarmed by Jesus allowing her to do this.
Jesus proceeded to tell him a parable about a creditor who had two debtors; one owed him 500 denari and the other 50. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Jesus then asked Simon which one would the creditor love more. Simon answered the one who owed him the most. Jesus said that he had judged rightly.

We would perhaps have used the words released from their debt and the one who owed the most showed his gratitude. But Jesus used the words, ‘forgiveness’ and ‘love.’
He went on to relate the parable with the woman and her sins against God, in showing her love for God by her tears and actions of repentance, she had secured the forgiveness of her sins, and was now no longer in debt to God.

Jesus equated the woman’s sin with debt.
It is the wider picture of morality or principals that have a legal aspect under God’s justice and the Hebrew Jewish law.
In the Lord’s Prayer- "Jesus said, Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6: 11, 12.
When I was a girl I remember people were not encouraged to get into debt, in fact it was frowned upon. Some people now again would ask to owe the local shopkeeper until they received their wages. That was known as ‘putting it on the slate.’ Generally people honoured their debts, as people do today.
I now realise through doing this study that it was a Christian principle not to get into debt.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6; 14.
‘The Messiah’s Secret’ Trespass page 72
“Invading or disregarding the property rights of another person, restitution was made through a trespass or a guilt offering at the temple.”
Yesterday I received a letter from Oxfam, as I looked through the information a heading caught my attention, ‘Stop land grabs.’ Poor farmers in Uganda, South Sudan, Cambodia and Indonesia are being evicted from their land and go hungry because of secretive land deals by foreign investors.
Oxfam is seeking justice for the poor farmers through bringing it to the attention of the world.

It may not be our fault that we get into debt: there are all sorts of reasons for instance: loss of jobs. Today we are caught up in our nation’s debt, this in my view stems from our nation gradually turning away from keeping the commandments and principals of God.
The Old Testament testifies to when Israel turned away from keeping God's commandments and laws they got into a mess, Nebucahadnezzar destroyed the Jerusalem temple and exiled the Israelites into Babylon. God brought back the exiles through Cyrus who gave them financial aid to return to Israel. (Cyrus Cylinder kept in the British Museum.)

In Jesus’ day under Jewish law a person if they could not pay their debt became a hired servant, not a slave.
“And if your brother becomes poor beside you, and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired servant and as a sojourner. He shall serve you until the year of the jubilee; then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own family and return to the possession of his fathers.” Leviticus 25: 39, 40.

When the year of the Jubilee came round, if the hired servant had not paid back his debt, he was released from it.
A week - seven days, the seventh being the Sabbath. Each year the crops were rotated and every 7th year left fallow, this equated with the Sabbath Day. God provided extra yield on the 6th year’s harvests. The Jubilee was celebrated every 50 years 7 x 7 49years, 7 Sabbaths the following year was also a Sabbath, another day of rest, seen as a new beginning, fresh start, and debts wrote off.

Paul wrote in his letter to the Hebrews Chapter 4 that God rested on the 7th day having finished his work of creation. God intended with the coming of Jesus the Messiah they should have entered into the permanent rest of the Sabbath Day, the Messiah establishing the New Covenant. “I shall remember their sins no more,”
It was the year of the Jubilee for the woman with the alabaster box.

God’s Justice - The cross is where Jesus paid off our debt of sin.
The cross, Jesus took upon himself, sin and the causes of sin, to make us right with God. It is through faith in this, that we turn to Jesus just like the woman in repentance and love, as a result we are completely set free from sin, God has wiped our credit card clean, our debt has been paid in full.

We belong to God, “For those who believe in his name, who receive him, he gave power to become children of God.” John 1: 12

50 days after Jesus' death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit came into the world bringing new life into every heart that repented and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons/daughters of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery, to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship. When we cry Abba Father it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs, joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8: 14-17
When we fall on difficult times we can call upon the Lord our God’s help simply because we belong to him.

A fortnight ago I was visiting the home of John and Anne, during my visit Anne told me this true story of a Christian friend of hers who at the time attended All Saints Church, Preston.
This particular day this lady was about to embark on a journey by train to Scotland in connection with ‘Faith Mission’. However, she had not enough money to take her to her destination, Edinburgh, she only had enough to take her to Carlisle. As the train was about to enter the station at Carlisle, she literally opened her Bible and money fell out of its pages, just enough to take her to her destination in Scotland.

How special it makes us feel when our Lord Jesus makes his presence known to us. It is by faith we can please God and enter into his grace.

The Messiah’s Secret – Christ in You Part 4

The Evening Service Following the Lectionary
A preacher, describing the human condition, put this question to his congregation; “Is there anyone here who claims to be perfect? If so, stand up.” To his surprise, a man at the back of the church got immediately to his feet. “Do you mean to tell me you are perfect?” asked the Vicar. “Oh no,” said the man, “I’m far from perfect. I’m standing in for my wife’s first husband.”

