The Richmond Briefing

A weekly Bible reading for Bridge Builders

The Richmond Briefing has been a weekly feature of the Reachout web site for five years and is now available on the blog. To find out more and read earlier briefings go here

Reading – Citizenship (Matthew 16:17:14-27)

Jesus, Peter, James and John came down from the mountain where kingdom glory had shined so fully and were met with a scene familiar enough to us even today; a dispute over religion. Mark tells us that a large crowd had gathered and the teachers of the law were arguing with the disciples. A possessed young man had been brought to them to be healed and they had failed to do it; a practical problem that ‘religion’ had failed to solve and an ensuing argument about why. How embarrassing and how all-too-typical!

“If you have faith...” These words of Jesus can, and often do fill us with guilt for being faithless. When things don’t go well for us, prayers are not answered, answers don’t seem to come we look inward and question our faith. Perhaps it would help if we continued to think about the kingdom theme. The problem with this “unbelieving and perverse generation” was not that they didn’t believe in something or another, they were religious enough many of them, but they refused to believe and enter the kingdom that Jesus had demonstrated. They sought kingdom blessing without kingdom living.

Jesus’ disciples, on the other hand, had recognised the King but had yet to fully enter into the kingdom understood fully the significance of the kingdom message. The Jews lacked faith to enter the kingdom while the disciples lacked faith to realise fully the kingdom in their lives.

The kingdom theme continues as Jesus uses another practical situation to illustrate kingdom citizenship. There is a rich irony in Jesus being asked to pay the half shekel that Israel paid as a ransom for the soul (Ex.13-16). Matthew Henry comments:

“This tribute was to be paid as a ransom of the soul, that there might be no plague among them. Hereby they acknowledged that they received their lives from God, that they had forfeited their lives to him, and that they depended upon his power and patience for the continuance of them; and thus they did homage to the God of their lives, and deprecated those plagues which their sins had deserved.”

In response Jesus asked Peter, “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes – from their sons or from others?

A good point! If Israel had a special relationship with God because of having Abraham as their father why were they being taxed? Citizenship in God’s kingdom was by faith and not by works of the law. The implication here is that those who thought the kingdom was theirs were those ‘others’ who paid tax while citizenship belonged to those with faith in the king and who were therefore exempt (Mt.21:43)

The gospel is an offense enough without causing undue offense so Jesus miraculously paid the tax. How often do those of the kingdom major on minors and cause offense that pushes people away rather than winning them into citizenship. Jesus preached the kingdom with passion but did not make trouble for the sake of it. With citizenship comes responsibility to preach the kingdom with passion and take care not to put obstacles in the way of others.

Obama's mother posthumously baptized into LDS Church - Salt Lake Tribune

In the wake of his remarkable success it seemed that the world and his wife wanted to claim President Obama as their own with even an Irish connection being dug up. Now the Mormons have got in on the act by posthumously baptising his mother. They have in the past upset the Jewish community, the Catholic Church and now the American President with this wacky and unbiblical practice but there is no indication that they will review it. And, of course, it is always someone else’s fault and they promise a thorough inquiry to uncover the real culprits. Maybe they should try looking in the mirror. President Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, who died in 1995, was baptized posthumously into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last year during her son's campaign, according to Salt Lake City-based researcher Helen Radkey. The ritual, known as “baptism for the dead,” was done June 4 in the Provo temple, and another LDS temple rite, known as the “endowment,” was...

Mormon Christians? Whats in a Name?

The Mormon Church, disturbed by the continuing identifying of polygamus sects in the news with the name Mormon, recently issued a press statement aimed at "clarifying" issues. It is interesting to note that if you substitute the name "Christian" where they use the name "Mormon" it makes a very good argument for us against the claims of the Mormon Church. The full press release is reproduced below in italics with each paragraph rewritten in ordinary text to present it from a Christian perspective. SALT LAKE CITY 10 July 2008 On 26 June, Newsroom published a package of information featuring profiles of ordinary Latter-day Saints in Texas. With no other intention but to define themselves, these members provided a tangible depiction of what their faith is all about. They serve as the best distinction between the lifestyles and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Texas-based polygamous group that has recently attracted media attent...

Is atheism an intolerant belief?

The Big Questions , Sunday 2 August 2009, third question. A growing number of Britons say they are certain there is no God - but how do they know? Professor John Adams of the North Yorkshire Humanist Association begins by asking theists what evidence they have for their beliefs. Paul Woolley of Theos continues by pointing out Richard Dawkins description of faith as a 'virus', and the appalling track record of atheism in the 20th Century, as spearheaded by Pol Pot and Stalin. Chloe Clifford-Frith of the Humanist and Secular Students Society contends that Stalin did not do the things he did because he was an atheist, but because he was evil. Paul Woolley rejoins that atheists are trying to have it both ways when they claim that religion is the cause of evil, but refuse to acknowledge the ideological impetus of atheism when it comes to many evil acts. Mao and Stalin both replaced God with the State - a 'religious' manoeuvre. Rev Alistair Rycroft of St Michael Le Belfrey Ch...

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