Grumbling about Provision (Numbers 11:4-34)

“And do not grumble, as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel.” (1 Corinthians 10:10)

As Christians we need to be honest about the difficulties and struggles we face, but we must not allow ourselves to be caught up in a negative spiral of grumbling that makes us forget the power of God to help. We must not abandon hope. As we enter 2026, lets lift our eyes from our problems to the God who promises us ultimate blessing.

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Grumbling, Campaigning or Lamenting?

In our culture complaint is increasingly encouraged. We are told, if there is a problem, don’t keep quiet say something about it. Whistle blowing is seen as a heroic activity. Even churches now have to have complaint procedures to make sure complaints are taken seriously. This is especially important in the light of all the safeguarding cases where people’s genuine complaints about bullying, sexual abuse or harassment had sadly in the past been ignored.

And yet, not all complaining is good. Much of our complaining can be quite negative, merely increasing the bad feeling with no positive effect.

How can we distinguish between good complaint and bad complaint? I want to suggest there are three types of complaint: grumbling, campaigning and lamenting.

Lament is when we come directly to God with our complaints.

When Jesus was on the cross he complained:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

It was a quote from Psalm 22, which is itself a lament, complaining to God about the persecution of enemies in a way that closely reflects Jesus’ experience on the cross.

Campaigning is when we complain in order to bring about needed change.

Some of the great heroes of the Twentieth Century did this. Just think of Martin Luther King and Ghandi.

Grumbling on the other hand is merely complaining because you are fed up.

If we are honest much of our complaining is often just grumbling. We are not bringing our problems to God and we are not really expecting anything to change. We are merely seeking to share our upset and dissatisfaction with others and so increase the general mood of annoyance.

 The New Testament has some strong warnings about grumbling:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…” (Philippians 2:14-15a)

 “And do not grumble, as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel.” (1 Corinthians 10:10)

This last verse was referring to the attitude of the Israelites as they travelled through the wilderness towards the promised land. Our passage is itself a key example. In the first section, the Israelites grumble about the lack of variety of food, there’s no meat, cucumbers, onions or garlic. Just manna to eat. God is angry with them and his judgement comes on those who desired to have meat and the place is named, Kibroth Hattavah, which means grave of craving.

Yet, also in the passage, there is a lament by Moses and God responds to Moses’ lament with a wonderful provision. Two forms of complaining, grumbling and lament. One is condemned, the other is held up as an example for us.

Israel’s Grumbling…

Let’s look more closely at Israel’s grumbling and see what made God so angry about it?

Re-Imagines the Past

Grumbling often complains that things aren’t the way they used to be. The past was much better than the future. In so doing grumbling often re-imagines the past, focussing on what was good and forgetting what was bad.

Israel do that in this passage. They look back to their life in Israel and remember the variety of food that they ate: fish, cucumber, watermelons, leaks, onions and garlic. It all sounds delicious, a wonderfully varied menu. But now all they had as they travelled through the wilderness was Manna to eat.

As it goes, this is all true, but it ignores the hardships they faced in Egypt, forced to work as slaves, and having their newborn babies killed by Pharaoh. Was that really worth it for the sake of some nice food?

This re-imagining of the past is particularly bad, because it reframes who God is. Rather than celebrating God as the great redeemer who miraculously rescued them from slavery in Egypt, they see him as the one who has brought them into a life of boring food! No wonder God was angry!!

Are you in danger of grumbling about life in a way that reimagines the past in this kind of way? Are you in danger of grumbling about the struggles in your Christian life, in a way that forgets how God has rescued you from your pre-Christian life, where there was no relationship with God, not hope beyond death and no freedom from guilt or son?

Despises God’s Blessings in the Present

Grumbling can also despise the blessings that we have now. Israel were travelling through the wilderness. There should have been nothing there for them to eat, but God miraculously provided Manna every morning, which was easy to collect and cook and tasted like cake. This was a miraculous blessing, but Israel were complaining about the lack of variety. What God had generously and freely provided they despised. No wonder God was angry!

Are you in danger of despising the good things God has given you in this life? Instead of being grateful for the small things, do you moan about your lack? We need to stop grumbling and start being grateful.

Ignores God’s Promises for the Future

Finally, their grumbling ignores God’s promises for the future. Their present situation in the wilderness was tough, but it was also temporary. God was leading them into a promised land, where there would be plenty of lovely food. Rather than complaining about present hardships, they should be trusting God for his future provision. Trusting that God could meet all their needs and desires. No wonder God was angry!

Are you in danger of focussing so much on present hardships, that you forget about God’s future promises, about his power to save? We need to see again the big picture of what God is up to.

 Israel’s grumbling was more than just expressing dissatisfaction about their diet, it expressed a failure to acknowledge the good God who had gone to incredible lengths to rescue and bless them. No wonder God is angry.

…Leads to God’s Punishment

So, at the end of the passage God sends his punishment.

He gives them what they want: meat and lots of it, but he also sends a plague that kills them. This may seem harsh, but we have already seen how the grumbling expressed a fundamental lack of gratitude towards God or trust in his power to save.  

But also, this was not the first time Israel had grumbled about lack of provision. They had done so a few times already and each time, God had provided for them and not punished them. This now was becoming a pattern, God needed to act to stop a grumbling attitude that would ultimately drive the people away from the God who saves them.

It is also a blessing for future generations, because this punishment was made as a warning. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians referring to the events in Numbers:

“Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” (1 Corinthians 10:6)

 Will we heed the warning and refrain from grumbling like the Israelites?

Moses’s Lament:

In contrast to the Israelites, Moses’ complaint is a lament, not a grumble.

He brings his concerns to God in prayer. Let’s look in more detail about how he approaches things.

Honest

First of all, Moses is honest with God. In particular, he is honest about his feelings. He feels the immense pressure of leading such a large group of people, a people that are not his family, but whom God has called him to lead. He is angry with God, but he is bringing his anger to God. He is on the point of giving up, and he tells God this, saying that he would rather be dead than continue in the misery.

When the Bible tells us not to grumble, it is not telling us to pretend that everything in life is well. That the pressures we face do not matter. To just keep calm and carry on. Rather it calls us to lament. To bring our struggles to God in prayer. To be honest with him about how we are feeling.

As Peter puts it:

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Humble

Secondly, Moses, comes humbly before God. He is not telling God what to do or where God has gone wrong. He acknowledges, that he is God’s servant, that God is ultimately in charge.

This is where lament differs from grumbling. Grumbling is ultimately self-centred and often self-important. It says my opinion is ultimately what matters. Lament on the other hand shares your opinion and feelings with God with the recognition that God knows best and God is in charge. It frames the complaint in the context of our relationship with God.

