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Hope, when it seems impossible
In the hopeless situation which faces Isaiah, he reminds his hearers that hope is in the creator and sustainer of all that exists. ‘I am the Lord’ he says time and again in Isaiah 42.
Context
The forces of chaos threaten at home and abroad:
Into this situation the BBC ‘Thought for the Day’ reflection by Giles Fraser on the day after the Epiphany is timely as he ponders kings and kingship.
Before we dismiss Matthew’s story of the star of Bethlehem as a fantasy it is worth studying the paper (and its 167 references!) about the appearance of a comet in 5 B.C. which conceivably ‘stood still’ over Bethlehem. We may not regard the appearance of a comet as significant but, in Matthew’s day, people who studied the skies, both in the Middle East and China, certainly did think such events noted by experts were highly significant. Matthew’s story emphasises the work of the creator, ‘the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it,’ (Isaiah 42:5).
As such it provides a proper introduction to today’s gospel in which ‘a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved’ (Matthew 3:17).
Reflection
From the moment the wise men are directed away from Jerusalem, Matthew will reveal in his gospel how God has rejected the awe-inspiring temple which Herod is building and the corrupt religious leadership that goes with it. The Christ is born in David’s city, Bethlehem but he is revealed as such by the Jordan.
Whilst it may seem strange that initially only three strangers from the East acknowledge the Messiah, Matthew concludes his gospel with the clear command: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit' (Matthew 28:19), just as Jesus had been baptized at the Jordan.
The rejection of the Jerusalem Temple is reflected also in the fact that it is the place of Jesus’ temptation by the devil (Matthew 4:5-7). In Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus laments: ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”’
Questions for discussion
- In the light of the astronomer’s paper about the Star of Bethlehem, it appears that Matthew could have been reporting the passage of a comet, understood by the ‘wise men’ of the day. Does this help in reading Matthew’s gospel and seeing its significance?
- What are our hopes for 2026 and what are the challenges to be faced?
- The Pope called his first Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals on 7-8 January. What might we hope and pray for and how might it affect Christians of churches such as ours? Imagine what you would like to say to the Pope. What you would like him to say to you?
Revd Dr Tom Ambrose is a retired priest, ministering in the Parish of the Ascension, Cambridge.
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What should a leader be like?
The passage in Isaiah describes God’s servant - the one who would speak his words and bring God’s way of living to the world:
“I have put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.” (v.1)
You may have had people say to you: "You are the leaders of tomorrow." So it’s worth thinking about what being a leader looks like. God’s servant, we’re told, “will not cry or lift up his voice” (v.2). We’re also told that he won’t crush something that is struggling - the bruised reed or smouldering candlewick (v.3).
Over the last week, we have seen a different type of leadership as Donald Trump has:
- sent soldiers into another country (Venezuela) to remove its leader;
- talked about the ways in which America could ‘obtain’ Greenland.
Opinions vary about how effective Trump is as a peacemaker but he certainly takes a different approach to that of God’s servant in Isaiah.
As Christians we are called to follow Jesus. Jesus condemned those who hurt others and who made life more difficult for those who were struggling but he encouraged people who found themselves on the outside, excluded by others.
Questions for discussion
- Who are your role models?
- How do they lead?
- What will you do in those places where you have power and control this coming week?
Steve Taylor shares the job of joint vicar of St Paul’s CofE Church, Harrow with his wife, Ali. They share their home with their youngest child, two cats, some fish and a rabbit.
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