The Pharisees came to test Jesus as to what were his thoughts regarding divorce. His answer he gave the original concept of marriage like that of Adam and Eve before the fall, (see blog The Evening of the Day of the Resurrection) as a result of sin coming into the world, the Law was introduced by Moses allowed a separation to take place, they called divorce. However, Jesus said what God had intended that the two, male and female should become one in marriage.

Divorce was apparently common in Jesus’ day; a certificate of divorce was easily obtainable.
“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favour in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house. . . . Deuteronomy 24: 1-4
We have the example of the Woman of Samaria in conversation with Jesus at Jacob’s well.

During the conversation it was revealed to her by Jesus that she had been married 5 times and the man that she was living with was not her husband. Her response to this she perceived that Jesus was a prophet and when he offered to give her a drink of living water, the water of eternal life, she recognised its implications that Jesus was the Messiah. Having accepted what he said, Jesus acknowledged to her that he was the Messiah.
John writing this gospel tells us that the titles Messiah and the Christ are one of the same both mean ‘the anointed one.’
On the MU Quiet Day it was said by the person leading the day that the Samaritan Woman was one of the first apostles as she had met Jesus in person and afterwards she brought several people to faith in Christ.

The Christian betrothed to Christ.
Paul wrote of a Christians’ relationship with Jesus as being betrothed to Christ.
“I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.”
2 Corinthians 11: 2
Jesus’ relationship between each one of us, we are one with Christ, betrothed to Christ.
In Judaism the betrothal was the first step in a marriage secured by a legal document.

a) The betrothal, the father of the groom made the arrangements for the marriage and paid the bride –price. Sometimes it occurred when both children were infants, and at other times it was shortly before the marriage itself. Often the bride and groom did not even meet until their wedding day.

God provided the bride-price for each Christian when Jesus laid down his life at Calvary. We become his bride when in faith we accept Jesus as our Saviour.

A week ago I went to see the recently released film Jayne Eyre. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as Mr Rochester.
This is another excellent adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s novel. I’ve seen ‘Jane Eyre’ as a serial on TV and at the Cinema many times.
Charlotte Bronte

Charlotte Bronte was the daughter of a Vicar who lived at the Parsonage in Haworth until she was married to Rev Nicholls. Below are pictures of the Parsonage and of the Church that I took last week when my husband and I visited Haworth.

St. Michael and All Angels Haworth

Charlotte Bronte was a truly Christian lady. The thinking and Spirit behind her book I find that she was challenging the church on equality and Victorian morality. The love of Jesus is like a thread running through its’ pages.
The central character is Jane Eyre; Charlotte begins the story with Jane as a girl of ten living with her guardian Aunt Reed, who was a Christian, and her cousins. We soon discover that Jane was shown no love from her relations.
Every child knows when it is loved and when there is no love shown, it has an effect on a child and as a result the child can not show love.

Jane was sent away to Lowood School, the school master Mr Brocklehurst was a hard, cold hearted Christian. The stern and cruel face of Christianity under the rule of law.
Jane in her teens became a teacher at the school. At the age of 18 she advertised for a governess position in the Herald newspaper. In response to the advert, she became the governess to Adele at Thornfield Hall, the home of Mr Rochester.

Soon after arriving at Thornfield she was summoned to her Aunt Reed’s death bed. While she was in attendance with her aunt, her aunt confessed her dislike of Jane and told her that when she received a letter enquiring after Jane by her father’s brother in Jamaica. He wanted to adopt Jane and bequeath to her his fortune. Mrs Reed declared that she had wrote back saying that Jane was dead. Most people hearing this would have been very angry; upset, but Jane’s response “Love me then or hate me, as you will, you have my full and free forgiveness: ask now for God’s, and be at peace.’ ” Chapter 21
Charlotte writing these words I believe she knew what it was to recieve Jesus’ forgiveness, so we must forgive those who do wrong against us regardless of their indifference towards us.

In the book Jane’s relationship with Mr Rochester developed, he declared his love for her and she expresses her love for him as an equal."I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, not even of mortal flesh; - it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal, - as we are." Jane Eyre Chapter 23.

True love overcomes all kinds of division, in this particular case Jane does not see her poverty and her low standing in society as making her inferior to Mr Rochester.

In the early 1800’s in England there were class distinctions. Mr Rochester was upper class whereas Jane Eyre was lower class.
The disposition given to Jane Eyre of her equality with Mr Rochester I felt came from the author’s freedom given to her through her faith and knowledge of Christ. As a Christian she was equal in Christ, we are joint heirs in Christ.
Romans 8: 17 King James Authorised Version.