Trusting

Thirdly, Moses, shows that he trusts God to be able to deliver. When God says that he is going to give the people enough meat for a month, Moses initially throws up his hands in despair before God. There’s no way I can find that much meat to feed this many people!!

But, God’s response, which comes in one of the verses which we skipped over is:

“Is the LORD’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” (Numbers 11:23)

Moses finds God’s promise hard to believe and tells God so, but ultimately he trusts that God’s arm is not too short, that he is able to do anything he promises. So, Moses gathers the people and tells them what God has promised.  And God does indeed, provide more meat than they could possibly have imagined! Quail a meter deep for miles around!

Lament comes to God honestly with our problems and feelings, it does so understanding that God is in charge, but it also does so trusting that God is able to bring salvation. Will we come to God in lament and trust that God will work for our ultimate good?

God’s Provision:

Moses lament was that the burden of leadership was too much for him alone. So, God provided for Moses. He told him to find 70 elders and that he would take some of the Holy Spirit and put it on them, so that they too would be empowered to share in the leadership of the people, and the burden on Moses could be lifted.

And this is what God did. He gathered the chosen 70 at the tabernacle in the centre of Israel’s camp, God came down, and the Spirit was shared with the other elders. Initially it showed itself in the fact they were all prophesying, probably in the sense of becoming emotionally overcome with ecstatic praise of God, rather than in giving predictions of the future. This was a unique moment for them, but it demonstrated that God had indeed empowered them to support Moses.

Two on the list, however, had not made it to the Tabernacle. But God put his Spirit on them too and they were prophesying, but in the camp. Reports of this came to Moses and his inner circle and Joshua, Moses’ right-hand man was concerned that these two had gone rogue and that because they were in the camp, they may get all the attention rather than Moses.

But Moses is not concerned. He went to God, because of the pressure of solitary leadership and now God has responded by raising up 70 leaders to help him. What matters is not his status or reputation, but that the work of God can be done. He is not going to start grumbling about sharing leadership, but rejoice that more are doing God’s work.

When we bring our concerns to God in lament, we need to celebrate the way he helps us not focus on any downsides to us. Such an attitude slips into grumbling!!

Grumbling, Campaigning or Lamenting?

Next time you feel a need to complain ask yourself what are you doing: grumbling, campaigning or lamenting? If you are just sharing a moan with someone who can do nothing about it, then you are probably just grumbling. If, however, you are intentionally going to someone to sort out a problem or deal with an issue, then you are campaigning to make things better. Even better if you are bringing your concerns to God in prayer, then you are lamenting and you know that God is the one who has power over all problems!

This Sunday – 11th January 2026

“And do not grumble, as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel.”

(1 Corinthians 10:10)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Mustn’t Grumble
  • Key notices: Life Groups, Parish Safeguarding Officer
  • Coming Up: Join Up Confirmation course, Dare to Pray, Men’s Group, Churches Together in Ramsgate  United Service
  • Wider Church: Thanet Prayer Diary, Celebration Event for Safer Families
  • Interesting Blogs: Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights?
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

“And do not grumble, as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel.” (1 Corinthians 10:10)

“Mustn’t grumble….” is a phrase, which is these days often associated with older people. It seems to be a concept that has been lost among younger generations! Most of us too easily slip into complaining about everything from the poor performance of our cricketers to the failures of our politicians.

Complaining does of course have its place. Where it is raising legitimate concerns with superiors in order to improve the situation for ourselves or others, then it can be very helpful and constructive. In this sense prayer can be a kind of complaint and the Psalms give pleny of examples of prayers that complain to God about the difficult circumstances of life.

So, what does the Bible mean when it says, “Do not grumble…”? To fully understand we need to know the stories about Israel as they travelled through the wilderness towards the promised land. These appear in the book of Numbers and our sermon series is looking at some of those events. In those stories, the Israelite grumbling went beyond calling on God for help, because of their difficult situation. When they faced any difficulty they focussed so much on the problem, that they forgot the power of God to help and so decided they would be better off without God and back in Egypt. It amounted to an abandonment of God and his whole project.

As Christians we need to be honest about the difficulties and struggles we face, but we must not allow ourselves to be caught up in a negative spiral of grumbling that makes us forget the power of God to help. We must not abandon hope. As we enter 2026, lets lift our eyes from our problems to the God who promises us ultimate blessing.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Life Groups

Will you dare to share the Christian life with others? Life groups are a great way to meet together regularly with a small group of other Christians, for mutual support, to share in reading God’s word and to pray for one another.

Please see Paul if you are interested in joining one. There are groups at the following times:

  • Monday evenings
    • Tuesday afternoons
    • Wednesday mornings
    • Wednesday evenings

Parish Safeguarding Officer Role

Safeguarding in church is the responsibility of everyone. However, we need someone to champion and promote safeguarding in the church and to be a point of contact for any concerns raised. There is a lot of Diocesan training and support for this role. If you think you might be the person to take it on then please let Paul know and he can share more about what is involved.

Coming Up:

Join Up Confirmation Courses

We will be hosting a Confirmation Service at St. Luke’s on 28th February 2025. Paul will be running a course called, Join Up, from 8th and 12th January, which is both a follow up to Christianity Explored and a preparation for Confirmation. If you have not been baptised or confirmed or are just interested in taking part in the course, then please talk to Paul, asap.

Dare to Pray – Saturday 17th, 9:30-10:30am, St. George’s Church

We had a small but important Dare to Pray meeting in December just before the Christmas services, which, as vicar, certainly boosted me for the Christmas period. For our January meeting we are going to be praying for positive developments for our vision in 2026 and discern together what should be our verse of the year. Suggestions in advance for the verse of the year are welcome.

Men’s Group – Saturday 17th January

Meeting at 8:30am for breakfast at Wetherspoon’s followed by a tour of Ramsgate tunnels at 10:00am. For more information contact Bruce Stokes or grab a flier.

Churches Together in Ramsgate United Service – 6pm, Sunday 25th January

After the success of the united service at Pentecost last May, we are planning another united service at the Royal Harbour School, for Sunday January 25th at 6pm. This will be more traditional in style and there will be a joint choir for the event. If anyone would like to be part of the choir, please let Paul know.

Wider Church

The Thanet Prayer Diary

The Prayer Diary for January and February is available at the back of church or download.

Celebration Event for Safer Families – This Saturday

You may have thought that the celebrations were over…… but we would love to invite you to join us to celebrate the first year of Safe Families and Home for Good in East Kent.

