REMEMBER WHAT?

In one of Winston Churchill’s famous speeches, given to the House Of Commons on the 18th June 1940, just 4 days after Dunkirk, after setting out the disastrous news to the assembled MPs when Britain stood alone to resist the massive juggernaut of Nazi troops he ended with these words:

“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will say, ‘This was their finest hour’”

It is often the case that nations are at their best in times of national disaster . Churchill had the ability to get everyone behind the cause and be ready, no matter what the cost , to fight to the bitter end. He had managed to capture the spirit of the hour and challenge the people to commit themselves to the cause. Now he did not KNOW that victory would come but he had the gift of making people believe that they would even against the disaster of the fall of Paris and the rest of the European allies and without the support of the USA.

On 4th June he had already said:

“I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty,,,,……we shall prove ourselves, once again able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone……….we shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight in the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island , whatever the cost may be, we shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them on the landing grounds, we shall fight them in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight them in the hills, we shall never surrender…..”

History tells us that this country was perilously close to destruction
- almost starved
- almost defeated
- almost invaded

By every measure the country was at the end of all its resources- the coming of the cavalry could not come too soon and , thanks to the Imperial might of Japan, it came and not a moment too soon. Today, as we look back, we celebrate the might of right but we also tend to concentrate upon the power and the might which overcame the enemy and, in the end it was the might of the atomic weapon of mass destruction which forced the Japanese to their knees.

As Jesus chose and set apart the 12 Apostles he begins to teach them and also the bigger group of disciples along with those on the fringes. What is immediately apparent is that this group is very different and this Kingdom that He promises is very different. HE USHERS IN A NEW KINGDOM

They are not promised that they will be among the great and powerful- not like the Romans -indeed this kingdom is not a picture of strength and power- that was seen clearly in the kingdom of David and his successors- God tells them at the outset, that He doesn’t want them to have a king because he is the only king they need but they think differently.



This Kingdom is all about:
poverty
hunger
weeping
and being among the hated.

Here He eyeballed them- both friends and enemies. This kingdom, he says, is like no kingdom you have experienced before.

This kingdom is made up of the weak and the powerless, the hungry and the poor- they are the beggars who sit with longing and hungry eyes beseeching us for help.

Paul says much the same in 1Corinthians 1:18-25
This runs totally contrary to what we believe and to the experience of the people of God in the history of Israel- they were the chosen
They were the blessed
They were “THE PEOPLE” and now this Rabbi pulls that all down and inverts it- it is the negative of the picture- he gilds no lily but tells it like it is- if you want to be part of my kingdom you will have to take this view- but that is only half the story.

There are three groups of people here- Disciples, fringe members who can be won over and who might because they have spent time with Jesus and with His people and then there are the enemies who have nailed their colours to the mast- they are against him – as He speaks He looks at each in turn

To the opponents He says- live only for today and you will be rewarded today-v24-26

To those who have an eternal perspective to life He says- “you will be rewarded tomorrow”
You will be satisfied
You will laugh

To one he says :

YOU are BLESSED and to the other he says
WOE to YOU

To the one he says “Rejoice….for that is how they treated the prophets” and to the other he says

“Woe…. For that is how their fathers treated the false prophets”

No one is won over to a cause which lacks demand- we need to set the challenge before men- its not for wimps, its not for those who can spare a few minutes a day its for those who will invest their time and energy in the things of God- living today but with an eye on a time beyond all time when Christ will be our companion.

The challenge set forth by Churchill was awesome but the Challenge set by Christ is infinitely greater but also more certain. This is the kingdom that God does desire and has made possible for us to be a part of.

Verses 46-49 tell the familiar tale about the need for a firm foundation- to make a house secure and able to stand up wind and wave it is necessary to spend a lot of time on building the foundations and so it is in the Christian life- we need to build on the teaching of Christ and His Apostles.

Now the big question is this- what DOES THIS KINGDOM LOOK LIKE, in practical ways?

We now come to the radical and challenging verses of 27-45
In our every day experience and certainly in the wartime experience you need to know who is your friend and who is your enemy- you need to, “cultivate your friends” [Oscarv Wilode]but Jesus adds- MAKE YOUR ENEMY YOUR FRIEND.

This kingdom is like no mother kingdom you have experienced- in this kingdom the heroes are not the strong and the brave, not the rich and the powerful- in this kingdom LOVE IS THE KEY

The Beatles said – “ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE” But in our thinking this is the romantic love which has led men to give up thrones and devote their lives to the one they love or even the love of your country which has inspired great devotion in wars and other conflicts- but this love which Jesus speaks of is the love of God- the love which God demonstrates in this

“while we were yet sinners Christ died”[Romans 5:8]

This love is all about giving and not receiving- Jesus says LOVE:

your enemies
do good to those who hate you
bless those who curse you
pray for those who ill-treat you
if your enemy strikes you on one cheek turn the other
if he takes your coat let him have the other one also

In other words, make a friend of him!
There is nothing special about loving those who love you- even the sinners do that
Nothing special about inviting your friends to dinner even the sinners do that.

Let the love of God be clearly demonstrated among you:
Make friends with your enemy- lets God’s love reign
Treat others as you would like them to treat you
Don’t be critical of others
Look to correct your own sins
Once you can see then you can lead others
V45 “The good man brings good things stored up in his heart”

Challenging or what? If we, in Belfast, could do that what a witness that would be- then we would truly have had the "war to end all wars".