Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. Today we have just one sevice in the parish, which will be at 11.15 am at St Thomas' Church, with no service at St Agnes' today.
The service will be a special "Back to School" service, where Laura Tebay, the Oldham and Ashton Deanery Enabler for children’s work, will be giving a talk, and the service will include blessing the children’s school backpacks.
Also today, the Confirmation Service for our whole Mission Community with Bishop Mark will take place at St John’s Church at 3 pm. Please hold the candidates from our churches in your prayers as they take this next step in their Christian journey.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Bind us Together"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 18:21-35
Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Reflection
At the heart of all the readings for today is the theme of forgiveness.
In the Old Testament reading, [Genesis 50], Jospeh’s brothers beg forgiveness for mistreating him and selling him into slavery when they were jealous of him. For his part, Joseph recognises that what happened was part of God’s greater plan and he forgave them and provided for his brothers and their families.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans [14:1-12], we are reminded that it is not for us to pass judgement on one another, because we all stand before the judgement seat of God. Paul tells us that the mercy we show to others will be reflected in God’s judgement on us when the time comes.
When Peter asks how often we should forgive someone who wrongs us, he is effectively asking Jesus, ‘what limits should we put on forgiveness?’
He asks should it perhaps be as many as seven times. Peter didn’t just pick a random number - in Hebrew culture there is a significance to number seven. For Jews, seven was considered to be a perfect number which represented completeness and perfection. So by suggesting we might forgive someone seven times was in itself a sign of great generosity and Peter’s thinking was clearly on the right lines. Such a level of forgiveness would have been far in excess of what Jews would consider to be acceptable.
But Jesus takes this further, and calls us forgive people, “ Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times“. In doing so he is setting the bar as high as it can be. He is setting it by the standard that God sets for His mercy – Jesus is showing them that God’s mercy and forgiveness is unlimited.
In the Psalm for today, [Psalm 103] we are reminded that ‘God forgives all our sins and heals all our infirmities, [verse 3], and moreover ‘He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our wickedness [verse 10].
I have this vague image from childhood, of St. Peter standing at the gates of heaven with a book which had a record of all the things we had done right and wrong in our lives – for want of a better image, a ledger of our virtues and sins which would determine whether or not we were allowed to go to heaven when we die. Of course we all do things that are sinful, things where we let ourselves and others down and where we let God down – (I dread to think how many entries would be in such a ledger for me).
However, this passage shows how God’s endless mercy exceeds human understanding when He restores what is broken and pardons our sins. The immense debt of the first slave refers to God’s capacity to forgive no matter how many entries might be in the sin column of our lives.
There is also a clear message from Jesus of the need to avoid hypocrisy. Jesus does not mince his words when he warns that those who look for God’s mercy must also be prepared to show mercy to others. In an alternative version of the Lord’s prayer, the words - ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’, are translated as ‘forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors’.
Every time we say this prayer, we are therefore reminded that forgiveness is not merely a moral act, but also a spiritual requirement for those seeking the kingdom of heaven. Seeking God’s forgiveness is both a gift and a responsibility.
In our church services each week, we bring before God all the things we are sorry for and ask for His forgiveness and to be reconciled with our Father. In doing so, we should also reflect on our experiences of God’s mercy and extend that same mercy to those who we believe have wronged us.
Before we take part in the Communion we are asked to make peace with one another, that doesn’t just include those who are physically present but all who we might harbour resentment against in our hearts. True peace begins when we extend to others the same mercy we ask God to show us. Forgiveness is not easy - it requires us to let go of pride, hurt, and feelings of injustice and retribution. But Jesus teaches that mercy frees both the giver and the receiver. Rev Paul
Our Prayers
Merciful Father, You have forgiven me more than I could ever repay.
Help me to remember Your mercy whenever I am tempted to hold onto anger or resentment.
Give me a heart like Yours - gentle, patient, and forgiving.
May I forgive from the heart,
that I may live in Your peace
and reflect Your mercy to the world.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "God Forgave my Sin in Jesus' Name"
Notices
Next Sunday's Church Services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.15 am at St Thomas'.
Upcoming events can be seen in the posters below -
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.15 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us, you might like to join the Church of England online service for the Festival of Creation in Christ, which you can find here - Church of England Service
Or you may wish to join us in one of the hymns which we will be singing at St Thomas' this morning - "Jesus is Lord, Creation's Voice Proclaims it""
Notices
Next Sunday is our "Everyone Together Service" at 11.15 am at St Thomas' Church, and there will be no service at St Agnes'. The service will be a special "Back to School" service led by Laura, our Deanery Enabler for Children's work, and the children's school backpacks will be blessed.