Do come along this Saturday 10th January between 2pm and 4pm to St Christopher’s Church, Newington (Princess Margaret Avenue, Newington, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 6LG).

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Should the UK leave the European Convention on Human Rights?

This is a meaty article but tackles a controversial issue of today. Should we abandon the convention because it is an obstacle to controlling irregular migration or is it a necessary safeguard against key rights for us all? Read more…

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 11th – The First Sunday of Epiphany

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Num. 11:4-17,24-34 – 9:30am

Confirmation Course (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Monday 12th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Tuesday 13th          

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 14th   

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 15th        

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Confirmation Course (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Saturday 17th        

Dare to Pray (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Sunday 18th – The Second Sunday of Epiphany

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Num. 13:1-2,21-33 – 9:30am

Confirmation Course (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Online Forms:

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

  • Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
  • Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
  • Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

Safeguarding Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.

If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, stop moaning and start rejoicing in the Lord!

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

Setting out with God (Numbers 10:11-36)

“Jesus said,””And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””” (Matthew 28:20b)

A key moment in the life of Israel.

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Setting Out with God (Numbers 10:11-36)

New Year’s Resolutions – Life Tweak or Reset?

As we start a New Year, one of the big questions around is, “What’s your New Year’s Resolution?” People will give all kinds of answers, eat less, drink less, give up smoking, exercise more, read more.

But there are also some more outlandish suggestions that I found on the internet:

  • Learn how to communicate with plants…
  • Only eat food that matches your outfit…
  • Memorise the entire dictionary…
  • Adopt a new accent every month…

Generally, though most New Year’s Resolutions amount to life tweaks, changing small habits in order to improve life a bit. They do not amount to a complete life reset.

Yet, Christianity invites us into the Kingdom of God. This is not a tweak, it’s a complete life reset. It sets God as our King, sets God at the centre of our lives and commits to setting out with God on an exciting journey.

And a complete reset is what has been happening to Israel in the last couple of years.

Israel’s Year of Reset –

Our passage in Numbers 10, may feel fairly obscure and full of weird names, but it comes at a key moment in the life of Israel.

The date at the beginning is crucial. It tells us that it was the twentieth day of the second month of the second year. In other words, it is only just over a year since Israel’s calendar began. I am sure you are fed up with recaps of 2025, but here is a quick recap of what has happened to Israel in the previous couple of years.

Israel had been oppressed slaves living in Israel.

The God sent Moses to lead the Israelites and demand that Pharaoh, the king of Israel let the people go.

Pharaoh refused, so God sent a series of ten plagues, each one worse than the previous one, until Pharaoh finally agreed and Israel as a left Egypt, slavery and oppression behind. They were free.

That event marked the start of their calendar. It was a big reset in itself, but it was only the start of the story.

Those events are retold in the first third of the book of Exodus,

but having escaped Egypt, Israel travelled through the wilderness to Mount Sinai, where they met with God.

What happened in the following 11 months and nineteen days is retold in the second two thirds of the book of Exodus, the whole of Leviticus and the first third of the book of Numbers. Under a year in Israel’s history takes 59 chapters of the Bible. It is arguably the longest year in Israel’s history!

So, what happened in that year? God through Moses was setting Israel up for the future. He gave them rules to live by, a tent called the Tabernacle to show his presence with them, and a sacrificial system and priesthood to help them relate to him in the right way. Then in the first third of Numbers, he prepares them to set out on the journey to the Promised land he was going to bless them with.

After nearly a year at Sinai, going through a complete reset as a nation, Israel are now setting off on the journey to the Promised Land or at least to the Desert of Paran, which was on the edge of the Promised Land.

The middle part of Numbers tells us about the journey. Lots goes wrong and it turns out to be a lot longer than planned, but we will look at that in the coming weeks. The last part of Numbers, then tells us about the next generation of Israelites preparing to enter the Promised land.

So, now they are setting out, what can we learn from the way that they do it?

Setting out with God

On New Year’s Eve, I took part in Ramsgate’s Lantern Parade. The large number of people with their different lanterns gathered at St. George’s ready to set off on the short march through town to the Ramsgate Tunnels. Whilst we were waiting to set off, it all felt fairly chaotic, but there was a plan pinned to the door of the church, telling us in what order the parade was to march out. So, we all got into our respective places and left. For me it was easy – I was at the back!

Our reading in Numbers gives us the marching order for Israel as they travelled through the wilderness. The Twelve tribes are split into four groups of three and each group has its position, Judah’s group at the start, then Reuben’s group, Ephraim’s group and at the back Dan’s group.

But at the end we are told something remarkable. The whole procession is led by the ark of the covenant, the golden box that is meant to represent God’s throne and so his presence.

In other words, Israel are not setting out alone, they are setting out with God, and more than that God is going ahead of them to guide them and show them the way.

Whilst at Sinai, Moses had made it clear to God, that he was not prepared to go on the journey with Israel unless God was with them.

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”” (Exodus 33:15)

But, God agreed to go with them. So, Moses could be confident that the journey would ultimately be successful. Israel’s enemies would be defeated and Israel would come into the Promised Land, the place of rest.

  • In the New Testament, Jesus similarly promises that he will go with us. At the end of Matthew’s gospel as he sends the disciples off on their mission to convert the world, the resurrected Christ says,

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)

As we enter 2026 as individuals and as a church, we do not know what will come, but the more we know that God is with us, the more confident we can be that he will bring us through to his ultimate rest.

Setting God at the Centre

But, we need to take not of Israel’s reset. Not only does God promise to be with them, so they can be confident on the journey, he also wants them to make sure that he remains at the centre of their life and community.

Did you notice that as well as the tribes, the parade order mentions the Tabernacle and the Holy Things. Remember the Tabernacle was the tent where God was meant to dwell. There was another tribe the Levites, who were split into three clans. The Levites as a whole were set apart to make sure the worship of God could happen at the centre of the nation and each of the clans had a role to play. The Gershonites and Merarites were responsible for carrying the tents and poles that made up the Tabernacle, whilst the Korahites, were responsible for transporting the Holy Things, the altars, the lamps and so on.

All of this, shows what a priority the reset for Israel had placed on the Tabernacle, the place where Israel were to meet with God. But, there is more. If you go back to chapter 2 of Numbers we are told how the camp was meant to be set up when Israel were not marching.

The groups of three tribes were to be around the edge, Judah’s group to the East, Reuben’s to the South, Ephraim’s to the West and Dan’s to the North. In the centre was to be the Tabernacle with the Levites camped around it. The point was God’s tent was to be in the centre of all the other Israelite tents. The whole thing was set up to make sure Israel kept God at the centre of their community and life.

