By this time next week, the school summer holidays will be over, and the children will be back in their classrooms beginning a new year. Some will have moved up to a new school, whilst others will have just moved up a year group. The little ones will be starting their school journey, taking their first steps in the system of education that exists in this country. I’m sure with all of them there will be a mixture of emotion: excitement, nervousness and in some cases fear. They will all be thinking about what might be different – how will they cope with the new things that they will be asked to learn, will they be too difficult to understand?
I’ve been watching the squirrels in the garden building their winter storage of food. They have been crossing the grass with food in their mouths – I’m not sure where they are taking it, but they certainly seem to be making a large store if the number of nuts they are taking is anything to go by. It has reminded me of the passage in the Bible when Jesus talks about building up our “treasure in heaven”.
You will find the quotation in the story of the Good Samaritan. A young man comes to Jesus and asks “What must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus first asks if he has kept the Ten Commandments, and he replies that he has since his youth. “One thing you lack”, Jesus responds, “sell all that you own and give the money to the poor.” The young man goes away sad, because he is a wealthy man, and Jesus adds – “follow me!” I think we would all find it difficult to follow that teaching, but nonetheless, that is what Jesus asks of us. We should not let our wealth get in the way of giving to those in need, but quite the contrary, it should give us the impetus to give more as we have the resources to do so. As we see and read about the poor, not only in far off countries but on our own streets, we are encouraged to give more of what we have so that others can have a better standard of life; and at the same time we build up our treasure in heaven. More importantly we are to follow Jesus and his ways.
With Love, prayers and God’s blessing.
Rev Graham