Also coming up is the crowning of our new Harvest Queen, Loganne, on the 26th September - please see the poster for details.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.15 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Awake my Soul, and with the Sun"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 16:13-20Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Reflection
Jesus has been teaching and healing around Galilee for quite a while, but we are about to see him turn towards Jerusalem and His journey to the Cross.
Peter and the other disciples have been with Jesus for over two years, and witnessed everything he has said and done, including performing many miracles. Over that time they have, no doubt, constantly had to evaluate and re-evaluate their opinions of who Jesus is as well as revising their opinion of themselves. There must have been many times when they wondered why Jesus had chosen them to follow Him.
And now at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks them, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” So they tell him that people are saying he is John the Baptist, and others think he is the prophet Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.
It might seem obvious that Jesus cannot be John the Baptist, as many people saw them together at His baptism. However, the theories that he was one of the previous prophets are perhaps not so radical – it was believed by many Jews that Elijah would return before the Messiah came. The prophet Malachi [Chp 5], declared the promise of God: “I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes”.
Next, Jesus asks the crunch question - “But who do you say that I am?” The other disciples are silent, perhaps lost for words, we don’t know. Maybe they’re wondering if there is a reason behind the question – could it be that Jesus is asking why are following me? Why have you left everything to follow a humble carpenter from Nazareth when you know nothing about me?
Then, as ever, Peter jumps in - “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus is obviously pleased with Peter’s response, so much so that He blesses him! Peter has hit the nail on the head, he understands in his heart that Jesus is not just another prophet in a long line of prophets. His insightful answer points us in the direction of the fundamental truth that Jesus is the living God – God with us.
All this has been revealed to them, not by flesh and blood, or because they have been told by Jesus, it is a revelation from God. Jesus’ own Father in heaven has revealed the truth through Jesus’ words and actions and the relationship they have built with Him.
For us it might seem obvious that we know about Jesus and who he is, because we know about Jesus from the good news of the Gospels. But the essence of the message here is not just about Jesus through what we have been told or read.
Like the disciples, Jesus is looking for a relationship with each of us. It’s not about knowing about Jesus, it’s about actually knowing Jesus, and through Jesus knowing God. It about recognising what God, through Jesus, is doing right here and now in our lives and how we might see His power at work in our midst. Jesus is the key to our relationship with God and everything God has made and continues to do.
When we build a relationship with Jesus Christ and have faith in His love for us, we can be formed into His likeness and follow His example and live His values. Through getting to truly know Jesus, we can experience the joy of a loving relationship with Him, and open the gates of heaven.
Jesus’ church is built on the rock of the knowledge of the revelation that Jesus is the living God, the Messiah. The early Church that we read about in the Acts of the Apostles was built on faith and the formation of the people in the community, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
A Church built on faith in Jesus, and also people working together to bring what they had and building a community built on fairness and justice. It wasn’t just listening to what the apostles told them about Jesus, it was the desire to know Jesus and live as He did. It was about understanding how each individual should respond to His call.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are reminded that, as Christians, we are all joined in the body of Christ and that not everyone has the same function. We each have gifts to offer according to the grace of God. Rev. Kirsten and I were talking earlier in the week about the encouraging signs of people coming forward and offering their help, even if they aren’t always sure what that help looks like yet.
As Paul says, it’s not always about ministry or leadership – it can be about showing compassion, listening, maybe practical skills or many other traits we have.
It may even be you have a gift that hasn’t been revealed to you yet – something for example that you’ve always fancied having a go at, but never got around to doing. A gift from God that you will find really fulfilling.
Paul also reminds us that we all have strengths and weaknesses, but thanks to God, they are balanced out in the Christian community. We are called to work together and help each other, but we are not expected to have all the virtues or skills as individuals, or to excel at everything.
So, as Rev. Kirsten mentioned a few weeks ago, if there’s something niggling you and you think that God might be nudging to do something – then please think and pray about it or come and have a word with us.
Peter was probably not the most obvious candidate to be the leader of the early church. He could be quite outspoken and, as we will hear next week, he was quite capable of getting things wrong and putting his foot in his mouth. Peter’s main qualification was that he could recognise the activity of God when he saw it and could understand that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. That was all that was needed to start to build Jesus’ church.Rev. Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
Help us to recognise your power and hand at work in our lives and the world.
We pray that we may discern your will
and the part you are calling us to play in building your kingdom.
Help us to come to truly know Your son Jesus Christ
and be daily transformed into his likeness, and receive the keys to heaven.