  • For us as Christians, we too are called to put God at the centre of our lives? Jesus tells us,

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.”

(Matthew 6:23)

‘All these things’ means all the things that people run after in life, like food, clothes, shelter and so on. We are to put God first and trust him that these other things will be provided.

So, what does it mean to put God centre of your life in 2026?

A helpful thing to consider is our time and resources. Does God feature in our diaries? Do we invest our resources in him?

He can feature in our diaries, by committing to spend time with him each day, in prayer and personal Bible reading and committing to spend time with him and his people each week at church services and by joining small groups. If God never features in your day or week can you really say he is centre of your life?

And what about our resources? Are we giving generously to God’s work? The Israelites had to give generously to build the Tabernacle in the first place and they had to commit to supporting the Priesthood and the Levites, so they could maintain God at the centre of their nation. Are you using your finances to help support God’s work today? Or are you content to see it dwindle for lack of funds? And are you willing to give time to serve others as God calls us to, both in his church and as representatives of the church?

What will it mean for you to have God at the centre of your life in 2026? Do you need to make some tweaks or a complete reset?

Setting God as King

As well as setting out with God and keeping God at the centre, we need to also set God as our King. This is the point of the way the Tabernacle was set up.

Interestingly, they have discovered a diagram from the 13th century BC around about the same time as the Exodus of an Egyptian military camp. At the centre of the camp is a tent, with a large  outer room and smaller inner room. In the smaller inner room is the symbol for the Egyptian king, flanked by two heavenly beings.

This is exactly the same as the Tabernacle, which was also at the centre of the camp, had a larger outer room and a smaller inner room, where the ark of the covenant with two golden cherubim on top was placed. This was the throne room of God, where he was meant to dwell. This is where you met with him.

The point is that the Tabernacle showed that God was the king of Israel. Although, Moses was the human leader, we are not told anything about his tent. The tent that is special and elaborately decorated, where people went to find out what to do, was the Tabernacle. Moses was God’s spokesperson, God was the king.

  • And so, we as Christians are called to set up Jesus Christ as king or Lord of our lives.

In his first letter, Peter writes:

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” ( 1 Peter 3:15a)

The Tabernacle was set apart in the heart of the nation, to show who was king. We need to set God apart as special and ruler in our hearts, too.

All kinds of things will want to hold sway over our hearts, some are important things, like family, career, relationships, others are more frivolous, such as TV programmes we want to watch, holidays to go on. They all take up space in the encampment of our hearts, but we need to set God up in the royal tent, the one that has the ultimate say over how we should live our lives.

This is the ultimate reset we all need.

Inviting others to Join in

Setting out with God, is an exciting prospect. It can give us confidence as we travel through the ups and downs of life. But, we need to ensure God is central to our lives and we need to set him apart in our hearts as king.

Setting out with God, also brings us to the ultimate place of blessing and rest. It may not be an easy journey, but it is a good one to go on.

Moses turned to his brother in law, who was not and Israelite and invited him to join with them and help them on the journey. Your life may already be set on travelling with God, why not like Moses, invite others to join the journey in 2026?

Joy out of Oppression (Matthew 2:13-23)

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Joy out of Oppression (Matthew 2:13-23)

Knitting…

I can’t really knit. But knitting is amazing. People take a long thread and turn it into a beautiful jumper.

As we look at our Bible passage today, we will see that Matthew is knitting together some amazing themes, to show us a true picture of who Jesus is and how he came to fulfil the Old Testament.

1 simple story and 3 strange quotes

In the passage is a simple story. Jesus has been said to be the new King of the Jews, by the Wise Men who visited. But Herod, who was made king of the Jews by the Romans, did not want the threat of another king.

So, God warns the Wise Men not to return to Herod and Joseph to flee to Egypt with Jesus. Sadly, though, Herod desperate to destroy the baby who may be king, orders the murder of all the children in Bethlehem. Jesus is safe, but Bethlehem is sad. Soon, however, Herod dies, and Joseph it is safe to return to Israel and settles in Nazareth.

One simple story, but Matthew uses the story to knit together three rather strange quotes. He seems to be saying, that Jesus fulfils the quotes, but none of the quotes are about a future king, the first looks back to the birth of the nation of Israel as it came out of Egypt, the second records the sadness of Israel being taken into exile by the Babylonians and the third does not even appear in the Old Testament. This is not a simply the Old Testament said this would happen and now it has. Matthew is doing something much deeper with the quotes here.

So, let’s follow the threads and see what we can find.

Egypt

Follow string to 1st board, with ‘Egypt’ written on front.

“Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Hosea 11:1)

Egypt, is where the nation of Israel were slaves,

until God brought them out of Egypt and made them into the nation.

Coming out of Egypt was the birth of a new nation.

This verse looks back to that moment.

‘My son’ refers to the people of Israel.

Tear off ‘Egypt’ half of sign to reveal star of David and X

However, in Hosea it tells us that they kept turning away from God,

even though God longed to have them back.

Again and again, Israel proved to be a failure as God’s son.

Tear off ‘Egypt’ half of sign to reveal Jesus and tick

Now, Matthew seems to be saying,

that Jesus was going to fulfil God’s vision for Israel as his Son,

in a way that Israel never would.

In Matthew 3, at his baptism,

God speaks from heaven and says,

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

When Israel left Egypt they went into the wilderness

and often failed God there.

When Jesus was taken into the wilderness,

he was tempted, but never gave into temptation.

Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeds.

  • Jesus proves himself to be the true Son of God.

He does not just give us rules to follow, but a life to copy.

He shows us what it means to live as part of the true family of God.

Will you live to be like Jesus?

Ramah

Follow string to 2nd board, with ‘Ramah’ written on front.

In the Old Testament, Rachel was the favourite wife of Jacob.

However, there is confusion about where she was buried.

Some texts suggests she was buried near Bethlehem,

other texts suggests she was buried in Ramah.

So, in some way Rachel is associated with both places.

So, because Rachel was associated with Bethlehem, he uses a quote from Jeremiah:

“A voice heard in Ramah,

weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

and refusing to be comforted,

because they are no more.”

(Jeremiah 31:15)

Tear off half ‘Ramah’ to reveal sad face.

Matthew tells us about the terrible killing by Herod of the children in Bethlehem,

in an attempt to destroy Jesus. The people in Bethlehem must have been very upset indeed and because of their association with Rachel, this verse seems to fit their upset.

The verse actually refers to the people of Israel being taken away from their homes

and forced to go into exile in Babylon.