In Victorian England it was frowned upon for women to write books, Charlotte Bronte used a suedinum Currer Bell.

When the day of Jane's marriage to Mr Rochester arrived, his marriage to Bertha Mason came to light. John the apostle wrote that people stumble in the dark, meaning often one lie leads to another until eventually the truth reveals all.

During the service when the Vicar asked if any one knew of any impediment why these two people may not marry, Mr Briggs interviened and revealed that Mr Rochester already had a wife. Jane who knew nothing about it and was jilted at the altar.

During the discussions that followed Mr Rochester pleaded his ignorance as to Bertha's inherited insanity; he felt that he was cheated by his family into marrying her to gain her family fortune. Mr Rochester had kept his wife’s existence a secret she was kept in seclusion and was looked after by Grace Pool.
In Victorian England people with mental illness were shunned by society and were treated badly, locked away in institutions.
Charlotte Bronte brought out into the open the needs of those suffering mental illness and the families who were ashamed of them.

Mr Rochester pleaded with Jane to become his mistress, but Charlotte would not allow her main character to compromise her Christian faith by going against what Jesus taught it was wrong to come between a husband and wife and break up a marriage.

Today in cinemas across the nation the film Jane Eyre is bringing to people's attention the morality that Jesus taught. Our present day divorce laws have become like those in Jesus’ day 'a certificate of divorce was easily obtainable.' Marriage works when both work at loving one another and treating each other as you would like to be treated yourself.

Jane who was broken heart left Thornfield, leaving behind her a devastated Mr Rochester.
Jane wondered aimlessly from place to place, she grew weak with hunger and was too proud to beg. However, she was saved from certain death when she was found at the door of a house by true Christians St John Rivers and his two sisters Mary and Diana, who took her into their home.

Charlotte portraits Jesus’ suffering and death in Jane’s suffering, she died to self desire turning away from sin as she abided in Christ.

Some time afterwards St John Rivers proposed to Jane, he offered her a marriage of convenience.
Charlotte makes the difference between a loveless relationship under law and love that warms the heart, the spiritual love, the eternal love of God.

Jane heard in the spirit her name being called by Mr Rochester. “I recalled the voice I had heard; again I questioned whence it came, as vainly as before: it seemed in me-not in the external world. I asked was it a mere nervous impression – a delusion? I could not conceive or believe: it was more like an inspiration. The wondrous shock of feeling had come like an earthquake which shook the foundations of Paul and Silas’s prison; it had opened the doors of the soul’s cell and loosed its bands.” Jane Eyre Chapter 36.

Charlotte Bronte resurrects the relationship between Jane and Mr Rochester through Jane hearing in her spirit the call of her name from her beloved Rochester.

Jesus has raises us to new life in him.
The author’s freedom and faithfulness to her Lord and Saviour she knows the first love of Christ. The holy, pure, righteous love of Christ. It is like the innocent first love of a young person.
Love that is ageless and full of joy for ever young. This treasure we have within our being as we abide in Jesus and him in us, as we are betrothed to Christ.

Jane returned to Thornfield to find a ruin. Mr Rochester’s wife had started the fire that took her life and caused Mr Rochester’s to partly lose his sight.
Here we are reminded of Paul and Elymas’ temporary blindness that was put upon them by the Lord to show them their spiritual blindness. Mr Rochester had pretended to be a fortune teller. Jane Eyre Chapter 18. (see blog Christ in You part 2 & 3)

Charlotte Bronte portraits our unity with Christ as being strengthened by what we suffer as we abide in him. Therefore we find that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Jane and Mr Rochester were re-united and later were married.

When Jesus comes to fetch his bride
b) Fetching of the bride, this could have occurred weeks years or decades after the first step. The bridegroom would go to the home of the bride in order to bring her to his home.
c) The wedding ceremony, to which a few would be invited.
d) The marriage feast, would follow, and could last for as many as seven days. Many more people would be invited to the feast.

(Jesus in conversation with the Sadducees pointed out to them that in the resurrection there is no marriage between believers. Luke 20: 34, 35.)

We are looking for Jesus’ return, until that occurs each believer is betrothed to Christ.
Our relationship with Jesus is personal; through faith Christ enters every human heart and makes a perfect union, one that we can relate to in marriage. The first love that we experience in courtship we can identify with the perfect, holy and righteous love of God.

Charlotte Bronte has combined her faith with her walk in life in her book Jane Eyre. Also she has woven into it the issues of her day that challenged the church on equality and politicians on child welfare, mental illness and morality.
One hundred and sixty four years later some of these issues have been sorted out like equality in the church, child welfare and poverty, and there is now no stigma attached to mental illness. But sadly marriage is no longer for the majority in our nation based on Jesus’ teaching.

Today 3rd October Douglas and I we celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary.