Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

For the Fourth Sunday in Lent (31 March 2019), Rev. Geoff McKee’s text is Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke’s gospel. It is an unsettling story with an apparently shifting focus: is it the younger or older son? – or their father? Geoff explains how it can be as dangerous for Christians to follow the path of the older son as that of the younger son, though it is the younger son who appears at first sight to have gone more astray. We need to be learning from both brothers in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

The sermon can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.

Luke 15:1-3; 11-32 (New International Version)

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable …

The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The Property Laws of a Toddler are as follows:

1. If I like it, it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.
8. If I saw it first, it’s mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it’s broken, it’s yours.

Such is the power of me, me, me!

One of the amazing features of the Parable of the Prodigal Son is its perfect framing:

• It begins with the story of the youngest son who is only interested in himself, and
• It ends with the story of the eldest son who is only interested in himself, and
• In the middle, is the story of the abused Father who behaves scandalously!

What a story it is…

The story has a shifting focus which can throw us.

Who is the principal character? –

• Is it the younger son whom the parable is most commonly named after: the prodigal?
• Or is it the Father who dominated the middle part and who is the fixer of the problem?
• Or is it the older son who annoys us most because we’re most like him?

It’s distinctly unsettling, isn’t it? [Read more…]

This is Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon for 10 March 2019 – the first Sunday in Lent – considering Luke’s gospel and its story of Jesus being tested in the desert. Of course, Jesus withstands these temptations and Geoff explains how this teaches us – somewhat counter-intuitively – that succumbing to temptation enslaves whilst choosing God’s way brings freedom.

Luke 4:1-13 (New International Version)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

In the mid 1990’s the movie, Devil’s Advocate, was released, starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino.

Reeves plays Kevin Lomax, a happily married and very successful lawyer in America’s South. Down in the South, he’s a man of integrity who’s focused on what’s important in life.

Then he’s offered a job in the Big Apple, New York, with a worldwide law firm. Kevin and his wife move to New York, only to find Kevin being seduced by the atmosphere of greed, sex and power that surrounds the firm and – more particularly – its owner, John Milton, played by Al Pacino.

But we soon discover that there is more to this movie than the age-old theme of greed versus goodness. The plot is much more sinister. [Read more…]

For Transfiguration Sunday (03 March 2019), Rev. Geoff McKee explains why the Transfiguration story in Luke’s gospel must be read together with the immediately-following story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed boy. This allows us to see the underlying message of “transformed service”: why Christian service is not an optional activity. Do we have the vision to see how the Transfiguration takes us into the public square to see unimagined possibilities? Can we manage to serve others before our own egos?

You can download a PDF version of the sermon by clicking here.

Luke 9:28-43 (New International Version)
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

I remember very well the first public examination that I sat at school.

It was my ‘O’ level French aural comprehension exam.

The pupils listened to a recording of a story in French and then were asked to turn over a question paper that asked questions in English about the recorded material. So we all nervously listened to the recording and then set about answering the questions.

I was pleased because I knew the answers – or thought I did, because I was awoken from my wee bubble of concentration by a sharp smack over the head.

My French teacher who was also invigilating had noticed a silly error in my answer as he was walking past and had decided that a sharp wake up was needed.

It was naughty of him and no doubt wouldn’t happen these days but it did the job in jolting me from my confidence bubble.

When reading the Gospel story today, I always feel that Peter received the verbal equivalent of a clip around the ears.

He misread the situation so badly and there is no doubt that his future relationship with Jesus took some time to right itself after this.

Some have read the Transfiguration story as an account that has found itself in the wrong part of the Gospel record. Here is a story that fits perfectly with the resurrection stories and for some reason it has been shunted forwards for effect. We have Jesus shining as if he had been resurrected and we have sleepy disciples just as they would be in Gethsemane when Jesus prepared for his glory.

I think the view is somewhat forced however.

It is true that the story of the Transfiguration was written after the resurrection appearances of Jesus and so like all Gospel writing was profoundly influenced by the resurrection.

In fact, the account of the distressed man and his child that follows directly on is offered as a challenge to the church, through the failure of the disciples to act appropriately, to listen to Jesus. People who take the reality of the resurrection of Jesus seriously listen to Jesus.

The meeting with Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop may appear to be a random one.

There may have been a list of appropriate Old Testament greats who would have done just as well.

But no – Moses and Elijah were chosen because they represented the Law and Prophetic tradition in Israel equally.

Both characters were defined by their journeys to the land or through the land in God’s service. They were both involved in exodus journeys, Moses explicitly so and Elijah in the sense he was always on the way, ultimately to glory.

So Jesus met with the two great travellers and identified his mission closely with theirs. Peter seems to have picked up something of this when he offered to make three tabernacle dwellings for them. These were temporary abodes particularly suited to the sojourner. Once that idea was rejected Jesus and his followers journeys back down the mountain with God’s instruction ringing in their ears, ‘listen to him’. This, they immediately failed to do, as they were unable to cope with the afflicted child.

They had failed to understand that seeing Jesus differently must affect the way they see others too. They, themselves, must allow the transformed Jesus to transform them in turn. [Read more…]

Love your enemies and do not judge others. Difficult instructions from Jesus in Luke’s gospel, at Chapter 6. But did he mean it literally? Are we to take this completely seriously? Rev. Geoff McKee explains why Christians believe that a change of mind and a change of heart is not only possible but absolutely required through Jesus. He considers why Jesus’ new way requires a change of heart and mind that is extremely challenging but necessary.

You can download a PDF version of the sermon by clicking here.

Luke 6:27-38 (New International Version)
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In June and July 1921 the small south Wales town of Abertillery was in shock.

Two young schoolgirls had been found murdered and a local fifteen year old adolescent had confessed to the murders and was subsequently jailed for life.

He was too young to be sentenced to death.

The murderer’s name was Harold Jones and, after serving twenty years for his crimes, he was released in 1941. He joined the Merchant Navy and, after the war, changed his name to Harry Stevens. He settled in London, married and had a daughter.

His past remained a secret to his family and friends and the authorities lost contact with him.

He appeared to have successfully begun life again, with a new identity. Certainly, here was a wonderful opportunity for him, having the slate wiped clean, to make a genuine fresh start.

Unfortunately, with the broadcast of a new documentary in January called ‘Dark Son: the Hunt for a Serial Killer’, it would appear that Jones could not leave his terrible past behind. It was possible to change a name but the leopard could not change its spots. I will leave it to you to follow that story up if you wish, it is not for us today.

But the issue of identity and a potential identity crisis is crucial.

We are all given a new identity in Christ Jesus.

We are required to live the new way and so we must be aware of what living that new way looks like – and then we must be determined to live it. [Read more…]

Matthew’s gospel contains the famous “Sermon on the Mount”.  For the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany (17 February 2019), Rev. Geoff McKee has Luke’s parallel text (which is shorter and less well-known), The Sermon on the Plain. In its directness of language, it’s a much more uncomfortable read than Matthew’s account. As Geoff explains, it teaches us about the importance of perspective in faithful Christian living. It teaches about the importance of taking seriously the call to live simply. How we identify the “greatest” moments in our lives can reveal a lot about how well we are keeping a Christian perspective on things.

You can download a PDF version of the sermon by clicking here.

Luke 6:17-26 (New International Version)

Blessings and Woes
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Hugh Latimer once preached before King Henry VIII.

Henry was greatly displeased by the boldness in the sermon and ordered Latimer to preach again on the following Sunday and apologise for the offence he had given.

The next Sunday, after reading his text, he thus began his sermon: “Hugh Latimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest – upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully.”

He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday – and with considerably more energy. [Read more…]