Ramah was the staging post for those taken from Jerusalem as they were prepared

for the long journey. This was a sad moment. Israel were being oppressed

by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

This also all echoes Israel’s time in Egypt, when the king of Egypt Pharaoh,

ordered the firstborn males of Israel to be killed and thrown into the Nile.

All these stories record terrible moments for Israel under oppression.

Whether by Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar or Herod.

Tear off half ‘Ramah’ to reveal happy face

But, they are also only parts of a story that are all about hope in God’s

ultimate rescue.

Moses miraculously survived the murder of the babies in his time and God ultimately used him to lead Israel out of slavery and to the promised land.

The next verse in Jeremiah tells Israel to stop weeping, because God will rescue them from exile in Babylon and bring them back to the promised land. And God did as Jeremiah promised.

Jesus like Moses was miraculously rescued from the murder of babies, by a warning in a dream to Joseph to flee to Egypt. And Jesus will return to bring salvation. Not from Herod, but from sin and death itself.

  • Jesus offers hope to the oppressed. We live in a world ravaged by sin and in particular, the oppression by terrible tyrants like, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar and Herod. But even as we suffer in a sinful world, Jesus brings us hope that just as he ultimately died on the cross, because of human sin, he will lead us to the promised land of God’s eternal kingdom.

Nazareth

Follow string to  3rd board, with ‘Nazareth’ written on front.

So, we come to the last quote. Except it is not a quote. You won’t find it in the Old Testament, and the fact Matthew says what was said through the ‘Prophets’, suggests that this is meant to be a summary statement of a theme of the teaching in the Old Testament.

“He will be called a Nazarene.”

So, what could it mean? This is debated, but I am most persuaded that the link should be made to the Hebrew word, Nezer, which means, Branch.

“Branch,” is a title used in the Old Testament of the hoped for Messiah.

Tear off  half ‘Nazareth’ to reveal crown

The clearest link is to the famous verse in Isaiah 11:1.

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1)

Jesse was the father of David, so this is looking forward to God’s promised king.

But there is another quote, with the title, ‘Branch’, which goes further.

Tear off half ‘Nazareth’ to reveal people

“Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: `Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.” (Zech. 6:12)

Just as David’s son, Solomon, was the one to build the first temple in Jerusalem, so the prophecy says, a future Messiah will build a new temple in Jerusalem. When Jesus was born, there was already a temple being built in Jerusalem, by the King Herod. What Matthew seems to be saying with this title, is that this child has come to build the true temple, by the true king.

  • But, Jesus did not build a temple out of stones, but of people. He built his church, the new temple to replace the stone one built by Herod. Not built on the backs of oppression, but on the foundation stone of Jesus crucified. This temple, would be worldwide and spread the glory of God worldwide.

Today, you too are invited to be a part of that temple, and bringing glory to God, where we are in this place. As we approach a New Year, why not take the opportunity to be built by Jesus, the Nazarene, into the true temple of God.

The Gift of Joy (John 1:1-14)

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.” (Luke 2:10-11)

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

The Word Became Flesh (John 1:1-14)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Traditional Carol Service – Joy

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.” (Luke 2:10-11)

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

How to eat a burger?

What is the best way to eat a burger? Should we grab it with both hands and stuff it into our mouths, not caring what spatters out on either side? Or is it best to be more civilised and eat your burger with a knife and fork, carefully slicing off small chunks to place carefully in your mouth?

My guess is that probably you think it doesn’t matter. Each to their own. But I came across an article the other day, which said that a woman had been kicked out of a restaurant because she was eating her burger with a knife and fork! Apparently, it was the restaurant rules that you had to use your hands to eat a burger.

What an outrage!!!

Rage Bait…

Or was it?

This year, the Oxford University Press decided its word of the year was ‘rage bait.’

Rage bait is online content that deliberately provokes a strong emotional reaction in you, so that you will respond or comment. Many posts are interesting or funny, you may read them, but you will soon scroll on. If the post makes you angry, however, then you are more likely to engage, to make a comment or add a horrified emoji.

The thing is the more comments or reactions a post receives, the more it will be promoted by the algorithms and the more money the content creator will receive. Rage bait is a lucrative business.

The story about being kicked out of a restaurant for eating a burger with a knife and fork was of course a fake story. It was rage bait made for fun. But the author has become very wealthy making similar stories!

The sad truth is we are all more easily engaged by appealing to our base instincts, like pride, lust, greed and anger. That is how we can be manipulated by people to make us do what we want. Historically, leaders have tapped into people’s anger to build their power and cause wars, which lead to destruction and heartache.

Prince of Peace

Jesus, however, was announced by the angels to be the bringer of peace. He comes not to stir up anger, but to lead us in the way of joy and peace.

The term Prince of Peace comes from Isaiah 9, a prophecy looking forward to a better ruler. It is a passage written to a people being oppressed by angry warring nations and looks forward to a time, when wars will cease, joy will break out and the Prince of Peace will come. He is the son, that is given to us the child who is born for us.

But, what is so special about the promised Prince of Peace? Why might we want him to be our leader? How can he bring us personally joy and peace now?

Is this the leader we need?

As well as the term, Prince of Peace, Isaiah uses three other titles for this coming king. The King Christians claim is Jesus.

Wonderful Counsellor:

First of all, he is a “Wonderful Counsellor.” In our world we find counsel from all kinds of sources. Through the internet, we can find counsellors from all over the world, commentators and influencers with all kinds of different ideas and philosophies. But, why should we choose one human over another to be our guide in life?

Perhaps we should allow Artificial Intelligence to guide us? But that is also a very poor guide, mainly because it is simply trying to imitate human thinking, not offering us anything better and often something worse.

The claim, however, is that Jesus is a wonderful counsellor. ‘Wonderful’ suggests something beyond mere human, it points to his divine nature and wisdom.

And when we look at Jesus, we see his teaching, which is so powerful, memorable and radical. Here is not a preacher of anger, but someone who says, “Blessed are the peacemakers” and “love your enemies”.  Someone, who appeals not to our base instincts, but call us to a better way of life.

Isn’t this a leader you can trust for the best guidance in life?

Mighty God:

Secondly, he is described as ‘Mighty God.’ Leaders in our world build their power on military strength. But in the Bible, we are encouraged to put our trust in God to save us. After all Israel did not escape Egypt by military strength, but by the power of God.

In the same way, Jesus came demonstrating the power of God, through miracles that healed sickness, calmed storms and even raised the dead. He didn’t live by the sword, but in dying at the hands of military executioners he overcame the power of death itself by rising again on the third day.

Jesus may not meet our immediate desires, but he offers to give us lasting joy and security. Isn’t this a leader you can trust for your ultimate security?

Eternal Father:

Thirdly, he is called, “Eternal Father.” When the term, ‘Father’ is used of a leader if suggests a caring authority. Many leaders are in it for their own status, power or wealth gathering. Fortunately, they never last!

Jesus, however, said that he had come not to be served, but to serve. To give his life as a ransom for many. And that is what he did through his sacrifice on the cross to save us from our sins. He showed deep care for us, a care that continue because his reign is eternal.

Isn’t this a leader you can trust to care for your needs, not just now but always?

Rage Bait or Peaceful Rule

So, what will you let lead you this Christmas? Rage bait or peaceful rule?

Will you allow yourself to continue to be manipulated by those who appeal to your base instincts, or the one who offers you wonderful counsel, eternal security and caring support?

Can I invite you this Christmas to consider following Jesus. I would love to give you a copy of Luke’s gospel, so that you can read it and find out more about the Prince of Peace and see whether he might be a better leader for your life.

Family Carol Service – Joy

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.” (Luke 2:10-11)

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

What brings you joy?

Turn to person next to you and see if you can answer this question:

  • What brings you joy? What makes you happy?

Lots about Christmas is meant to bring us joy. Giving and receiving presents. Eating good food. Spending time with family.

True joy often comes through connecting with others: family, friends, loved ones. But increasingly, our society is becoming less good at connecting. Anger, upset or bitterness destroys relationships. We hide ourselves behind social media, only putting our best selves on display and closing ourselves off to real relationships. We become wrapped up in our own lives too anxious to truly engage with others and too keen to protect ourselves from harm. The result is that our lives, lose their joy.

Wrap up Card with ‘JOY’ on.

Joseph – Closed Off

Joseph was engaged. He was looking forward to marrying his bride, Mary. But then he discovered something shocking. Mary was pregnant and the baby was not his! What was he to do?

Rather than tackling the problem head on, Joseph wrapped up in his own thoughts and ideas, seems to come up with his own idea of how to deal with the situation. Rather than confronting Mary or find out what has really happened, he decides to act in what seemed like a righteous and kind way. He decided to divorce Mary quietly, saving her and him  embarrassment. In this way he wanted to close down the issue, cut himself off from the pain and move on to continue his own life. Shut off from the joy of marriage to Mary.

Joseph – Unwrapped

But, God had other ideas.

Pull wrapping paper and Joy sign off.

God sent a messenger, an angel in a dream. He wanted to unwrap what was really going on. To unwrap the truth of what had happened to Mary. To open up the possibility of joy not just for Joseph, but for all of us. In unwrapping this truth, God also provides a way for us to be unwrapped to the possibility of real joy.

The Holy Spirit

The first thing the angel says, is that the baby is from the Holy Spirit.

Unfold left arm to reveal Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit appears right at the start of the Bible. The world is empty,  chaotic and lifeless. But, the Holy Spirit hovers above the waters and God acts. From the emptiness comes everything, from the chaos comes beauty, from lifelessness life comes in abundance.

Now, the angel says, the Holy Spirit comes to make something new again. This baby was a completely new creation for our world.

When the world seems full of chaos and horror, we can be tempted to shut ourselves away, to become wrapped up in ourselves. But, when we realise God can create something new, beautiful and full of life by His Holy Spirit, then we can begin to open ourselves up to the work of his Holy Spirit. We can open ourselves up to joy.

Jesus = The Saviour

The second thing the angel says is that the baby is to be called, Jesus, which means ‘God saves’, because he will save his people from their sins.

Unfold right arm to reveal cross.

Sin is ultimately, a focus on myself above others and God. It is to disobey the great commandments to love God and neighbour. To sin is to become wrapped up in yourself. It destroys relationships and creates guilt and shame, which make us withdraw from God and others more and more. Sin can often look like a means for joy, but ultimately it cuts us off from the true source of joy.

Yet, the angel says that God in Jesus came to deal with our sin. Jesus was born not just to be a cute baby, not just to teach us God’s way of life, but by his death on the cross to condemn sin and bring us forgiveness. To free us from guilt and shame and free us to discover true joy through love of God and others.

Jesus = God with Us

The third thing we are told, is that Jesus is Immanuel or God with us.

Unfold top arm to reveal hand from above…

When we become wrapped up in ourselves we become cut off from God and others. We experience loneliness and lose joy.

In a recent survey, 33% of 16-29 year olds in Britain reported being lonely. They find it hard to reach out to others, and others are less likely to reach out to them.

But, Christmas tells us that God reaches out to us in our loneliness and estrangement from him. Jesus is God with us and God will be with us if we let him. He invites us not just to let him be with us in the ups and downs of life, but to become part of his family and find friendship and community in his church. This is the root to true joy.

Joseph finds joy in faith

So, this was the message of the angel to Joseph. It was an invitation to Joseph to unwrap himself, to open himself up to what God was doing with Mary and to become part of the plan.

But would Joseph trust or believe the angel. Would he stop being afraid of the embarrassment of marrying a woman who was pregnant with a child not his? Would he take her to be his wife and name the child Jesus as the angel said? Would he find joy in trusting the angel and doing what God said or would he remain wrapped up in himself?

Unfold bottom arm to reveal tick…

Joseph did trust and obey and found the joy not just of marrying Mary, but the honour of becoming the father of Jesus himself.

In the same way God invites all of us to stop being wrapped up in ourselves. To instead allow ourselves to be opened up to a life with God, a life freed from sin and a life made new by the Holy Spirit.

Why not open yourselves up to God more this Christmas? Let me suggest two ways you might start to do that:

Grab a Luke’s gospel off me on the way out today so you can read more about Jesus for yourself.

Join the church community by coming along in the New Year. Register now online now, to receive the church email so you can be reminded of what is coming up.

This Sunday – 14th December 2025

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.”

(Luke 2:10-11)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Joy
  • Key notices: Parish Safeguarding Officer Role, Daily Prayer
  • Coming Up: Christmas Tree Festival, Christmas Baroque, Dare to Pray, Back after Christmas, Join Up Confirmation course, Churches Together in Ramsgate  United Service
  • Interesting Blogs: Grumpy Owl, Joy in the Bible, Christmas Karma
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

The theme for this year’s Christmas Publicity is ‘Joy!’ My hope and prayer for all of you reading this, is that you have a truly joyful Christmas. After all, everyone, Christian or not, believes that Christmas is a time to be happy.

Yet, joy can so easily slip away from us. The joy of giving becomes the stress of shopping; the joy of gathering slips into irritation with others and the joy of feasting dissolves into the pain of indigestion.

When our focus is on trying to make Christmas a happy time, then the pressure to be of ‘good cheer’ becomes just another cause of stress and anxiety. But when we embrace the Christian truths of the Christmas story, then we discover something that takes us above and beyond our day to day struggles and brings lasting joy to our souls.

When Jesus was born, shepherds were going about their day to day business. They no doubt had worries about the health of their family, the state of their flocks and how to pay their taxes. But suddenly an angel appeared to them with a message of good news of great joy. A Saviour was born. God was coming to help them and give them a reason for hope that would put all their other worries into perspective.

Life can be far more than worrying about possessions and politics, it can be a journey with God. A journey of transformation, hope and deep joy that lifts us beyond our immediate anxieties. The Christmas story is not meant to be a cute part of our Christmas festivities. When fully grasped it gives us joy for all of life.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Parish Safeguarding Officer Role

Safeguarding in church is the responsibility of everyone. However, we need someone to champion and promote safeguarding in the church and to be a point of contact for any concerns raised. There is a lot of Diocesan training and support for this role. If you think you might be the person to take it on then please let Paul know and he can share more about what is involved.

Daily Prayer

Please note that there will be no daily prayer for the next two weeks. It restarts on Monday 5th January.

Coming Up:

Christmas Tree Festival at St. George’s, 2-5pm

Running from Friday 12th December to Sunday 21st. Come and view the beautiful Christmas Tree festival inside St. George’s church

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – Tonight , 7pm

Tickets £15 on the door.

Dare to Pray – This Saturday 20th, 9:30-10:30am

There are lots of events happening over Christmas and it is a great opportunity to welcome more people into our churches to hear the good news about Jesus. But we need to pray for God to work. So please join us at our monthly Dare to Pray meeting at St. George’s church this Saturday.

Back after Christmas

  • Daily Prayer restarts on Monday 5th January
  • Cafe4All will then be closed for two weeks and re-open on 8th January.
  • Play and Praise restarts on 9th January
  • Community Meal restarts on 13th January

Join Up Confirmation Courses

We will be hosting a Confirmation Service at St. Luke’s on 28th February 2025. Paul will be running a course called, Join Up, from 8th and 12th January, which is both a follow up to Christianity Explored and a preparation for Confirmation. If you have not been baptised or confirmed or are just interested in taking part in the course, then please talk to Paul.

Churches Together in Ramsgate United Service

After the success of the united service at Pentecost last May, we are planning another united service at the Royal Harbour School, for Sunday January 28th at 6pm. This will be more traditional in style and there will be a joint choir for the event. If anyone would like to be part of the choir, please let Paul know.

Interesting Blogs to Share:

The Grumpy Old Owl and the Joy of Christmas

Check out this video for children from the Church of England, exploring the Nativity. Watch Video…

Joy in the Bible

This is a fast paced look at the theme of joy running through the whole Bible. All done in under 5 minutes! Watch the Video…

Christmas Karma

In this article by Graham Tomlin, we discover why the title to one of the latest Christmas movies, does not make sense. Read more (5 mins.)

Christmas Calendar

Sunday 21st December – Fourth Sunday of Advent

Carol Service (St. George’s Church) – 5:30-6:30pm

Wednesday 24th   

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Midnight Service (St. George’s Church) – 11:30pm

Thursday 25th        

Family Communion Service (St. Luke’s Church) – 11:00am-12:00pm

Sunday 28th – First Sunday of Christmas

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Matt. 2:13-23 – 9:30am

Saturday 3rd January       

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Sunday 4th – Second Sunday of Christmas

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) – 9:30am

Monday 5th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Tuesday 6th          

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 7th   

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 8th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Saturday 10th       

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Sunday 11th – First Sunday of Epiphany

Carol Service (St. George’s Church) Num. 11:4-6,16-34 – 9:30am

Confirmation Course (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Online Forms:

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

  • Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
  • Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
  • Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

Safeguarding Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.

If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, have a really joyful Christmas.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

Christmas Baroque (18th December, 7pm)

Join us in the beautiful setting of St. George’s, during its fabulous Christmas Tree festival for the delight of music from the Baroque Collective a group of eight professional musicians. The concert will feature Vivaldi’s four seasons.

Tickets are £15 on the door. Under 16s are free. (Advanced tickets no longer available).

Buy Advance Ticket

The programme for the evening is:

1st half

  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041
  • John Eccles: Aire from The Mad Lover

2nd half

  • Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Laura Rickard leading

Doors open at 6:30pm and the concert starts at 7pm. Refreshments available.

Care for others (Matthew 25:31-46)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

Do we see Jesus when we see someone in need? If we say we are a Christian now, if we believe that Jesus gave his life, so that we can have the hope of eternal life, then how would we not help Jesus in need? Jesus says the way we need to do that is to help those we come across who find themselves in need.

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Matthew 25:31-46, Care for Others

Aim: To embrace being a follower of Jesus by living out care for his family.

Assessment Day

A couple of months ago, my son went to an ‘assessment day’ for a job. The company were looking to expand and hire a number of people, so there were over twenty people invited to the assessment day. In the morning, they were given various team exercises with assessors watching how the applicants acted and behaved as part of a team trying to solve different problems.

Then at lunchtime something shocking happened. The group were split into two and taken to different rooms. The group my son was in were told you are through to the next stage of the process. In fact, depending on how you do at interview, we may employ all of you. What about the other group? They were being sent home with no hope of getting the job. Lunchtime it turned out had been a key moment in the day when the candidates had been divided between those sent away and those welcomed into the next stage.

Thankfully, my son did eventually go on to get the job.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus’ teaching consistently emphasises that there will come a moment when the world will be separated in two. Between those welcomed into his heavenly kingdom and those who are sent away.

Now in this last major section of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew’s gospel, the separation at the end of time is highlighted once more, but with a twist!

A Short Parable

This section is often called the parable of the sheep and goats. Indeed, in verses 32b-33, the image of a shepherd separating sheep and goats is used as a metaphor for what Jesus is teaching here.

It was again a typical scene in the rural life of first century Palestine. At the end of the day, the shepherd brings his flock home. In the flock are sheep and goats. At night the goats preferred to be taken inside to keep warm, whereas the sheep preferred to be in the fresh air. So, it was necessary for the shepherd to separate them each evening.

Jesus uses this image as another way of illustrating the division when Jesus returns, but although the structure of the section is like a parable, unlike most parables, the metaphor drops away and we have more of a simple description of the judgement at the end of time.

Yet, the shepherd, sheep and goats, gives us the framework in which to think about the parable and its meaning. Let’s begin by looking at the shepherd.

The Shepherd

The Awesome King

Let’s start by looking at the first verse of this section:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.” (Matthew 25:31)

Jesus has consistently referred to himself as the Son of Man and here as he describes the end of time to his disciples, he places himself in the very spot you would expect to see God: in glory, with angels on the throne.

Just consider the enormity of what Jesus, this first century, Jewish Rabbi is claiming for himself. Unlike, Buddha or many gurus down the ages, he is not simply claiming to have found the best way to live, but to be the one who will judge all who have lived. Unlike, Moses or Mohammed, he is not simply claiming to be bringing messages from God, he is putting himself in the place of God.

If Jesus was a fraud, he was the most audacious fraud of all time. Yet, what happened in the week after this claim proves that Jesus was not a fraud. Although the authorities had him crucified for making such claims, God raised him from the dead. These audacious claims were backed up by an even more audacious act, his death and resurrection!

This is the shepherd in the parable, the Son of Man. He is the awesome king of kings and lord of lords.

  • So, have you truly grasped the real identity of Jesus? As we prepare for the carol singing season, when we will sing phrases, like

“He came down to earth from heaven

Who is God and Lord of all,”

“Christ, by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,”

“God of God, Light of Light… Very God, Begotten, not created:”

Will you truly reflect on the true majesty of who it is we as Christians are called to follow? What kind of amazing king we are called to serve?

The Shepherd Identifies with his Sheep

And yet although Jesus starts this section with an incredible self-description, the great twist of this section is that the Shepherd fully identifies with his sheep.

At the end of time, Jesus is judging the people by how they have treated him. Whether they have served him or not. But the twist comes in verse 40 and is repeated in verse 45:

“”The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25:40)

 Notice, that Jesus is identifying himself with his family. He is saying that the way you treat my family, is the way that you treat me.

Who are his family? Those who are his disciples, who choose to follow him and live his ways. In other words, other Christians. Earlier on he said,

“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.” (Matthew 12:48-49)

 This idea of Jesus identifying with his family also occurs when Jesus appeared to Saul, who was to become Paul, on the road to Damascus. Saul had been persecuting the Christians. He couldn’t persecute Jesus he had died, risen and ascended to heaven. Yet, when Jesus appears to Saul he says:

“”Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)

  • We’ll come back to this key point of the parable, when we think about the sheep and the goats, but first let’s just reflect on the encouragement that this should give us as Christians of the privilege of being in Jesus’ family.

 Jesus, who is the King of Kings, who will one day judge the whole world, identifies fully with us. To such an extent that when people fail to care for us, he will take it as failing to care for him.

 In short he sees us. He sees when people hurt us, he understands and identifies with our suffering and is with us in our grief. When the world does not seem to care, we can know that Jesus, the lord of the whole universe does care, does see and will ultimately do something about it.

 Surely, that must be an incredible encouragement to us as Christians.

The Sheep and Goats

So, we’ve thought a bit about the Shepherd. Let’s now turn to the sheep and goats.

The Test: True Faith, the Church and Service

Firstly, there is an assessment going on as the division between the sheep and the goats is made. The sheep, often symbolise he people of God, stand for the true Christians who are placed on the right hand of the shepherd, the place of honour. These are described as, ‘the righteous.’

On the other hand, the goats are placed on the left hand of the shepherd. They are given no description.

Now, the breeds in that place at that time looked very similar to each other. It was not easy to tell apart the goats and the sheep. The only way to tell was to check the tales. The sheep’s tale goes down, whereas the goat’s tail points up.

In the description at the end of time, the division is not made on the basis of people’s tails, but on how they have treated Christians, those who are part of the family of Jesus.

There are two obvious objections at this point.

  • Why is it just how Christians are treated and not all people?
  • Is Jesus preaching salvation by works and not faith?

Why care for Christians and not all people?

Let’s start with the first question: “Why is it just how Christians are treated and not all people?” For many people this is not what the parable is teaching at all. Surely, Jesus cares about how we treat all people. Isn’t everyone a child of God and part of his family?

Those things are both true. Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and to love our neighbours, which he makes clear in the Parable of the Good Samaritan includes loving our enemies. Even if you agree with me that Jesus is talking about how we care for other Christians, we also need to acknowledge that we do not always know who the Christians are or indeed, who may become a Christian, so in practice the encouragement to care for all remains.

Yet, I think it is important to see here Jesus’ emphasis on the family of Christians. It is fashionable today to say, “I love Jesus, but I hate the church.” But this parable teaches that if you love Jesus, you have to love his church. Jesus identifies so closely, with his followers, so much so that you cannot claim to be a follower of Jesus and not engage with his family. That does not mean just turning up on a Sunday morning, it means building relationships of care and support and mutual service as part of the family of Christ. If we make this parable just about caring for others, then we miss the important point Jesus is making about being part of his church.

Of course we are to serve and care for all people, but we have an especial responsibility to those in the church, just as we have a special responsibility to those in our earthly families. As Paul says,

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

(Galatians 6:10)

Is this salvation by works not faith?

So, what about the second question, “Is this salvation by works not faith?” The parable emphasises the active service or lack of active service as the reason they are welcomed into God’s kingdom or sent away. The list of six acts of service is repeated four times each. Clearly for Jesus, these practical acts of service really matter.

The Bible and Jesus are also clear. We are saved by faith, not works. As soon as we turn to Jesus our sins are washed away and we have complete forgiveness and a secure place in his eternal kingdom.

Jesus is also clear that newfound faith, if it is a true faith, will also show itself in newfound attitudes. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved to do good works. If our lives do not demonstrate the fruit of good works, if we do not show the kind of care, Jesus describes here, then we have not really found the saving faith we need.

Jesus puts it clearly in Matthew 7:

“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:17)

True faith will show itself in the good fruit of service to fellow Christians.

The Destination: Blessing or Curse

All of this really matters, because of the eternal consequences. Jesus makes this abundantly clear in this final section of his teaching. There is a final separation.

Those who have truly believed are blessed. They are welcomed into the kingdom. They receive eternal life.

 Those who do not are said to be cursed and told to depart from Jesus into eternal punishment, the punishment reserved for the devil and his angels.

 Ultimately, the choice is to follow the devil in rebellion against God and share his punishment of being shut out from the blessings of God or of following Jesus in the way of faith and service to others as part of a church family and looking forward to a glorious welcome into His glorious kingdom.

The choice may seem stark, but it is the one that Jesus presents to us again and again in Matthew’s gospel. Which will you choose?